Wigan Album

Celebrating his 81st birthday tomorrow, halfback Dave Bolton!
Balmain Tiger No 573, Bolton joined Balmain in 1965 from Wigan, having made 300 appearances for the English powerhouse. He played 78 first grade games for Balmain from 1965-1970, scoring five tries, kicking seven goals and 21 field goals.
Bolton is best remembered as the halfback in Balmain's historic 1969 premiership side. His experience and skill around the ruck was vital in the title winning side, as well as his two field goals in the grand final against Souths.
Bolton was inducted into the Balmain Tigers Hall of Fame in 2005

His birthday was in April, not tomorrow.

John. Dave will be 84 in April. Younger brother Bev, sadly deceased, would have been 80 in February next year.

Keith, i'm sorry to hear that about Bev, i went to St Michaels at the same time and played sport together, a brilliant runner as you probably know AND, a half decent rugby player himself, he went to WGS i went to TLS and ended up playing against him, when did he pass away?

Sad to hear of Bev's demise, he was at WGS at the same I was there. I remember him setting a record, as a 15 year old, for the half mile in the English Championships, it was under two minutes.

Dave's grandfather was christened Osman Digma Bolton, very interesting forenames.

Roy. It’s around two and a half years since Bev passed away. He was living in Whalley, a lovely spot.
The landlord of his local, the Dog Inn, was another WGS pupil Norman Atty. Norman followed a religious career finishing up as Dean of Worcester Cathedral, quite a change to transfer from religion to publican.

Thank you Keith for your response. I knew Norman as well from St Michael's. I've spent quite a lot of time in Worcester over the years and been in the Cathedral many times, had i known then what i know now !! Yes, what a change in career.

Norman Atty did not quite get to the rank of Dean before retiring - he became an Honorary Canon of Worcester Cathedral in 1981, whilst still a localVicar, but retired from active ministry - and became a publican - in 1985.
He resumed clerical duties - whilst still running the Dog - in 2005.

Seeing this photo has brought back umpteen happy memories about watching the wigan team in his era ,he was an exceptional stand off , another TITAN of the game just like to say thank dave for giving me great pleasure in watching you play thank you .

John, messaged you

Thanks for writing to me, Vicky, I hope I was of some help.

I found out, yesterday, that Dave had Dementia, and was in a Nursing Home. He passed away, but I don't know when. Sometime within the last couple of years.

Very sorry to hear the news. He was one of my favourite players..

Why haven't we heard about this during the last couple of years, surely the Observer or Evening Post would have published it.
I read a few weeks ago that he was supposedly recently visited by 4 members of a group called Men of League. They said despite David suffering from some health issues, he shared with them some great memories.
I have been on the Living or Dead website and THEY say he is still alive, born 27th April 1937,aged 83 years and 7 months.
JOHN, no disrespect but i hope i am right.

He will, or would have had dementia, considering the number of high 'tackles' he was subjected to, if they call almost decapitating someone, a tackle. Dementia, ironically, is a taboo subject at the moment with ex sportsmen especially rugby players.
I have contacted my cousin in Oz who will endeavour to find out about David's demise or otherwise.

JOHN SMITH, RON HUNT and other interested Wiganers.
As promised, my cousin in Australia phoned Wests Tigers (Balmain) Dave's old club. The receptionist asked her to email them with the request which she did.
This was the reply.........
Frances, Dave has been in a nursing home for a few years now suffering from dementia. His wife Christine saw him recently and reported that, ''He is in fair health'', Regards.

Very sad to see one of your Heroes ending up like this.. Why has there not been anything in the Wigan paper? I don't suppose any associated with the Local press remembers him. However you would think that the Wigan club, would be keeping track of their ex.players welfare...

You can watch highlights of the 1969 grand final, about 40 mins, on you tube

Make of this what you will but, I found it on the Balmain Tigers Facebook page, it's from 2018, that's why I got his birth date wrong.
I copied, and pasted it, I'd like to think my grammar is better than this.

Dave Bolton was in the same nursing home as my mom for a while....he is suffering from.dimentia. i used to watch the footy with hom before my mom.passed. it was quite funny actually because he wasnt well he reminded a coupleof times that he was a referee and the ball was put in the second row or the corner flag was taken out ....i tried to tell him the rules have changed but his illness stopped him from understanding the changes.

Early this morning i spoke with my cousin in Canberra who had just received an e mail from Balmain Tigers to say that Dave Bolton had passed away during the night making his death Jan 20th 2021.

Apologies, it was actually the 21st Jan.

The news is, that he donated his brain to science.