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More stories will be added on a weekly basis, so keep coming back to see what's new. Very soon the search function will be added allowing you to easily search the entire site for stories, players, games or any other reference.

Learn more about Sheffield Eagles through the stories we've researched and focused on. If you'd like to share your memories and stories with the project then get in touch. 



Players from France Sheffield Eagles has a long tradition of players coming to the Club from around the world, many of them from France. The first was David Fraisse playing 31 times for the Eagles in the 1993/94 season. He was followed over the years by Laurent Lucchese, Freddie Banquet, Jerome Vincent, Jean-Marc, Garcia, Freddie Teixido, Théo Gonzales-Trique, Thibault Margalet, Remy Marginet, Nabil Djalout, Thibault Franck, Stan Robin and most recently Max Garcia, playing 17 times in the 2018 season.

Presentation of Certificates Every player who has ever played for the Sheffield Eagles is given a heritage number to mark the point they played for the Club. The Sheffield Eagles Heritage Project, is going to produce certificates for all players and present them over the next year. 
We were fortunate that on a trip to France at the end of 2022 Mark Aston and Ian Swire (former Chair of the Club and advisor to the Heritage Project) were able to present heritage certificates to five of the French former Eagles players.  
Laurent Lucchese - 177
Freddie Banquet - 184
Freddie Teixido - 221
Stan Robin 441
Max Garcia - 481
[Image: Mark Aston, Laurent Lucchese and Ian Swire]
[Image: Mark Aston, Freddie Banquet and Ian Swire]
[Image: Mark Aston, Freddie Teixido and Ian Swire]
[Image: Mark Aston, Stan Robin and Ian Swire]
[Image: Mark Aston, Max Garcia and Ian Swire]
We'll be presenting more certificates over time to French based players.

Share Your Memories Who was your favourite French player who played for the Eagles? Share your memories ,here,. 

Author Richard King

Former Sheffield Eagles Players from France receiving their heritage certificates.

Eagles Players from France



Background This interview was carried out by Dan Fowler of the Sheffield Eagles media team in February 2023. It has been produced here with permission of the Club. 
It was produced to coincide with the presentation of Jon's heritage certificate during half time of the Sheffield Eagles v Batley Game on 17th February 2023.

A Chat Sheffield Eagles cult hero Jon Bruce is currently facing his biggest battle, having recently been diagnosed with terminal back and brain cancer.
Brucie is being cared for at St Gemma’s Hospice and the prop has been overwhelmed with the support he has received there as well as from regular visits by former teammates.
Eagles Director of Rugby Mark Aston, Hall of Fame inductee Gavin Brown and long-time statistician Richard Pepper have been to see the big man.

After the Merger Jon was a part of the original Eagles team post-merger, scoring the club’s first try against Lancashire Lynx, and it’s a time of his life he remembers well.
“I was on the verge of packing in and just playing amateur,” he said.
"I was busy at work, had a few lads working for me.
“I got a phone call out of the blue from Tubby (Mark Aston) asking if I wanted to go down, so I said yes.
“When I went, I knew half of the lads that were there anyway and I thought it could be alright here. They didn’t offer me the world because they didn’t have the world and I didn’t deserve the world.

Coaching “At the end of the day, Tubby is Tubby. He’s the best coach I’ve had. I don’t particularly want you to be putting this in any programme because he’s a big headed **** as it is!
“Him and Howard (Cartwright) were the best coaches. I really enjoyed being around the place. I got to a stage where I didn’t like rugby league. But when I was at Sheffield, there were a car full of us - we had a laugh going down, training was good and it was a great feel.
“The first year I think we underachieved with the team we had. It’s always hard when you throw a team together.

Best Time they Had "The lads who have come to visit me from around that time have all said the same thing - that Sheffield was the best time they had.
“It was the best five or six years I had in my life in rugby league.
“The club during that time were setting the foundations. Building, building and building. Then they got promotion, won a few trophies in the Championship and that all comes from the first few years of foundations.
“It was hard work as well but still enjoyable. Howard Cartwright was a different breed altogether.”

Tubby's Teeth A well-known story from that Lancashire game was the demise of Tubbs’ teeth, or at least a few of them.
“When Mark got his teeth knocked out by the ball, I was stood right next to him when it happened,” Jon chuckled.
“I saw his teeth in the mud, so I stood on them and pushed them further in.
“He didn’t see me do it so I told him after the game.
“You b*****d!”

