Maurice Bamford

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Maurice Bamford
Personal information
Born(1936-04-20)20 April 1936[1]
Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died23 May 2019(2019-05-23) (aged 83)[1]
Playing information
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Hull
1957–63 Dewsbury
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1974 Dewsbury
1978–80
Halifax
1980–81 Huddersfield
1981–82 Wigan
1982–83 Bramley
1983–85 Leeds
1986–88 Leeds
1988 Workington Town
1988–90 Dewsbury
1992–93 Bramley
1997
Prescot Panthers
2000
Lancashire Lynx
Total 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1984–86 Great Britain 10 3 2 5 30
1988 Great Britain 1 1 0 0 100
Source: [2][3]

Maurice Bamford (20 April 1936 – 23 May 2019) was an English professional rugby league footballer and coach.[4] He also went on to write several books on rugby league.[5]

Early life

Bamford was born in

Second World War
.

Playing career

He signed professional forms for Hull F.C. in 1953,[7] but never played in the first team. He was transferred to Dewsbury in 1957. His professional playing career was cut short due to injuries, eventually retiring in 1963.[8]

Coaching career

Club level

After retiring as a player, Bamford moved into coaching. In 1972, he joined

Halifax in March 1978, who were bottom of the Second Division and hadn't won a game all season.[9] He dramatically turned around the club's fortunes, missing out on promotion by one point in the 1978–79 season. In the following season, Halifax finished second in the league, winning promotion to the First Division. The club also reached the Yorkshire Cup final, but were defeated 15–6 by Leeds
.

Bamford left Halifax in May 1980 to join

.

In 1985, Bamford was the first ever appointed full-time Development Officer for rugby league in the

UK
when he served for the Leeds City Council Leisure Services for two and a half years.

He returned to Leeds for a second coaching spell between December 1986 and April 1988. He reached the final of the John Player Special Trophy again in the

Lancashire Lynx
.

Great Britain

His career also included a three-year stint as Great Britain coach between 1984 and 1987 with test series against Australia, New Zealand and France. His term as coach of the national side also included the formation of the Great Britain under-21 team. He was succeeded as Great Britain coach by Mal Reilly.

During the 1986

1986 Kangaroo tour, Bamford came in for heavy criticism from a number of former Great Britain and England internationals for his selections of both the first and second test teams. After the Lions lost the first test 38-16 at Old Trafford in Manchester, many expected mass changes to the team for the second test. However, the only change came when centre Ellery Hanley was ruled out with injury and was replaced by St. Helens winger Barry Ledger. The Lions lost the test and the series as the Kangaroos ran riot, running in six tries to one in a 34-4 hiding at Elland Road in Leeds. Garry Schofield scored the only try for the home side which came when Michael O'Connor dropped a low pass from fullback Garry Jack. At no other time in the game did the Lions look like scoring. Five changes were made to the team for the third test at Wigan's Central Park with the result being closer than many predicted, though the Australians completed a clean sweep defeating Great Britain 24-15. Many English fans believed that French referee Julien Rascagneres allowing a contentious try to Kangaroos captain Wally Lewis
midway through the second half ended any hope of the Lions snatching an unlikely victory.

Media work

After retiring from coaching, Bamford made regular appearances on radio and television, and wrote a column for the

.

Bamford died on 23 May 2019, aged 83, after being ill from cancer for some time.[11][12][6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Maurice Bamford, rugby league player and coach who managed Great Britain – obituary". Telegraph. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Maurice Bamford". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. .
  4. ^ "Play With a Smile… Funny Stories in Rugby League by Maurice Bamford". Rl1908.com. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
  5. ^ ""Maurice Bamford" - Google Search". Google.com.au. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Former Wigan RL coach Maurice Bamford dies". Wigan Today. 23 May 2019.
  7. ^ "The Big Interview: Maurice Bamford". Lancashire Evening Post. 12 January 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  8. ^ a b Downes, Steven (30 May 2019). "Minute silence for legend Bamford before Swinton Cup tie". Dewsbury Rams RLFC. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  9. ^ Rushworth, Ian (23 May 2019). "Maurice Bamford: Coach who transformed Fax's fortunes". Halifax Courier. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Alf's hairy moment". Manchester Evening News. 13 August 2004. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Maurice Bamford RIP". Leeds Rhinos. 23 May 2019.
  12. ^ Smith, Peter (23 May 2019). "Rugby league mourning death of legendary coach Maurice Bamford". Yorkshire Evening Post.

External links