English RL coach and former rugby league footballer
Laurence Gant MBE (21 July 1922[ 2] – 19 October 2004) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played as a second-row forward in the 1940s and 1950s, coached in the 1960s and 1970s, and refereed in the 1950s and 1960s.
He played at club level for Wakefield Trinity (A-Team ), and Featherstone Rovers ,[ 3] and coached at club level for Stanley Rangers ARLFC, Featherstone Rovers and York .[ 4] Laurie Gant was the president of St Michael's Cricket club [1] , and the Wakefield branch of the Royal British Legion .[ 5]
Background
Laurie Gant was born in Wakefield , West Riding of Yorkshire , England, he worked as a cobbler in Wrenthorpe , in the 1981 New Year Honours , Gant was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to rugby league,[ 6] and he died aged 82 in Wakefield , West Yorkshire , England.[ 7]
Playing career
Challenge Cup Final appearances
Laurie Gant played at second-row in Featherstone Rovers ' 12–18 defeat by Workington Town in the 1951–52 Challenge Cup Final during the 1951–52 season at Wembley Stadium , London on Saturday 19 April 1952, in front of a crowd of 72,093, he played despite having pneumonia , but following massage with brandy and rum .
Club career
Laurie Gant made his début for Featherstone Rovers on Monday 29 March 1948,[ 8] he appears to have scored no drop-goals (or field-goals as they are currently known in Australasia), but prior to the 1974–75 season all goals, whether; conversions , penalties , or drop-goals , scored 2-points, consequently prior to this date drop-goals were often not explicitly documented, therefore '0' drop-goals may indicate drop-goals not recorded, rather than no drop-goals scored. In addition, prior to the 1949–50 season , the archaic field-goal was also still a valid means of scoring points.
Coaching career
Challenge Cup Final appearances
Laurie Gant was the coach in Featherstone Rovers ' 17–12 victory over Barrow in the 1966–67 Challenge Cup Final during the 1966–67 season at Wembley Stadium , London on Saturday 13 May 1967, in front of a crowd of 76,290. This was the first Challenge Cup final attended by Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh .
County Cup Final appearances
Laurie Gant was the coach in Featherstone Rovers ' 9–12 defeat by Hull F.C. in the 1969–70 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1969–70 season at Headingley , Leeds on Saturday 20 September 1969, and the 7–23 defeat by Leeds in the 1970–71 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1970–71 season at Odsal , Bradford on Saturday 21 November 1970.
References
^ "Referee Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org" . rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018 .
^ "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk" . freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012 .
^ Bailey, Ron (1956). The Official History of Featherstone Rovers R.L.F.C. . Wakefield Express. ASIN: B00O1TLDPC
^ Lindley, John (1960). Dreadnoughts – A HISTORY OF Wakefield Trinity F.C. 1873 – 1960 [Page118] . John Lindley Son & Co Ltd. ISBN n/a
^ "Laurence (Laurie) Gant, MBE" . freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013 .
^ "No. 48467" (PDF) . The London Gazette (Supplement) . 31 December 1980. p. B13.
^ "Death of Rovers legend Gant" . Pontefract and Castleford Express . 20 October 2004. Retrieved 23 August 2017 .
^ Bailey, Ron (20 September 2001). Images of Sport – Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Football Club . The History Press. ISBN 0752422952
External links
Featherstone Rovers coaches