Joseph Bonnar

Joe Bonnar
Personal information
Full name	Joseph Bonnar
Born	second ¼ 1948; Whitehaven district, England
Died	11 February 2017 (aged 68)
Playing information
Position	Scrum-half
Club
Representative

Joseph "Joe" Bonnar (birth registered second ¼ 1948

Halifax, as a scrum-half

, i.e. number 7.

Background

Joe Bonnar's birth was registered in Whitehaven district, Cumberland, he worked as coal miner, plumber, and a tiler, he retired from rugby league through injury in 1976, he was a well-known landlord in Dewsbury, he pulled his final pint on 29 January 2007, as he retired after 18 years at the same pub. The former professional rugby league footballer left The George Hotel public house in Moor End Lane in Dewsbury Moor to care for his wife Carol, who had suffered a stroke. Regulars at The George Hotel organised a leaving do for the popular couple, who took on the pub in January 1989, and made it a focal point of the community. Joe, and Carol helped to raise more than £30,000 for various charities over the years, and handed over a cheque for over £2,000 to The Diabetes Appeal at Dewsbury District Hospital before they left The George Hotel. Joe was originally from Cumberland, and he moved to the area when Wakefield Trinity bought him from Whitehaven in 1968 for the princely sum of £3,250 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £95,380 in 2017).^[4] The nippy scrum-half finished his career at Halifax aged 29, and worked as a miner, and a tradesman before settling on the licensed trade. Joe, and Carol moved to Ullswater Road, Dewsbury, close to Hanging Heaton Golf Club, where Joe was a member, he died aged 68.

Playing career

Club Championship semi-Final appearances

Joe Bonnar played in Wakefield Trinity's 7-12 defeat by Warrington in the Club Championship semi-final during the 1973–74 season.

County Cup Final appearances

Joe Bonnar played

1974 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1974–75 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 26 October 1974.^{[citation needed}

]

Club career

Joe Bonnar made his début for

1968 "Watersplash" Challenge Cup Final during the 1967–68 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1968, he played his last match for Wakefield Trinity in the 7-35 defeat by Castleford in the last match of the 1974–75 season, 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.

References

^ "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
^ "Trinity star passes away, aged 68". wakefieldexpress.co.uk. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
^ "Hensingham ARLFC at pitchero.com". pitchero.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
^ "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.

External links

Search for Bonnar at rugbyleagueproject.org
Pulling days over for Joe
Legends Night
Rugby legends pack down again
Trinity star passes away, aged 68
(archived by web.archive.org) Joe Bonnar Obituary - Wakefield Trinity
Obituary at legacy.com

[Birth_details_at_freebmd.org.uk-1] "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

[Trinity_star_passes_away,_aged_68-2] "Trinity star passes away, aged 68". wakefieldexpress.co.uk. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.

[Hensingham_ARLFC_at_pitchero.com-3] "Hensingham ARLFC at pitchero.com". pitchero.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.

[Measuring_Worth_-_Relative_Value_of_UK_Pounds-4] "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.

[4]