Widnes RUFC Two Wids War Heroes

In October 2021, Chris Stapleton and Tony Miller of the Tom Wilkinson VC Statue Appeal contacted Widnes RUFC to ask whether we had a record of an old boy named "Tap" Jones who played in the 1930s. This set in motion a couple of months of discovery into the club's and town's heritage. The Wids now has on display two plaques in the main lounge. One commemorates our founder Alfred Salt MC, the well-known local teacher who founded our club in 1924. The other tells the story of one of our early players who went to Liverpool University and represented Lancashire RFU before joining the RAF where he served with such distinction that he emerged as Sir Edward "Tap" Gordon Jones. Both lived on Birchfield Road. This video tells a few short stories. There are many more that could be added. We are indebted to Chris and Tony for bringing "Tap" Jones and his family to our attention. We sincerely hope that their story achieves a higher level of local awareness. Messrs Salt and Jones were pioneers in establishing Widnes RUFC's place in the true cultural heritage of our town.