Fifty years on from Great Britain’s last World Cup success in 1972, Dave Woods meets the legendary Brian Lockwood, a member of that victorious side and a four-time Challenge Cup winner with three different clubs. Lockwood won the cup twice with Castleford in successive seasons in 1969 and 1970, collected the Lance Todd Trophy in the all Humberside Final of 1980 and won again with Widnes a year later, whilst also enjoying success as a player in Australia. In a conversation full of anecdotes, Brian recalls nobody welcoming them home from France to celebrate that World Cup success and actually having to buy his own medal!

TIME CODES:

01:45 – Brian’s memories of the 1972 World Cup win

06:00 – He talks about the characters in that squad like David Topliss, who used his running skills to avoid the police after one boisterous night out in France!

08:10 – All the World Cup squad had to pay for their own World Cup winning medals

09:45 – Brian explains how his move to Australia came about, and how he was denied the agreed 10% of his transfer fee by Castleford.

15:00 – His experience turned sour at Balmain Tigers and he left, but their new coach turned up on his doorstep in Yorkshire and spent three days persuading him to change his mind!

21:00 – Brian tells how his dad rarely praised him, but winning the Lance Todd Trophy in 1980 brought him to tears.

25:00 – A renowned prop forward, he actually began his career for Castleford playing scrum-half.

28:00 – He once fell out with Eddie Waring after Eddie got his name wrong.

31:00 – Brian talks about the Castleford side that won back to back Challenge Cup Finals in 1969 and 1970 and life under tough coach Derek ‘Rocky’ Turner.

35:25 – He doesn’t enjoy the modern game, but hopes England can break their 50-year hoodoo in the World Cup