They Played For Wigan: Bill Ashurst (Part One)
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How to brighten up a dull, damp, dank, dreich (ok, I think you get the picture rugby league fans)...November morning? Take a short 320 bus ride from Bamfurlong to Lower Ince, and pay a visit to rugby league legend Bill Ashurst, that's how!
'Sash', 'King Bill', Billy Ashurst...call him what you will, he oozes rugby league from every sinew. To see Bill take that ball up at Central Park was a sight to behold, his shock of black hair and imposing physique making him stand out from the rest. He had it all - skill, strength, a superb kicking game and bravery. Add to all that a quite remarkable rugby brain - then you had the complete player. Standing well over 6 foot tall with an impressive stride and footwork, and 14 stone 4 pounds of sheer power, I wouldn't have liked to face him! He was an 'enforcer' even before the word had been dreamed up! No, I'd much rather be in my favourite position on the Popular Stand side at Central Park, watching Bill light it up that famous hallowed turf on many occasions. Those who say one man can't win a game on his own obviously never saw Bill Ashurst in his pomp. And here he was sat opposite me, in his element, talking rugby league.
I think we that would still be chatting yet, if Bill didn't have a stage to share with yet another Wigan legend Kris Radlinski that very night. Bill is very generous with his time - always has been and always will be, and so it proved to be with me that particular Friday morning. I can't thank him enough. Surrounded by a lifetime of rugby league memorabilia, family pictures and the Holy Bible, brew in my hand, kindly made by his wife of 54 years, Sheila - I asked Bill how it all started.
Bill was born in Higher Ince, Belle Green Lane to be exact, in 1948 and resided with his Mum, Auntie and Grandma. But before the age of three, Bill was on the move to the Amberswood area of Ince - right near the park! School for Bill was Belle Green Infant's School until, aged 11, he transferred to Rose Bridge Secondary Modern School in 1959, just before those swinging sixties and the wonders of black and white TV!
Bill's memory for detail is superbly sharp. He is a skilled orator for somebody who also did his talking on the pitch. A lot of our former players have this skill. A fleeting moment from a certain match - they remember it as if it's just happened - in glorious technicolor. Yet I can't remember what I had for my tea yesterday - and I made it! That's why I like listening to our humble, likeable former players. Bill can remember the exact moment when his interest in rugby league was sparked. May 10th 1958. The Queen had reopened Gatwick Airport after a £7000,000 expansion, Ian Fleming had released the James Bond novel 'Dr. No', and work on Britain's first full length motorway had begun. Bill hadn't even started at Rose Bridge school when his mum (like hundreds of Wiganers at that time), decided to rent a T.V from Bullough's Rentals in Wigan (later to become Rumbelows). The magic box was duly delivered one May Saturday morning in 1958. I proffered that Bill's T.V. was probably a 'Bush' brand. Everybody seemed to have one in Wigan, then. Rented that is - I didn't know anyone who actually owned a TV set! Do you? In Bank Street, Platt Bridge, we had the Bush model with sliding doors, thinking that we were posh! Not really...the only time that we saw Lucozade was when someone was ill, and we only saw a camera when it was St. Nat's walking day! But what was Bill's first sight on their new TV? He had a bit of time to wait as TV's had to 'warm up' back in the day. Eventually, grainy pictures of Wigan walking out at Wembley appeared. and Bill heard the dulcet tones of Eddie Waring speaking into his BBC lip mic! He didn't know it then, but Eddie was a man who Bill would go on to meet several times in his Wigan career. Yes, the cherry and whites of Wigan were playing Workington in the Challenge Cup Final...and from that day, aged 10, Bill was hooked on rugby league. The greatest game of all. The game that would mean he would star for his home town team Wigan, along with Great Britain, Penrith, Wakefield Trinity and...Runcorn. His playing career at Runcorn only lasted a few minutes. More on that later! Some of you already know that story. You were there!
