7:57am Thursday 12th June 2008
THE daughters of Brian Bevan - Jennifer Alldis and Jeanette Lane - had not reached their teens when their famous father played his last game for Warrington in 1962.
Here are some of their childhood memories of Brian Bevan's playing days, including the day he broke the world sprint record as well as training at home with irons and kettles strapped to his feet.
Jennifer said: "We did see him play a lot because Mum (Doreen) used to drive us to the games, over to Yorkshire, too.
"I can mainly remember the autograph signings after games when we were making our way back to the car.
"Dad would be miles behind all the time because of autographs."
Jeanette said: "I recall at the old stadium (Wilderspool) that if Dad hadn't got the ball all the crowd would chant Give it to Bev'.
"But I also remember when Dad got it, which inevitably he did, the whole stand would rise simultaneously."
Jeanette remembers Bev's attention to detail on match days.
"He had a little quirk," she said.
"He always used to get Mum to drop him outside a car repair shop on the other side of Stockton Heath swing bridge.
"Mum had to drop him right outside the door - not a couple of feet in front or behind - exactly outside the door.
"Then he would walk to the ground. It was his warm-up.
"And he always wore the same socks to go to matches. Well, he played for 20 years so it wasn't the same socks for 20 years, but you know what I mean."
She added: "In those days it was all grass-roots stuff.
"When we lived at a shop in Grappenhall - incidentally we displayed the Wembley cup there in the shop window - I remember hearing Dad doing training at home.
"He would come back from training, go upstairs and he'd lie on top of the stairs with irons and kettles - anything heavy - that he could strap to his feet while he did sit-ups and you'd here the jingle and jangle of all the stuff."
And a particular holiday in north Wales stands out in the memory, too, as Jeanette revealed Bev's all-round sporting prowess despite being a heavy smoker.
"He was a champion swimmer for New South Wales and he was a superb cricketer, and a sprinter, too," she said.
"While we were on holiday at Butlins as kids, they used to have a sports day.
"He had the old galoshes on, shorts and short-sleeved cotton shirt - not proper kit - and he broke the world record for the 100-yard sprint as it was then.
"Unfortunately, because it wasn't a recorded meet as such, it couldn't be recorded as such.
"If I'm not wrong, it was 9.8 seconds. I think it was Butlins in Pwllheli, but it was definitely Butlins."
Jeanette said her father worked hard on maintaining the lightning speed that destroyed rugby league defences.
"He was slight, but always believed a winger should be in order to maintain speed.
"He was a stickler for speed and used to take his spikes to training.
"Those spikes still exist today and they're in the Rugby League Hall of Fame.
"It was a lifetime's dedication to sport but particularly to rugby."
And there is a tale highlighting Bev's dedication to training.
Jeanette said: "He came back from his honeymoon twice to go training.
"Mum and Dad went over to north Wales. They went to Australia for a late honeymoon, but because the season was running they just took a week in north Wales initially.
"And he came home twice to go training. He lived for rugby."
Brian and Doreen got married at Grappenhall Church, as did his brother Owen who also enjoyed a spell in the primrose and blue colours before returning to Australia.
"There's a funny tale about Mum and Dad meeting," said Jeanette.
"I don't know who Mum's friend was but it was someone on the Warrington team who had to go in hospital and he said to Dad: Will you look after Doreen while I'm in hospital?' A couple of years later they were married."
Sadly, Owen died 18 months ago after a brain tumour but Bev still has other relatives Down Under and the sporting tradition continues.
Jeanette said: "Dad still has a sister in Australia and Owen's wife, as well as loads of cousins.
"Owen's grandson and my Dad's grand-nephew, Paul Bevan, who is now 23, plays for Australian Rules Football team Sydney Swans.
"We were invited to watch one of the matches while over there and got addicted to it. Those players don't half do some running over the two hours.
"All the family are sporty."
Brian Bevan's daughters, Jennifer Alldis, left, and Jeanette Lane, with the memorabilia brought back from centenary celebration events in Australia.
The green blazer was presented to each living member of the Team of the Century, while Jeanette received the blazer on behalf of her father. The striped rugby shirt, signed by all living members of the Team of the Century, is a replica of the shirt first worn by Australia for its first Test match with New Zealand in 1908 and again for the Centenary Test at Sydney Cricket Ground on May 9.
The memorabilia is to be loaned to the Hall of Fame for display purposes alongside other Bev items such as the boots he was wearing when he scored his 500th try, the ball he broke the world record with, international caps and jerseys.
The Hall of Fame is currently being moved with a re-launch to take place in the future.
Picture: Mike Boden MBMM140508
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