Death of an Oldham RL Lancashire Cup winner

FORMER Oldham Rugby League Club player Desmond McKeown, who helped the team win the Lancashire Cup in 1958, has died.

Mr McKeown, who played for the club in the 1950s, died at Avonleigh Gardens care home a few hundred yards from the former home of Oldham rugby, Watersheddings. He was 79.

Mr McKeown was in the team that won the Lancashire Cup in an historic final against St Helens at Swinton in 1958 as 40,000 watched.

In 1960, Mr McKeown was transferred to Wakefield Trinity, and won a Yorkshire Cup winners’ medal with them in the following season. He retired from professional rugby soon afterwards with a neck injury and took up coaching with Saddleworth Rangers.

He is survived by his wife Janice — they celebrated their golden wedding two years ago; his son Andrew, a policeman; his daughter Catherine and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The funeral was at St Edward’s Church, Lees