OBITUARY: BRIAN ROBINSON

30 October 2019

The club were saddened by the news that former Lion Brian Robinson passed away this week.

Brian Robinson, a true Lion of Swinton, sadly passed away on Monday 28th October 2019.

Brian made his debut for the Lions on 18th August 1962 and played his last first team game some twelve years later. Yet there was so much before, during and after that last game.

As a youngster at Folly Lane, Brian had played alongside such fine players as Dave Robinson, Graham Williams, Barry Simpson and Derek Whitehead, who would later join him at Station Road.

In his first season Brian qualified for a Lancashire Combination winners medal, that “A” Team being captained by former Folly Lane loose-forward Jim Hope.

An excellent stand-off half in his own right, Brian’s skills allowed him to occasionally deputise for full-back Ken Gowers, centres Bob Fleet and Alan Buckley, as well of course his nemeses George Parkinson at stand-off.

Brian proudly led Swinton’s “A” team in lifting the prestigious Lancashire Challenge Shield, following a thriller against Salford at Station Road.

In-between times, Brian had played almost ninety first team games before retiring.

In accepting the role of “A” Team coach in 1986, he immediately guided the Swinton Crusaders to the inaugural Alliance Championship, winning all twenty six league games in the process!

In later life, Brian continued to attend the Swinton Lions Annual Reunions and remained a keen supporter of the team. A loyal and unassuming man, who had played with and against the greatest, he had also proved to be an exceptional coach and was much respected by his peers.

In almost sixty years since his career began, Brian’s popularity with the fans had always been constant.

Folly Lane’s Blue Ribbon Field and Swinton’s fabled Station Road are forever linked with rugby league greatness. Brian Robinson played and coached on both.

Our sincerest condolences are extended to his sons Kevin and Gary and the rest of the Robinson family and friends. You have much to be proud of.

Brian Robinson RIP.

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SWINTON LIONS 50 DEWSBURY RAMS 22 IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 21 April 2024 A nine try performance from the Lions gave them their second win in what was a must win game. They got off to a great start when Dec Patton slid a nice kick towards the right corner and Mitch Cox won the race to score but Patton was unable to convert from the touchline. Rams hit back virtually straight away when good pressure on the line saw Curtis Davies dive in by the posts and Callum Turner converted. They should really have scored again but some great defence by Tee Ritson and Dan Abram grounded the player just short. They did score their second on seventeen minutes when a nice pass by Matt Garside found Owen Restall and he scored by the posts with Turner converting again. Jayden Hatton scored the Lions second on twenty-six minutes when Patton sent up a hanging kick and the centre took it as it came down to score but again no conversion from Patton. The Lions halfback was now starting to control the ball even more and the Lions then scored two tries in three minutes with Josh Eaves who was making his one hundredth career appearance scoring the first from short range and then a Saints combination on the right when Jonny Vaughan sent out a nice pass for to Ritson who powered over in the corner and Patton converted both of them to give the Lions an eight point gap and they could have scored again on the half time hooter when Hatton put Eaves through a gap but it was forward. A disastrous start for the Lions in the second half when a nice kick from Turner bounced badly for Rhys Williams and ran away from him and this saw Brad Graham touch down by the posts and Turner converted to put his team right back in it. Daniel Spencer-Tonks then extended the Lions lead with a well taken try by the posts from an Eaves pass and Patton converted. Rams were not lying down and Turner and Restall combined to send Travis Corion in at the corner and Turner could not convert this one. The home side were coming stronger as the game went on and scored their next try just after the hour when Rams knocked on in their own twenty and from the scrum Williams went in at the corner and the conversion was good. Abram scored the next on sixty-six minutes after some great build up play down the right and again Patton converted. Rams then had more pressure on the line, and it took an interception by Cox to clear the line. Ronan Dixon was sent to the sinbin with three minutes left for a high shot on Hatton. The Lions made them pay heavily for the sinbin running in two more tries with firstly Spencer-Tonks again crashing in again by the posts from short range with Patton converting and with seconds left a great cross kick by Patton found Ritson and he collected the ball to race in at the corner with Patton adding the conversion after the hooter to secure a good victory for his side. LIONS 1 Dan Abram 32 Tee Ritson 29 Jonny Vaughan 4 Jayden Hatton 5 Rhys Williams 6 Dec Patton 7 Jordy Gibson 20 Jack Houghton 14 Josh Eaves 13 Mikey Wood 11 Gav Rodden 12 Mitch Cox 16 Lewis Hall Subs (all used) 35 Ben Hartill 24 Jordan Case 8 Liam Cooper 15 Daniel Spencer-Tonks Tries: Cox (3), Hatton (26), Eaves (31), Ritson (33,80), Spencer-Tonks (45,78), Williams (61), Abram (66) Goals: Patton 7/9 RAMS 1 Owen Restall 19 Travis Corion 22 Marcus Walker 3 Ollie Greensmith 5 Lewis Carr 7 Callum Turner 9 Jacob Hookem 8 Jimmy Beckett 20 Cutris Davies 10 Ronan Dixon 12 Matt Garside 11 Brad Graham 13 Louis Collinson Subs (all used) 29 Jack Bibby 27 Joe Hird 6 Paul Sykes 23 Bailey Dawson Tries: Davies (6), Restall (17), Graham (42), Corion (54) Goals: Turner 3/4 Sin-bin: Ronan Dixon (77) High tackle Swinton man-of-the-match: Daniel Spencer-Tonks Penalty count: 4-8 Half-time: 20-12 Referee: Nick Bennett Attendance: 894

OBITUARY: BRIAN ROBINSON

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