Wigan Album

I remember being introduced, as an 8 year old, and shaking hands with an ex-World Champion wrestler whose second name was definitely Riley and his first name may have been Joe. He would have been a world champion when wrestling was an "authentic" sport. My father, at the time (the early 1950's), was tenant landlord of the Crispin Arms Birkett Bank. Could "Joe" have been a relative I wonder of Billy? The only problem is that my memory of Joe? Riley, judging from the photo of Billy, is that Joe would have been smaller in physique. Mind you we sometimes get "smaller" as we get older. I think a number of Rileys frequented the Crispin Arms and it used to host a wrestling club in the upstairs room, possibly in the 1930's.

Hi, I am currently researching a book on Riley's gym, I train at the gym with Roy Wood. I would be greatly interested in any information about Mr Bootle. If you could contact my via email sgreen666@btinternet.com that would be great,my hope is to help preserve Wigans wrestling history for future generations

Billy Riley and his son Ernie used The Crispin.