I am always interested in who folk's early influences are. We all must have dozens of people who came in and out of our lives, but who left their mark - in a good way. It was no different with Bill. Mr Baldwin at Belle Green Infant's School influenced him - even though it was for football, not rugby league. Like many other rugby league players, Bill was good at other sports, including soccer. In his younger days, Bill played soccer for Wigan schoolboys and Lancashire schoolboys. You won't be surprised to hear, that even back then, Bill was in the thick of things - as centre forward. Bill then moved on to be a star striker with Ince Parish Football Team, setting the record that still stands to this day...71 goals in one season! Aged 16, he had trials at Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Word got round about this lad from Wigan, and he impressed the ex Manchester United captain Johnny Carey, who was at that time the Blackburn Rovers Manager. Offered the chance of a professional footballing contract, Bill was excited to rush home to tell his girlfriend (later to become his wife), Shelia. But, he was met with the fact that Sheila had news of her own. Pregnancy! Marriage and family proved to be important to them rather than footballing fame. It still is all these years later. God, family and rugby league personify Bill Ashurst. Plus a soupcon of snooker, darts and cricket!
'Sash', 'King Bill', Billy Ashurst...call him what you will, he oozes rugby league from every sinew. To see Bill take that ball up at Central Park was a sight to behold, his shock of black hair and imposing physique making him stand out from the rest. He had it all - skill, strength, a superb kicking game and bravery. Add to all that a quite remarkable rugby brain - then you had the complete player. Standing well over 6 foot tall with an impressive stride and footwork, and 14 stone 4 pounds of sheer power, I wouldn't have liked to face him! He was an 'enforcer' even before the word had been dreamed up! No, I'd much rather be in my favourite position on the Popular Stand side at Central Park, watching Bill light it up that famous hallowed turf on many occasions. Those who say one man can't win a game on his own obviously never saw Bill Ashurst in his pomp. And here he was sat opposite me, in his element, talking rugby league.
I think we that would still be chatting yet, if Bill didn't have a stage to share with yet another Wigan legend Kris Radlinski that very night. Bill is very generous with his time - always has been and always will be, and so it proved to be with me that particular Friday morning. I can't thank him enough. Surrounded by a lifetime of rugby league memorabilia, family pictures and the Holy Bible, brew in my hand, kindly made by his wife of 54 years, Sheila - I asked Bill how it all started.
Bill was born in Higher Ince, Belle Green Lane to be exact, in 1948 and resided with his Mum, Auntie and Grandma. But before the age of three, Bill was on the move to the Amberswood area of Ince - right near the park! School for Bill was Belle Green Infant's School until, aged 11, he transferred to Rose Bridge Secondary Modern School in 1959, just before those swinging sixties and the wonders of black and white TV!
Bill's memory for detail is superbly sharp. He is a skilled orator for somebody who also did his talking on the pitch. A lot of our former players have this skill. A fleeting moment from a certain match - they remember it as if it's just happened - in glorious technicolor. Yet I can't remember what I had for my tea yesterday - and I made it! That's why I like listening to our humble, likeable former players. Bill can remember the exact moment when his interest in rugby league was sparked. May 10th 1958. The Queen had reopened Gatwick Airport after a £7000,000 expansion, Ian Fleming had released the James Bond novel 'Dr. No', and work on Britain's first full length motorway had begun. Bill hadn't even started at Rose Bridge school when his mum (like hundreds of Wiganers at that time), decided to rent a T.V from Bullough's Rentals in Wigan (later to become Rumbelows). The magic box was duly delivered one May Saturday morning in 1958. I proffered that Bill's T.V. was probably a 'Bush' brand. Everybody seemed to have one in Wigan, then. Rented that is - I didn't know anyone who actually owned a TV set! Do you? In Bank Street, Platt Bridge, we had the Bush model with sliding doors, thinking that we were posh! Not really...the only time that we saw Lucozade was when someone was ill, and we only saw a camera when it was St. Nat's walking day! But what was Bill's first sight on their new TV? He had a bit of time to wait as TV's had to 'warm up' back in the day. Eventually, grainy pictures of Wigan walking out at Wembley appeared. and Bill heard the dulcet tones of Eddie Waring speaking into his BBC lip mic! He didn't know it then, but Eddie was a man who Bill would go on to meet several times in his Wigan career. Yes, the cherry and whites of Wigan were playing Workington in the Challenge Cup Final...and from that day, aged 10, Bill was hooked on rugby league. The greatest game of all. The game that would mean he would star for his home town team Wigan, along with Great Britain, Penrith, Wakefield Trinity and...Runcorn. His playing career at Runcorn only lasted a few minutes. More on that later! Some of you already know that story. You were there!
