Brough Albert Image 1 Barrow 1922

Description

Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire born right back Albert Brough started out playing rugby for Barrow after the First World War, during which he was awarded the Military Medal for bravery while serving in The Army.

He played rugby league for Barrow after the First World War but switched codes to association football and joined hometown Third Division (North) club Barrow, making his Football League debut at Hartlepools United in April 1922, his only first team appearance of his breakthrough season. He went on to make 14 further appearances in 1922-23, mainly at right back but also 3 matches at left back and one deputising at centre forward as Barrow struggled towards the foot of the table. He also  played in goal in Barrow’s 4-1 defeat by Durham City in the last game of the 1922-23 season at Kepier Haughs, before again switching codes joining Oldham Rugby League F.C., and between 1923 and 1929 he concentrated on rugby league, although he later played football for Cheshire County League club Mossley in 1929-30, scoring once in 7 appearances.

Brough was a very successful rugby league player, scoring 68 tries and kicking 185 goals in 170 matches for Oldham RLFC between 1923 and 1929. Brough appeared in four successive rugby league Challenge Cup Finals:

He played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, and scored a penalty goal in Oldham’s 4-21 defeat by Wigan in the 1923-24 Challenge Cup Final at Athletic Grounds, Rochdale on 12th April 1924, in front of a crowd of 41,831. He played right-second-row, and scored a try in the 16-3 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1924-25 Challenge Cup Final at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on 25th April 1925, in front of a crowd of 28,335. He played left-wing, i.e. number 5, in the 3-9 defeat by Swinton in the 1925-26 Challenge Cup Final at Athletic Grounds, Rochdale on 1st May 1926, in front of a crowd of 27,000, and he played loose forward in the 26-7 victory over Swinton in the 1926-27 Challenge Cup Final at Central Park, Wigan on 7th May 1927, in front of a crowd of 33,448.

Brough played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, in Oldham’s 10-0 victory over St Helens Recs in the 1924 Lancashire County Cup Final  at The Willows, Salford on 22nd November 1924.

Brough won caps for Great Britain while at Oldham in 1924 playing against Australia and New Zealand, scoring two tries for Great Britain. He also played representative level rugby league for Lancashire,

He, Ben Beynon (with whom he played at Oldham), Ted Bateson and Dai Davies are the only four players known to have played both top level football and rugby league.