This is the article written about my Granddad after he died, New Years Eve last year.
Ron Slater, one of the greatest rugby union fly-halfs never to play for England, has died, aged 80.
Raised in Kent Street, Barrow, and a pupil at Sacred Heart and St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary Schools, he found a knack for the game at Barrow Grammar School and went on to become possibly the only players in the history of the game to be capped by four separate counties.
Lancashire – who capped him when he was 19 – the combined Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire team, Hampshire and Cheshire, all called on his services during an illustrious career.
During three years of national service from 1951, Ron also represented the Royal Navy and the Combined Services – a team second only to the England side itself in stature after the Second World War.
The talented fly-half captained Furness in 1957/58 – being picked for the North of England – and was an honorary life member since 1961, at a club where he was held in the highest regard, developing a mutual respect and friendship with Barrow RL legend Willie Horne, who would often come and watch him in New Year’s games at the Strawberry Grounds.
George Hartley, 67, who played as a young inside centre alongside Ron as fly-half during the later stages of his career at Furness, described him as a great mentor.
He said: “The great thing about him was that he was such a helpful person on the field.
“My first game, he just told me to stick on his shoulder, which I did and I ended up with two tries, one of them I just had to walk over the line.
“He had such a fantastic brain, some of the things you saw him do, they were quite incredible.
“He really made the game tick from fly-half and he was an amazing character both on and off the field.
“At the end of the day, what I always found with the man, whether you were playing with him, against him, or just talking to him, he taught you how to enjoy rugby and there was nothing negative about the game, he was always looking at the positives.”
Furness president Dave Maguire, who played alongside Ron when he was coming towards the end of his career, and who knew him well from then onwards, said: “He was a genius, even in his mid-30s. He was often compared to Willie Horne in his temperament and skills. He was one of the best ever players we have had at Furness.
“He should have played for England – we know the selectors were watching him – and he did play for the Combined Services against the All Blacks.
“He was very intellectually talented, as well as being very talented in sport.”
Another former Furness club-mate, Bill Benson, who grew up near Ron and was a good friend from when they were children, added his tribute to Ron, saying: “We walked up to school together on our first day and we were close friends ever since.
“He was a huge man in the rugby union world.”
There were several offers for Ron to turn his hand to rugby league, with Barrow, Wigan and Salford among the clubs interested in his services.
But his studies and work in Nottingham, Cheshire and the south of England, which earned him three of his county call-ups, meant such a switch was never possible.
Ron’s playing career came to an end at the age of 36, when a broken collarbone led wife Winifred insisting he gave up the sport.
Son Michael said: “His best rugby was probably when he was down in Portsmouth in the early 1950s. The England selectors were watching him and he had a trial, but unfortunately he wasn’t selected and the only reason why, we understand, is because there was another guy around at the time – a little like with another fly-half not getting in now because Jonny Wilkinson is around.”
“He stopped playing when he broke his collarbone. He had broken just about every bone in his body by that point and I remember him landscaping two big, steep gardens with just one arm and the other in plaster when I was young.”
“Mam said that was enough and he stopped.”
Ron was also a talented jazz pianist and an accomplished teacher, travelling around the country in his job before returning to Furness in 1963 and taking up teaching posts at Barrow Grammar School, where he had captained the football, cricket and rugby union teams while a pupil, and the further education college in Howard Street, teaching to sons of his former schoolmates.
A keen golfer at Ulverston Golf Club, he also took up dry-stone walling following his retirement in 1985 and became a well-known figure across the South Cumbrian rural community.
Ron leaves behind son Michael, MBE, who followed his father into service with the Royal Navy, daughters Diane and Gillian, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Musician. Rugby Player. Teacher. Writer. Traveller.
Kind. Loving. Clever. Fun. Generous. Eccentric. Passionate. Talented.
Loving father. Doting grandfather.
The one person I’ve always looked up to and aspired to be like.
I miss watching Snow White and The Wizard of Oz with you, watching and listening to you playing the piano, you making me sing along, going to watch you and your band play at Lakeside every summer, you reading to me, the smell of your pipe tobacco, how passionately you talked about things, how you loved the simple things in life, the way you’d describe things as ‘marvellous!’, your infectious laugh, your long hugs, how you always made it clear how much you loved me, how when you’d talk to me I’d feel like I was the most important thing in the world to you.
I wish I’d had more time with you, there are so many conversations we should of had, I hate that alzheimers took away your memories, I hate that I didn’t find out how much we had in common until after you died, we could of had so many great times, I couldn’t believe it when mum told me that Breakfast at Tiffanys was your favourite movie.
I miss you so much it hurts and aches in places I didn’t know I could ache.
“Who said that every wish would be heard
and answered when wished on a morning star?
Someone thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what its done so far.
What’s so amazing that keeps us star gazing,
And what do we think we’ll see?
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.”
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