I am always interested in who folk's early influences are. We all must have dozens of people who came in and out of our lives, but who left their mark - in a good way. It was no different with Bill. Mr Baldwin at Belle Green Infant's School influenced him - even though it was for football, not rugby league. Like many other rugby league players, Bill was good at other sports, including soccer. In his younger days, Bill played soccer for Wigan schoolboys and Lancashire schoolboys. You won't be surprised to hear, that even back then, Bill was in the thick of things - as centre forward. Bill then moved on to be a star striker with Ince Parish Football Team, setting the record that still stands to this day...71 goals in one season! Aged 16, he had trials at Blackburn Rovers Football Club. Word got round about this lad from Wigan, and he impressed the ex Manchester United captain Johnny Carey, who was at that time the Blackburn Rovers Manager. Offered the chance of a professional footballing contract, Bill was excited to rush home to tell his girlfriend (later to become his wife), Shelia. But, he was met with the fact that Sheila had news of her own. Pregnancy! Marriage and family proved to be important to them rather than footballing fame. It still is all these years later. God, family and rugby league personify Bill Ashurst. Plus a soupcon of snooker, darts and cricket!
The subject turns to playing for Rose Bridge. Bill loved his time there. His ability was quickly spotted, and he was soon playing for the Under 15s team when he was a mere 11 years of age! His was playing with lads that were good, but somehow didn't make it into the professional game. Bill is still puzzled to this day as to why they didn't make it. Bill is talking about players such as Peter Magnall, Jimmy Ellis and Billy Cotham. Billy Cotham did actually sign for Wigan, but never played a game for the first team. Bill is keen to point out that Billy Cotham signing for Wigan was the spur to get himself signed, because Bill thought that he was better than Billy. Please bear in mind that this isn't Bill Ashurst being big headed, he is just stating fact that he thought he was as good as Billy C, if not better. And he was proved to be correct! Whilst he was still playing for Ince Parish at football, the aspiring Bill Ashurst read on the back page of the Evening Post & Chronicle that his friend Billy Cotham had indeed 'beat him to it'. They had been centre partners at school too.
That was all he needed to plan his route to playing in front of the Spion Kop at Central Park! He went back playing rugby league for Rose Bridge. All it took was three games and in particular a match when they trounced Adlington away with a cricket score, with Bill Ashurst "playing in more positions than a french whore!" Billy Cunliffe (Wigan R.L. Scout), who was watching that day was very impressed and offered Bill trials there and then. His good friend and coach Wally Blake, who Bill had also been in the Boys' Brigade with, persuaded Bill that he hadn't got anything to lose.
Bill's first trial match in a Wigan shirt was versus Liverpool Stanley 'A' at Knotty Ash. His second match was at his beloved Central Park against Workington 'A' on a wintry night in December. He had an outstanding game! As he tried to make his way up the tunnel after the final whistle, he was met by a posse of Wigan Directors. They ushered him away to sign for Wigan on the spot in the Boardroom. Maybe they were well aware of the representatives of other RL clubs waiting in the shadows of the scoreboard end outside the ground, all eager for Bill to put pen to paper for their teams? His contract? £100 for signing, an extra £400 if he played 12 games for the first team, an extra £250 if he played for Lancashire and an additional £250 if he played for Great Britain. Rest assured that Bill got all that extra money...and more! Bill had signed for the glamour club of rugby league! But it certainly didn't feel like it on that chilly December evening.
By the time all the papers had been signed, the big bath in the dressing room had been drained and there wasn't any hot water left. Bill, a non driver, ended up trudging his way home on foot, still caked in mud from the match! Glamour club? Still, there was always that trusty tin bath to save the day! As he walked through the door, he threw the £100 to his wife Sheila. They have been married 54 years, are devoted to each other and long may it continue. Bill's love for Shelia, the Lord, and upholding family values came across in spades during our conversation. They have 7 children, 29 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Bill says they have been blessed.
