Alex Fiddes

Alexander Erskine Fiddes (2 January 1914 – 1998) was a Scottish rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s, and coached rugby league in the 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Hawick RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for British Empire XIII, and at club level for Huddersfield (captain) and Castleford (Heritage No. 246), as a centre, i.e. number 3 or 4, and coached club level rugby league (RL) for Huddersfield and Batley.

Alex Fiddes
Personal information
Full nameAlexander Erskine Fiddes
Born2 January 1914[1]
Hawick, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Died1998 (aged 84)
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England[2]
Playing information
Rugby union
PositionCentre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
≤1933–33 Hawick RFC
195?–6? Huddersfield RUFC 257 0 0 0 0
Total 257 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
PositionCentre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1933–47 Huddersfield 467 233 184 1067
194?–4? →Castleford (guest) 0 0 0 0 0
Total 467 233 184 0 1067
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1937 British Empire XIII 1
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
Huddersfield
1952–54 Batley
Total 0 0 0 0
Source: [3]

Family

Fiddes was born in Hawick to John Fiddes, an ammonia worker, and Elizabeth Renton Erksine Fiddes.[1]

Playing career

International honours

Alex Fiddes represented British Empire XIII (RL) while at Huddersfield in the 15–0 victory over France at Stade Buffalo, Paris on Monday 1 November 1937.[3]

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Alex Fiddes played left-centre, i.e. number 4, and scored a try in Huddersfield's 8–11 defeat by Castleford in the 1934–35 Challenge Cup Final during the 1934–35 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 4 May 1935, in front of a crowd of 39,000.[4][5] During Alex Fiddes' time at Huddersfield, they had a 21–17 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1933 Challenge Cup Final during the 1932–33 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 6 May 1933, and a 13–9 aggregate victory over Bradford Northern in the 1944–45 Challenge Cup Final during the 1944–45 season; the 7–4 victory in the first-leg at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield, and the 6–5 victory in the second-leg at Odsal Stadium, Bradford.

County Cup Final appearances

Alex Fiddes played left-centre, i.e. number 4, was captain, and scored 2-goals in Huddersfield's 18–10 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1938 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1938–39 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 22 October 1938.

Testimonial match

Alex Fiddes benefit/testimonial match at Huddersfield took place against Salford at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Saturday 12 October 1946, the testimonial match earned him in excess of £500 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £49,450 in 2016),[6] at the time of the testimonial match he had captained Huddersfield 430 times in 455 appearances, he went on make 12 further appearances, with a final total of 467 appearances for Huddersfield.[7]

Club career

Alex Fiddes was signed from Hawick RFC, where he was a teammate of 'the voice of rugby'; Bill McLaren, by Huddersfield on 13 October 1933.[7]

Coaching career

County Cup Final appearances

Alex Fiddes was the coach in Batley's 8–18 defeat by Huddersfield in the 1952–53 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1952–53 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 15 November 1952.

Club career

Alex Fiddes was the coach of Batley from July 1952 until March 1954, Batley finished 21st out of 30 during the 1952–53 season, and 24th out of 30 during the 1953–54 season.

Genealogical information

Alex Fiddes was the father of; the rugby union footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s for Huddersfield R.U.F.C. (captain) Ian E. Fiddes (1935 – 5 October 2017 (aged 82)),[8][9] the twins; John C. Fiddes, and the rugby union footballer for Huddersfield R.U.F.C. William "Bill" B. Fiddes, and Alec E. Fiddes,[7] and the uncle of the rugby union, and rugby league footballer Andrew Broatch.

References
  1. "1914 FIDDES, ALEXANDER ERSKI (Statutory registers Births 789/ 6)". Scotland's People. National Records of Scotland, and the Court of the Lord Lyon.
  2. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
  3. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  4. "Sat 4th May 1935 – Challenge Cup – Neutral Ground – 39,000". thecastlefordtigers c/o web.archive.org. 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  5. "Scots have played their part". BBC. 21 April 2002. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  6. "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  7. "Alex, captain fantastic". examiner.co.uk. 6 December 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  8. "Ian E. Fiddes 1935-2017". huddersfieldrugby.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  9. "Obituary: One of Huddersfield Rugby Union Club's best former players dies aged 82". examiner.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
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