Career Record for Featherstone
Appearances			Tries	Goals	Drop Goals	Points
Total	Start	Sub
215	215	0	41	483	0	1089

Terry Clawson must rank as one of the most colourful and well-travelled characters in rugby league and when his remarkable career ended at Hull in 1980, he had concluded twenty-three years in the game. He scored 75 tries and 1,177 goals, made 640 appearances, played for nine different clubs as well as South Newcastle in Australia, had a Test career extending over twelve years and six months making 14 appearances, made 10 appearances for Yorkshire, played in seven Finals ... and it all began at Featherstone!

Any youngster who could play for a county Under 17 side at sixteen and score 116 goals and 26 tries in one season, would appear to be special and Featherstone lost no time in signing him from their junior side in 1957. Indeed, he was one of a very talented trio signed from that side which included Malcolm Dixon and Roy Bell. His debut came on 28 December 1957 at home against Bramley in his accustomed position of loose forward. The following week, he was hooking against Tommy Harris, the Great Britain hooker at Hull, when Stan Moyser, the Rovers selected hooker, missed the train and Terry volunteered. The confidence of youth! He only made seven appearances that season and in the last one he fractured his leg at home to Halifax on 8 April 1958.

He resumed in 1958/59 when the absence of two Rovers stars gave him his opportunity. Cliff Lambert, the Rovers number 13, had to have a knee operation, Don Fox was also absent and Clawson took over the goal-kicking duties. He never looked back. From 1958 to 1963, he embarked on an incredible scoring sequence whilst at the same time emerging as a powerful and capable second row or loose forward. In his third season, he broke the club goal-scoring record of 102 previously held by Jack Fennell and Don Fox's points scoring record of 235, and two years later shattered his own record by kicking 125 goals and amassing 271 points.

When he failed to score against Keighley in the Yorkshire Cup on 6 September 1960, it was the first time he had not scored since 4 May 1958, during which period he had scored 140 goals and l7 tries (316 points) in 41 appearances, which works out as an average of eight points per game. On 6 March 1963, in Rovers' 32-2 home win over Batley, by coincidence both Don Fox and himself reached their 1,000^th point for the club - Fox in 287 appearances, Clawson in an astonishing 160!

Such phenomenal form brought its recognition with the first of three county appearances in Rovers colours on 31 August 1960 and selection for Great Britain v France in February and March 1962. At club level, he shared the delight of a Yorkshire Cup final victory over Hull in 1959, and the disappointment of the RL Cup runs which ended at the semi-final stage in 1959, 1960 and 1962. His best personal tally was 19 points (eight goals, one try), which he achieved twice, at home to Doncaster in November 1959 and at home to Bradford in August 1962. He kicked some wonderful goals and paved the way for victory in so many matches, but I particularly remember two visits to Workington in the space of one week in February 1959. Rovers had never won at Derwent Park and in a league encounter there on 14 February, a try and two goals by nineteen-year-old Clawson featured in a historic first ever win by 10-0; a week later, four majestic goals by ice-cool Clawson secured an 8-5 first round RL Cup win. On 8 April 1963 at Widnes, he kicked a penalty goal from 10 yards within his own half. The touch judges disagreed on whether it had passed through the posts and the referee then ruled no goal. I and many others were convinced that it had gone over - and that was some kick!

After two matches at the opening of the 1963/64 season, he received the devastating news that he had contracted tuberculosis and was admitted to a sanatorium where he remained until March 1964. The club and players helped support him and his family during this traumatic time and fortunately he made a full recovery, returning to the senior team against Leeds in August, when he  promptly popped over five goals. He was back, but regrettably his Rovers career was soon to end. Despite all the success, he had made it known that he wanted to leave Featherstone. In January 1965 he was transferred to Bradford Northern for £3,000 and in 192 appearances he had registered 1,091 points (487 goals and 39 tries). That could have been the end but he returned for a further spell in 1978 and played another 24 games (this time as a prop), the last of which was away to Rochdale on 12 November 1978, when his son Neil made his debut for the Rovers.

Clawson contributed so much to the Featherstone scene. He was seemingly unflappable and fulfilled all his early promise. His goal-kicking was so dependable, and in play he was quick to learn with a maturity beyond his years, never shirking any forward tussles. His natural talent and ability obviously stood him in good stead and extended beyond his Featherstone years to forge what was an absorbing career.

For information on his coaching career, see here

Biography by Ron Bailey