Mr Rugby Leigh is the story of Tommy Sale, a rugby league hero, who has devoted more than 80 years of his life to the sport whether as a player, coach, administrator and fan.
Since his initial involvement as a scoreboard operator for his beloved Leigh at the age of ten, Tommy's enthusiasm for the 13-a-side code has rarely wavered. He broke into Leigh's first team at the age of 20 and became their first post-War captain. Away from the playing action, he spent month after back-breaking month overseeing the construction of the club's stadium, Hilton Park. And that dedication continued after retirement when, among a string of other roles, he triggered the audacious coup that lured all-time great Alex Murphy to Leigh.
Tommy Sale has remained at the heart of the Leigh club into his nineties and still serves diligently as timekeeper, while providing a friendly face as president. Only the Second World War interrupted Tommy's love affair with rugby league, and his time at Leigh is punctuated only by a brief stint at Warrington and one glorious, career-defining spell at Widnes.
Yet this is a story about much more than rugby. It is a tale of how one man came go from humble beginnings to being a pillar of society. Tommy Sale overcame an abusive father, survived the horrors of war and suffered intense personal tragedy. He has been a shopkeeper, council official, teacher and headmaster. Told with characteristic warmth and remarkable modesty, Mr Rugby Leigh encapsulates the life of a true rugby league legend.
Since his initial involvement as a scoreboard operator for his beloved Leigh at the age of ten, Tommy's enthusiasm for the 13-a-side code has rarely wavered. He broke into Leigh's first team at the age of 20 and became their first post-War captain. Away from the playing action, he spent month after back-breaking month overseeing the construction of the club's stadium, Hilton Park. And that dedication continued after retirement when, among a string of other roles, he triggered the audacious coup that lured all-time great Alex Murphy to Leigh.
Tommy Sale has remained at the heart of the Leigh club into his nineties and still serves diligently as timekeeper, while providing a friendly face as president. Only the Second World War interrupted Tommy's love affair with rugby league, and his time at Leigh is punctuated only by a brief stint at Warrington and one glorious, career-defining spell at Widnes.
Yet this is a story about much more than rugby. It is a tale of how one man came go from humble beginnings to being a pillar of society. Tommy Sale overcame an abusive father, survived the horrors of war and suffered intense personal tragedy. He has been a shopkeeper, council official, teacher and headmaster. Told with characteristic warmth and remarkable modesty, Mr Rugby Leigh encapsulates the life of a true rugby league legend.
