Wilderspool Memories
by Eddie Whitham
Due to safety reasons photographers are not allowed to ‘run the line’ as they did in years gone by. Telephoto lenses have made it possible to get closer to the action without having to be involved with the action. During the 1960’s I was covering the game at Wilderspool when the referee blew for and offence. International halfback and joker Billy Aspinall made a break, he gave me the perfect pass so I ran about fifteen yards and scored in the corner to great cheers from the crowd, but the ref explained he had already blown his whistle.
When coaches put names on the team sheet I have often thought what a hard job it must be and most cases this is true but one name, if I had to pick a team, would their first and that would be Bob Jackson. Yet another Aussie, Bob had played with Penrith in Australia before Warrington signed him from Fulham, this must have been one of the best ever signings. Wire have had their share of Aussie stars and one who stands out head and shoulders above the others was the one and only Les Boyd. The hard man of rugby league certainly lived up to his reputation, never ducking out and playing on with broken bones like the time at Halifax when Boydie carried on playing with only one good arm he other broken and hanging limb. Les Boyd teamed up with another hard ma from New Zealand Kevin Tamati another playing who never asked or gave a quarter. During his international career Kevin was a member of the New Zealand National Side who had a mascot in the form of a two-foot high Kiwi with some writing on its beak and Kevin would never divulge what it said.
In 1993 a statue of Brian Bevan was unveiled on the traffic island near to the Wilderspool ground and Welsh Wizard Jonathon Davies signed for the Wire from Widnes. The little Welsh man put sparkle into a side with up and coming stars like Paul Sculthorpe twice winner of the Man of Steel Trophy now playing now playing for St Helens, Iestyn Harris who left for Leeds and then to Cardiff rugby union and Lee Penny who has stayed loyal to Warrington.
Warrington have had many overseas stars and in 2000 they made one of the club’s top signings, bringing Aussie superstar Allan Langer to Wilderspool and still, after he has left, there is a cartoon of him still adorning a wall on the leisure centre side of Wilderspool.
| James Kelly - 2008-05-06 |
| I remember this well... |
| Chris Thelwaal - 2008-05-08 |
| me too |
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