Don Lancashire and his wife, Carol at their Mount Warren home in Queensland
More than 1,000 booing, jeering spectators swarmed on to Oxenham Park at Nundah in Brisbane’s north after a fiery rugby league clash controlled by referee, Don Lancashire.
The Courier-Mail’s Lawrie Kavanagh described it as ‘one of the ugliest demonstrations seen in Queensland for years’.
Referee Lancashire, under heavy guard from officials and players, was half carried from the field after severe pushing and jostling from spectators.
Lancashire required police protection when he left the dressing rooms, with a small group of spectators remaining behind to hurl more abuse his way.
Wests defeated the home team, Norths, 9-7, thanks to a penalty goal kicked by Darryl Stevens after the fulltime bell.
Lancashire awarded a penalty to Wests in the 80th minute after Norths were caught off-side.
Stevens kick went wide, but he was given another shot, with Lancashire ruling that Norths’ players had moved to distract the kicker. Stevens did not miss with his second kick, and this was the signal for the crowd to move in from all sides.
“Lancashire’s refereeing throughout was not good, but at its worst was better than some displays in the recent state trials,” wrote Kavanagh.
Lancashire, a former Sydney St George rugby union player, and former Sydney A grade rugby league referee, was having his first season in Brisbane.
Giant Norths’ prop, Lloyd Weir from Kilkivan was magnificent for the beaten side, while skipper and lock, Hugh Kelly led Wests by example, scoring his side’s only try.
At Davies Park, smart tries by wingers, Bob Gray and Kevin Brasch helped Valleys down Souths 17-8.
Wynnum-Manly’s indigenous winger from the Tweed Valley, Lionel Morgan, scored 13 points in the Seagulls’ 25-10 win over Redcliffe at Kitchener Park. Morgan, who would become rugby league’s first Indigenous Test player later in the season, scored a try and kicked five goals.
The crowd of 5,000 was a record for Kitchener Park at Wynnum.
At Lang Park Brothers beat competition leaders, Easts 25-11 with George Doniger landing eight goals from nine shots.
Brothers’ former Kiwi Test halfback, Sel Belsham set up a try for winger, Frank Melit with a perfectly judged grubber kick.
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