Last updated at 12:26, Thursday, 26 July 2012

Whitehaven has lost another of its rugby league legends with the death of Bobby Vincent.

Bobby Vincent

Bobby, 80, died in the West Cumberland Hospital on Sunday within a few hours of his elder brother Frank, 84, in the same hospital.

Older fans will remember Bobby as one of the finest – and toughest – prop forwards to wear the chocolate blue and gold.

He was a feared front-rower in Neville Emery’s legendary Whitehaven side which reached the Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds at Odsal in 1957, playing in all four rounds.

Three years later, Bobby featured in another of the club’s most memorable occasions, and another great team, the Eppie Gibson-led outfit which met Wakefield Trinity in the third round of the Challenge Cup in March 1960. The Colliers, as they were then known, were beaten but the crowd was a record 18,650.

Funeral services for the Vincent brothers will be in St Andrew’s Church, Mirehouse; Bobby today at 11am, and Frank next Monday (11am).

First published at 11:28, Thursday, 26 July 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk