Capt J.R. "Ronnie" Williams - King's Liverpool Regt

[davidbohl]

In view of the recent title confirmation I thought I'd have a nose around the ww1 Liverpool players and according to this newspaper cutting from the Echo 08/18/1916 Capt Williams was "a well known player with the Liverpool Football Club".

I can't find him in any of my books at first team level and there is no mention of him here https://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/liverpool-in-the-first-world-war/

Perhaps this is printed in error ?

Thanks

Dave

 

From the BNA

Edited 29 June , 2020 by davidbohl

[FROGSMILE]

Best check out Everton 😇

[davidbohl]

Ah Ha, it has confused a few websites, it's Liverpool RUGBY Club, he's on the memorial at Aigburth Cricket Club

https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/15329

 

Case closed

Thanks

[daggers]

That memorial names members of both Liverpool Cricket Club, and the original Liverpool Football Club.

The much younger Anfield lot appropriated the name.

I have a short bio of Williams, if wanted.

D

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

The term 'football' was widely used in those days to mean  what we would describe as rugby, so the report may be correct in that respect.

I have read newspaper reports from just a few years earlier of a football match where (IIRC) Bangor played against Caernarfon. The reports describes kick-off, the forwards, the backs, the full back, the ball going over the touchline, and a penalty. One team won by three goals to nil.

Which sport was it?

Who knows.

Some modern rugby players refer to "a game of football",  Scott Gibbs, Wales & British Lions Rugby Union, and Widnes and GB Rugby League international used it frequently. It's  commonly used in the Southern hemisphere still.

Many clubs in those days would have players who played both codes and cricket in the summer. The clubs would arrange a fixture list, and decide later, maybe even on match day what code to adhere to.

Edited 29 June , 2020 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[davidbohl]

I think they must have had the Scotch out when they set about the scoring rules for rugby union at the time.

 

Here's the two players from the 1914-15 Season who perished.