Illness Despite the circumstances, Jon continues to look on the bright side.
Although he cannot be at tonight’s game between two of his former clubs due to COVID, he’s setting his sights on getting to a home game soon.
“They gave me three months in January but I think I’ll be a bit longer than that,” he said.
“I can’t come on Friday because I’ve got COVID.
“But as soon as I’m alright, I’ll get a home game in before I do clog it.
“You might think I’m talking b******s but I’m not blasé about it, I know it’s coming and what’s going to happen to me.”
Jon is highly regarded by all that played alongside him and those who got to watch him in the Red and Gold.
Chris Minchella, father of former Eagle and current Super League star Elliot Minchella, is a good friend of Jon’s and he set up a fundraiser for St Gemma’s.
A sponsored walk took place over the weekend and the current JustGiving total stands at almost £2,000.
“I’ve known Chris all my life and he said they’d be doing a sponsored walk for St Gemma’s Hospice,” Jon said.
“It has been two to three weeks and they’ve raised £2k online and when they did the walk with the bucket, they raised two and a bit thousand.
“I’m absolutely blown away because I feel so humble to have friends and teammates like this. It’s so emotional but it’s really sad. What a set of guys.
“I must have made some sort of impression for people to be doing this!
“I’m at St Gemma’s and they are absolutely outstanding, they are the top of their game.
“They’re all brilliant and the guys have picked up on it when they’ve come to visit.”
If you wish to donate to St Gemma’s, you can do so ,HERE,. 

Presentation of Jon's Heritage Certificate Every player who has ever played for the Sheffield Eagles is given a heritage number to mark the point they played for the Club. The Sheffield Eagles Heritage Project, is going to produce certificates for all players and present them over the next year. 
Jon started his career in 1996 for Doncaster before playing for Batley in 1997 and then back to Doncaster in 1999. He played his first game for Sheffield Eagles on 28th September 1999 against Lancashire Lynx as part of that historic first game as the new Sheffield Eagles, following the merger with Huddersfield. That first game saw the Eagles win 33-20 including Jon scoring a try. Jon went on to play 129 times for the Eagles, making 89 starts and 40 times from the bench, scoring 8 tries in total. Jon deserves his place in the Eagles’ history just for being part of the new Sheffield Eagles but it goes beyond that. For those that watched him play they’ll never forget the impact he made as a forward with his runs down the field and no nonsense tough tackling. He played his last game for Sheffield on 19th September 2004 against Hunslet having played 177 games in his career scoring 12 tries. 
Unfortunately Jon was not well enough to be present at the match but his son Jacob was there to accept  his certificate as heritage player number 231.
[Image: Presentation by Andy Tyers of Jon Bruce's heritage certificate to Jon's son Jacob ]



Share Your Memories Do you remember watching Jon Bruce? Share your memories ,here,. 

Authors Dan Fowler & Richard King

An interview with Jon Bruce, former Eagles' player and Club captain

A Chat with Big Jon Bruce



For nearly 9 years the club was forced to play at seven temporary venues both in and outside of Sheffield.

The Nomad Years Many of the venues that the Club played at between 2013 and 2022 didn't necessarily have facilities best suited for rugby league, with the RFL providing the club with special dispensation to compete in the Championship on several occasions. Playing in front of dwindling home support, the club was threatened with the very real prospect of folding during much of this time. Once again though the club, with the help of its die-hard supporters, defied the odds and survived.

2014 Owlerton and Keepmoat
For the 2014 season the Eagles returned to the ground where it all began 30 years earlier. However, the romanticism surrounding the club’s return to its roots quickly faded as the team - who had enjoyed such strong home form at Don Valley and Bramall Lane over the previous two years- struggled at home for much of the season. The poor form owed much to the fact that the pitch at Owlerton was extremely narrow. Mats even had to be placed in the corners of the in-goal areas to prevent players from injuring themselves on the speedway track when scoring a try. The narrowness of the pitch meant that the players were unable to play the expansive brand of rugby league that Mark Aston had drilled into them over previous seasons. Opposition teams also complained about the lack of proper changing facilities at the stadium and the view of the pitch was also obstructed by the surrounding speedway and dog track. Although the corporate and catering facilities at the stadium were excellent, overall, the ground was not a suitable venue for rugby league. In a taste of things to come, the Eagles also played at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster for their playoff match against Batley Bulldogs.
[Image: Eagles at Owlerton Stadium 2014]

