Earlier this year, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of rugby being played across the city, the Leeds Rugby Foundation Heritage Committee, as part of a series of organised events, appealed for help in locating significant but long-hidden memorabilia.
Chairman of the committee, Phil Caplan recently met Shirley and Phil Beresford from East Leeds who had a magnificent family heirloom stored away.
Handed down to them some 28 years ago by Phil Beresford’s uncle was a cap belonging to William Glover – his uncle’s grandfather – and accompanying sepia team photograph along with four medals, most from school’s competition inscribed to G. Pounder.
The Beresford’s had been told that the cap, dated 1896-97, in bottle green and carrying the Leeds crest, had been from when Glover played for Leeds Parish Church – then the leading side in the city.
It transpires, thanks to an artefact on display in Leeds Central Library as part of the 150 celebrations, that the Parish Church caps were blue and carried a different motif.
Further investigation revealed that Glover signed for Leeds that season, making his debut in November 1896, in a 0-0 draw with Brighouse Rangers.
He went on to have a terrific career at Headingley, making just short of 100 appearances.
The extremely rare cap, photograph – for which names are sought – and medals have been passed to the Central Library by the Beresford’s to be part of the exhibition and are currently on display.
“We are thrilled that the possessions can be seen by everyone,” said Shirley as she gave the wooden display cabinet that has housed them to Rose Gibson, Area Development Librarian – Information and Digital Services at the Central Library.
“‘The library is delighted to include the cap and medals as part of the display currently in the Central Library. It is wonderful that Shirley and Phil Beresford were able to come and present them to us as part of the Rugby 150 celebrations,” Rose commented.
“The discovery is incredibly exciting and adds to the story of the development of the sport and its place and heritage in the city,” Phil Caplan added. “It is precisely the essence of what the 150 celebrations are about.”
For more information about the on-going celebrations contact Phil Caplan on phil.caplan@rfl.uk.com