Gordon Ratcliffe
{{short description|Great Britain and England international rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Gordon Ratcliffe
|fullname = Gordon W. Ratcliffe
|image =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1925|8|24}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1981|12||1925|8|24}}
|height =
|weight =
|position = {{rlp|WG|CE}}
|club1 = Wigan
|year1start = 1945
|year1end = 53
|appearances1 = 210
|tries1 = 184
|goals1 = 0
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 552
|club2 = St Helens
|year2start = 1954
|year2end = 54
|appearances2 = 22
|tries2 = 12
|goals2 = 0
|fieldgoals2 = 0
|points2 = 36
|teamA = England
|yearAstart = 1947
|yearAend = 51
|appearancesA = 4
|triesA = 3
|goalsA = 0
|fieldgoalsA = 0
|pointsA = 9
|teamB = Great Britain
|yearBstart = 1947
|yearBend = 50
|appearancesB = 3
|triesB = 0
|goalsB = 0
|fieldgoalsB = 0
|pointsB = 0
|new = yes
|retired = yes
|updated = 30 June 2012
|source = {{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/gordon-ratcliffe/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Ratcliffe&submit=Go&c=England|title=England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk|publisher=englandrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Ratcliffe&submit=Go&c=GB|title=Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk|publisher=englandrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}
}}
Gordon W. Ratcliffe (24 August 1925 - December 1981) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan and later arch-rivals St Helens, as a {{rlp|wg}}, or {{rlp|ce}}.
Playing career
=International honours=
Ratcliffe won caps for England while at Wigan in 1947 against Wales, in 1948 and 1949 against France, and in 1951 against Other Nationalities.
He also played for Great Britain while at Wigan in 1947 against New Zealand, and in 2 matches in 1950 against Australia.
=Championship final appearances=
Ratcliffe played at {{rlp|ce}} in Wigan's 13–4 victory over Huddersfield in the Championship Final during the 1945–46 season at Maine Road, Manchester on Saturday 18 May 1946.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=424|title=1945–1946 Championship Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212191819/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=424|url-status=dead}}
=Challenge Cup Final appearances=
Ratcliffe played on the {{rlp|wg}} in Wigan's 8-3 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1947–48 Challenge Cup Final during the 1947–48 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1948, in front of a crowd of 91,465.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1455|title=1947-1948 Challenge Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|accessdate=1 January 2015|archive-date=7 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907011045/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1455|url-status=dead}}
=County Cup Final appearances=
Ratcliffe played on the {{rlp|wg}} and scored a try in Wigan's 3-7 defeat by Widnes in the 1945–46 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1945–46 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 27 October 1945, played on the {{rlp|wg}} in the 9-3 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the 1946–47 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1946–47 season at Station Road, Swinton, on Saturday 26 October 1946,{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=426|title=1946–1947 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212191815/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=426|url-status=dead}} played right-wing, and scored a try in the 10-7 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the 1947–48 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1947–48 season at Wilderspool Stadium, on Saturday 1 November 1947,{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=427|title=1947–1948 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212191802/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=427|url-status=dead}} played right-wing, and scored a try in the 14-8 victory over Warrington in the 1948–49 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1948–49 season at Station Road, Swinton, on Saturday 13 November 1948,{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=429|title=1948–1949 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212192440/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=429|url-status=dead}} played right-wing in the 28-5 victory over Warrington in the 1950–51 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1950–51 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 4 November 1950.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1566|title=1950-1951 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|accessdate=1 January 2015|archive-date=18 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518075828/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1566|url-status=dead}} and played right-wing in the 14-6 victory over Leigh in the 1951–52 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1951–52 season at Station Road, on Saturday 27 October 1951.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1613|title=1951-1952 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|accessdate=1 January 2015|archive-date=7 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907011721/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1613|url-status=dead}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.rlhp.co.uk/imagedetail.asp?id=1118 Photograph "1948 Challenge Cup Final - Vic Darlison is held by Wigan's Ratcliffe. - Date: 01/05/1948" at rlhp.co.uk]
- [http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=843 Statistics at wigan.rlfans.com]
- [http://wigan.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=640 Wigan's Top 10 Most Lethal Try Scorers: No 8 - Gordon Ratcliffe]
- [http://www.saints.org.uk/saints/player.php?num=16216 Profile] at Saints Heritage Society
{{Wigan - 1945–46 Championship Final winners}}
{{Wigan - 1948 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1950 Australia & New Zealand tourists}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratcliffe, Gordon}}
Category:England national rugby league team players
Category:English rugby league players
Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players
Category:Place of birth missing
Category:Place of death missing
Category:St Helens R.F.C. players
Category:Wigan Warriors players