The club were saddened to learn this weekend of the death of former player Brian Hogan.
John Brian Hogan was a forward who served Widnes well over three separate stints during some of the club’s most successful years between 1973 and 1983. Though he had an impressive medal haul from his time with the Chemics and his other clubs, Brian was also unlucky with injuries that cost him numerous other chances to win silverware.
Born in St Helens, he signed for his hometown team in 1965 and soon made an impression as a teenager, playing in the drawn Championship final of 1967, one of his four finals in various competitions for the Saints.
A move to Wigan saw him appear at Wembley in 1970 and he played in another Championship final the following year. However, his shift work at Bold Colliery meant that Brian struggled to cement a first team place at Central Park and, in search of regular rugby, he transferred first to Workington and then Bradford, where he earned a runners-up medal at Wembley in 1973.
The retirement of John Warlow persuaded Vince Karalius to bring Brian to Naughton Park in November of that year, joining a Widnes team mired at the foot of the table and facing relegation from the top flight. He helped turn round the club’s fortunes in spectacular fashion, being an integral part of the long winning running in the second half of the season, rocketing the Chemics to fourth in the table and laying the foundations for the glory years to come.
Surprisingly though, Brian was not around for the following seasons. Having missed out on the 1974 Lancashire Cup final with a dislocated elbow, he requested a move and returned to Wigan. It was a period of change at Central Park and he had only one Lancashire Cup medal, a 1977 loss to Workington, to show for his time there, though he did earn his five England caps during this spell, including games against Wales, France, New Zealand, and Australia in the 1975 World Cup.
A return to Widnes followed in September 1978, this time replacing Bill Ramsey in the pack and he added to his medal haul with a BBC2 Floodlit Trophy win versus St Helens, though he sat out of the other three final successes that season, with a shoulder injury denying him a place in the John Player and Challenge Cup final teams at the close of the campaign.
1979/80 was arguably Brian’s best at Widnes in terms of consistency and luck with injuries. He picked up two winners medals (Lancashire Cup v Workington and Premiership v Bradford) as well as being on the losing side in the John Player final, also against Bradford. Yet a further Wembley appearance eluded him. He controversially had a try disallowed in a narrow defeat to Hull in the 1980 semi-final and he missed out on selection for the 1981 showpiece.
He spent a year at Oldham in 1982, coached by his ex-Saints colleague Frank Myler and, though his time there was short, he made a huge impression on fans at Watersheddings who fondly recall his heroics in the red and white hoops as he helped them to the Second Division championship. He was back at Widnes for the New Year of 1983, Des Foy moving in the opposite direction in an exchange deal, but time and injuries caught up with Brian and this third stint at Naughton Park was a short one, bringing an end to a successful and varied career.
At first glance, observers might have looked at Brian’s burly frame and marked him down as one of those lumbering props who specialised in drives up the middle, scrummaging and little else, but appearances can be deceptive. Though he did those things, and did them well, he also had a surprising burst of pace and a wonderful pair of hands that made him a potent attacking threat with his running and distribution. Coaches also knew that he was a physically tough man who would never shy away if a game turned rough, so it was no surprise that he was always in such demand in the transfer market. Opponents remember him as a hard, skilful and uncompromising opponent while former colleagues speak of admiration for his abilities on the field and his infectious humour in the changing rooms.
Widnes Vikings send their condolences to Brian’s family and friends.
John Brian Hogan, December 1947 – November 2022.
Brian’s three playing stints with Widnes were 18 Nov 1973 – 10 Sep 1974 (27 games),
16 Sep 1978 – 2 Sep 1981 (84 games) and 2 Jan 1983 – 4 Apr 1983 (12 games).
Article : Steve Fox
