BS: Sir Billy Boston (Rugby)

Subject: RE: BS: Sir Billy Boston (Rugby)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 21 Jun 25 - 09:45 AM

So as not to detract from Pauls post and, maybe, show others why this is so significant a good start would be the Wiki article

Sir Billy Boston

Glad you reminded me of Albert Blan too, Paul. That was another picture in the White Lion. I don't know if you knew but the Football pub on Swinton Hall Road (Now closed, sadly) was also named for Swinton's rugby team and we had many a good session (both singing and Tetley's beer) in there :-) It was the White Lion that birthed the Lions though

Subject: BS: Sir Billy Boston (Rugby)
From: Paul Burke
Date: 20 Jun 25 - 10:39 AM

Gowers, Speed, Fleet, Buckley, Stopford, Cartwright, Williams, ... Morgan, ..., Blan. Why don't I remember the forwards?

1/6 to get in for lads. Always went to the Pendlebury Road end. Last Post of the Foreign Legion and Entry of the Gladiators on the tannoy. And Freddie and the Dreamers. Wading through the urinals under the stand on the station side.

A pity Billy didn't get knighted fifteen years earlier, while he could appreciate it.

Subject: RE: BS: Sir Billy Boston (Rugby)
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Jun 25 - 10:17 AM

And Swinton Lions got their name and emblem from the White Lion in Swinton - Long time home of Swinton Folk Club. Used to have pictures of ex Swinton players round the walls of the folk club room. The only one I can recall was Ken Gowers

Subject: RE: BS: Sir Billy Boston (Rugby)
From: Paul Burke
Date: 12 Jun 25 - 04:44 AM

No, his League career was with Wigan (signed straight from Union), then a short twilight with Blackpool Borough. I wonder how his try- scoring record, in the days of 3 points for a try, would compare with players of the four point era?

Subject: RE: BS: Sir Billy Boston
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Jun 25 - 08:23 PM

Wasn't he with St helens for a while?

Subject: RE: BS: Sir Billy Boston
From: Raggytash
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 08:08 AM

A year or two after that I was in the Station Road end for a match agaginst Wigan. Their "supporters" were skimming penny coins at the Swinton fans. I was just 12 years old.

Pity they didn't learn from Billy, who as you rightly say was a giant of the game.

Subject: BS: Sir Billy Boston
From: Paul Burke
Date: 10 Jun 25 - 06:19 AM

And about time too. The Wigan winger, all time great, and Rugby League's first knight.

My most vivid memory of him is from back in 1965 or so. Swinton v Wigan at Station Road. An elderly lady with a blue and white umbrella, a Swinton supporter, was heaping all sorts of imprecations on him, "You f*** black n****" was one of the milder ones. Boston showed no reaction until a lull in the game found him by the touch line not far from this charmer. In those days of standing terraces, there was only a narrow (cinder!) track and a low wall between the pitch and the spectators. And the good lady kept up her harridan tirade at full volume... until Billy slowly walked over, and spoke quite calmly: "Sorry, madam, I couldn't quite hear what you were saying." Silenced for the remainder of the match. I seem to recall that Wigan won by a margin, but you'd have to look up the records for that.

A knight worthy of the title.