Kenneth Traill (7 September 1926 – 25 March 2002) 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 in the 1940s and 1950s, and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

ed in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played at representative level for

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

, and at club level for

Hunslet Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the Leeds city centre, city centre and has an industrial past. It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside (ward), Hunslet and Riverside ward of Lee ...

Bradford Northern The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, and compete in the Championship, the second tier of British rugby league. The club have won the League Championship six times, the Challenge Cup f ...

, Halifax and

Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...

, as a , and coached at club level for Wakefield Trinity.

Background

Traill was born in West Wylam,

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

, England, he was the son of the former

and

Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford, n ...

rugby league footballer; Jim Traill. Traill attended Hunslet Carr School, he and his wife Joan were the landlord and lady of the Prospect Inn, 93 Moor Road,

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

, He died in March 2002, aged 75, in

Guiseley Guiseley ( ) is an area in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Otley and Menston and is now a north-west ...

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan counties of England, metropolitan and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and De ...

, England.

Playing career

Traill made his debut for

against

Oldham Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative cent ...

at Parkside,

on Saturday 26 February 1944. His career at

was interrupted by RAF national service.

Bradford Northern

He joined

in May 1947, making his début against

. Traill played in Bradford Northern's 3–8 defeat by

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

in the

1947–48 Challenge Cup The 1947–48 Challenge Cup was the 47th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The final was contested by Wigan and Bradford Northern at Wembley Stadium, and was the first ever rugby league match to be televi ...

Final during 1947–48 season at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on Saturday 1 May 1948, in front of a crowd of 91,465, and played in the 12–0 victory over Halifax in the

1948–49 Challenge Cup The 1948–49 Challenge Cup was the 48th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The 29 clubs of the rugby league were joined in the competition by three junior clubs, one each from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cum ...

Final during the 1948–49 season on Saturday 7 May 1949, in front of a crowd of 95,050. He was first selected for

in 1949, playing against

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He also played in Bradford Northern's 11–4 victory over

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...

in the 1949–50 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1949–50 season at

Headingley Rugby Stadium Headingley Rugby Stadium (known as AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium due to sponsorship) is a rugby league stadium in Headingley, Leeds and shares the same site as Headingley Cricket Ground. It is the home ground of the Leeds Rhinos, and is the ...

on Saturday 29 October 1949. He was selected for

in 1950, however officials withdrew him from the side when they learned he was born in

, England. He was selected to represent

in 1950, playing in two matches against

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, and in 1951, again against New Zealand. Traill played in Bradford Northern's 6–13 defeat by Wigan in the

Rugby Football League Championship The Rugby Football League Championship First Division was the top division of rugby league in Great Britain between 1895 and 1996, when it was replaced by the Super League. History 1895–1904: Foundations The first season of rugby leagu ...

Final during the 1951–52 season at

Leeds Road Leeds Road was a association football, football stadium in Huddersfield, England. It operated from its construction in 1908 until the Kirklees Stadium was opened nearby for the 1994–95 in English football, 1994–95 season. It was the home ...

on Saturday 10 May 1952. He played in three matches for Great Britain in 1952, against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Traill was again selected for England in 1953, playing against

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and Other Nationalities, and again in 1955, playing against Other Nationalities. In 1954 he played for Great Britain against both New Zealand and Australia. He also played in one game against France for Great Britain. He left Bradford Northern having played 315 matches for the Bradford Northern in ten seasons, scoring 37 tries and kicking three goals.

Halifax

He joined Halifax for the 1955–56 season. His last match was against Wakefield Trinity.

Wakefield Trinity

In 1957 Triall moved again, joining

. He was appointed as the

player-coach A player–coach (also playing coach, captain–coach, or player–manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. Player–coaches may be head coaches or assistant coaches, and they may make chang ...

the following year.Lindley, John (02/12/1961). ''Wakefield Trinity RLFC Official Programme: Batley''. John Lindley Son & Co Ltd. ISBN n/a He was selected for Yorkshire County XIII during the 1958–59 season. That year he was the

during Wakefield Trinity's 20–24 defeat by

in the 1958–59 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1958–59 season at

Odsal Stadium Odsal Stadium (known as Bartercard Odsal Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a multi-purpose stadium, multipurpose stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The stadium is currently the home of Bradford Bulls rugby league football club and ...

