Wigan Album

As I recall Bill Francis was signed as a young Yorkshire Lad as a protégé Of Bill Hudson's who recommended him. He gave Wigan and then St Helens good service

William "Bill" L. Francis born October 1947 in Featherstone won caps for Wales while at Wigan in 1975. Played a total of 500 RL games for Wigan, St Helens, Oldham and Salford. Represented Wales 19 times and GB on 4 occasions - that’s some RL career.

forget about him going to Saints AB - went to Oldham after that as well - did he play for Saints at Wembley?

I always thought Bill Francis was a wing threequarter and Peter Rowe played centre to him!

Bill, he was a winger and graduated to centre. Wigan had a winger before him , who went on to play centre, Eric Ashton

I remember Peter Rowe - Welsh lad who went onto play for the Borough after Wigan - another handy player

I'd say the year's 1969, Billy Boston retired in 68 and Eric Ashton retired in 69, Ashton's on the photo but Boston's not.

Back:C(or D?)Hill, C Tyrer, C Clarke,D Laughton, G Lyon, J Stephens(?),don't know,D Gardiner, the other Hill(?)
Front: Kev O'Loughlin, ?, Bill Francis, E Ashton, F Parr, P Rowe

Back, 3rd from right - is it T.Fogerty

Big Boy Billy Francis was his apprentice for a while . Would smoke like a chimney eat pies and still run like the wind. We chased him all around Wigan the day before he got married and chained him to the railings outside Woolworths. He could run but couldnt lose us on that day

1 C TYRER 2 KEVIN O LOUGHLIN 3ERIC ASHTON 4 PETER ROWE 5 BILL
FRANCIS 6 DAVID HILL 7 FRANK PARR 8 DANNY GARDINER 9 COLIN CLARKE 10 JOHN STEPHENS 11 TERRY FOGERTY 12 GEOFF LYON 13DOUG LAUGHTON 14 CLIFF HILL 15 RONNIE WEBB -YEAR 1968.

Position on photo - Standing- L to R- C,HILL- C.Tyrer.-C.Clarke-D.Laughton-G.Lyon-J.Stephens-T.Fogerty.-D.Gardiner-
R.Webb--Front row----K Oloughlin.-D,Hill,-W.Francis-E,Ashton.F,Parr.- P,Rowe.
--------------- 1968 -------

Tuddy after Billy "Retired" I recall him playing for Blackpool Borough. I vividly remember going to an evening match there. I was so dejected at seeing Billy. a shadow of himself , that I don't remember what team they were playing or the score,could it have been Wigan ?

There was nothing amiss in plying your trade with the Borough – they always seemed to have an abundance of Wigan lads - I remember seeing the legendary Brian Bevan (best winger ever my dad said!) playing for Blackpool at Central Park in the 60s – Wigan won 77-8!

I was at that match, Scholes Malc. I think it was 1964. If memory serves me correctly, Brian Bevan scored in the corner in that match - he got the ball about ten yards from the line and Billy B was coming across to tackle him in his inimitable way. Bevan by this time was thinner and balder than ever, and at the last moment Billy pulled out of tackling him and let him score! By that time Wigan were winning by a cricket score. If Billy had carried out that tackle he'd have snapped Bevan in two! By the way, my dad used to say the same about Bevan being the best he'd ever seen. [I reckon the year in the photo is 1969]

AB, Billy Boston did come out of retirement to play for Blackpool but I don't know if he ever played against Wigan.

gideonfel - just dug out my programme - it was sat 26th Oct 1963 (Trevor Lake scored 4 - Tommy Bishop was scrum half and the other winger was 'Chuck Wiseman' ex Wigan and grid iron player

The photo above was taken before the Huddersfield game on
Saturday 9 March 1968. Wigan won 31pts to o8.
[ Hopefully an omen for tonights match]

Geoff Lyon, Terry Fogerty ,Doug Loughton ,them back three could hold there own against any back three.( Sony Bill Williams International player of year ,what a joke a fellow by the name of Burges put S B W in his place .If I was a Millionare I would buy burges for Wigan and pay his wages.Did Chuck Wiseman only play a couple of games for Wigan ,Did he finish after breaking his leg.Does anybody remember the Italian lad Toni Rossie think he played Second Row or Loose Foward good player.

I used to watch Wigan when Bill was playing, I seem to remember he smoked at the time and was always getting some stick of his dad to quit, the last time I saw him was in the Brocket Arms many years ago when he was with a work collegue of mine, Maurice Tyrer. I have recently seen him with Wagga on TV., he still looks fit and well, [PS, He was with Colin Clarke who used to work at Leyland trucks at the same time as I did,] Nice to have seen you again Bill.

Worked with Bill Francis for a year or two at A &B Cars in Newton le Willows. Tough as nails but a great guy!
He played for Wigan and told me that at Wembly in 1970 he was running with the ball and felt the cold air coming into his mouth, so feeling with his tongue found that in the previous play he had slit his cheek and his tongue came right through to the outside. Great memories Bill. Jim.

Huge Billy Boston fan, he’s the reason I became a Rugby League tragic 60+years ago