Eric Ayles (21 February 1928 – 26 May 1972) was an English professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer who played as a

prop forward A rugby league team consists of 13 players on the field, with 4 interchange players on the bench. Each of the 13 players is assigned a position, normally with a standardised number, which reflects their role in attack and defence, although playe ...

in the 1940s and 1950s. He played at representative level for

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, and at club level for Belle Vue Rangers, St Helens and

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

. He was crushed and killed by a piece of concrete in 1972.

Playing career

Ayles started his professional career with Belle Vue Rangers before signing for St Helens in September 1953. In March 1956, he joined

on loan, before signing a permanent deal with the club in August 1956 for an estimated fee of £350. Ayles dislocated his shoulder in a match against

Workington Town Workington Town is a semi-professional rugby league club based in Workington, West Cumbria, England. The club plays home games at Derwent Park and competes in the RFL League One, League One, the third tier of British rugby league system, Briti ...

in April 1958, which forced him to retire.

Representative honours

Ayles made two appearances for

while at Belle Vue Rangers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayles, Eric 1928 births 1972 deaths English rugby league players Rugby league players from Wigan Rugby league props Broughton Rangers players St Helens R.F.C. players Salford Red Devils players Lancashire rugby league team players Accidental deaths in England 20th-century English sportsmen