Wigan Album

Kieth, I remember Joe Jones, he came as Jim Sullivans successor but Martin Ryan developed into no.1 full back and Joe went to Barrow as did Roy Francis, another Welshman who came to Wigan, and like your dad married a Wigan girl and went to Barrow and then to Hull where he not only played but went on into management later

Thank you AB for the extra info' that I was unaware about. Joe obviously had "good tastes" marrying a Wigan lass. Roy Francis as you point out also did tremendously well after he left Wigan.
The story behind that, whether true or untrue I cannot vouch for, was that Harry Sunderland, the Aussie entrepreneur, who was "in charge" at the time didn't rate black players - the rumour was that Harry was a bit of a redneck. Roy, who was from Tiger Bay, went on to become the first black British professional coach in any sport. He also had a very good playing record (GB & Wales) but went on to have an even greater coaching success, winning the Championship with Hull and the Challenge Cup with Leeds and later coached in Australia, with North Sydney Bears.

Sorry Kieth it was Roy who married a Wigan girl,my parents always referred to her by her maiden name as they did your mother, As a boy I recall talk of a welsh rugby player Bowen
courting a girl from Clarington Grove I was born and bred in Darlington St East as was my dad. Smaall world ??

It is indeed a small world. Surely you must have shopped in Mortons at sometime or another, the place where my mother's brother Jack Brown and his fellow assistant Tom Walsh were delivery boys, probably in the 30's. The tale Uncle Jack was fond of recalling was the time they dropped a bottle of bleach which didn't break but lost some of its contents - no matter with the canal close by they promptly "topped it up" and completed their delivery.

WE did not shop at Mortons. Between Mortons and Clarington Grove was a small "house Shop" That was my great Aunts and all the gossip details of Clarington Grove were relayed there.I remember the Crispin pre 1950 Berry,s shop Jack tomorrow,Corlesses, and Harry Pemberton living at the top of Birkett bank up 2 ateps and his bike in the lobby Your ramblings on Wigan world are recognisableto me We movee out of Wigan in 1950, only 8 miles though.

Fascinating stuff AB, well to me anyway. My grandmother lived with her parents before and during WW1 in Harper Street and moved to Clarington Grove after marriage, her maiden name was Gorrie, Jack To-morrow I knew and it was Gower who my father took over from at the Crispin in January 1950, "odd Gowie" I think was the phrase used.

Deeper fascination, My aunt Dorothy as a child lived in Harper St during the first world war. Next door to the house on which the Zepplin bomb dropped She and her two sisters were rescued from a bedroom .If you stand on St Pats ground now you an see a " V" in the brickwork were 3 houses were rebuilt. My mother also lived in Harper St for a while I Don,t recall Gorries . We will have to correspond alternatively to this media.

Sorry, typo error, I meant "owd Gowie"

AB, I can email info' + photo, on the bombings, if you send me your email address. Alternatively & providing you are a BT customer (not ex-direct) I can work it out from your surname perhaps, if you don't want email revealed.

No problem Kieth. I look forward to hearing from you In the album under people and the name Baldwin is my great grandfather, my dad and his brother Jack

It's a fine photo, Alan.

Keith; Thanks for the E.M's I have responded.??

This is a picture of my dad i still have that shirt hes got on
in the pic.plus its a pic i have not got,miss him loads,past away january 11th 1974.

Hello Antony,

I am currently writing a book on the history of Welsh players who played for Wigan and i am trying to get in touch with family members to discuss their lives and careers. I would be happy if you could email me to discuss. Hopefully my email will be showing.

Thanks