David Topliss: Difference between revisions
Included details of ban, reference to be added later. |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 30: | Line 30: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''David Topliss''' ([[29 December]] [[1949]] – [[16 June]] [[2008]]) was |
'''David Topliss''' ([[29 December]] [[1949]] – [[16 June]] [[2008]]) was an [[England|English]] [[rugby league]] footballer and coach. He played and coached with [[Wakefield Trinity Wildcats|Wakefield Trinity]] in the late 1970s and early 1980s. |
||
His playing career started at Normanton Juniors ARLFC before spending 13 years with Wakefield from 1968-81 and won the [[Lance Todd Trophy]] as man of the match in the 1979 [[Challenge Cup]] final even though he was on the losing side. |
His playing career started at Normanton Juniors ARLFC before spending 13 years with Wakefield from 1968-81 and won the [[Lance Todd Trophy]] as man of the match in the 1979 [[Challenge Cup]] final even though he was on the losing side. |
||
Revision as of 05:01, 17 August 2008
Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | David Topliss |
David Topliss (29 December 1949 – 16 June 2008) was an English rugby league footballer and coach. He played and coached with Wakefield Trinity in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
His playing career started at Normanton Juniors ARLFC before spending 13 years with Wakefield from 1968-81 and won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match in the 1979 Challenge Cup final even though he was on the losing side.
He joined Hull at age 31 for a fee of £15,000. He captained them to six finals in his four years at the club most famously when they won the Challenge Cup in 1982.[1]
Topliss played in the summer in Australia for Penrith Panthers (1976) and Balmain Tigers (1977).
He went on Ashes tours of Australia in 1973 and 1979 and captained Great Britain against the Kangaroos in 1982.[1]
He left Hull in 1985 and finished his playing career with Oldham (1985-87). During his time at the side he became synonymous with local supporters, earning the chant and slogan 'Go Topliss!'. At one game against Wrexham Topliss decided to remove his rugby shirt playfully in response to the chant, which resulted in him being banned from the game for 1 year
Topliss coached Wakefield Trinity from 1987-94 and also had a spell in charge of Great Britain under-21s in 1989. In his first season with Trinity, he guided them to promotion back into the old First Division, retiring as a player after the final match of the season. He remained at Wakefield as coach until 1994 when he stepped down to concentrate on his business.[2]
He died on 16 June, 2008 after suffering a heart attack during a five-a-side football game at Crofton Community Centre, in Crofton near Wakefield. .[2]
References
- ^ "David Topliss". Lastingtribute.co.uk.
- ^ "Rugby league star Topliss mourned". BBC. 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-06-17.