Charlie Pollard

Charlie Pollard
Born	c. 1897 Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	1968-10-01 Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Occupation(s)	Rugby league footballer, coach, publican
Years active	1919–1932 (player), 1935–1939 (coach)
Known for	Rugby league player for Wakefield Trinity; coach for Batley Bulldogs; Great Britain international

Charles "Charlie" Arthur Pollard (circa 1897 – 1 October 1968) was an English professional rugby league athlete and coach whose career spanned from the 1910s through the 1930s. He represented both Great Britain and Yorkshire at the representative level, while at the club level he played primarily as a , or for Wakefield Trinity, where he also held the position of captain. In the 1930s, Pollard took on coaching responsibilities for Batley.

Background

Born and having passed away in Wakefield, located in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, Charlie Pollard's life was closely tied to his hometown.

Club career

Pollard made his first appearance for Wakefield Trinity in August 1919 and concluded his playing tenure there in December 1932.

He was positioned as a during Wakefield Trinity’s 3–29 loss against Australia in the 1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain at Belle Vue, Wakefield, on 22 October 1921.

Pollard played as a in Wakefield Trinity’s narrow 9–8 triumph over Batley in the 1924–25 Yorkshire Cup Final held at Headingley, Leeds, on 22 November 1924. He also featured as a in the 3–10 defeat by Huddersfield during the 1926–27 Yorkshire Cup Final at Headingley on 1 December 1926—a match initially planned for 27 November but postponed owing to fog.

His testimonial game was marked by an 8–7 win against Leeds at Belle Vue on 19 March 1927.

Representative honours

Charlie Pollard earned a cap representing Great Britain as a in the closely contested 11–13 defeat to New Zealand at Basin Reserve, Wellington, on 6 August 1924.

During his time with Wakefield Trinity, he also represented Yorkshire in regional competition.

Club career

From July 1935 until March 1939, Pollard served as coach for Batley Bulldogs.

Personal life

In 1926, Pollard married Nora Gwendoline (née Brownhill) in Wakefield. The couple had three children: Roy Pollard, who pursued rugby league; David, who captained rugby union teams including Oxford University RFC and Wakefield RFC; and Barbara. Additionally, his brothers Ernest and Don were professional rugby league players associated with Wakefield Trinity, Leeds, and Batley.

Outside rugby league

Around the year 1920, Charlie Pollard was the publican of the Graziers' Hotel located at Belle Vue, Wakefield.