Ideally, to make your debut for your home Town club, Wigan you should have the best of preparation. Get yourself used to the idea for a few days beforehand, train well, a few early nights. Not so with Bill Ashurst! The night before Bill's Wigan debut, he definitely wasn't having an early night - but he was making sure he kept well hydrated! Bill takes up the story. "It was twenty five past twelve at night, just into Saturday morning. I was boozing after time in the Engineer's Arms at Ince". Wigan Director Martin Ryan came knocking at the locked pub door. Martin proclaimed that he had received an urgent phone call, and that Bill had better get home as he was playing in the first team later that day. Saints away! So that was it - Bill did indeed make his Wigan debut at Knowsley Road on the wing, wearing the number 2 shirt. It was Saturday September 7th 1968, in the Lancashire Cup. Some reports indicate that Bill came off the bench, but that's untrue. Bill knows - the day is all too clear in his mind. He started the game as the wing partner to Bill Francis, replacing the injured Kevin O'Loughlin. Bill had made his Wigan debut just a little over ten years after watching Wigan, on that rented black and white T.V.
Saints won that day 19-16 and Bill wasn't at all happy an half time when Wigan were losing 16-4. Young Bill backed himself and approached his hero, coach Eric Ashton and said calmly..."I think you've got it wrong!" Bill continued as Ash listened. "I'm a centre...a good un. Bill isn't - he's a winger. If you swap us around the match will be different". So Eric Ashton did swap around the two Bills, and B.A. had a cracking game and with it came an almighty Wigan comeback. The Central Park men were level at 16 points apiece with twenty minutes to go, only for St. Helens to clinch the game with five minutes to go. Flame haired Les Jones intercepted and raced away to secure a Saints victory. 13,500 speccies had seen Bill Ashurst have a storming second half, all because he had the courage of his convictions to say what he thought in that half time dressing room. By his own admission, Bill has never, ever been a 'yes' man.
Four days later, Bill was selected at centre for his home debut at his beloved Central Park - vindicated by coach Ashton, he played in the number 4 jersey. The games came thick and fast back in the 60s and 70s! In this Wednesday night game under floodlights, (oh how I miss mid-week games from this era!), with the sweet smell of pipe smoke wafting around the Spion Kop no doubt, Bradford Northern were the visitors from over the Pennines. Their trip was in vein, as rampant Wigan demolished them by 27 points to 11. History was made that night as Bill scored his first ever first team try. He was joined on the list of scorers by Bill Francis (2), Colin Tyrer (2), John Barrow and John Stephens. Colin Tyrer kicked three goals. It's interesting to note that kick off times were 7pm then. I'd forgotten about that - had you?
Our conversation turned to training drills back then. "Pre-season we would do six or seven weeks training, but I wouldn't say we did any fitness training. Then we would play the Locker Cup game against Warrington. After that game, we did tick and pass, ball work and sprinting". It cropped up in conversation that Bill had been in the same team as my Junior School Teacher and Welch speedster Keri Jones. Bill particularly remembers a game at The Athletic Grounds, home to Rochdale Hornets. It was brass monkey weather. Absolutely freezing. So much so that Keri Jones had to leave the field due to frostbite. Starved of possession, Keri's extremities gave up the ghost, forcing him to make an unplanned and unexpected reason for going off. "What a winger Keri was" Bill proclaims, "but no one ever saw the best of him due to frequent hamstring problems". I was thrilled to hear that Bill had met up with Keri very recently, and I am hoping that the former Wigan Winger can be a worthy subject of a future 'They Played For Wigan'.
Payday was every Thursday night for Bill and his team mates, courtesy of a little brown envelope from the Club Secretary. The amount would vary, depending on a win lose or draw situation. Cup games were slightly different - the pay couldn't be changed no matter what. One time, after an easy Wigan victory against Leigh Miners, the powers that be tried to reduce their pay packed by thirty pounds. The players were having none of it, and realising the effect a reduction in pay could have on morale (there was even talk of the players striking) - the pay was actually increased to a higher amount than originally agreed by the Directors. Pay wasn't brilliant. You had to love the game, as it was more far more brutal then than it is now. For example, Bill's losing pay for the 1970 Challenge Cup Final against Castleford was £12. Well it wasn't actually. After tax it was just over £7. No less than 95,255 spectators watched that match at Wembley, with millions more watching live on TV. Yet Bill received a paltry seven quid. This shocked me. Bill just laughed.
But star players like Bill did get the occasional monetary incentive to play in certain games. And to stay at Wigan, rather than go and play for someone else. One example of this, is the week Bill had been in bed with the flu. An important cup game at Headingley was looming on the Saturday. He was unable to train on the Tuesday or Thursday, so a big Bill Ashurst sized hole was potentially not looking good for Wigan's Challenge Cup chances. The Club sent for Martin Ryan (again!), to be despatched to Bill's abode at Higher Ince (rather than the Engineer's Arms). "Are you playing tomorrow" asks Martin. "I've had flu all chuffing week, Martin", Bill replies. "How much will it cost us then, Bill to get you to play?" "400 quid" replies Bill, sensing Martin and Wigan's desperation for Bill to pull on that famous cherry and white jersey the day after. Martin makes a phone call...
After replacing the phone receiver Martin says to Bill..."the team bus will pick you up at the top of this street tomorrow!" Like many times in his career, Bill had an exceptional game that Saturday afternoon in Leeds (January 27th 1973), in the first round of the Challenge Cup. Assisting in a couple of tries and kicking four goals he was Wigan's star man. Wigan's Directors knew what they were doing - but so did Bill! Wigan's other try scorers in a resounding 25-11 win were Stuart Wright, Jimmy Nulty and David Hill. Other two pointers came from Colin Tyrer (3) and Jimmy Nulty in front of 9,775 onlookers. Wigan had lost 58-3 at Headingley some three months earlier, so this win was all the more enjoyable for the team and their supporters. Bill was duly dropped off at the top of his street on the return journey, and was back in bed for 10:30pm. This was a luxury for Bill - he usually walked it to home games and on the way home was dropped off by Colin Tyrer at Ince bar, on Colin's way home back to Leigh. No need for Colin that Saturday. It was job done, with more than winning pay, so time for some well earned kip it was...unless Martin Ryan came knocking on his chuffing door again! No celebrating that night with the lads - but satisfaction reigned around the Ashurst abode.
This programme was from Wigan v Huddersfield that was played on Friday 29th January 1971. Bill was listed as sub and wearing the number 15 shirt. I kept it all these years because of my dad's little drawing on page 9 (shown above). Wigan were on a 21 game run of victories! They extended that run to 22 games by beating Huddersfield 23-7. Wigan beat Barrow the week after, but their 23 game winning streak was ended by Hull Kingston Rovers on Friday February 12th.
Celebrating was the norm, especially after a home win. The celebrations usually commenced with butties upstairs, then a move into in the famous cabaret club 'The Riverside' that formed part of the Scoreboard End of the ground. "We never paid for a drink", Bill explained. Being amongst happy Wiganers and mixing with the public is all part of the territory for Bill. Even those for whom the result of the match had won or lost them a bet! After that, the players would sometimes travel to New Springs for a few scoops at the Prince Albert pub. Bill waxes lyrical about the great team spirit that they had - even going out on the Town if they had lost. If there was no game, Sheila and Bill would go out to the Legion in Ince, followed by a meal at the Pacific Ocean in Wigan, which at one time was the only place to get Chinese restaurant quality food. The trips to and from such places were gratis - Bill's mate was a taxi driver.
On the way back from away trips, especially if they had ventured to Whitehaven or Workington, the squad would invariably fancy and Indian meal at Sweaty Betty's or the Koh-I-Noor. Team mate Colin Clarke (Phil's dad), was known for being frugal with his spending. He would always do a runner before the bill came. So, one night the players decided to turn the tables on the Wigan hooker, who was at the time injured and using crutches. Thirteen players ordered, received and ate their meals. At the appointed moment, Eddie Cunningham half inched Colin's crutches and all the players, apart from Clarky, hastily left the restaurant. Clarky was left to settle the bill for once. Even then, Colin tried to renege on paying up by pretending to be deaf and dumb! The characters in that team! Colin and Bill are still great friends till this day. Although his favourite forward wasn't Colin Clarke (as great as he was). No, Bill's best second row forward he ever played with was Dave Robinson. The first on Bill's team sheet in that position would be tough Dave Robinson, without any doubt. Not just for doing Bill's tackling, he laughs, tongue firmly in cheek.
