Frank Pitchford

Frank Pitchford (1934 – January 1990) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Oldham and Wigan as a, i.e. number 7. He was born in Leigh in 1934 and played as an amateur for Leigh St Joseph’s before signing for Oldham at the start of the 1952-53 season. He would play for the Oldham club (Heritage no. 575) for 10 years, appearing in over 300 games and scoring 105 tries. In 1962 he was transferred to Wigan where he played another season, including appearing in the 1963 Challenge Cup Final alongside another ex-Oldham teammate – Alan Davies.

Playing career
During his playing career at Oldham the team would come second in League in the 1954-55 season, and then lose in the Championship Final 3-7 to Warrington with Pitchford scoring Oldham’s only try. The team would top the League table in both the 1956-57 season and the 1957-58 season, winning the Championship title in the Play-off Final of 1956-57, beating Hull FC at Odsal Stadium by 15 pts. to 14. Oldham would also win the Lancashire County Cup (see below) three times in 1955–56, 1956–57 and 1957–58, and be champions of the Lancashire League twice in 1956–57 and 1957–58.

Lancashire County Cup Final appearances
Pitchford played in four Lancashire County Cup Finals for Oldham, firstly in their 2-12 loss to Barrow in the 1954 Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 23 October 1954; their 10-3 victory over St. Helens in the 1956 Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 20 October 1956; their 13-8 victory over Wigan in the 1957 Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 19 October 1957 in which he scored a try; and finally, Oldham’s 12-2 victory over St. Helens in the 1958 Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 25 October 1958.

International honours
Frank Pitchford won a cap for England while at Oldham in 1955 against Other Nationalities, and won caps for Great Britain while at Oldham in 1958 against New Zealand, and in 1962 against France.