Roy Francis Memorial : Thu Sep 28, 2023 3:10 pm  

A great read : https://wrl.wales/roy-francis-memorial- ... n-brynmawr Those of us who were lucky enough to actually watch our great team of the 50's coached by this great innovator of a coach were very privileged to do so indeed. I missed him playing but he still managed to score 60 tries in 120 odd appearances for the club, before taking over as player coach in 1951 I remember that Francis was hailed back then as being the first black coach of any professional sports team in the Country although whether it was substantiated I'm not sure. . But, he led us to at least one final in seven successive seasons, as we competed with the best without being a big money club. He devised what was back then called the 'panzer pack' because of the way it rode over opposition 6's to smash their defences. This was a revolutionary idea as it not only contained big forwards but also ones that were mobile ball handlers. Many clubs back then had big forwards who were 'lardy' and anything but mobile, but led by Johnny Whiteley our packed used to rampage through defences with players like Moat, Matthews Watts and Finn chasing on their shirt tails to finish moves off. Francis unlike any other coach back then actually had a game plan and practised set moves all the time. Roy was an innovator too and Peter Bateson once told me that when he arrived at the club in 1957 he couldn't believe the methods that Roy used to ensure the pack was super fit. He actually had them jumping up and down the Airlie Street Terracing with a ball wedged between their knees 6 times to develop their leg muscles, before they even started training. Roy also was possibly the fore runner of analytical sessions after games as he had one of his family record games on a super 8 cine camera. The films were then developed at plumptons on Hessle road and used the following Thursday to analyse the players performances. An ex Army physical training officer he was said by Ivor Watts to spend "as much time of psychology as he did on fitness training" He was also once credited by Eric Ashton as the man who 'revolutionised Coaching in the game of rugby league'. Great player, great coach a great place in our history and at last a great tribute to him. .

A great read : https://wrl.wales/roy-francis-memorial- ... n-brynmawr Those of us who were lucky enough to actually watch our great team of the 50's coached by this great innovator of a coach were very privileged to do so indeed. I missed him playing but he still managed to score 60 tries in 120 odd appearances for the club, before taking over as player coach in 1951 I remember that Francis was hailed back then as being the first black coach of any professional sports team in the Country although whether it was substantiated I'm not sure. . But, he led us to at least one final in seven successive seasons, as we competed with the best without being a big money club. He devised what was back then called the 'panzer pack' because of the way it rode over opposition 6's to smash their defences. This was a revolutionary idea as it not only contained big forwards but also ones that were mobile ball handlers. Many clubs back then had big forwards who were 'lardy' and anything but mobile, but led by Johnny Whiteley our packed used to rampage through defences with players like Moat, Matthews Watts and Finn chasing on their shirt tails to finish moves off. Francis unlike any other coach back then actually had a game plan and practised set moves all the time. Roy was an innovator too and Peter Bateson once told me that when he arrived at the club in 1957 he couldn't believe the methods that Roy used to ensure the pack was super fit. He actually had them jumping up and down the Airlie Street Terracing with a ball wedged between their knees 6 times to develop their leg muscles, before they even started training. Roy also was possibly the fore runner of analytical sessions after games as he had one of his family record games on a super 8 cine camera. The films were then developed at plumptons on Hessle road and used the following Thursday to analyse the players performances. An ex Army physical training officer he was said by Ivor Watts to spend "as much time of psychology as he did on fitness training" He was also once credited by Eric Ashton as the man who 'revolutionised Coaching in the game of rugby league'. Great player, great coach a great place in our history and at last a great tribute to him. .

Re: Roy Francis Memorial : Thu Sep 28, 2023 3:15 pm  

Like Clive Sullivan, his story is criminally unknown to the British public.

If they were footballers they'd be national heroes.

Re: Roy Francis Memorial : Thu Sep 28, 2023 9:28 pm  

Really proud of that, from my nearest childhood city, will definitely make an excursion to Brynmwar, next time I go down the Head of the Valleys.
Who knows exactly how much Roy Francis has influenced British sport right across the board with his physical, technological and psychological innovations.

Re: Roy Francis Memorial : Fri Sep 29, 2023 5:46 am  

That’s a great tribute. He is also revered at Leeds as coach of the team in the late 1960’s which finished top of the league ladder for four consecutive seasons and won the water splash cup
Final and the championship a year later in 1969.
Probably the best open, fast flowing football Leeds have ever played. Smith, Hynes, Atkinson and Mick Shoebottom all products of that side and playing in the backs when GB last beat the Aussies in 1970.

He emphasised pace. Think his methods would have been even more effective in the era of summer rugby.

The only challenge to that Leeds side for entertaining rugby would be the Tony Smith side of 2004-2007.

Great to see him being honoured in that way.

Re: Roy Francis Memorial : Tue Oct 03, 2023 12:28 pm  

I'm too young (not very often do I get to say that!) to have seen him or his teams play live but I'm very proud to know that Hull and the game of rugby league is and always has been diverse enough to accept all talents regardless of their origins.

Re: Roy Francis Memorial : Wed Oct 04, 2023 6:15 pm  

Robbed of more international caps .This is long overdue , Maybe a small way of righting some wrongs .

