Billy riley wrestler

Just a quick message billy riley wrestler from wigan was born number 7 sugar st leigh lancs . Sugar st was knocked down and they built the town hall leigh on it . There was a lot of wrestlers from leigh as Well as wigan including british champions and Olympians

Surely, that makes him a Leigh wrestler?

He used to live in the white farm house on the junction of Beech Hill Avenue and Beech Hill Lane.

Yeah I suppose he's a leither really .still a very good wrestler .it's not just wigan in the 1920s and 30s some of the best came from leigh .various trainers and gyms owens gym William Harrison trainer leigh harriers .

Wigan and leigh is the spiritual home of lancashire and catch wrestling .

Many at the time of the sixties wrestling on ITV trained at Riley's gym in Aspull.

Billy and Ernie Riley, Tucker Moore (Jack Dempsey), the Balshaw Brothers, Roy Woods etc.

And then there was Jimmy Rudd who wrestle with members of the public at Silcock's Fair.

"Many at the time of the sixties wrestling on ITV trained at Riley's gym in Aspull".

No they didn't.

tonker

Yes, they did at a wooden shack on Woods Road in Aspull, which was known as the Snake Pit!

Rileys was on pyke st scholes i think . The one in a aspull is snake pit were they moved too .

Pyke Street is actually in Whelley!

Actually, boys, Pyke Street is in WIGAN.
Riley's gym was in WIGAN.
As was so rightedly said by paul fizog ^^^, Snake Pit is in ASPULL.
It follows, then, that "many at the time of the sixties wrestling on ITV ...... DID NOT ...... train at Riley's gym in Aspull. They trained at Riley's Gym in WIGAN.
Even Greta Thunberg knows that !

Make sure your brain is in gear before dropping the clutch on your gob!

My Grandad used to wrestle whenever Silvocks fair arrived.

Even Wikipedia got it wrong it says born wigan . Not really wiki number 7 sugar st leigh lancs wn7 p.s. thanks tonka

tonker

Pyke Street is a street in Whelley near the former Whelley Middle School and Whelley is a district in Wigan.

And I should know as I have lived in the Whelley district of Wigan for nearly fifty years.

An A-Z of Wigan might help your knowledge of Wigan!

And paul faza only confirm what I said about the snake pit being in Aspull!

Owd Cottager, listen, you said "Many at the time of the sixties wrestling on ITV trained at Riley's gym in Aspull".

I said, "No they didn't". And I was right too. Because Rileys Gym wasn't in Aspull, it was in Wigan !

You don't know your arse from your elbow, never mind Riley's Gym in Wigan from the Snake Pit in Aspull !

I've forgot more abouit Wigan than you'll ever know, and you wouldn't be able to read an A to Z !!!

Wiganers, eh.?

Tonkers right

Oh dear, it looks like I have upset the website egghead and one of his parrots!

Riley's gym was not actually in Pyke St. At the bottom of Pyke St. were allotments which almost stretched to Eckersley St. and where back to back with Vine St. Riley's gym was in the middle of these and is now I believe Malpas Ave.

Yeah I heard vine st mention too . I never went there but a relative did . I'm still sticking by born in leigh unless anyone proves different.

Anyroadup, Owd Cottager, Momac's Grandad would do thee!

Tonks..

tonker

My apologies!

On checking with a family who have lived longer in Whelley than myself, it would appear that like marken has stated the Wigan Wrestlers at the time in question did indeed train in a hut on the allotments between Vine Street and Whelley Middle School which were on a unnamed dirt road at the end of Pyke Street where Malpas Avenue is now.

.

You could have, quite simply, taken my word for it in the first place!

Unfortunately, I've already told Momac's Grandad and he's going to get you on your way home from school on Friday!!

Tonks,what are you like.

Cheeeeeeeese!

tonker

Hope he can box!

.

I can remember getting Jack Dempsey's ( Tucker Moore) autograph at Riley's gym, in Whelley, when I were a lad. The gym was in a documentary called The Wigan Hold, Probably filmed in the 80s. The Rileys, Tucker Moore, Steve Breheny, were all in the film. Maybe it's on Youtube or somewhere.

The Wigan Hold, as mentioned above ^^^^ by Tuddy !

Well found Tonker, not seen that film for years.

There was another film, just underneath that one, of an ex-wrestling pupil of theirs, discovering that wrestling moves are not practical for use in a street-fight.

I think that's young Stephen, it's his Dad who was the wrestler.

Junior wrestled as well tuddy but a different person to his dad

Bronco Brehney!

Think Steve's ring name was Buffalo Brehney.