Jan G Webster (QM 1957 - 65)

1946 - February 2019

Jan Webster, who played scrum half for England between 1972 and 1975, died suddenly on Wednesday 6th February after suffering a heart attack. This eulogy was written by Richard Moon (QM 1973-80), one of three speakers at Jan’s funeral on Thursday, 14th March. Richard and his brother Rupert (QM 1984 - 91) both played international rugby.

Jan was my hero. How could he not be? He went to Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall and started his playing career at Delves Road the home of Walsall Rugby Club. Both of those institutions played an important part in his and my own academic and sporting life. As a youngster playing rugby at Queen Mary’s I wanted to emulate Jan Webster. He played for England and that was my dream.

Jan was born in Southport in 1946 where his father worked. Mum, Dad, Jan and his sister Penny moved to Walsall the following year. Jan attended Mayfield School prior to entering Queen Mary’s Grammar school in September 1957. He gained seven O-levels and went on to study French, German and Economics in the sixth form. He was also a Prefect.

As well as concentrating on his studies, Jan was fully committed to the sporting opportunities that were available to him. During the summer it was cricket and then from September to April it was rugby. As we have already learned he was also a keen footballer and was a member of the Aston Villa youth squad. He would go across the road from his house and play football on the Walsall rugby pitches but he chose rugby. We now know that we have his headmaster at QM (Sam Darby) to thank for Jan turning down that approach from Joe Mercer for him to play for Aston Villa, aged 14, otherwise rugby may have lost a fine talent. He captained the school rugby XV and Staffordshire Under 19s as well as playing cricket for the school. His PE Master then was WDB “Hoppy” Hopkins, himself a Cambridge blue, Swansea and London Welsh player. After he left Queen Mary’s he went on to study at Birmingham College of Commerce.

Jan first started playing for Walsall in September 1966 where he played for four years. His decision to join Walsall was based on having seen the Walsall scrum-half at that time, Peter Stretton, play and, in particular, seeing Peter dive pass was the thing that caught his imagination. During this time he made lifelong friends and the likes of Pat Morgan, Peter Woods, Stu Taylor, John Allsop, Les Rollinson, Bill Perkins and Roger Downing all spent time either on the rugby field with him or later golfing and on walking expeditions.

My own memories of him were as a touch judge for Walsall watching from the sidelines. Bearing in mind I was only eight years old by the time he left in 1970 those memories are quite vivid. His blonde bob haircut, his socks rolled down by his ankles, his quick feet and dive pass. Despite his small stature he was incredibly brave. By watching him I learned about scrum-half play which stood me in good stead.

I also remember him through his connection with Staffordshire and in particular when Staffordshire beat Gloucestershire in the County championship final. My father, Henry Moon, was team secretary of Staffordshire for many years and we often went to watch the games. My mother Audrey was a physiotherapist and Jan, together with some of the Staffordshire players including the marvellous Sam Doble, used to come to our home at Gorway Road to get treatment.

At the end of his first stint at Walsall he left to join his friend John Finlan at Moseley for a six-year period during which time he went on to play for England and the Barbarians.

Jan later returned for his second stint at Walsall in 1976 where he played for a further six years and in his final season as captain he played in 27 of the 33 games. I was then fourteen years old and my brother Rupert eight. Like many we visited Jan’s first sports shop in Caldmore (before it relocated to Sutton Coldfield) to get our rugby boots and rugby kit. Buying those boots from Jan felt to me like Jan was transferring his rugby powers into those very boots and that literally it felt like I could follow in his footsteps. Rupert told me the same kind of feeling came over him when we used to hang the Walsall Rugby shirts in the first-team changing room before every match and that when he came to the number nine shirt he couldn’t help but feel inspired. My sister Estelle also caught the rugby bug and was later to play for Wasps Ladies in London.

Jan was that kind of bloke .....he was inspiring. He was kind, generous, humble, but with a steely determination. By the time he was a member of the England team that beat the All Blacks in 1973 (when he was also named man of the match) he was already folklore in these parts. At Walsall Rugby club his England and Barbarians shirts hung proudly in the Clubhouse. My brother and I used to look up at those shirts and our dream was to try and emulate what he achieved (in the end I attained England B level and played for the Barbarians and Rupert wore the redshirts of Llanelli and Wales).

In that second period of time at Walsall there were two standout occasions both involving Jan playing for Walsall against Northampton in the John Player Cup. The first one in 1976 came when he had a terrific battle with Jaco Page and Walsall narrowly lost 16-8. The second, again in the John Player Cup, was in his final season when he captained Walsall again against Northampton, Walsall losing 32-9. I was there for both. In his final season in 1981-82 he led Walsall to a draw at Exeter (13 all) and a win at Worcester. How Rugby times have changed.

Jan sprinkled his magical rugby dust on the Walsall number eights and fly halves that were lucky enough to play with him during this period. Hamilton Jones, Nick Archer and Chris Edwards were but a few of the Walsall Rugby Legends who benefited from his dive pass and the likes of Les Rollinson, Geoff Tinker, Ken Lewis, Neil MacPherson were the number eights who protected the man known as “Sprat” at the back of the scrum.

When Jan finished playing in 1982 he never forgot Walsall. He ran the Walsall Club Shop, he helped the senior team and the minis on a Sunday morning, and he sponsored and handed out the awards at the annual Fred Rowley Memorial Trophy for local colts teams.

An important part of the scrum-half’s game is his pass. Some of you may recall an England fly half great called Alan Old. Ron Tennick recalls that Alan told him that he had played with four different scrum halves during the same then Five Nations Tournament, namely Wintle, Starmer-Smith, Spencer and Jan himself but that he regarded Jan as the best because he got the ball quickest from Jan’s pass.

Jan helped me and Rupert develop our rugby game. He was generous with his time and patient.

The last time I saw Jan was in the former international players’ lounge at Twickenham in November for the All Blacks game. He was on great form. I introduced him to Rob Andrew, who I was with that day, as “my rugby hero” to which accolade he simply smiled and went on to describe how he had helped the Moon brothers on their rugby journey.

Rupert met Jan only last Christmas. In 1993 Jan had asked Rupert if he could display 2 of Rupert’s international shirts in his sports shop in Streetly and Rupert duly obliged. Those very same shirts were returned 25 years later hand-delivered by Jan in immaculate condition to my mum’s house in Walsall where Rupert and his son Jac took personal delivery. Rupert was able to tell his 12-year-old son how Jan had helped him at that very same age and Jan was able to share his rugby memories with both of them. The circle of rugby life had come around once again.

On behalf of Walsall Rugby Club and the Moon family we are indebted to you and what you did for us - you will never be forgotten.

Richard Moon (QM 1973-80)