Young pioneers penned early chapter across codes in Castleford

Taken 40 years ago, it would take an eagle-eye to spot either of the luminaries captured in this image which shows the Castleford High School rugby union first XV from 1972.

But, indeed, it emerges John Kear, the ebullient Batley Bulldogs coach who plotted Sheffield Eagles’ famous 1998 Challenge Cup win over Wigan and later took Hull FC to glory, was an old colleague of Gary Hetherington, the visionary administrator who has overseen Leeds Rhinos’ remarkable rise to being the most successful club of the Super League era.

Given their innate love of rugby league, it seems inconceivable that they knew of anything else during their formative years especially given both hailed from Castleford, the mining town to which its club is so integral.

Kear, in fact, lived on Wheldon Road as a child, just yards from its eponymously-named ground, moving even closer when his family later moved from the mid-terrace to the end one, in touching distance of the famous Early Bath pub.

Considering Castleford’s strong affinity with league, it seems baffling that some educational establishments in the area actually played the 15-man code.

However, as Kear explains in his excellent autobiography Coaching Is Chaos – in which this picture is published – Castleford High was initially Castleford Grammar when he first arrived and, like many grammar schools, rugby union ruled.

He would play for them on a Saturday morning before featuring with Castleford RL’s Under-17s the same afternoon.

Kear learned league initially on the street which hung in the shadow of the club and playing fields around the town as well as at Wheldon Lane Junior School whose alumni included the great Roger Millward.

Kear’s father Herbert also played half-a-dozen games for Castleford just after the war and it was his son’s proudest childhood dream to pull on the jersey.

As he says in the book: “In some ways I was caught between two camps. I was a young kid from a working class background in the rugby league heartland of Castleford but I was also training to be a teacher in Leicester, one of rugby union’s English strongholds.

“Although I am a rugby league man, I don’t have a problem with union and I would have been happy to play the 15-a-side game. There had been interest expressed in me.

“But once Castleford confirmed they were interested in me and Len Garbett offered me terms, there wasn’t really a decision to make. It was one of the happiest and proudest days of my life and, after I’d assured him it wouldn’t mean neglecting my education, my dad felt the same.”

Kear admits he had never been the most accomplished of players – “limited ability” – but what he lacked in finesse he made up for in willingness and industry.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, given his educational background, coaching was more suited and many of the skills learned in the classroom were eventually replicated when, towards the end of his playing career, Malcolm Reilly allowed him to run some fitness sessions and then become his assistant at Wheldon Road.

Hetherington, meanwhile, was similar to Kear in many ways.

He too trained as a teacher (but worked as a salesman) and was also a hard-working player who amassed nearly 300 games with the likes of Wakefield Trinity, York, Leeds and Huddersfield.

Kear said of Hetherington: “He was a good player Gary who played wing-forward in that school union team. I’ve always got on with him. He was a dirty un though – he just thought tackling was running around stiff-arming everyone!”

Hetherington went on to form his own club in Sheffield in 1984 before joining Leeds RL in 1996.

Two men at the heart of league who played side by side in a union team all those years ago.