Alf Ellaby

Alf Ellaby
Born	Alfred Henry Ellaby (1902-11-24) 24 November 1902 Prescot, Lancashire, England
Died	1993
Occupation(s)	Rugby league footballer, publican
Years active	1920s–1930s
Known for	Record try-scorer for England and St. Helens; "Hat-trick King"

Alfred "Alf" Henry Ellaby (24 November 1902 – 1993) was a prominent English rugby league player whose career spanned the 1920s and 1930s. He represented Great Britain, England, and Lancashire at the representative level, while competing at club level primarily for St. Helens (across two periods) and Wigan, playing as a . Ellaby retired holding the record as the highest try-scorer ever for both England and St. Helens. Nicknamed the "Hat-trick King," he achieved 31 hat-tricks with St. Helens, becoming Liverpool's pioneering rugby league icon.

Background

Born in Prescot, Lancashire, Ellaby initially pursued a promising career in association football with Rotherham United but a knee injury curtailed this path before he rose to prominence as a rugby league legend at St. Helens. He passed away aged between 90 and 91.

Playing career

Occupying the wing position, Ellaby scored a try in St Helens' 10–2 victory over St Helens Recs during the 1926 Lancashire Cup Final in the 1926–27 season, held at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington. That season, he amassed 50 tries. Between 1927 and 1934, Ellaby earned international caps for England, and in 1928 represented Great Britain against Australia and New Zealand.

He was on the wing when St Helens fell 3–10 to Widnes in the 1929–30 Challenge Cup Final at London's Wembley Stadium, witnessed by 36,544 fans. During the 1929–30 Kangaroo tour, Ellaby featured in two Tests for Great Britain versus Australia. In the 1931–32 season, he set a club record by scoring six tries in a single match for St Helens—a feat that has since been equaled but remains unbeaten. That same season, he helped secure St Helens' Lancashire League title but missed out on the Championship Final due to participating in the 1932 Great Britain Lions tour.

From 1932 to 1933, Ellaby represented Great Britain in several matches against Australia and New Zealand. He played on the wing during St Helens' close 9–10 loss to Warrington in the 1932 Lancashire Cup Final. By this stage, his tally stood at 280 tries across 289 appearances for St Helens.

In 1933, Ellaby transferred to Wigan as part of efforts to alleviate financial difficulties at St Helens, marking his debut with a hat-trick. He also played on the wing for Great Britain against Australia during the 1933–34 Kangaroo tour. While with Wigan, Ellaby represented England in a 1935 match against France before returning to St Helens to conclude his playing days.

Post-playing

Ellaby's standing as rugby league’s all-time leading try-scorer with a total of 446 was eventually surpassed by Brian Bevan in 1954.

Following his retirement from playing, Alf managed several establishments such as the Veevers Arms (later renamed The Hop), the Ardwick Hotel located in Blackpool, and the George Hotel situated in Garforth. He also held a brief tenure as a Director at Castleford. Honored as a member of the Saints' Past Players' Hall of Fame, he resided in Garforth until his death at age 90 in 1993. In tribute to his legacy, his ashes were carried on the Saints 'A' Team coach after a match at Castleford and scattered at his cherished home ground of Knowsley Road.

In Autumn 2010, Ellaby was named among Saints Greatest 17 alongside his , Les Fairclough, who played an instrumental role in setting up scoring chances for him.

External links

• Profile of Alf Ellaby at saints.org.uk
• Explore "Alf Ellaby" articles at britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk