Farewell but not goodbye

That little quote above is one of Sir Bobby Robson's - who sadly passed away at the age of 76. It really brought things home.

Now I'm not a football man but Robson's successes are there to be held up. I would imagine that in Sports Management there is mutual respect for others achievements and like the great Brian Clough, Robson was a good manager.

Our game of Rugby League has lost people from the coaching fraternity, not least most recently Ces Mountford, 90, who was a Kiwi that had huge success in this country with Wigan and Warrington.

He joined Wigan in 1946 and had five successful seasons at Central Park before being named first overseas Lance Todd Trophy winner in 1951.

In 210 games for Wigan he scored 70 tries and kicked 55 goals as well as winning 11 major titles.

Ces then caused a storm when he moved to Warrington and signed an unprecidented ten year contract. Wigan refused to release his playing registration and there was a farcical situation of the nuggety Kiwi being named for both Wigan and Warrington in a Locker Cup game that eventually saw him play for neither club. After 12 months, Wigan finally relented and Mountford played 37 games with Warrington before his career was ended by injury. Despite this it was a golden time for Warrington. Trophies followed him to Wilderspool and he won a further 7 titles with the Cheshire side who were arguably the glamour club of the 50s.

Mountford then later coached New Zealand between 1979-82.

I remember both Grandads speaking about that great Warrington side, although Leigh themselves in the 1950s were one of the top bracket of clubs and tasted success on several occasions.

When I was researching the final home league programme at Hilton Park, I interviewed our own elderly statesman in Tommy Sale and he said the Mountford business actually inspired the move for Alex Murphy from St Helens. Like Ces, Murphy was prevented from playing in a messy transfer wrangle that rumbled on and on and on.

Over recent seasons Leigh have lost some of their great players, Joe Walsh, Bill Robinson, Jimmy Ledgard, now all playing on, in the rugby ground in the sky, watched on forever by members of our families now no longer with us.

I certainly think the above saying rings true, it's just farewell, and not goodbye, memories always with us.