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

on Saturday 18 October 1958.

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Traill continued to coach Wakefield Trinity. Wakefield Trinity defeated

Hull F.C. Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull F.C., is a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Hull play their home games at the MKM Stadium and compete in Super League, the ...

38–5 in the

1959–60 Challenge Cup The 1959–60 Challenge Cup was the 59th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final The 1959–60 Challenge Cup tournament ended in a final between Wa ...

Final during the 1959–60 season at

on Saturday 14 May 1960, in front of a crowd of 79,773. The following week, on 21 May, the team lost the Championship final to Wigan 3-27. He was coach in the 16–10 victory over

in the

1960–61 Yorkshire Cup The 1960–61 Yorkshire Cup was the fifty-third occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition was held. Wakefield Trinity won the trophy by beating Huddersfield by a score of 16-10 in the final played at Headingley, Leeds, now in West Yorkshi ...

Final during the 1960–61 season at

, Leeds on Saturday 29 October 1960. He also coached Wakefield Trinity in the 19–9 victory over

in the

1961–62 Yorkshire Cup The 1961–62 Yorkshire Cup was the fifty-fourth occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition had been held. Wakefield Trinity winning the trophy by beating Leeds by the score of 19-9 The match was played at Odsal in the City of Bradford, n ...

Final during the 1961–62 season at

on Saturday 11 November 1961. Later that season, he was the coach during the 12–6 victory over

in the

1961–62 Challenge Cup The 1961–62 Challenge Cup was the 61st staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Wakefield Trinity beat Huddersfield 12-6 in the Challenge Cup Fina ...

final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 12 May 1962, in front of a crowd of 81,263. The following week they played Huddersfield again, this time losing 5–14 in the 1961–62 season championship final at

on Saturday 19 May 1962. He was the coach in the 25–10 victory over Wigan in the

1962–63 Challenge Cup The 1962–63 Challenge Cup was the 62nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The final was contested by Wakefield Trinity and Wigan at Wembley Stadium in London. The final was played on Saturday 11 May 1963 ...

Final during the 1962–63 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1963, in front of a crowd of 84,492. He was coach in the 18–2 victory over

in the

1964–65 Yorkshire Cup The 1964–65 Yorkshire Cup was the fifty-seventh occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition had been held. Wakefield Trinity winning the trophy by beating Leeds by the score of 18-2. The match was played at Fartown, Fartown Ground, Hudde ...

Final during the 1964–65 season at

Fartown Ground The Fartown Ground or just simply Fartown is a sports ground located in the Huddersfield suburb of Fartown, Huddersfield, Fartown in West Yorkshire, England and is predominantly famous for being the home ground of Huddersfield Giants, Huddersfi ...

on Saturday 31 October 1964. He was the coach in the 21–9 victory over St. Helens in the Championship final replay during the 1966–67 season at Station Road, Swinton on Wednesday 10 May 1967. Traill coached Wakefield Trinity to a 17–10 victory over

Hull Kingston Rovers Hull Kingston Rovers (often abbreviated to Hull KR) are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. The club play home games at Craven Park, Hull, Craven Park and compete in Super League, the top tier of B ...

in the Championship final during the 1967–68 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 4 May 1968.Hoole, Les (2004). ''Wakefield Trinity RLFC - FIFTY GREAT GAMES''. Breedon Books. The following week, he was the coach in the 10–11 defeat by

in the

1967–68 Challenge Cup The 1967–68 Challenge Cup was the 67th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The final was contested by Leeds and Wakefield Trinity at Wembley, with Leeds winning 11–10. First round All 30 professional club ...

"Watersplash" final at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1968, in front of a crowd of 87,100.Hoole, Les (2004). ''Wakefield Trinity RLFC – FIFTY GREAT GAMES''. Breedon Books. He retired in 1970. During this time, Wakefield Trinity had also won the

RFL Yorkshire League The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league; however, the following season saw ...

in 1958–59, 1959–60, 1961–62 and 1962–63.

Honours

In August 2007 he was named

Team of the Century In team sport, team of the century and team of the decade are hypothetical best teams over a given time period. For the century team, it can be either 100 years, or for a century (always the 20th). Similarly the team of the decade can be for 10 y ...

Background

Playing career

Bradford Northern

Halifax

Wakefield Trinity

Coaching career

Honours

References

External links