Bill draws my attention to the base of an award on the opposite table. This award he won in 1970, his first year from moving from centre to second row. The top to the trophy got lost somewhere! It was the John Player Competition, Player of the Year. I can't help noticing that to the right of the trophy, is one of Bill's other prized possessions...his Holy Bible. Back to the trophy base, Bill points out the other great players engraved on there - Stan Gittens, Paul Charlton and Alex Murphy among many. But getting Player of the Year didn't get him on the 1970 Great Britain tour to Australia. Doug Laughton and Dave Robinson made the trip, but not Bill. Baffling. Apparently, he hadn't 'got enough experience'. The selectors missed the chance of having on tour, what many still say, were the greatest Wigan back three ever.
I venture to ask Bill what his overall highlight is of all his Wigan career. He has two. the first is playing on the same pitch as William John Boston O.B.E. in Billy B's testimonial match in 1968. A ten year old Bill Ashurst had idolised Billy Boston, and he actually partnered him in the centre berth in the immortal winger's last game for Wigan.
A second highlight would be a very special game against the Australians, to commemorate the Centenary of Wigan Rugby League being established. This took place on the 17th of November 1972, and the pulsating match ended up 18 apiece. Bill was the star, scoring two tries and running the show against a full test strength Australian side. Australia's Manager Harry Bath was so impressed with Bill Ashurst, that he wired Australia to say "Forget anybody else - come and get this guy". Praise indeed! Bill would eventually move to play in Australia, but that comes later in Bill's unbelievable career. That night put him in the shop window, and no wonder the Australians wanted to buy.
Talk turns to referees and that doyen of them all, Eric Clay, who was the referee for Bill's debut game. Yes he did send Bill off in a later game, and one word did it! Bill had been laying into on opposition player because Bill "owed him one". Eric Clay told Bill off - "Don't get square on my pitch" he warned Bill. "But!" Bill remonstrated. "Listen" instructed Eric Clay, "We referee and you listen". "But", Bill said again. "One more word and you are off" exclaimed Eric Clay again. "But" said Bill...and was promptly sent off! Despite this, he was a good ref in Bill's opinion.
The best thing about playing for Wigan, in Bill's opinion? "Growing up in Wigan, seeing what I saw, knowing what I knew and following in the footsteps of other great players. Signing for Wigan was the jackpot! Then going on to achieve things, and get respect from my peers who I have followed in the footsteps of". "What pleases me more than anything is that I have put something back". Bill has been a coach for many years, guiding 49 players to the standard that they were snapped up to sign professionally for a rugby league club. He finds it sad that players continually walk away from the game and put nothing back in. He is well known for his after dinner speaking and at rugby presentations. You name it, Bill will be there. For free. Andrew Gregory is the same.
My fascination with the BBC2 Floodlit Cup for the Television Trophy, (watching it with my late Dad got me into rugby league), led to a few specific questions about that competition. I could barely contain my excitement at school, if my team Wigan was going to be on TV that evening, or better still, if I was going to the game. Double maths, for that last period, dragged on and on and on. This is back in the time when if you went to a televised game, you never saw it again! No videos then. So Bill could have had a belter of a game, come home and not have the opportunity to re-watch it. Mind you, he got sent off in one BBC2 final at Central Park for fighting with Brian Hogan, so maybe he wouldn't want to see that one again. And Wigan signed Brian the day after too! So they were both suspended for Wigan's next game! Trust the Super League Show to dig out that very footage recently - which Bill has indeed, seen, some fifty years later. But what was a Tuesday night game like for Bill? Just like any other it seems. Bill would be the first to arrive, have a massage and...look in the mirror. Whilst throwing a rugby ball and picturing every scenario that could happen in the game. Then he would have a lie down and almost fall asleep! The mirror is very important to Bill. He reckons that the coach can tell you this and tell you that, but it's only the person you see in that mirror can give you the motivation and the positives. He has brought this philosophy into family life too: "I have always told my kids to have a look in the mirror, what does it say to you?" "If you want to be the best, have a look and make a change."
What was Bill's opinion on Eddie Waring, the BBC's rugby league commentator? Eddie often split opinion whether or not he was good or bad for the game. "Great great bloke...absolutely fantastic!" "One story involving Eddie was that before one floodlit match he came in the dressing room before the game, as he often did. Eddie noticed that Colin Clarke had the mother of all black eyes! Eddie asked Colin what he had done. "You don't want to know", Colin quickly responded. Eddie pressed him for an answer. Colin eventually caved in..."Last week I was playing 5s and 3s at dominoes. I happened to play a wrong domino, and somebody hit me!" Later that night, during the BBC commentary, a close up was shown of Colin's black eye. Eddie uttered: "A tip, don't ever play a wrong domino, as that what will happen!" Another funny story Bill remembers that during a certain commentary, Eddie actually said, "the referee looks at his whistle...and blows his watch for full time!"
Celebrating was the norm, especially after a home win. The celebrations usually commenced with butties upstairs, then a move into in the famous cabaret club 'The Riverside' that formed part of the Scoreboard End of the ground. "We never paid for a drink", Bill explained. Being amongst happy Wiganers and mixing with the public is all part of the territory for Bill. Even those for whom the result of the match had won or lost them a bet! After that, the players would sometimes travel to New Springs for a few scoops at the Prince Albert pub. Bill waxes lyrical about the great team spirit that they had - even going out on the Town if they had lost. If there was no game, Sheila and Bill would go out to the Legion in Ince, followed by a meal at the Pacific Ocean in Wigan, which at one time was the only place to get Chinese restaurant quality food. The trips to and from such places were gratis - Bill's mate was a taxi driver.
On the way back from away trips, especially if they had ventured to Whitehaven or Workington, the squad would invariably fancy and Indian meal at Sweaty Betty's or the Koh-I-Noor. Team mate Colin Clarke (Phil's dad), was known for being frugal with his spending. He would always do a runner before the bill came. So, one night the players decided to turn the tables on the Wigan hooker, who was at the time injured and using crutches. Thirteen players ordered, received and ate their meals. At the appointed moment, Eddie Cunningham half inched Colin's crutches and all the players, apart from Clarky, hastily left the restaurant. Clarky was left to settle the bill for once. Even then, Colin tried to renege on paying up by pretending to be deaf and dumb! The characters in that team! Colin and Bill are still great friends till this day. Although his favourite forward wasn't Colin Clarke (as great as he was). No, Bill's best second row forward he ever played with was Dave Robinson. The first on Bill's team sheet in that position would be tough Dave Robinson, without any doubt. Not just for doing Bill's tackling, he laughs, tongue firmly in cheek.
Bill draws my attention to the base of an award on the opposite table. This award he won in 1970, his first year from moving from centre to second row. The top to the trophy got lost somewhere! It was the John Player Competition, Player of the Year. I can't help noticing that to the right of the trophy, is one of Bill's other prized possessions...his Holy Bible. Back to the trophy base, Bill points out the other great players engraved on there - Stan Gittens, Paul Charlton and Alex Murphy among many. But getting Player of the Year didn't get him on the 1970 Great Britain tour to Australia. Doug Laughton and Dave Robinson made the trip, but not Bill. Baffling. Apparently, he hadn't 'got enough experience'. The selectors missed the chance of having on tour, what many still say, were the greatest Wigan back three ever.
I venture to ask Bill what his overall highlight is of all his Wigan career. He has two. the first is playing on the same pitch as William John Boston O.B.E. in Billy B's testimonial match in 1968. A ten year old Bill Ashurst had idolised Billy Boston, and he actually partnered him in the centre berth in the immortal winger's last game for Wigan.
A second highlight would be a very special game against the Australians, to commemorate the Centenary of Wigan Rugby League being established. This took place on the 17th of November 1972, and the pulsating match ended up 18 apiece. Bill was the star, scoring two tries and running the show against a full test strength Australian side. Australia's Manager Harry Bath was so impressed with Bill Ashurst, that he wired Australia to say "Forget anybody else - come and get this guy". Praise indeed! Bill would eventually move to play in Australia, but that comes later in Bill's unbelievable career. That night put him in the shop window, and no wonder the Australians wanted to buy.
Talk turns to referees and that doyen of them all, Eric Clay, who was the referee for Bill's debut game. Yes he did send Bill off in a later game, and one word did it! Bill had been laying into on opposition player because Bill "owed him one". Eric Clay told Bill off - "Don't get square on my pitch" he warned Bill. "But!" Bill remonstrated. "Listen" instructed Eric Clay, "We referee and you listen". "But", Bill said again. "One more word and you are off" exclaimed Eric Clay again. "But" said Bill...and was promptly sent off! Despite this, he was a good ref in Bill's opinion.
