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Lewis Bradley is probably someone who doesn't roll off the tongue when you think about the great wing men that the Wigan Rugby Football Club have had over the years. Let's aim to put that straight. His is a tale of triumph and poignant ending.
The 1911-12 Northern Union Season started out as one of the finest to be contested for anyone turning up to Central Park. Confidence was high. The first five matches of the season saw the continuation of the tried and tested backline of Leytham-Jenkins-Todd-Miller. It also borught with it five wins and a nice position in the League table. In fact, Wigan had won their first seven league fixtures with the back-four scoring 19 tries between them. A 13-0 loss to Halifax on October 21st and a slight wobble started to be seen. A semi-final loss in the Lancashire Cup in mid-November was not the best thing to happen to Wigan especially when news broke that Joe Miller and Jim Leytham would be side-lined for a period of time after sustaining an injury against Warrington and in Leytham's case, his ankle was of worry. The Back Four was broken. Although Wigan continued to navigate November undefeated in the League, the loss of Joe Miller and Jim Leytham was felt hard. Wigan A-Teamer Harry Price deputised admirably but one could sense that Wigan were not the same.
As injuries mounted up, Bert Jenkins, the Wigan centre had no other option but to play whilst ill, and Johnny Thomas had gone home to Wales to recouperate after his own illness. It looked as though the run in to Christmas would be a bleak one unless something happened. Wigan did what Wigan did... their Directors got their suitcases packed and went hunting for a wing-three quarter...
On paper, a 21-5 victory over Runcorn at the end of November looked good. Wigan still headed the League but on the terraces, the Wigan faithful were grumpy. As the Wigan Observer put it: Should public interest become apathetic and careless as to the quality of the play there would be every likelihood of a deterioration of the standard of football.
On the Football Notes section, they dissected why James Leytham was to be rested by the doctor, and why Joe Miller was not showing the best of form which saw Wigan win four trophies back in 1909. The piece ends with a glimmer of hope. The old A.N. Other had got Wigan folk excited...
Lewis Bradley was non-other than the fabled A.N. Other. He had signed from Pontypool on the Friday evening and took the place of Joe Miller on the wing. Nine thousand spectators troubled the turnstile operators at Central Park to see if all the rumours were true of this Rugby Union player originally from Gloucester.
They were not disappointed.
As it turned out, Bradley had a set of unique qualifications to his name. He was eligible to play for England and Wales due to his connections to Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire. He was sure to have gained International honours had he had stayed in the Union code but as always, Northern Union scouts had a knack of tempting players North.
A Welsh newspaper had understood that the terms offered to Bradley were £200 up front payment and 'generous terms' of employment. They claimed that Bradley was scared to turn down the offer in case Wigan (or any other club) would offer those high amounts for a second time if he rejected them. He had told Wigan that he would take a little time to think about the offer but gave the promise that he would not talk to any other Northern Union club should they come calling. The good people of Pontypool were quite adverse to any Northern-sounding accent knocking about. The Wigan Directors were sure to have a cab handy to 'escape' if they had been discovered meddling with one of their star players.
The Wakefield Trinity game was what you would call a Sliding Doors moment. Wiganers were aroused and cheerful at the sight of Lewis Bradley's play, in both attack and defence. One the other side of the field, James Leytham, Wigan's finest back, was seen breaking down as his knee forced him into retiring off the field. Leytham wasn't the same player again as he would not return to the team until the Spring.
Given how things turn out, Bradley had a run in the Wigan first team. Navigating his way through the busy December period, Bradley would steal the headlines on New Years Day 1912 away at Barrow. Five tries were accredited to him.
In full flow, Bradley had a steady debut season in 1911-12. He ended the campaign scoring a hat-trick in the play-off semi final against Hull Kingston Rovers and Wigans only try in the Championship Final loss against Huddersfield.