Re: Roy Francis Memorial : Sat Oct 07, 2023 3:27 am  

The Dentist Wilf wrote: A great read : https://wrl.wales/roy-francis-memorial- ... n-brynmawr Those of us who were lucky enough to actually watch our great team of the 50's coached by this great innovator of a coach were very privileged to do so indeed. I missed him playing but he still managed to score 60 tries in 120 odd appearances for the club, before taking over as player coach in 1951 I remember that Francis was hailed back then as being the first black coach of any professional sports team in the Country although whether it was substantiated I'm not sure. . But, he led us to at least one final in seven successive seasons, as we competed with the best without being a big money club. He devised what was back then called the 'panzer pack' because of the way it rode over opposition 6's to smash their defences. This was a revolutionary idea as it not only contained big forwards but also ones that were mobile ball handlers. Many clubs back then had big forwards who were 'lardy' and anything but mobile, but led by Johnny Whiteley our packed used to rampage through defences with players like Moat, Matthews Watts and Finn chasing on their shirt tails to finish moves off. Francis unlike any other coach back then actually had a game plan and practised set moves all the time. Roy was an innovator too and Peter Bateson once told me that when he arrived at the club in 1957 he couldn't believe the methods that Roy used to ensure the pack was super fit. He actually had them jumping up and down the Airlie Street Terracing with a ball wedged between their knees 6 times to develop their leg muscles, before they even started training. Roy also was possibly the fore runner of analytical sessions after games as he had one of his family record games on a super 8 cine camera. The films were then developed at plumptons on Hessle road and used the following Thursday to analyse the players performances. An ex Army physical training officer he was said by Ivor Watts to spend "as much time of psychology as he did on fitness training" He was also once credited by Eric Ashton as the man who 'revolutionised Coaching in the game of rugby league'. Great player, great coach a great place in our history and at last a great tribute to him. . Not too much to add your excellent post on Roy, Wilf. First saw him play for Warrington at the Boulevard in 1948 where he received his usual racial abuse before he signed for us the following season. Went to almost every home game he played in after that. I have posted on here on a few occasions of my admiration of him and what he achieved in his RL career. He subsequently became a family friend and I met up with him several times when he came to Aus to coach North Sydney for a couple of seasons. Here he again battled against racial abuse. I had the utmost admiration and respect for him both as a RL legend and an individual. Today I continue to be amazed/disappointed that he was never inducted to the Hull FC Hall of Fame to join 7 others who were in teams he coached and captained during his time at Hull. At least thankful that his contribution to the game has finally been marked by the memorial at Brynmawr.

The Dentist Wilf wrote: A great read : https://wrl.wales/roy-francis-memorial- ... n-brynmawr Those of us who were lucky enough to actually watch our great team of the 50's coached by this great innovator of a coach were very privileged to do so indeed. I missed him playing but he still managed to score 60 tries in 120 odd appearances for the club, before taking over as player coach in 1951 I remember that Francis was hailed back then as being the first black coach of any professional sports team in the Country although whether it was substantiated I'm not sure. . But, he led us to at least one final in seven successive seasons, as we competed with the best without being a big money club. He devised what was back then called the 'panzer pack' because of the way it rode over opposition 6's to smash their defences. This was a revolutionary idea as it not only contained big forwards but also ones that were mobile ball handlers. Many clubs back then had big forwards who were 'lardy' and anything but mobile, but led by Johnny Whiteley our packed used to rampage through defences with players like Moat, Matthews Watts and Finn chasing on their shirt tails to finish moves off. Francis unlike any other coach back then actually had a game plan and practised set moves all the time. Roy was an innovator too and Peter Bateson once told me that when he arrived at the club in 1957 he couldn't believe the methods that Roy used to ensure the pack was super fit. He actually had them jumping up and down the Airlie Street Terracing with a ball wedged between their knees 6 times to develop their leg muscles, before they even started training. Roy also was possibly the fore runner of analytical sessions after games as he had one of his family record games on a super 8 cine camera. The films were then developed at plumptons on Hessle road and used the following Thursday to analyse the players performances. An ex Army physical training officer he was said by Ivor Watts to spend "as much time of psychology as he did on fitness training" He was also once credited by Eric Ashton as the man who 'revolutionised Coaching in the game of rugby league'. Great player, great coach a great place in our history and at last a great tribute to him. . Not too much to add your excellent post on Roy, Wilf. First saw him play for Warrington at the Boulevard in 1948 where he received his usual racial abuse before he signed for us the following season. Went to almost every home game he played in after that. I have posted on here on a few occasions of my admiration of him and what he achieved in his RL career. He subsequently became a family friend and I met up with him several times when he came to Aus to coach North Sydney for a couple of seasons. Here he again battled against racial abuse. I had the utmost admiration and respect for him both as a RL legend and an individual. Today I continue to be amazed/disappointed that he was never inducted to the Hull FC Hall of Fame to join 7 others who were in teams he coached and captained during his time at Hull. At least thankful that his contribution to the game has finally been marked by the memorial at Brynmawr.