Ken Gee

{{short description|Great Britain and England international rugby league footballer}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Ken Gee

|fullname = Kenneth Gee

|image = Kenneth Gee - Wigan.jpeg

|imagesize = 192

|caption =

|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1916|9|23}}

|birth_place = Wigan, Lancashire, England

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1989|4|17|1916|9|23}}

|height = {{Convert|5|ft|9|in|cm|abbr=on}}

|weight =

|position = {{rlp|PR}}

|club1 = Wigan

|year1start = 1935

|year1end = 54

|appearances1 = 559

|tries1 = 54

|goals1 = 508

|fieldgoals1 =

|points1 = 1178

|club2 = → Oldham

|year2start = 1943(guest)

|year2end =

|appearances2 = 1

|tries2 = 0

|goals2 = 0

|fieldgoals2 =

|points2 = 0

|teamA = Lancashire

|yearAstart = 1942

|yearAend = 51

|appearancesA = 12

|triesA = 0

|goalsA = 6

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 12

|teamB = England

|yearBstart = 1943

|yearBend = 51

|appearancesB = 20

|triesB = 1

|goalsB = 8

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 19

|teamC = Great Britain

|yearCstart = 1946

|yearCend = 51

|appearancesC = 17

|triesC = 1

|goalsC = 3

|fieldgoalsC = 0

|pointsC = 9

|new = yes

|retired = yes

|updated = 18 September 2020

|source = RL Record Keepers' Club{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/ken-gee/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Gee&submit=Go&c=England|title=England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk|publisher=englandrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrl.co.uk/player_records?search=Gee&submit=Go&c=GB|title=Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk|publisher=englandrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}

| module = {{infobox person

| embed = yes

| relatives = Sam Gee (grandson)
Samuel Gee (uncle)

}}

Kenneth Gee (23 September 1916 – 17 April 1989) was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He played at representative level for Great Britain winning 17 caps between 1946 and 1951, England winning 18-caps between 1943 and 1951, and Lancashire, and at club level for Wigan and Oldham (World War II guest), as a {{rlp|pr}}. He is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame, having featured in Wigan's Rugby Football League Championship wins of 1945–46, 1946–47 and 1949–50 as well as their Challenge Cup victories of 1948 and 1951. He also won Lancashire Cup winner's medals seven times.

Background

Ken Gee was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England, and he died aged 72. Gee was the nephew of the rugby league footballer; Samuel Gee, and he was the grandfather of the rugby league footballer; Sam Gee.{{cite web|url=http://www.roughyeds.co.uk/news/sam-gee|title=Sam Gee|publisher=Oldham R.L.F.C.|date=24 October 2012|access-date=6 October 2016}}

File:Ken Gee.jpg]]

Career

Signing with his home town club Wigan in 1933, Ken Gee played at {{rlp|pr}} in Wigan's 10–7 victory over Salford in the 1938–39 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1938–39 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 22 October 1938.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=423|title=1938–1939 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 January 2015|archive-date=27 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227054625/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=423|url-status=dead}} Gee played Tighthead-{{rlp|PR}} for a Rugby League XIII against Northern Command XIII at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 21 March 1942.{{cite web|url=http://rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk/gallery-images/86-large.jpg|title=inside programme, Northern Command v. A Rugby League XIII, 1942|publisher=rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk|date=31 December 2010|access-date=1 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223013/http://rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk/gallery-images/86-large.jpg|archive-date=2 December 2013|url-status=dead}}

Ken Gee played at {{rlp|pr}} and scored a try in Wigan's 13–9 victory over Dewsbury in the Championship Final first-leg during the 1943–44 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 13 May 1944,{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=869|title=1943–1944 War Emergency League Championship Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-date=23 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131023061258/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=869|url-status=dead}} and played at {{rlp|pr}} in the 12–5 victory over Dewsbury in the Championship Final second-leg during the 1943–44 season at Crown Flatt, Dewsbury on Saturday 20 May 1944.

During the 1945–46 season Gee played at {{rlp|pr}} in Wigan's 3–7 loss to Widnes in the 1945–46 Lancashire Cup Final at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 27 October 1945. During the 1946–47 season Gee played at {{rlp|pr}} in Wigan's 9–3 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the 1946–47 Lancashire Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 26 October 1946.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1370|title=1946–1947 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 January 2015|archive-date=7 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907010546/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1370|url-status=dead}} During the 1947–48 season Gee played at {{rlp|pr}} in the 10–7 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the 1947–48 Lancashire Cup Final at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 1 November 1947.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1420|title=1947–1948 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 January 2015|archive-date=11 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711055235/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1420|url-status=dead}} During the 1948–49 season he played in the 14–8 victory over Warrington in the 1948–49 Lancashire Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 13 November 1948,{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1474|title=1948–1949 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 January 2015|archive-date=15 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415073808/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1474|url-status=dead}}

Ken Gee played at {{rlp|pr}} 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|access-date=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}}

During the 1949–50 season Gee played at {{rlp|pr}}, and scored a goal in the 20–7 victory over Leigh in the 1949–50 Lancashire Cup Final at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 29 October 1949.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1519|title=1949–1950 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2014|access-date=1 January 2015|archive-date=13 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813234745/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1519|url-status=dead}} He played at {{rlp|pr}} and scored 5-goals 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|access-date=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}} played at {{rlp|pr}} and scored a goal in the 14–6 victory over Leigh in the 1951–52 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1951–52 season at Station Road, Swinton 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|access-date=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}} and played at {{rlp|pr}} and scored a goal in the 8–16 defeat by St. Helens in the 1953–54 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1953–54 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 24 October 1953.

Gee joined Wigan teammate Joe Egan on tours down under in 1946 and 1950, playing in all nine matches of three consecutive Ashes series matches against Australia. On the famous unbeaten tour of 1946 to Australia, the "Indomitables" tour, the front row in the first two tests of Frank Whitcombe, Joe Egan, and Ken Gee laid the foundation for this Ashes win. Gee amassed a total of 559 games for Wigan, second only to Jim Sullivan. He also kicked 508 goals.

In recognition of Gee, an amateur rugby competition in Wigan called "Ken Gee Cup" was formed. Gee died 17 April 1989 (aged 72) and was buried at St Matthew's Church at Highfield, Wigan.

References

External links

[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/227718/Kenneth-Gee#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=Kenneth%20Gee%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia Kenneth Gee at britannica.com]
(archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20051029193750/http://www.wiganwarriors.com/SquadMember.asp?teamid=5&id=152 Ken Gee at wiganwarriors.com]
(archived by archive.is) [https://archive.today/20051029193750/http://www.wiganwarriors.com/SquadMember.asp?teamid=5&id=152 Ken Gee at wiganwarriors.com]
(archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20100114200402/http://totalrl.com/features/content.php?feat_id=262&featcat_id=32 Britain hold out Kiwis at Odsal]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120303103054/http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/HTML%20docs/player_stats_g.htm Statistics at orl-heritagetrust.org.uk]

{{Great Britain squad – 1946 Australia & New Zealand Tourists "The Indomitables"}}

Category:1916 births

Category:1989 deaths

Category:England national rugby league team players

Category:English rugby league players

Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players

Category:Lancashire rugby league team players

Category:Oldham R.L.F.C. players

Category:Rugby league players from Wigan

Category:Rugby league props

Category:Rugby League XIII players

Category:Wigan Warriors players

Category:20th-century English sportsmen