Wigan Album

The tall lad in the middle of the back row looks familiar. Have you got a name please.

Hi Pam, It's Tony Moore. Keep goin'

Thought it was Tony the moment I saw the photo. He's hardly changed. A bit greyer and heavier perhaps ...

sorry, dont know any more. Might recognise names though

If this is the first year photo then it must be 1966. Started in 1967 and can only recognise Tony Moore and he must be 53-54 years old now . Bit of a rarity a football team at Rose Bridge, certainly wasn't Snazzer's who would only entertain rugby

Your right John, I don't think Snazz could even spell football. I remember Mr Lomax as being the one who used to take us for football and maybe Mr Shenton on the odd occasion. Are you an Incer?

i left in 64 and mr Selsby was in charge of the football team.
as you say Purcell was the rugby man

Certainly am an Incer (well lived there the first 20 years of my life) an ex Rose Bridger and proud of it. If I remenber rightly was your nickname Dicey, and didn't you blow a mean cornet !!

Hi John, Yes Dicey was the nickname and i played cornet in the school band and also Wigan & District band (now part of Pemberton Old ). Where you in the band?

Here's the line-up. Back row LtoR
Stephen Price, Donald Mason, Tom Ball, John Kite, Tony Moore, Ken Mitcheson, David Andrews, Ronnie Westhead.
Front row, Ian Price, James Miller, Richard Ballderson, Stan Halliwell, Ray Hesketh.
If anyone has any memories or info on what these lads are up to now post your comments here seeing we don't have any messageboards at the minute.

Dicey, Yes I was in the Band and also played for Wigan & District Brass Band between 1969 and 1971. Those in the band I can remember were Alan and David Taylor, Stephen Whittle, Malc Tickle, Brian Walls, Brian Halliwell, Can you remember any of the others

Played my first competitive football match against these guys.
All Saints 1 - 3 Rose Bridge.
We scored first through Jimmy Edwards, and I hit the post.
Remember it well.

Hi John, So we must have played together at Wigan? Forgive me, your name is very familiar but i can't picture you. My memory is sketchy at best these days. The only other band members i can remember are Bill Haddock and a girl who played a trumpet but can't remember her name. Do you remember the lads at Wigan, some very good musicians. Mick Dugdale, Brian and Jim Tollit (all cornet players)

Stephen, Yes I remember the Tollit brothers from Hindley (in fact my father in law was a very good friend of their father Jimmy Tollit) and Mick Dugdale. I joined Wigan & District about 1968 when Cobber Brown introduced me and Alan Taylor to I think his name was Alan Mason. Alan then worked at the loco works and couldn't commit himself at the time, but I carried on until about early 1971. You must have joined after leaving school. As a kid I knocked around with Jimmy Miller and Brian Halliwell.

Hi John, I started in the school band in the 1st year '66 and joined Wigan a year later as my dad worked with Alan Mason at Springs branch railway and Wigan were looking for more players at the time. I played with them until they had a big 'bust-up' internally in about '72. In that time i progressed fron 3rd cornet to 1st cornet sitting alongside the tollits and Mike Dugdale on the front row. We also won promotion from 5th to 4th section and then from 4th to 3rd section. Alan Mason left and restarted the Haigh band and i, along with the Tollits went to play with them. I stopped playing about a year later because i was playing football for Double 7 and for CWS and also developed a keen interest in beer and girls. Haigh wasn't a very competitive band but i think Wigan went on to win the 3rd section before falling on hard times and being taken on by Pemberton Old.

We must have played at Wigan together and caught the two buses it took to travel from Ince to Goose Green (the band room was just off what is now Stephen's Way). The most memorable competition I can remember was at Preston Guild Hall when they won and qualified to enter the nationals at the Albert Hall in London. I got dropped in favour of another lad who's Mum and dad used to help out. That would be late 1970 early 1971. I didn't play much for them after that but remember the big bust up you recall in 1972. Not long after Alan Mason died suddenly and like you said the band fell on hard times. I remember Alan had a terrible rivalry with Trinity Girls Band and would go mad at the thought of any of the lads meeting up with the girls (it couldn't be helped because both bands played against each other in competitions) I'm sure Mick Dugdale eventually married a Trinity Girl. Good times

Hi John, Alan Mason was a family friend and we used to go on holiday with them. It was on such a holiday that Alan asked if i wanted to play at Wigan as he knew i was playing in the school band. I played in the regional finals at Preston and also in the National finals at the Albert Hall. I'm pretty sure we won and got promotion to the 3rd section. We'd done the same thing the year before going from 5th to 4th section but i think the nationals were held at DeMontford Hall in Liecester. We wouldn't have travelled to practice as i was living in Platt Bridge from '66 and used to make the journey alone. I used to travel back to Scholes with Terry Nichols and then get my bus home. Do you have any photo's of the band?

