Arthur Johnson (rugby league)

Arthur Johnson

Extract from Widnes Playing Register for the 1907–08 season showing Arthur Johnson's entry along with his fellow future Great Britain tourist John "Jack" O'Garra
Personal information
Full name Arthur Johnson
Nickname Chick
Born Widnes
Playing information
Position Wing, Prop, Hooker, Second-row, Loose forward/Lock

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Dec 1907–Feb 23 Widnes
Feb 1923–Nov 24 Warrington 58 10 0 0 30
Total 58 10 0 0 30
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1914 England 1 0 0 0 0
1914–20 Great Britain 4 3 0 0 9

Arthur 'Chick'" Johnson , a local to Widnes, was a rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s, playing at representative level for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Widnes, and Warrington, as a wing, Prop, Hooker, Second-row, or loose forward/lock, during the era of contested scrums. Arthur Johnsons inherited his nickname of 'Chick' from his father, Old 'Chick' (James) Johnson.

Playing career

International honours

On the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, Widnes provided Jack O'Garra, from a well-known footballing family, and Arthur "Chick" Johnson a renowned as an exponent of the long-dead art of dribbling a rugby ball. He was a forward playing out of position on the Wing. With 20 minutes left in the game he dribbled the ball from inside his own half, beating Australia's fullback, Howard Hallett, to score a try, in what became known as the Rorke's Drift Test.

Johnson, gained a cap for England at Widnes in 1914 against Wales,[1] and four caps for Great Britain while at Widnes in 1914 against Australia, and New Zealand, and He was selected to go on the 1920 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia and played against Australia (twice).[2]

Club career

Johnson is a Widnes Hall Of Fame Inductee. Johnson made his début for Warrington on the 3 February 1923, and made his final appearance for Warrington on 15 November 1924, making 40-appearances for Warrington in 1923–24 season.

Forename confusion

Johnson's forename is stated as Arthur on the rugby.widnes.tv website, but Albert on both the englandrl.co.uk, and rugbyleagueproject.org websites. The latter forename is a longstanding error, dating to at least as far back as Keith Macklin's 1962 book History of Rugby League Football, it probably arises from confusion with Albert Johnson, a Great Britain player of the 1940s. However contemporary press reports, RFL playing registers and census records all confirm that he was named Arthur, not Albert.

References

  1. ↑ "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
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