Jack Feetham

Jack Feetham
Born	c. 1909 Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Died	March 1968 East Hull, England
Occupation(s)	Rugby league footballer, licensee
Years active	1920s–1940s
Known for	Playing for Great Britain, England, Hull Kingston Rovers, Salford; member of "Les Diables Rouges"

John Feetham (circa 1909 – March 1968) was a distinguished English rugby league athlete whose career spanned from the 1920s through the 1940s. He competed internationally for both Great Britain and England and was affiliated at the club level with Hull Kingston Rovers and Salford, predominantly occupying the positions of prop and loose forward.

Background

The birth of Jack Feetham was officially recorded in Hull, located within the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.

International honours

While playing for Salford, Jack Feetham received an England cap in 1932 during a match against Wales. Between 1929 and 1933, he also earned several caps representing Great Britain in contests versus Australia and New Zealand, playing for both Kingston Rovers and Salford during this period.

Les Diables Rouges

Feetham was a member of the Salford team that embarked on a tour of France in 1934, an event which led to the squad being dubbed "Les Diables Rouges". This group featured prominent players including Joe Bradbury, Bob Brown, Aubrey Casewell, and Gus Risman.

Championship final appearances

In the 1933–34 Championship Final held at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, Feetham played as left-prop for Salford in their 3–15 defeat by Wigan.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Feetham took the position of left-prop during Salford’s narrow 7–4 triumph over Barrow in the 1938 Challenge Cup Final at London's Wembley Stadium, an event attended by 51,243 fans.

County Cup Final appearances

Throughout Feetham's time with Salford, the club achieved multiple Lancashire Cup wins: a 10–8 victory against Swinton in 1931; followed by wins over Wigan in 1934 (21–12), 1935 (15–7), and 1936 (5–2). Additionally, he played left-prop in the team’s 7–10 loss to Wigan in the 1938 final.

Retirement and death

Following his retirement from rugby league, Feetham pursued a career as a licensee based in Salford before relocating to Oldham. In 1954, he returned to his birthplace to oversee operations at the Tivoli Hotel situated in Mytongate. He passed away at his residence in East Hull in March 1968 at the age of 59.