Hi John, After the bust up at Wigan Alan re-ignited the Haigh band and myself, the Tollits and David Shaw went with him. We were very short of players and i ended up on Euphonium. We never really became competitive and Alan was very ill by this time. Brian Tollit used to stand in for him on practice nights. You're right about Trinity Girls but Alan was on a loser. We played in all the same comps and relationships were innevitable. I think you may be mistaking Mike Dugdale for Jim Tollit. I'm pretty sure Jim married a Trinity lass.

Tony Moore is my dad, will send him a link to the pic next time he's online - no doubt it will bring back memories for him

Dicey, What a crackin'picture!. I love it cos everyone of 'em's got a big smile. Great lads. Our lot ( Hindley and Abram ) took their smiles away though when we beat 'em home (6-1) and away (3-2) the season after. Tom Ball had been replaced in goal by Tony Halligan then, I think. I remember it well because I had bets with half of 'em at Ince Rec and on the Bar the nights before and scored in both games!( A rare feat for me, gotta say). We then won the league beating Wiggin Grammar 6-2 in a play-off. Played street and park football with all of 'em every holidays. Marvellous memories.

Hi Stephen, front row second from left is my big brother James (Jemmy) Miller

Ann, Hope you enjoy seeing your dad as a 'young un'. Has he seen it?
Give him my regards and get him to post a reply. Would be great to hear from him.

Ann, sorry, i missread your post and thought it was dad not brother.

Stan Halliwell lives at the bottom of Windermere Road.

great photo good to hear from you dicey saw ian price last month looks good im managing ateam called marus bridge doing ok wonder what the rest of you lazy sods are doinb

Ey up John, Glad you're doin' well lad and still enjoying football. I last saw you at school almost 40yrs ago. Are you still an OWLS supporter?

certanly am but latics are the main team very surprised anybody remembers i surported wednesday how you doing

I'm doing fine lad but not played football since age 19 after a nasty knee injury playing for Platt Bridge. Before that i'd played for Double 7 youth club against a few of your old mates. Syd Wallace and Ian McCullough who played for Greenough St at the time. Not seen anyone from school for ages. I worked at Parsonage Colliery with Ian Derbyshire and Tom Ball and Steph Myers and i have contact with Kenny McColl on the messageboards on this site. Keep in touch, i'll try and get over and see a game (marus bridge) Use my email if you want to contact me again.

no good on computers how do i get your email address iplayed for street along time don t remember pyaying against you seen jemmy miller a few times and rich balderstone andmr andrews

hi ste i know most of them on the photo ian McCullough is my cousin he lives in platt bridge he went on to play rugby his daughter married paul scholfield i saw syd wallace every week up to his aunt flo she died a few weeks ago she was a resident in the sheltered scheme i manage do you know my hubby terry togher he played for wigan school boys APB hindley town a spell at Bolton fc & wigan ath

sorry ian i stand corrected it's paul sculthorpe( i think thats how you spell it)the st helens rugby player i am not well up on rugby (must have been having a senior moment)and i am 13 months older than you ian

Hi Carol, I knew Ian quite well from when i lived in Platt Bridge and also through football. I played against him when i played for Double 7 youth club and he played for Greenough St. I also played with him for CWS. I remember he used to wear a headband in those days (when playing football of course). I didn't know Terry personally but i know he was a very good footballer.

Carol, did Terrys sister marry John Bretherton ?

hi ste yes terry's sister anne married john bretherton john played rugby and their son liam also played rugby anne has put a few photos on the holy family school i have spoke to our ian he says he remembers you

Hi Carol, I know John very well. We were fitters at Parsonage Colliery. John later went over to work with the 'rope men,. Who did Ian marry, was it a girl from Platt Bridge?

hi ste yes our ian married ilene oshea

Pam, the tall lad at the back is Tony Moore I think, he married Janice Armstrong the summer we all left school in 1971.

Going back to the band debate. I was in the band aswell but a year or two later, can't remember Dicey (sorry). but i do remember John Colier, didn't you play the horn? I started on the baritone but when Bill Haddock left, moved up to the euphonium, some other names in the band at the same time as me, if I remember right were, Robin Barrow, Melvin Clark, Ian Lavin, Mick Vernon, And i could well be wrong but wasn't there a girl cornet player called Eileen Cottam (i could well be wrong about that. Stupidly I didn't carry on after I left, often regret that decision

I remember all the names except Eileen Cottam?
I married Eileen Cottom But she was never in the band.