Former Seventies Salford Second Rower, John Knighton, Looks Back At His Time As A Player At The Willows
CONTENTS
Part 1 His Early Rugby Career
Part 2 His Memories Of His Time With Salford
Part 3 He Remembers His Former Salford Teammates
Part 4 His Later Rugby Career
Pt 1 His Early Rugby Career
Originating from the rugby union stronghold around the south Manchester town of Stockport, former second row forward, John Knighton, was a pupil at Stockport School, when he first began playing that version of the game.
“We were introduced to it at the very beginning of our time there, in Y7, and I continued with it right up to being in the lower sixth form, when I changed to playing football.
“Once I had made that change, I continued with that through the whole of my first year at Worcester College, in 1965, where I was training to be a teacher, but then in the second year moved back to rugby union again, purely for the change.
“I had started off in the back row, and had then pretty well settled into that position thereafter, including when I joined Heaton Moor Club, during the college holidays.
“My father was a policeman, whose beat took him past the club, and it was he who introduced me there. I was made extremely welcome, and so was able to keep myself up to speed, both in term time and during the holidays.”
Upon gaining his qualification as a teacher, in 1968, John was appointed PE teacher at Hyde Grammar School, before moving on, five years later, to a similar role, at Audenshaw Grammar, whilst still continuing playing with Heaton Moor.
“I did quite well while I was there, and had a few trials for representative honours, but my strength was in my skill with the ball – running and passing – rather than in the close physical contact of rucking and scrummaging.
“Nevertheless, that did not stop me becoming captain at Heaton Moor, which involved leading training sessions, and because of that, in 1973, I became involved in running a training camp for up-and-coming young schoolboys, under the overall direction of Salford assistant coach, Les Bettinson, who was also our PE adviser, in Stockport.
“This involved joining in with a few touch and pass games, and, it was as a result of that, that he invited me down to The Willows for a few trials.
“I had had no knowledge, nor experience, of rugby league, but, when I got there, I found that it suited me greatly, as it was based more around the skills of ball work and tackling than union was.
“I therefore did not take much persuading to sign for them, and promptly took up a place in the ‘A’ team, under Ken Roberts.”
