Wigan Album

An interesting item. Carcassonne won that game 11-8. Wigan also played French side Roanne twice in the 1940s, in 1948 and 1949. Does anyone know who won these matches?

I was at Central Park for the game but the only thing that I remember was that they started the game using a French ball that was smaller than our ball. Wigan found it difficult to handle so when we were awarded a poenalty Billy Blan kicked it over the Douglas stand and it was never seen again.

The phenominal rise of RL in pre war France and it's obliteration by the government is documented in the book,'The Forbidden Game', by Mike Rylance.

I thought,until very recently,that Alan H.was wrong in saying that Billy Blan kicked the small French ball over the stand into the Douglas. I was at the game and I thought it was Jack Cunliffe, Wigan's full-back. But according to Cherry and White.co.uk we are both wrong. Wigan's team was 1.Ted Ward 2.Jack Hilton 3.Johnny Lawrenson 4.Ernie Ashcroft 5.Stan Jolley 6.Ces Mountford 7.Frank Tracey 8.George Woosey 9.Joe Egan 10.Joe Shovelton 11.Emrys Evans 12.Frank Barton 13.Harry Atkinson