Wigan Album

What a sight brought the crowd to it's feet every time he got the ball, can hear the crowd now shouting '' Give it to Billy''

When it was a PROPER game

I agree Ron; it's so boring and predictable.

Very true Ron and Dave i can still recall when my father first took me to watch THE GREAT MAN he has been my hero /idol eversince and you know the sad part was he took a hell of a lot of racism back then i remmember a game at Fartown in the mid 50 s to 60s I was with my dad when i heard the words then i did not understand which where he got the ball sections of the crowd were shouting ((( get the -lack B---ard buried ))) as a young boy of 11 /12 years i had never heard anything like that ,but back to THE MAN AND HE STILL IS A MAN AMONG MAN I will always think of BILLY B Whenever i see or hear about W.R.L.C. THANK YOU BILLY FOR ALL THE THRILLS AND ENJOYMENT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND TO RUGBY LEAGUE .

Thats the type of player thats missing from todays game. He could score a try when all the oppositions pack were waiting for him. One of the greatests wingers I have ever seen.

My dad took me to my first rugby match in 1959,with my dad being in the St John's Ambulance I got in free, We sat in the dug out on the 25y line where the St John's Ambulance team sat to help injured players, I'm still a season ticket holder over 60y later, and Billy Boston is the greatest winger I've ever seen.

I remember as a young boy a friend of mine who's mum was related to Billy took four of us to his house when he lived in Swan Meadow. We sat in his front room and he had a cabinet with all his international caps and other trophies for all sorts of sports Cricket, Rugby Union, Athletics, etc.,We were allowed to try on all his international caps on and nothing was to much trouble for him. As a young eleven year old boy who had stood in the Hen Pen and watched this fantastic winger play it was a memory i will never forget.

Who is the player trying to tackle Boston, that is the question, anybody any idea who it is.

the player trying
to
tackle billy looks like johny stopford of swinton as its a swinton jersey he is wearing

My comments are somewhat similar to those of Owd Viewer but I come from a different era. My Dad was also a member of the St, John Ambulance Brigade having previously played for the Wigan Highfield Club in the 1920's. He used to take me into the Dugout on the River Douglas side of the field 82 years ago. I watched the great Jim Sullivan playing his last games for Wigan. Sullivan was eventually replaced by Martin Ryan who revolutionised full back play. Instead of trying to out-kick the opposing full-back , which is what all full-backs tried to do,, Ryan retained possession and ran upfield attacking the opposition. Tommy Bradshaw, Wigan's scrum half, fell back to cover for Ryan.
This was before Billy B's time. Wigan's team in those years was Ryan, Gordon Ratcliffe, Ted Ward, Ernie Ashcroft, Brian Nordgren, Ces Mountford, Tommy Bradshaw, Ken Gee, Joe Egan, Banks, White, Hudson Billy Blan

Norman, I'm sure my dad and your dad must have known each other though the St John's Ambulance, my dad was in St John's from 1929-1967,He was superintendent of Wigan division till his death in 1967.

I agree Owd Viewer, our Dads probably did know each other. My Dad joined the St John's Ambulance when he finished playing rugby in the 1920's. I have no idea when he stopped being an active member but if your Dad was a Superintendent he most likely gave orders to my Dad as to where and when he should go. No doubt he sent my Dad to Central Park whenever Wigan were playing. It's a small world !!!

Norman, I have put a few pictures on wigan world of my dad at st John's, if you have any photos to put on it wood be good, because my dad died when I was 17 and I have not got many memories.

Is the John Stopforth tackling Billy the guy who was the landlord of the pub in the block of flats in Scholes? If so what was the name of the pub?

Waterwheel, but I don't think that is John Stopford in the photo.

My hero........my claim to fame....he carried me on his shoulders after Wigan had won the cup.....I was only a toddler at the time (1960’s I think)