5'8"  10st.4 lb.
b. Settle 2 July 1902
d. Lewes AMJ 1972
 

Debut  19 January 1924 (21y 201d) Final Game 16 February 1924 (21y 229d)
CAREER: Giggleswick GS;Skipton Rugby Union;Blackburn Rovers Jan'24 (am) Feb'24 (pro)-Jun'25;Wakefield Trinity (Rugby League) '25-'30
 

FL       2 apps

An all round sportsman at Giggleswick his best sport was athletics and he won several public schools' championships with his blistering pace, as well as important meetings at Powderhall and Grasmere. In 1922 he forced his way into the Skipton rugby team on the right wing and in January the following year won the first of six Yorkshire county caps. A year later the Rovers invited him for a trial with the reserves and he was so successful that a week later he made his debut. He retained his amateur status because he was required by Yorkshire for their championship campaign but a muscle strain received playing football cost him his rugby place. He therefore decided to sign professional with the Rovers but whilst he was recovering the club signed the gifted Joe Hulme and Bateson's opportunity had passed. Unable to return to rugby union he went professional with Wakefield Trinity and stayed there for five years gaining a county cup loser's medal. A good cricketer with Settle he played for East Lancashire and proved to be their finest ever boundary fielder. In the summer of 1925 he mystified the Rovers’ fans by refusing to re-sign for the club, stopping playing for East Lancashire and refusing an offer to join the Lancashire CC ground staff. Only when he started playing for Wakefield was his plans revealed. In 1929 he scored 26 tries for Wakefield and in 1930 he bettered that with 27 (both being records for the club at that time). He later worked in local government in Wanstead, Essex as a stationery manager.