Des Clarkson
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Desmond Clarkson[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 January 1923 Tadcaster, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | January 2002 (aged 78) Pontefract, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Loose forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Desmond Clarkson (25 January 1923 – January 2002) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for Hunslet, Leigh,[5][6] Leeds, Halifax, Keighley and Castleford, as a second-row or loose forward.
Biography
Des Clarkson was born in Tadcaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and he died aged 78 in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England.[7]
Playing career
Club career
Clarkson played loose forward in Halifax's 4-4 draw with Warrington in the 1954 Challenge Cup Final during the 1953–54 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 24 April 1954, in front of a crowd of 81,841, and played loose forward in the 4-8 defeat by Warrington in the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay during the 1953–54 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Wednesday 5 May 1954, in front of a record crowd of 102,575 or more.[8]
International honours
Clarkson won caps for England while at Hunslet in 1947 against Wales, and in 1948 against France.
References
- ^ "Clarkson signs". Yorkshire Post. 23 December 1948. p. 3. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
- ^ "Desmond Clarkson Ready to Sign for Leeds". Yorkshire Evening Post. 21 December 1948. p. 8.
- ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Player Summary: Des Clarkson". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "They Played For Leigh (Statistics) at leighrl.co.uk". leighrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Heritage Numbers at leighrl.co.uk". leighrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "Stalwart dies". Halifax Evening Courier. 18 January 2002. p. 27 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Mud, blood and memories of the day when 102,575 made history at Odsal". independent.co.uk. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2017.