Ken Traill

Ken Traill (7 September 1926 in West Wylam – 25 March 2002 in Guiseley) was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and 1950s, and coach of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, playing at representative level for Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hunslet, Bradford Northern, Halifax, and Wakefield Trinity (captain) (Heritage № 639), as a Loose forward/Lock, i.e. number 13, during the era of contested scrums, and coaching at club level for Wakefield Trinity.

International honours

Ken Traill won caps for England while at Bradford Northern in 1949 against France, in 1953 against Wales, Other Nationalities, in 1955 against Other Nationalities, and won caps for Great Britain while at Bradford Northern in 1950 against New Zealand (2 matches), in 1951 against New Zealand, in 1952 against Australia (3 matches), and in 1954 against Australia, New Zealand.

Ken Traill also represented Great Britain while at Bradford Northern between 1952 and 1956 against France (1 non-Test match).

County honours

Ken Traill was selected for Yorkshire County XIII while at Wakefield Trinity during the 1958/59 season.

Championship final appearances

Ken Traill played Right-Loose forward/Lock in Bradford Northern's 6–13 defeat by Wigan in the Rugby Football League Championship final during the 1951–52 season at Leeds Road, Huddersfield on Saturday 10 May 1952.

Challenge Cup final appearances

Ken Traill played Loose forward/Lock in Bradford Northern's 3–8 defeat by Wigan in the 1948 Challenge Cup final during 1947–48 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1948, in front of a crowd of 91,465, and played in the 12–0 victory over Halifax in the 1949 Challenge Cup final during the 1948–49 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 7 May 1949, in front of a crowd of 95,050.

County Cup Final Appearances

Ken Traill played Loose forward/Lock in Bradford Northern's 11–4 victory over Huddersfield in the 1949 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1949–50 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 29 October 1949, and played Loose forward/Lock, and was coach in Wakefield Trinity's 20–24 defeat by Leeds in the 1958 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1958–59 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 18 October 1958.

Contemporaneous Article Extract

"Outlines on Ken Traill – Ken was transferred from Halifax as a player, in December, 1957, and became player-coach to our side in the following season. There were connections with Wakefield Trinity in his career long before that and it is interesting to recall three such items. It was against Wakefield Trinity, in 1947, that he made his début for Bradford Northern at Odsal Stadium. Son of Jim Traill, the former Hunslet and Keighley forward, he began his successful work with Hunslet Carr School, Leeds City Boys' team (where he gained County honours) and as a member of the Hunslet Supporters' Juniors. His career at Parkside was interrupted by RAF national service and he made a move to Bradford Northern in May, 1947. His selection for Yorkshire was in 1950. The County officials, however, withdrew him from the side on learning that he was born in Northumberland. Trinity's Harry Murphy took his place. A change in the rule enabled him to represent Yorkshire, however, on many occasions after that early disappointment. And it was, of course, against Trinity that Ken played his final game for Halifax. On that occasion he had the satisfaction of scoring a late match-winning try against a combination of which he was soon to have charge. There were many honours for him during his days with Bradford Northern. He went on the 1950 and 1954 tours to Australia and represented Great Britain in all three Tests of 1952 and at Sydney C.G. in 1954. And there were numerous medals for him too with the highly successful Northern side. He played in the successful Yorkshire Cup finals of 1948 and 1949, the Wembley sides of 1948 and 1949 and the 1947-8 Championship-winning team. In 1955–56 he was transferred to Halifax and there was soon a further Wembley appearance for him – against St. Helens in the 1956 final. That season too, Halifax were defeated in the NRL Championship Final by Hull – a side they had defeated earlier, after a replay, for the Yorkshire Cup. His representative career was continued at Belle Vue with selection for Yorkshire in 1958-9 and there was also an early addition to his collection of medals with the 1958 Yorkshire Cup final against Leeds. Throughout his career, Ken Traill has continually been associated with a side challenging strongly for the game's highest honours. And so it has been during his time at Belle Vue. Since becoming coach he has had the satisfaction of seeing Trinity win the R.L. Cup (1960), the Yorkshire League Championship twice, the Yorkshire Cup twice and of helping to guide our side into its first-ever Championship Final. There is promise, too, that there will be additions to this list of honours before the end of this present campaign. Already holders of the Yorkshire Cup and with one of the best-ever starts to the league programme, Trinity have high hopes in this the last season, for some time at least, of "One Division" football. That it could well be the last campaign in which the "All Four Cups" feat can be accomplished in its present form has added significance in these hopes. No one is keener than Ken Traill to bring such possibilities into reality, and who can say – looking back upon his record and association with the game's honours – that this is not possible? Everything else is there."

Club Career at Bradford Northern

Joining Bradford Northern from Hunslet in the 1946–47 season, Traill played 315 matches for the Odsal club in ten seasons, scoring 37 tries and kicking three goals. Not only was Ken Traill a great tackler but he possessed a pin-point pass that would put his support away.

Championship final appearances

Ken Traill was the coach in Wakefield Trinity's 3-27 defeat by Wigan in the Championship final during the 1959–60 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 21 May 1960, was the coach in the 5-14 defeat by Huddersfield in the Championship final during the 1961–62 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 19 May 1962, was the coach in the 21-9 victory over St. Helens in the Championship final replay during the 1966-67 season at Station Road, Swinton on Wednesday 10 May 1967, and was the coach in the 17-10 victory over Hull in the Championship final during the 1967-68 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 4 May 1968.

Challenge Cup final appearances

Ken Traill was the coach in Wakefield Trinity's 38–5 victory over Hull in the 1960 Challenge Cup final during the 1959–60 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 14 May 1960, in front of a crowd of 79,773, the coach in the 12–6 victory over Huddersfield in the 1962 Challenge Cup final during the 1961–62 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 12 May 1962, in front of a crowd of 81,263, and the coach in the 25–10 victory over Wigan in the 1963 Challenge Cup final during the 1962–63 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1963, in front of a crowd of 84,492.

County Cup final appearances

Ken Traill played Loose forward/Lock, and was coach in Wakefield Trinity's 20–24 defeat by Leeds in the 1958 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1958–59 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 18 October 1958, was coach in the 16–10 victory over Huddersfield in the 1960 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1960–61 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 29 October 1960, was coach in the 19–9 victory over Leeds in the 1961 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1961–62 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 11 November 1961, and was coach in the 18–2 victory over Leeds in the 1964 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1964–65 season at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Saturday 31 October 1964.

County League appearances

Ken Traill was the coach in Wakefield Trinity's victories in the Yorkshire County League during the 1958–59 season, 1959–60 season, 1961–62 season, and 1962–63 season.

Circa-1968 Ken and his wife Joan were the landlord and lady of the Prospect Inn, 93 Moor Road, Hunslet, Leeds.

In August 2007 he was named Bradford Northern's Team of the Century.