Tommy Sale (rugby league) explained

Tommy Sale
Fullname:Thomas Sale
Birth Date:21 July 1918[1]
Birth Place:Hindsford, Lancashire, England
Death Place:Wigan, Greater Manchester, England
Club1:Leigh
Year1start:1938
Year1end:48
Appearances1:82
Tries1:16
Goals1:2
Points1:52
Year2start:1945
Year2end:46
Appearances2:7
Tries2:1
Goals2:0
Points2:3
Club3:Widnes
Year3start:1949
Year3end:51
Appearances3:34
Tries3:13
Goals3:1
Points3:41
Retired:yes
Source:[2]

Thomas Sale (21 July 1918 – 3 January 2016) was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played at club level for Leigh, Warrington and Widnes.[3] [4]

Playing career

Leigh

Sale made his début in professional rugby league for home town club Leigh at the age of 20. He played nine games for the club before competitive rugby league was suspended due to the outbreak of the Second World War. He resumed playing for the club after the war, and went on to make a total of 82 appearances for the club before losing his place in the first team in 1948.

Warrington

Following the end of the Second World War, Sale briefly played for Warrington as a guest player, making seven appearances between 1945 and 1946.

Widnes

Sale played, and was captain in Widnes' 0-19 defeat by Warrington in the 1949–50 Challenge Cup Final during the 1949–50 season at Wembley Stadium, London, in front of a crowd of 94,249.

Post-playing career

After retiring, Sale remained at Leigh in various roles. He was also coach of Liverpool City in the late 1950s.He was influential in the signing of player-coach Alex Murphy, who went on to lead the team to a Challenge Cup final win in 1971.[5]

Sale was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to rugby league.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hadfield. Dave. Tommy Sale: Rugby league player most of whose life was devoted to the town of Leigh and its club. The Independent. 9 October 2016. 28 January 2016.
  2. Web site: They Played for Leigh. Leigh Centurions. 12 May 2018.
  3. Web site: Tributes pour in for Leigh Centurions rugby league legend Tommy Sale who died aged 97. Charlie Moore. 3 January 2016. Manchester Evening News.
  4. Web site: Tommy Sale MBE. leighcenturions.com. 3 January 2016. Mike Latham.
  5. Web site: Leigh rugby league stalwart Tommy Sale dies, aged 97. BBC Sport. 12 May 2018. 3 January 2016.