Fred Firth

Baines Cigarette card featuring Frederick Firth
Personal information
Full name	Frederick Firth
Born	1870 Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, England
Died	February 1936 (aged 65–66) Olneyville, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
Playing information
Rugby union
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P ≤1894–≥94 Halifax Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1894 England 3 0 0 0 0
Rugby league
Position	Wing, Centre
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1895–99 Halifax 1899–01 Wakefield Trinity 23 3 1 11 1901–≥01 Halifax Total 23 3 1 0 11 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1895–≥96 Yorkshire ≥6 ≥4
Source: [1][2]

Frederick Firth (1870 – February 1936) was an English rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s and 1900s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for England, and at club level for Halifax, as a wing, i.e. number 11 or 14, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Yorkshire, and at club level for Halifax (Heritage No. 16) (two spells), and Wakefield Trinity (Heritage No. 80), as a wing, or centre.^[3] Prior to Tuesday 27 August 1895, Halifax was a rugby union club.

Background

Fred Firth was born in Cleckheaton, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and he died aged 65–66 in Olneyville, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Playing career

International honours

Fred Firth won three caps for England (RU) while at Halifax in 1894 against Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.^[1]

County honours

Fred Firth won caps for Yorkshire (RL) while at Halifax.^[2]

Change of Code

When Halifax converted from the rugby union code to the rugby league code on Tuesday 27 August 1895, Fred Firth would have been approximately 25. Consequently, he was both a rugby union, and rugby league footballer for Halifax.

Club career

Fred Firth made his début for Wakefield Trinity during October 1899, and he played his last match for Wakefield Trinity during the 1900–01 season, he appears to have scored no drop-goals (or field-goals as they are currently known in Australasia), but prior to the 1974–75 season all goals, whether; conversions, penalties, or drop-goals, scored 2-points, consequently prior to this date drop-goals were often not explicitly documented, therefore '0' drop-goals may indicate drop-goals not recorded, rather than no drop-goals scored. In addition, prior to the 1949–50 season, the archaic field-goal was also still a valid means of scoring points.