The best thing about playing for Wigan, in Bill's opinion? "Growing up in Wigan, seeing what I saw, knowing what I knew and following in the footsteps of other great players. Signing for Wigan was the jackpot! Then going on to achieve things, and get respect from my peers who I have followed in the footsteps of". "What pleases me more than anything is that I have put something back". Bill has been a coach for many years, guiding 49 players to the standard that they were snapped up to sign professionally for a rugby league club. He finds it sad that players continually walk away from the game and put nothing back in. He is well known for his after dinner speaking and at rugby presentations. You name it, Bill will be there. For free. Andrew Gregory is the same.
My fascination with the BBC2 Floodlit Cup for the Television Trophy, (watching it with my late Dad got me into rugby league), led to a few specific questions about that competition. I could barely contain my excitement at school, if my team Wigan was going to be on TV that evening, or better still, if I was going to the game. Double maths, for that last period, dragged on and on and on. This is back in the time when if you went to a televised game, you never saw it again! No videos then. So Bill could have had a belter of a game, come home and not have the opportunity to re-watch it. Mind you, he got sent off in one BBC2 final at Central Park for fighting with Brian Hogan, so maybe he wouldn't want to see that one again. And Wigan signed Brian the day after too! So they were both suspended for Wigan's next game! Trust the Super League Show to dig out that very footage recently - which Bill has indeed, seen, some fifty years later. But what was a Tuesday night game like for Bill? Just like any other it seems. Bill would be the first to arrive, have a massage and...look in the mirror. Whilst throwing a rugby ball and picturing every scenario that could happen in the game. Then he would have a lie down and almost fall asleep! The mirror is very important to Bill. He reckons that the coach can tell you this and tell you that, but it's only the person you see in that mirror can give you the motivation and the positives. He has brought this philosophy into family life too: "I have always told my kids to have a look in the mirror, what does it say to you?" "If you want to be the best, have a look and make a change."
What was Bill's opinion on Eddie Waring, the BBC's rugby league commentator? Eddie often split opinion whether or not he was good or bad for the game. "Great great bloke...absolutely fantastic!" "One story involving Eddie was that before one floodlit match he came in the dressing room before the game, as he often did. Eddie noticed that Colin Clarke had the mother of all black eyes! Eddie asked Colin what he had done. "You don't want to know", Colin quickly responded. Eddie pressed him for an answer. Colin eventually caved in..."Last week I was playing 5s and 3s at dominoes. I happened to play a wrong domino, and somebody hit me!" Later that night, during the BBC commentary, a close up was shown of Colin's black eye. Eddie uttered: "A tip, don't ever play a wrong domino, as that what will happen!" Another funny story Bill remembers that during a certain commentary, Eddie actually said, "the referee looks at his whistle...and blows his watch for full time!"
One of the biggest games that Bill played in was the 1970 Challenge Cup Final. It was the first Challenge Cup Final to be televised in colour by the BBC. I wonder how many households had a colour set in Wigan back then? We didn't! Bill wore the number 11 shirt and had just turned 22. His thoughts on the game which Wigan lost 7-2? "The biggest failure in that final was our Captain Doug Laughton. There was a penalty given to us under the posts. I was second choice kicker, and with Colin Tyrer having been carried off, I naturally went to get the ball to kick the penalty, for a certain two points". "All of a sudden, Doug gives the ball to Bill Francis!" "Bill missed a sitter". "And Doug wouldn't even let me kick for goal later in the match". Bill still cannot fathom to this day, why that wrong decision was made by Wigan's captain.
Thank you for reading! Part Two Can Be Read Via The Link Below
Many thanks to The Riversiders Vice President Bill Ashurst for agreeing to do this article and for making me so welcome in his home. And my thanks also go out to Bill's wife Sheila. Also, thanks to Riversiders Member Neil Davies of NRD Collectables, for supplying some superb photographs and memorabilia to illustrate this article.
Andrew Hunt (Riversiders Member).
Andrew Hunt (Riversiders Member).