No Hall of Fame dedicated to Workington Town past heroes could be considered complete without the inclusion of Augustus John Risman.

‘Gus’ – as he was affectionately known, on and off the field -  became synonymous with Town in their early days when he starred as player coach for the infant Rugby League club.

Risman being held aloft by his team-mates after the 1952 Challenge Cup triumph at Wembley is probably the best known photograph of any ever taken involving Town.

Born in Cardiff to Latvian parents in 1911, he was a natural ball-player – both at football and rugby – and when he was 17-years of age Cardiff rugby union club and Tottenham Hotspur both thought they were in with a chance of signing him.

But instead he opted for a career in rugby league when he agreed to join Salford after being potted by the club’s mercurial Kiwi manager Lance Todd.

Risman was durable, as well as versatile, because from that point he went on to enjoy the longest career the first-class game has known.

It lasted 25 years and four months, starting with his debut for Salford on August 31, 1929 and ending at the close of 1954 with his last match for Batley at the age of 43.

In that colourful career he had played 873 matches; kicked 1,678 goals, scored 232 tries and clocked-up 4,052 points. As far as Workington was concerned he played 301 times between 1946 and 1954, scored 33 tries and kicked 720 goals for a points total of 1,539.

He had joined Workington for the 1946/47 season after returning from Great Britain’s tour to New Zealand where he had been captain. He had been recommended to Town by another rugby league giant Jim Brough, himself a former Great Britain captain and later to become Town’s coach.

Risman has one other distinction which is unlikely ever to be challenged in the modern game.

When he lifted the Challenge Cup at Wembley after the 18-10 win over Featherstone he was 41 – the oldest man to do so. Captaining the side from fullback, he kicked a penalty in the first minute and converted two tries later on.

He had been there before, when Salford beat Barrow in 1938 and another famous photograph was taken of Gus and the cup being carried shoulder high round the stadium by his team-mates. He was the only one without a cigarette in his hand.

It was his insistence on good health and maximum fitness which probably played a significant part in him being able to enjoy a long career.

With Salford he was the master tactician, as well as the principal points-scorer, and a key component of the side which dominated rugby league in the 1930’s - winning the championship three times, the Challenge Cup once, the Lancashire Cup four times, and topping the Lancashire League on five occasions.

For Workington he played an even more invaluable role because they had only been in the Northern Rugby League for one season when he joined them.

The main requirement was for an experienced player who could inspire a promising, but raw young side. In his eight years as player-coach at Borough Park he certainly did that and guided them to a Championship win in 1951 before the memorable Wembley triumph.

Gus Risman, who died on 17, October 1994, aged 83 will be inducted into Town’s Hall of Fame at Derwent Park on Friday night.

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