2015 Keepmoat, Castle Park and Bramall Lane
Unable to secure a home ground in Sheffield, the Eagles were forced to play the majority of the 2015 season at the Keepmoat in Doncaster. Games against Workington and Whitehaven, however, were played at Castle Park - the home of Doncaster Knights RUFC. Despite being exiled from Sheffield the Eagles fared much better at “home”, playing the expansive brand of rugby that they had been unable to play the previous season. The views and facilities at the Keepmoat were excellent, but travelling took its toll and crowds began to drop off. During the “Super 8s” campaign the club played at Bramall Lane for games against Hull KR and Wakefield, with over 1700 attending the Eagles’ victory against the latter.

[Image: Bramall Lane 2015]


2016 Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park
Whilst the club waited patiently for news on the development of a new stadium on the former Don Valley site, the Eagles managed to secure a return to Sheffield for the 2016 campaign. Located a stone’s throw (or more accurately a conversion away!) from Rotherham on Bawtry Road, the venue was made up of two temporary stands behind the posts at one end of the pitch with a third smaller stand for players’ families at the opposite side. There were also corporate facilities in the sports park clubhouse on the touchline. The venue was far from ideal, with very little in terms of facilities for supporters. It was also expensive to operate because the club had to rent the temporary stands, portable toilets, and security staff. 

[Image: Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park 2016]

2017 Belle Vue, Wakefield
Unable to afford the costs of a temporary set up in Sheffield, in 2017 Belle Vue became the home of the Eagles. It was an extremely difficult time for the club off the field. Having narrowly avoided folding at the end of the 2016 season the Eagles were forced to play over 25 miles away in front of dwindling home support in an ageing venue. At some games there were perhaps as little as 100 Eagles supporters, with away supporters sometimes travelling a shorter distance than “home” fans! Despite the problems off field, the team enjoyed a fairly successful season, finishing around mid-table and losing to Toulouse in the Championship Shield final.

[Image: Belle Vue, Wakefield 2017]

2018 & 2019 Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park temporary set up
In 2018 the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park finally opened, and the club made a highly anticipated return to the city. At this stage the OLP was very similar in its setup to Bawtry Road, with a temporary stand on the touchline and limited facilities for Championship rugby league. The facilities were reduced further for the 2019 season, with half of the 500 temporary seats being removed. 

[Image: SOLP 2018 & 2019]

2020 Castle Park and Wakefield
In 2020 the Eagles were once again forced on the road as construction on the main stand at the OLP began. The Eagles faced Toulouse at Castle Park and Halifax in Wakefield before the season was cut short by Covid 19.


[Image: Castle Park, Doncaster 2020]
[Image: Belle Vue, Wakefield 2020]

2021 Keepmoat
As rugby league and a semblance of normal life returned, the Eagles found themselves in the familiar setting of the Keepmoat stadium. It was an unhappy return, with the team finishing the season just one place above the relegation zone.

[Image: Keepmoat, Doncaster 2021]

2022 Keepmoat & Millennium Stadium Featherstone
It was hoped that construction on the main stand at the Olympic Legacy Park would be completed for the beginning of the 2022 season. Continued delays, however, meant that supporters had to wait a few months longer for a permanent home venue. For one final time the Eagles were forced out of the city, once again playing at the Keepmoat before adding the Millennium Stadium in Featherstone to the long list of post-Don Valley venues.

[Image: SOLP - Not Quite Ready 2022]
[Image: Millennium Stadium, Featherstone 2022]
[Image: Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster 2022]

2022 and beyond Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Community Stadium
You can read more about the return to Sheffield on 23rd May 2022 and the first game at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Community Stadium ,HERE,. 

SHARE YOUR MEMORIES What are your memories and stories of the Eagles nomad years? You can share them with the Heritage Project ,HERE,.

Author Ciaran Rooney

Photos Richard King

The closure of Don Valley Stadium at the end of the 2013 season marked the beginning of a very uncertain time for Sheffield Eagles and its supporters. 

