A son of one of Workington Reds Football League greats was back in town last week to see the ground where his dad was a hero.
Kevin Wilson was on a flying visit and unable to let anyone know when he would be there, so Borough Park had no-one around when he made the quick call.
His dad was Joe Wilson, a tough-tackling full-back who started and finished his career with the Reds after service in between for Notts Forest, Wolves and Newport.
Northside-born Joe, and his wife Irene had sons Kevin and Glen, and daughter Karen before they emigrated to Australia in June 1973.
A third son Mark was born in Melbourne where they lived.
They actually sold up in 1979 to return home but that didn’t last long as they returned to Australia six months later.
Kevin had planned the trip months ago and then his daughter Ashton and her husband Ryan decided to do the trip as well.
They spent time in Cumbria with relatives and they have now travelled to Scotland for a week and then will fly home via China.
Kevin flew to Slovenia on Sunday to see some friends and after visiting Prague is due to fly back to Liverpool on Saturday to go to Anfield for the last match of the season for the other Reds. He flies home to Melbourne next Monday.
Kevin’s grandfather John, was a rugby league man for years – groundsman, kit man, and a much respected member of the backroom staff.
So Ashton paid a visit to the Fibrus Community Stadium where her great-grandfather’s ashes were scattered on the pitch underneath the posts.
Joe, who died in 2015 aged 78, played 153 times for Reds before he was sold to Notts Forest after he had impressed in an FA Cup tie at Borough Park when he was marking the highly-rated Dick Le Flem.
After 84 top flight appearances, when he earned a fearsome but respected reputation he joined Wolves where he played another 58 times in the First Division.
He had a season with Newport County before returning to Workington in 1968 where he clocked up another 169 appearances before leaving for Australia.
