A Man of All Talents: The Extraordinary Life of Douglas 'Duggy' Clark

by Steven Bell

Overview

A Man of All Talents is the remarkable story of rugby and wrestling legend Douglas "Duggy" Clark. Born in 1891 in the sleepy Cumbrian village of Maryport, at 14 he left school to work for his father's coal merchant business. Duggy grew into an exceptionally strong but quiet and reserved young man. His two great passions were rugby and Cumberland and Westmorland-style wrestling, and he excelled at both. By 24 he was already a rugby league great and a key member of Huddersfield's "Team of All Talents," winning every honor the sport could offer. He represented Britain in the infamous 1914 "Rorke's Drift" tour of Australia before being called up to serve in the Great War. He was awarded the Military Medal for bravery, but his war injuries were so severe he was discharged with a 20% disability certificate. Doctors gave Duggy an ultimatum: either he could stay home and live a long but sedate and ordinary life or risk his health by returning to sport. He chose the latter and went on to achieve more extraordinary and pioneering feats.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785316821
Publisher:	Pitch Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	12/01/2020
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

This is the second published work of sports enthusiast Steven Bell following the success of From Triumph to Tragedy: The Chapecoense Story. After setting his first book in Brazil, this time Steven sought a subject closer to home. Steven lives in Huddersfield, the town where Douglas Clark spent most of his life. He was therefore perfectly placed to know and understand Duggy’s legend.

Table of Contents

Introduction 11

Prologue 15

1 A Coal Boy, a Laker, a Candlestick Maker 21

2 Catch-As-Catch-Can 38

3 A Northern Union 57

4 Freddy & Waggy 74

5 Rorke's Drift 81

6 The Team of All Talents 99

7 Robinson Crusade 115

8 Zero Hour 125

9 Menin Road 143

10 Hors de Combat 156

11 The Boys are Back in Fartown 165

12 Back to Roots 173

13 All-In 195

14 Best-Laid Plans 211

15 John Bull in Trunks 216

16 God's Own Country 228

17 Proud Are We 240

18 The Lion's Den 248

19 The J.S. Connections 261

20 This was a Man 268

Epilogue: Halls of Fame 275

Acknowledgements and Bibliography 287

Editorial Reviews

"For a man who achieved so much in life, Clark’s story has finally been preserved in a narrative that does his legacy proud. The Man of All Talents has been crafted as a labor of love, and this is clear from its opening pages.” –Bradley Craig, Slam Wrestling

From the Publisher