The "No Fans, No Ground!" Nomad Years: 2013-22



Alicia Newton is a lifelong Hull fan and is currently studying sports journalism in Sheffield. She, along with her family who travelled across from Hull, attended all three of the games and provides us with her perspective. ,This triple header saw the wheelchair, women's and men's team all playing Hull that day, with the Eagles' LDSL (learning disability) also putting on a training session at half time. Having all the teams featured that day was a first for the Club and potentially for rugby league. 

The wheelchair game The Wheelchair game kicked off at 10am at Forge Valley but despite the early start the game was well attended by not only by Sheffield supporters but also the travelling Hull fans. The game and its result, a 26-26 draw, bodes well for both sides as players from both Hull and Sheffield’s development squads made their debut. Many Hull fans commented throughout the match how welcoming both sets of fans and players were. The welcoming spirit was enjoyed by the few fans who were attending their first ever live Wheelchair game after being hooked into the sport by England’s triumph at the World Cup (RLWC21). It was the perfect start to an entertaining day which showcased the true inclusivity of Rugby League.

The Women’s Game It was a quick journey over to the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park for the second match of the day as the womens' sides looked to get their first taste of next years Championship opponents. Despite the chilly weather both sides showcased their skills as the tight score-line, Hull just won the match 26-24, showed spectators what to expect from both sides in the 2023 Women’s Championship season. Both sides showcased their youth as Hull alone had four players from their college set-up on the team sheet, with three of those making it over the line. The game was spectacular to watch as a Hull FC fan as lots of spectators, from both teams, had travelled to the game making it one of the best attended Women’s matches that I have ever attended.

[Image: Photo by Jake Borrill]
[Image: Photo by Jake Borrill]

The Men’s game The men’s game was Sheffield’s best ever attended at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park as over a thousand spectators turned out to watch both sides play their first game of 2023. Sheffield started the game in spectacular fashion even surprising some of their own supporters as they led Hull 20-12 at half-time. But it wasn’t long before the visitors put the talents of their youth on display as the seven featured college representatives made Hull’s second-half comeback all the more special for the travelling fans. The friendly atmosphere continued throughout this match as the mix of supporters in the stand enjoyed the games together.

[Image: Photo by Jake Borrill]

The LDSL team Sheffield proved that they are leading the way for inclusivity in Rugby League as their LDSL team took to the field at half-time of the men’s game. The players enjoyed the cheers from the supporters as they helped their team bring to end a fantastic day for the advancement of inclusivity and diversity within the sport of Rugby League in the UK.

#OneClub The day did really demonstrate the Sheffield Eagles #OneClub approach with all four of it's team represented during the day - all in the same kit.
It also shows the impact the Eagles Foundation has had over the last few years in supporting the development of the wheelchair, women's and LDSL teams to complement the long established men's team.

Share your memories Have you any photos of the games or thoughts about what you so. If so you can share them ,HERE,. 

Ticket 
[Image: Eagles v Hull 22nd January 2023]

Author Alicia Newton

Sunday 22nd January 2023 saw the first ever Sheffield Eagles triple header game. With the wheelchair, women's and men's team all playing Hull that day. 

Eagles v Hull Triple Header



In 2009 the Club put together a brochure to celebrate the first 25 years of the Sheffield Eagles. The plan is to put together a similar publication in 2024 to mark the 40th anniversary. 

25 Years of the Sheffield Eagles You can view the brochure below. 
[File: undefined]

A history of the first 25 years of the Sheffield Eagles

The First 25 Years of the Sheffield Eagles



The Sheffield Eagles played their first ever game on Sunday 2nd September 1984 against Rochdale Hornets, winning 29-10. Below is an extract from the book "Against the Odds - The First Decade of the Sheffield Eagles" to act as a starting point for a history of the Club. We'll be adding more as the project progresses. 

The Origins Gary and Kath Hetherington established the Sheffield Eagles to create a new club with new ideas. It took three years of hard work and setbacks along the way from Gary’s initial idea before the first game on 2nd September 1984 when Sheffield Eagles beat Rochdale Hornets 29-10 at Owlerton Stadium.

Against the Odds "Against the Odds - The First Decade of the Sheffield Eagles" was written by John Cornwell and Richard Pepper published in 1994. It provides a comprehensive insight into how the Club was formed, the challenges faced and the details of each of the first 10 seasons. Below is an extract from the book's introduction.

