GARRY COULTER (July 12, 1969 – December 14, 2025)
GARRY COULTER, who has died at the age of 56, was a well-respected second rower for whom Huddersfield broke their transfer record when he was signed from Doncaster for £20,000 by renowned coach Alex Murphy in January 1992.
The West Yorkshire club were emerging from their dark days of the 1980s when Murphy took the reins, and Coulter, who had started his professional career at Keighley, helped them win the Division Three title in 1991-92.
His eleven appearances during that campaign were the first of 108 for Huddersfield, which brought 22 tries.
The club became a solid Second Division force under Murphy (who was assisted by Terry Flanagan) and then George Fairbairn and Darryl Van de Velde, who was at the helm when Coulter played his last game for them in June 1996, midway through the sport’s first summer season (the Giants were to make Super League for the third in 1998).
Fairbairn was at the helm in 1995, when Huddersfield, having finished third, reached the Second Division Premiership final at Old Trafford, where Coulter came off the bench during the 26-6 defeat by Keighley Cougars, who had topped the table.
Coulter’s time in claret and gold took in the club’s last match at Fartown – he played in the 36-12 win over York in the preliminary round of the Yorkshire Cup – their two-year stay at Huddersfield Town Football Club’s former Leeds Road ground and their move to the then-McAlpine (now Accu) Stadium for the 1994-95 campaign.
He had shone for amateur club Elland before Keighley, then coached by his father Les Coulter, who was later general manager then chief executive, signed him ahead of the 1989-90 season.
He made 42 appearances, with four tries, before being signed by Doncaster in August 1991, and played 13 times (three tries) before Huddersfield swooped.
Coulter had a six-game spell at Oldham in 1999.
His funeral service will be held at Southwood House in Halifax on Friday, January 23 at 1.30pm, followed by a reception at Heath Rugby Union Club from 2.30pm.