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BRIDGWATER & ALBION FONDLY REMEMBERS JOHN LEWIS – RIP

| 22/01/2025

BRIDGWATER & ALBION FONDLY REMEMBERS SKILFUL WING WHO MADE IMMEDIATE BUT SHORT IMPACT

 The club has received the sad news that John Lewis has recently passed away.  John had a relatively short spell with the club after joining from Old Morganians whom he joined upon leaving St Luke’s College, Exeter on taking up a post at Sydenham Secondary School in Bridgwater in 1961 (a school opened in 1960).  He played in company with Bob Payne (also later to join B&A) and Bob Hudson (also a school teacher at Sydenham and later B&A Chairman).  He immediately impressed and as Bob says “He was a class player and we made sure that we got the ball to him as quickly as possible”.  The following season John made his way to Bridgwater & Albion’s Taunton Road ground and for the next two seasons 1962/63 and 1963/64 John’s skilful wing play immediately made him a favourite of the home supporters as he soon showed his paces on the wing and scored some remarkable tries.  Such was his impact in the Albion side that he immediately attracted the attentions of Somerset for whom he played in the County Championship.  In the 1963/64 season he continued his startling form with both Bridgwater and Somerset where he was selected to play for the Western & Counties XV against the Fifth All Blacks at Bristol.  He was accompanied by teammate Bob Collard in the centre with Dave Hodge as reserve.  Your scribe recalls visiting the Memorial Ground in Bristol that day as a schoolboy and we arrived just in time to see John dash over for a try in the first 40 seconds of the match.  The Counties gave the All Blacks a fright but eventually lost 14-22.  In that same season, John – hailing from South Wales – was named for the Welsh Trial at Cardiff on the back of his performances for Albion, Somerset and the Western Counties.

Alas, John suffered a shoulder injury and that season was the last we saw of him as he moved on to enhance his teaching career at both King Alfreds at Highbridge and later Brymore in his capacity as Head of PE – but what memories he left behind in those two seasons.

Bridgwater & Albion sends its sincere condolences to John’s family on their sad loss.

Scribe

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