[Image: Against the Odds - written by John Cornwell and Richard Pepper]

Launching the Dream Shortly after four o'clock on the afternoon of the 2nd September 1984, on one of these glorious early September days that often mock an indifferent English summer, the final whistle went signalling the end of the Eagles' first ever league match, with a 29-10 points victory over Rochdale Hornets. Before more than a thousand spectators, an attendance rarely to be bettered for the next five years, the Eagles had produced a spirited and at times skilful display, with loose forward Paul McDermott scoring a hat-trick of tries. 

[Image: Sheffield Eagles v Rochdale Hornets, 2nd September 1984]



Spectators The spectators at Owlerton that day included Sheffielders curious to see this alien game. A game which so excited the passions of other Yorkshire people in the old East and West Ridings, let never penetrating the southern corner of the county, where two of the most famous of soccer clubs dominated the winter sporting scene. They were joined by Rugby League exiles, often long resident in the city, whose loyalties lay with the established teams of their youth based on either side of the Pennines. They were exiles who had come to the match out of support for their game, even if they were uncertain the new venture would flourish and survive. 


The Obstacles Already many of the public knew that the Eagles had overcome obstacles that would have blocked the ambitions of many ventures. That aspirations to enter the Second Division in some considerable style, playing home matches at Bramall Lane, a ground that would have been the envy of every club in the Rugby League. backed by substantial sponsorship that would enable the starting line up at their first match to include some established star players, had been dashed in the months of preparation before a ball had been kicked in earnest. A desperate realism had become the Eagles' style. 

The Team Their team that day was constructed of young tyros, who were playing their first ever league match, alongside old pro's in their final years in the game. Even an American footballer who had played with the Vikings and the Jets graced the Owlerton turf, alongside former Wembley Cup finalists recruited to boost the league's newest team. 

[Image: The squad list from the first ever game]


The Club The club's organisation off the field existed in outline only. Volunteers covered the vital posts that make up a professional sports club, with everything run on a shoe-string budget and co-ordination dependent on enthusiastic goodwill. The realism and the ambition were encapsulated in the article in the match day programme by the late Dr. David Durie, then club doctor and one of the directors. He wrote a feature called 'watch this space', whose words read prophetically with ten years' hindsight, but at the time were perhaps just the brave words any new club would offer.




Dr. David Durie, Club Doctor and Director when the Club was established 
[Quote: "Sheffield Eagles are still fledglings, one day they will be high flyers. This club will be a testing ground for new ideas - we do not accept hierarchies between directors and players, Sheffield will be a friendly club; we want it this way, and we believe we will attract better players when this is known. You can buy success or sell it - but you cannot buy team spirit - we shall start as we mean to finish, playing good rugby. The rest will follow." Author: Dr. David Durie]

The First Ever Programme Thanks to Vicky Brooks for sharing her copy of the first ever programme. 
[File: undefined]

Full footage of the first ever game The Heritage Project was contacted by long time Sheffield Eagles Fan Dean Palmer to let us know he has a digital version of a VHS tape of the first ever Sheffield Eagles game. We're delighted to be able to share it, but also make sure it as archived for the future. Dean's parents were both at that first game and had a VHS copy of the game that was digitised. Dean's parents helped run the Eagles Colts team in the late 1980s with Dean playing for them and the original Hillsborough Hawks team.
Commentary on the game was by Martyn Sadler now the editor of the League Express - at the time he was a lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University.
As you can imagine the picture quality isn't what we're used to today - it's transferred from an almost 40 year old VHS tape. It does capture the occasion though and the historic first appearance of the Sheffield Eagles.

[Video: Sheffield Eagles v Rochdale Hornets, 2nd September 1984]

Player Profiles You can find out more about each of the players from that first game using the links below. 


[Player 001, Andy Tyers]
[Player 002, Ray Smith]
[Player 003, Daryl Powell]
[Player 004, Mark Q Campbell]
[Player 005, Dave Alred]
[Player 006, Steve Robinson]
[Player 007, Paul Welsh]
[Player 008, Billy Harris]
[Player 009, Gary Hetherington]
[Player 010, Vince Farrar]
[Player 011, Steve Cooper]
[Player 012, Ian Jowitt]
[Player 013, Paul McDermott]
[Player 014, Mark S Campbell]
[Player 015, John Gregory]

Share Your Memories Were you at the first game? Did you watch the Eagles in the first season? Share your memories ,here,. 

Authors John Cornwell and Richard Pepper, from Against the Odds.