RUGBY union international Mark Cueto visited the Halliwell Jones Stadium last week to pay tribute to his great uncle Frank, who won honours for the club before he died in the war.

Francisco ‘Frank’ Cueto was the great uncle of the former England and British Lions winger and full back who starred at half back in the 1937 Lancashire Cup-winning Warrington side.

Born to Spanish parents who owned a chip shop in Cumbria in 1917, Frank played 79 times for the first team in the 1930s and 40s scoring 10 tries.

During the Second World War, the Stockton Heath resident was an airman of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 56 Squadron.

On February 9 1944, Frank died when his Hawker Typhoon crashed into the North Sea off the coast of Dungeness shortly after he had got married.

He has no known grave but is commemorated on the Runnymede and Stockton Heath War Memorials.

Great nephew Mark played for Sale Sharks for 14 years before he retired last year, and he visited Warrington Wolves last week to receive a plaque commemorating Frank’s service to the club.

The 36-year-old said: “It’s a story I’ve obviously known about over the years but we’ve never really talked about – I suppose it’s a sad story for my pop with it being his brother.

“I knew he had played rugby but it probably wasn’t something I knew that much about to be honest.

“It hits home a little bit when you see his name on the timeline.

“You see his name on the wall and it makes you feel pride whenever you see the family name, because it’s a pretty rare name and it’s not like a Smith or a Jones where it could be anybody.

“I’m not a massively religious bloke but he might be looking down and having a star in his eye at his great nephew doing what I’ve done.”

Mark was presented the shield by 83-year-old Grappenhall resident Harry Heyes.

He said: “I started following the club immediately after the war when one or two players came back from the war.

“After the war Warrington had a very poor side and I asked my dad if we had anyone coming back from the war.

“All the big lads from the street disappeared during the war – some came back, some came back damaged and it was very sad.

“My dad told me about Billy Belshaw and Izzy Davies Peak but he said Frank Cueto won’t be coming back – at that age it just left an impression on me and that’s where all this stems from.

“How awful that a career could be ended like that but he must be smiling down to see his talent passed on.”

Orford-born Harry still listens to every game on the radio and was one of a special few who saw the very first appearance of Brian Bevan in the primrose and blue.

He added: “I was one of probably 130 people who saw the first appearance of Brian Bevan in the A team – he had a sensational game.

“He only played once in the A team and they signed him on because he was so good – he made big runs and then would give the ball to somebody else and near the end he scored a try.

“It was the most sensational debut you’d ever see off anybody – he was obviously something sensational.”