Gus Risman

Gus Risman

Ogden's Cigarette card featuring Gus Risman
Personal information
Full name	Augustus John Ferdinand Risman
Nickname	Gus
Born	(1911-03-21)21 March 1911 Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales
Died	17 October 1994(1994-10-17) (aged 83) Whitehaven, England
Playing information
Position	Fullback, Centre, Stand-off
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1929–46 Salford 427 143 789 2007 (guest) → Leeds 12 6 27 0 72 (guest) Bradford Northern 9 4 3 0 18 (guest) → Hunslet 2 0 1 0 2 (guest) → Dewsbury 31 15 55 0 155 1946–54 Workington Town 301 33 716 0 1531 1954 Batley 9 0 20 0 40 Total 791 201 1611 0 3825 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1934 British Empire 1 1934 England 1 2 0 0 6 1931–45 Wales 18 0 0 0 0 1932–46 Great Britain 17 0 12 0 24
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1946 Workington Town Whitehaven Oldham Salford 1964–71 Bradford Northern Total 0 0 0 0
Source:

Augustus "Gus" John F. Risman (21 March 1911 – 17 October 1994) was a Welsh rugby league footballer of the 1920s through to the 1950s.

A devastating three-quarter who also played at Fullback and Stand-off, Risman was born in Cardiff, brought up in Barry where he went to Barry County School, and played rugby union in South Wales as a schoolboy before being offered a trial by Salford.

He made his début for Salford on 31 August 1929 and went on to enjoy great success with the club. He won 17 caps for Great Britain and finished his career at Workington Town, remarkably leading them to Rugby League Challenge Cup glory as player-coach at the age of 41 in 1952. He retired as a player in 1954 after a career spanning 25 years. Risman captained the 1946 "Indomitable" tourists of Australia.

Risman later coached Whitehaven, Oldham and Bradford Northern and was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 1988. Gus Risman's son, Bev Risman also became an accomplished rugby league footballer. As a tribute, one of the newly created streets in Workington's regenerated town centre is named Risman Place.

During the period before signing for Salford, Gus Risman was also courted by association football clubs. Tottenham Hotspur offered Risman terms. However, in those days football did not have the huge initial gravitas it enjoys today. During the 1920s, signing for a rugby league club was more financially rewarding. Signing-on fees were restricted or capped in football, whereas in rugby league such fees could be a year's worth of work and playing wages combined.