His career with Wigan went as one would expect. With the first Great Era of the Wigan club fading away with the departures of Jim Leytham, Lance Todd and Joe Miller; Lewis Bradley was seen as the next thing. During the 1912-13 Season, Bradley made a total of 29 appearances, scoring 37 tries , including twice against Rochdale Hornets in a Lancashire Cup Final victory.
The following season, Bradley's record stood at 40 tries in 32 appearances.
The real story, however, comes at the outbreak of War.
Above is a photo of the Wigan team in October 1916. Lewis Bradley sits dead centre.
As with most tragedies in human existence, War ruins all. To comment more on Lew's rugby is not important between 1914-1918 I guess. In July 1918, news came to George Taylor, the Wigan Rugby Chairman that would impact the town and Club for a long time. Lewi's sister had written to Mr. Taylor stating the news that Lewis had died in combat in Northern France. On June 18th, Lewis was injured by shell fragments which penetrated his skull and thigh bone. Gas gangrene also set in and together, Lewis died from his injuries two days later. The letter stated that Lewis was careful during the War up to this point, serving as a gunner and driver in the Royal Field Artillery regiment 96th Brigade unit. His sister indicated that Lew did not know he was dying and if they knew, he would have liked to have said that his "Heart Was In Wigan".
Little is known about Bradley's involvement in the War but in 1921, he was interred at the Vignacourt British Cemetery in North Western France.
Then the trail runs cold.
In total, Lewis Bradley played 123 matches for Wigan, scoring a remarkable 136 tries between 1911-18. He played his final match against Broughton Rangers on February 2nd, 1918.
LEGACY
In today's world, not much is known about Lewis Bradley's exploits. Should he have faced Australia in 1914? Certainly. He would have had his name with the immortals at the Rorke's Drift Test match, but alas he was not chosen to Tour. Bradley was the only serving Wigan rugby player to die in the Great War and to have next to nothing on him in 2025 is scandalous.
I then made a special effort to go and find Lewis' resting place at the Vignacourt British Cemetery near Amiens, Somme. Coming off the A16 near Amiens on a grey wet Thursday afternoon isn't something I do regularly. Driving through the small French villages you quickly realise the scope of what happened during the Great War and World War II. Lining the numerous farmers field are red speckles: Poppies. To me it seemed quite surreal, having not been to this part of the world as an adult on my own. Turning in to the village of Vignacourt it hits you how remote a spot the British Cemetery is. Turning off the main road through the village onto a farm track you pass a large grain storage building and then you see a simple walled garden.
From reading the visitor log book you get the sense of how many Australian visitors visit the site each year. In fact, 424 Australians rest here, compared to 146 British servicemen. Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Sydney... they are all here. A friend was correct when he said that the Australians take stuff like this far more seriously than what we do in Britain.
Lewis Bradley was quite easy to find: Plot 4 Row A, #1.
There are numerous well-kept graves, with fresh flowers and mementos. For Lewis, he has a simple patch of wild flowers and a cross made by what looks like a local school pupil, placed there last Armistace Day. Luckily I managed to find a florist in the village and keeping up the Ancient & Loyal / Wigan Rugby Heritage Society tradition as seen with James Leytham, Jim Slevin and others, and placed a single red rose along with my own cross with a simple bit of his rugby information on it.
It was quite emotional when you suddenly see the head stone you've been looking for and the history that has surrounded it. If this only matters to me, the author, it's a win, and something like this should be remembered. I wrote a simple message in the visitor book to highlight this former Wigan Rugby Player lies amongst the Aussies, and hopefully Lewis will be visited by many Antipodeans who are rugby league mad of course and to keep his memory.
Lewis had Wigan in his heart. Does this matter? Of course it does.
Thank you Lewis Bradley, Wigan Heritage Number: 226
Lest We Forget
I am now hoping to get something sorted for every November 11 and have contacted the local Mayor and school to see if the Wigan Rugby Heritage Society can send something over to be placed at Lewis' grave each year by a volunteer. Maybe even send across some information about Lewis' rugby career. Let's see.
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