ONE of Warrington Rugby League Club's greats has died.

The man who lifted the prestigious Challenge Cup for Warrington in the famous Odsal Stadium replay of 1954 will have his funeral today, Thursday.

Eric Frodsham was the captain of the Warrington side which defeated Halifax 8-4 on Wednesday, May 5, 1954, before a world record attendance of 102,569 spectators.

Eric, who would have been 80 on Febraury 14, died at his Rainford home on Sunday morning.

His funeral will take place at Rainford Parish Church, Ormskirk Road, at 2.30pm.

In Gary Slater's and Eddie Fuller's book - 100 Greats of Warrington Rugby League Football Club - it was highlighted how the full back started his career for St. Helens in 1947 but after a fall out joined Wire and had eight outstanding seasons at Wilderspool.

Eric, nicknamed 'Froddie', made his debut against Barrow at Wilderspool in the first leg of the opening round of the 1948/49 Lancashire Cup, a game which Warrington won 30-8.

His last game was away to Liverpool on April 9, 1956, which Wire won 25-7. He quit the game because of a serious wrist injury.

He scored 19 tries and 34 goals in 226 appearances between 1948/49 and 1955/56.

Eleven of his appearances were made at stand off, five at left centre and the rest at full back.

Frodsham was an ever-present in the season of the Odsal replay, the year he also captained the team in the Championship final at Manchester City's Maine Road.

In total, he appeared in three Championship finals and a Lancashire Cup final in one of the most successful periods in the club's history.