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Albert Naughton
Albert Naughton - Widnes.jpeg
Personal information
Full name Albert Naughton
Born 19 January 1929
Prescot, Merseyside, England
Died (aged 84)
Onchan, Isle of Man
Playing information
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 12 st 6 lb (79 kg)
Position Centre, Loose forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1946/47–49 Widnes 95 21 1 0 65
1949–61 Warrington 348 167 0 0 501
Total 443 188 1 0 566
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1949–53 Lancashire 7 3 0 0 9
1953–56 England 3 0 0 0 0
1954 Great Britain 2 0 0 0 0

Albert Naughton (born 19 January 1929 – died 27 September 2013) was a famous English rugby league player. People often called him "Ally". He played as a centre or loose forward in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

Ally played for important teams like Great Britain, England, and Lancashire. At the club level, he played for Widnes and was a captain for Warrington. He even won a Rugby League World Cup!

Albert Naughton: Rugby Star

Early Life and Family

Albert Naughton was born in Prescot, Lancashire, England. He later moved to the Isle of Man and passed away there at the age of 84.

Ally came from a family of rugby players. His older brother, John "Johnny" Naughton, also played rugby league for Widnes. Another brother, Daniel "Danny" Naughton, was also a rugby league footballer.

Playing Rugby League

Albert Naughton was a very skilled rugby league player. He played in many big matches and represented his country.

Representing England and Great Britain

Ally Naughton earned "caps" (which means he played official matches) for England. He played against France in 1953 and again in 1956.

He also played for Great Britain. He was part of the team that played in the 1954 Rugby League World Cup. This was a huge event! He played in two matches against France during that World Cup.

In the 1954 World Cup, Great Britain had a 13-13 draw with France. Then, in the World Cup Final, Great Britain beat France 16-12! Ally Naughton played as a centre in that winning final match. He helped his team become World Cup champions.

Big Games and Finals

Ally played in several important club finals.

  • Championship Finals: He played in the Rugby Football League Championship Final three times with Warrington.
    • In the 1950–51 season, Warrington lost to Workington Town.
    • In the 1954–55 season, Warrington won 7-3 against Oldham, making them champions!
    • In the 1960–61 season, he played his last match for Warrington in a final they lost to Leeds.
  • Challenge Cup Final: In the 1949–50 Challenge Cup Final, Ally Naughton played for Warrington against his old team, Widnes. Warrington won 19-0 at Wembley Stadium in London, in front of a huge crowd of over 94,000 people! It was special because his brother, Johnny Naughton, was playing for Widnes in that same final.

Ally was injured for the 1953–54 Challenge Cup Final. His team drew the first game and then won the replay, but he couldn't play in those matches.

  • County Cup Finals: He also played in the Lancashire Cup Final for Warrington.
    • In the 1950–51 season, Warrington lost to Wigan. Ally scored a try in that game.
    • In the 1959–60 season, Warrington won 5-4 against St. Helens.

Club Journey: Widnes to Warrington

Albert Naughton started his professional career at Widnes. He played 95 games for them between 1946 and 1949.

In 1949, he moved to Warrington. This was a very big deal because he became the most expensive rugby league player at the time! Warrington paid £4,600 for him. To give you an idea, that amount would be worth about £396,900 today (in 2016 money). He played his first game for Warrington in France and scored a try in his first competitive match against Whitehaven. He played 348 games for Warrington, scoring 167 tries.

Honoured for His Career

In 2006, Albert Naughton was recognized for his amazing career. He was inducted into the Warrington Wolves Hall of Fame. This is a special honor for players who have made a big impact on the club.

Life After Rugby

After his rugby career, Albert Naughton became a landlord. In 1957, he took over the Britannia Inn in Warrington.

See Also

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