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Whitcombe the club's captain had been out of action for a good part of the season through injury and during his absence Dixon had taken over the leadership. So well did
Bradford play that when Whitcombe returned from injury he insisted that Dixon should continue as captain and it was Dixon who last
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Under the guidance of the
Bradford RFC second team captain, David Firth, both settled quickly to the union game and soon broke into the First Team. Frank making his first appearance for the 1st team at 16 years, like his father before him as a prop forward, Brian made the 1st team age 17 as a back
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On 29 August 2010 the main stand was named the "Frank
Whitcombe Stand" as a tribute to Whitcombe's hard work at the club over many years, especially with the young players at Keighley RUFC. A game took place between Keighley RUFC and Skipton RFC, coached by his son Martin, after which Mrs Mollie
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At the beginning of the 1971 season, Whitcombe took on the vice captain's job in support of the new club captain Kevin McGee; he continued in this job for the next three seasons. Whitcombe then held the position of honorary trainer from 1974 until 1977 before handing over to John
Longbottom.
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A popular stop-off for many rugby friends and rugby supporters which the family ran successfully for nearly 30 years until Frank and Mollie moved on in 1981 to live in East Morton. Frank devoted his time after retirement to his family and walking in the
Yorkshire Dales.
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Following his retirement from the rugby, Whitcombe turned to coaching the
Keighley Colts, the club's U19 side a position he held for over 15 years. When he finally stepped down from coaching, he continued as a regular supporter on the touchline at Keighley RUFC.
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a club he later captained. When his playing days were over in the first team he took over the second team captaincy for several seasons, ensuring the next generation of players knew how to do it the right way. Frank was a life member at
Keighley Rugby Club.
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Yorkshire Cup 1966. The team spirit that enabled
Bradford to beat Harrogate in the Yorkshire Cup final at Otley was demonstrated when Mike Dixon and Frank Whitcombe went up together at the end of the match to receive the trophy.
148:(174 Appearances) went on to give long and loyal service to Bradford Rugby Football Club. They began their rugby careers with Sedbergh Boys' Club playing junior Rugby League. The club was based near to their home in
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aged 73 after a short illness. At his funeral there was standing room only in the village church, St Lukes. Among Frank's pallbearers was his former
Yorkshire prop forward and teammate Rodney Childs. Mr
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Frank
Whitcombe was the youngest player to play for Yorkshire, making his debut for the county as a prop forward at the age of 17. He went on to make 31 appearances for Yorkshire in the
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Following the death of his father on 17 January 1958, Frank was discharged from the army on compassionate grounds to allow him to help run the family business "The Airedale Heifer"
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including Coventry & Leicester Tigers – meant he was often away much of Saturday evening, the busiest time of the week at the Airedale Heifer, so he decided to play instead for
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Frank Whitcombe joined Keighley RUFC in season 1967–68, taking over from E D Thomas as 1st team Captain. Frank Captained Keighley 1st team for the next four seasons until 1970–71.
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Peter V Crowther 414 – Mike Dixon 369 – Frank W Whitcombe 329 – Jim Golby 318 – Phil Carter 255 – David S Lightowler 275 – Roger Pickering 255 –
117:. Frank Whitcombe senior, a huge man with a matching presence on the field retired from the game in 1949 after an illustrious rugby career.
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231:. The Yorkshire side was captained by Bradford's Colin Heighton. In the same year he was named as a reserve for the England final trial at
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403:, along with his mother and Mollie. Whitcombe married Mollie Cockcroft at Holy Trinity Church, Lawkholme in Keighley, on 24 January 1961.
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track. At this time Belle Vue was the Leisure Centre for the North West of England. When Whitcombe senior was signed by
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With an equally sporting gesture Dixon insisted that Whitcombe should share with him the honour of receiving the cup.
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to Frank Whitcombe's life . A week prior to his death, Frank was on the touchline supporting Keighley RUFC
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at Twickenham. However, due to the death of his father he was unable to take his place in the Army team.
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http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/8330683.Keighley_pay_tribute_to_stalwart_Whitcombe/?ref=rss
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on 11 January 1964, a game the North Eastern Counties lost by 11–17. Frank also played in Bradford's
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132:. Frank attended Buttershaw St Paul's Church of England Primary School and later, after passing his
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Philip Gaunt (1969). "Yorkshire Rugby Union – Centenary 1869–1969 (Page-28)". Chadwick Studios/
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Club who paid £100 for him to turn professional. Of which £90 was to buy him out of the
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footballer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s who played Rugby Union (RU) for Bradford RFC,
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Frank became part of a formidable front row with Peter Crowther at hooker and
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Whitcombe, Frank's widow, after a short ceremony officially named the stand.
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at tight head prop the trio went on to play for Bradford together 12 years.
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who had an outstanding rugby team at this time. Here he represented the
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night led the side in their first cup final triumph for 41 years.
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for a full season and was selected for his first cap against the
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371:(Under-20s) and Leicester Tigers (2019/20 Development Squad);
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Frank captained Bradford for two seasons and played in their
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Frank Whitcombe Jr was the grandfather rugby union prop for
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winning team of 1966 in their 8–3 victory over Harrogate at
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the family lived at 109 Wibsey Park Avenue close to the
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for a world record fee in 1938, the family crossed the
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144:Frank Whitcombe (329 Appearances) and his brother
59:Frank was born on 21 July 1936 at 20 Nell Lane in
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537:Bradford RFC Rugby Centenary Book 1866/1966
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67:where his rugby-playing father, also named
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86:leaving him £10 to start a new life in
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417:Whitcombe died in 2009 at his home in
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624:Rugby union players from Manchester
589:20th-century British Army personnel
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473:. freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011
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493:Frederick Duffield & Sons Ltd
471:"Birth details at freebmd.org.uk"
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199:Most Bradford RFC appearances
170:winning side of 1966 against
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634:Yorkshire County RFU players
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99:Belle Vue Zoological Gardens
31:(21 July 1936 – 2009) was a
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513:"Obituary: Frank Whitcombe"
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90:with his young family.
29:Frank William Whitcombe
614:People from Withington
323:association footballer
275:Royal Corps of Signals
211:Representative honours
354:Keighley rugby league
39:Northern Command and
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273:and served with the
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19:For his father, see
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217:County Championship
107:Motorcycle Speedway
518:The Yorkshire Post
629:Rugby union props
604:British publicans
362:William Cockcroft
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305:Notable relatives
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584:2009 deaths
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419:East Morton
356:scrum half
339:England 'B'
260:Cross Green
241:New Zealand
205:Geoff Cooke
176:Cross Green
105:inside the
33:rugby union
573:Categories
502:. ISBN n/a
457:References
379:2000-11-20
283:Royal Navy
244:All Blacks
233:Twickenham
88:Manchester
65:Manchester
61:Withington
55:Early life
477:1 January
429:read the
252:Harrogate
172:Harrogate
95:zookeeper
49:Yorkshire
496:Archived
401:Keighley
331:baseball
250:grounds
229:Coventry
188:Midlands
128:home of
122:Bradford
115:Pennines
369:England
321:was an
239:'s 5th
134:11-plus
73:Cardiff
431:Eulogy
375:(born
184:London
150:Wibsey
335:Wales
264:Otley
180:Otley
69:Frank
479:2012
341:and
329:and
325:for
84:Army
45:Prop
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