Death of Wire legend Ally Naughton

WARRINGTON’S last Championship winning captain Ally Naughton, who was a world record signing from rivals Widnes, has died at the age of 84.
Naughton signed for Warrington in November 1949 from Widnes, costing £4,600 and played for the club in France in a friendly before making his debut in the 17-0 home defeat of Whitehaven, scoring a try.
That season he won a Challenge Cup winner’s medal, beating a Widnes team containing his brother Johnny, but missing another brother Danny, who was on Tour at the time.
At 6ft and 12st 6lbs, he established himself as a centre with a rock-like defence, pace and great handling ability.
In 1950/51 “Ally” finished up with two runners-up medals for the Lancashire Cup and Championship. As captain of the 1953/54 side he was forced to miss out as both Challenge Cup and League Championship were won, due to an aggravated calf injury.
He was not to be denied however, for on May 14, 1955 he became Warrington’s last captain to hold up the Championship trophy, when Oldham were beaten 7-3 in the mud at Maine Road. He also gained a Lancashire Cup winners’ medal in 1959.
His last appearance for the club was at loose forward at Odsal, Bradford, in the 1961 Championship final, when Leeds won the trophy for their first time 25-10. Ally picked up a leg injury in a 1961/62 pre season trial game and was forced to retire.
He made 348 appearances for Warrington, scoring 167 tries, in a twelve year career at Wilderspool. He was inducted into the Warrington Wolves Hall of Fame in 2006, along with two other great servants of the Club Parry Gordon and George Thomas.
The highlight of his international career came in November 1954 when he helped Great Britain beat France 16-12 to win the inaugural World Cup Final in Paris. He earned two Great Britain caps, three for England, and four for Lancashire.
Ally took over as landlord of the Britannia Inn, on Scotland Road after Harry Bath did a moonlight flit back to Australia in February 1957.
When Ally retired he went to live in Onchan on the Isle of Man. He occasionally came back to the mainland to visit his family and friends.
He last visited The Halliwell Jones Stadium in April 2010, when he met up with some of his team mates from the 1950s.
Warrington Wolves pass on their condolences to his wife De, sister Tess and his family and friends.