 Eric Batten (Bradford Northern)hurdling over his brotherRobert "Bob" Batten (Leeds) inBradford Northern's 5-11 defeat byLeeds in the1947–48 Yorkshire Cup 1st round 1st leg match during the1947–48 season atHeadingley,Leeds on Saturday 13 September 1947. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frederick E. Batten | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1914-06-13)13 June 1914 Sculcoates district,Hull, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 3 September 1993(1993-09-03) (aged 79) Leeds, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Father | Billy Batten | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Ray Batten (nephew) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frederick "Eric" E. Batten (13 June 1914 – 3 September 1993) was an Englishrugby union and professionalrugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, andcoached rugby league in the 1950s. He played club level rugby league (RU) forSandal RUFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) forGreat Britain andEngland, and at club level forWakefield Trinity (two spells, including the second as aWorld War IIguest),Hunslet,Featherstone Rovers (four spells, including the first three as aWorld War IIguest) (captain),Leeds (two spells, including the first as aWorld War IIguest),Castleford (World War IIguest) andBradford Northern, as awing, and coached at club level for Featherstone Rovers, andBatley.[1][5] Eric Batten appeared in eightChallenge Cup Finals; two for Leeds, five for Bradford Northern, and one for Featherstone Rovers, winning three, and losing five, he scored a total of 443 tries during his career,[6] he his third on the all-time try scorers list behindBrian Bevan (796 tries), andBilly Boston (571 tries),[7]
Eric Batten's birth was registered inSculcoates district,Kingston upon Hull,East Riding of Yorkshire, England.[8] He was adustman in the cleansing department forHemsworth Rural District council. He died aged 79 inLeeds,West Yorkshire, England, and he is buried inLawnswood Cemetery, Leeds.
Batten started his rugby career playingrugby union atSandal RUFC before signing for therugby league clubWakefield Trinity in September 1933. He made his début for Wakefield Trinity in the 9–3 victory over Bradford Northern atOdsal Stadium,Bradford on Saturday 30 September 1933. He played 41 matches for Wakefield Trinity, scoring 12tries in those matches, including ahat-trick against Hull Kingston Rovers in March 1936, before he moved toHunslet in September 1936 for £400. During the war years, Eric returned to Wakefield Trinity as aWorld War IIguest, playing two matches in May 1940, and one February 1943, in these three wartime matches he scored eight tries, including four against Huddersfield in May 1940, making his club total 20 tries in 44 appearances. he also played one match forCastleford as aWorld War IIguest, he played on thewing againstDewsbury atCrown Flatt,Dewsbury on Saturday 14 February 1942.
Batten woncaps forEngland while atHunslet in 1938 against Wales, in 1939 against France, and Wales, in 1940 against Wales, in 1941 against Wales, in 1943 against Wales, while at Bradford Northern in 1944 against Wales, in 1945 against Wales (2 matches), in 1946 against France (2 matches), and Wales, in 1947 against France, in 1948 against France,[2] and woncaps forGreat Britain while at Bradford Northern in 1946 against Australia (2 matches), New Zealand, and in 1947 against New Zealand.[3]
Batten played atcentre inHunslet's 8–2 victory overLeeds in theChampionship Final during the1937–38 atElland Road,Leeds on Saturday 30 April 1938.[9] and played inBradford Northern's 26-20 aggregate victory overHalifax in theChampionship Final during the1944–45 season; the 2–9 defeat atThrum Hall,Halifax, and the 24–11 victory atOdsal Stadium,Bradford.
Batten played inLeeds' 19–2 victory overHalifax in the1940–41 Challenge Cup Final during the1940–41 season atOdsal Stadium,Bradford, in front of a crowd of 28,500, played in the 15-16 aggregate defeat byDewsbury in the1942–43 Challenge Cup Final during the1942–43 season; the 9–16 defeat atCrown Flatt,Dewsbury on Sunday 9 May 1943, in front of a crowd of 10,470, and the 6–0 victory atHeadingley,Leeds on Sunday 16 May 1943, in front of a crowd of 16,000, played inBradford Northern's 8-3 aggregate victory overWigan in the1943–44 Challenge Cup Final during the1943–44 season; the 0–3 defeat atCentral Park,Wigan on Saturday 15 April 1944, and the 8–0 victory atOdsal Stadium,Bradford on Saturday 22 April 1944, played in the 9-13 aggregate defeat byHuddersfield in the1944–45 Challenge Cup Final during the1944–45 season; the 4–7 defeat atFartown,Huddersfield, and the 5–6 defeat atOdsal Stadium,Bradford, played in the 8–4 victory overLeeds in the1946–47 Challenge Cup Final during the1946–47 season atWembley Stadium,London on Saturday 3 May 1947, played on thewing in the 3–8 defeat byWigan in the1947–48 Challenge Cup Final during the1947–48 season atWembley Stadium,London on Saturday 1 May 1948, in front of a crowd of 91,465,[10] and played on thewing inFeatherstone Rovers' 10–18 defeat byWorkington Town in the1951–52 Challenge Cup Final during the1951–52 season atWembley Stadium,London on Saturday 19 April 1952, in front of a crowd of 72,093.
Bradford Northern played in five of the sixChallenge Cup finals between 1944 and 1949, the first two finals; the1943–44 Challenge Cup Final againstWigan, and the1944–45 Challenge Cup Final againstHuddersfield were played over two-legs, five Bradford Northern players played in all five of these finals, they were; Eric Batten,Vic Darlison,Donald Ward,Ernest Ward, andFrank Whitcombe.
Batten played on thewing for aRugby League XIII againstNorthern Command XIII atThrum Hall,Halifax on Saturday 21 March 1942.[11]
Batten played on thewing inWakefield Trinity's 6–17 defeat byAustralia in the1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain match during the1933–34 season atBelle Vue,Wakefield on Saturday 28 October 1933.
Batten made his début for Featherstone Rovers on Saturday 2 December 1939.[12]
Batten was the coach ofBatley from October 1956 to April 1958.
Batten is a Featherstone Rovers Hall of Fame inductee.[13]
Eric Batten was the son of the rugby league footballerBilly Batten. Eric Batten's marriage to Annie (née Saxton, bornc. 1914 inWakefield district – died aged 81 on 13 April 1995) was registered during first1⁄4 1937 inWakefield district.[14] They had children; John Michael Batten (birth registered third1⁄4 1940 inHemsworth district) Janet Batten (birth registered first1⁄4 1951 (age 73–74) inHemsworth district), and Gaynor Batten (birth registered second1⁄4 1953 (age 71–72) inHemsworth district). He was buried at Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds.
