MEN 1873-1895
MEN 1895-2024
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Bill Bretherton

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
22-03-1930
N/A
07-06-1950
Worsley Boys Club
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
02-12-1950 v Whitehaven
Salford
1956- Wigan
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1950-1955
158 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
10
0
0
30

Biography of Bill Bretherton



HERITAGE NO : 695
William Bretherton by Dave Dooley

Bill Bretherton was born on 23rd March 1930 in Pemberton, Wigan. Bill attended St Marks Primary School and Pemberton Senior School. Saints beat rivals Wigan to obtain Bill`s signature. He was signed for the Saints from the amateur club Triangle Valve Juniors on the 7th of June 1950. His debut in the first team was in the 47 points to 10 victory over Whitehaven on the second of December, 1950. He spent most of his first season learning the ropes in the `A` team, making just five appearances in the second row scoring one try in the 31 points to 3 victory over York (24/4/51). Bill was a tough character who revelled in the cut and thrust of the forwards battle on the rugby league field. He was a hard tackler and a strong runner with the ball in his hands.

In his schoolboy days he played soccer for Wigan boys at Centre Half but gave up the round ball to become a physical training instructor with the Royal Artillery. Whilst in the Army he played Rugby Union and upon discharge he joined Worsley RL Club where he played in the front row and second row. He played for Lancashire and England as an amateur. He developed a great reputation for his natural strength which he displayed in various arena notably the wrestling ring, athletics field events and on the stage. On the latter occasion Bill was invited by a `strong woman` at Wigan Hippodrome to bend some six-inch nails. To the astonishment of the audience Bill bent the nails as if they were made of rubber. In 1946 Bill also collected a medal from the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society for "recovering a boy who was in imminent danger of drowning in the Leeds and Liverpool Canal." Such was the modesty of Bill that his mother never knew anything about his bravery until the police called at his home some two days later.

Bill signed for the Saints as they were emerging as a force in the early 1950s. Under the tutorship of Jim Sullivan, Bill developed as one of the most powerful second rows in the game. In the 1951/2 season Bill played most of the games in the prop position scoring 3 tries in the process. In the next season Saints remained undefeated in away matches in their best ever league campaign. As well as finishing top of the league by dropping only 6 points from 36 matches, the Club lifted the Championship by defeating Halifax by 24 points to 14 at Maine Road. Saints won the Lancashire League Championship by 10 points but lost the Lancashire Cup Final to Leigh and the Challenge Cup Final to Huddersfield. Bill Bretherton was in the second row for this glory season ending the year by playing 48 out of 50 matches (Top of the appearances charts for that season). Bill managed three tries that season but his great contribution was the steel he gave to the Saints pack.

The following season he teamed up with George Parsons in the second row to help defeat his hometown club in the 1953 Lancashire Cup Final by 16 points to 8. Again Bill was virtually ever-present that season as he scored three tries from 41 appearances in the engine room of the second row. In Bill`s last full season for the Saints he made 20 appearances for the club in the second row as competition for places in the pack reached an all time high. Players such as Karalius, Delves, Blan, Garbler and Silcock vied for a couple of back row positions.

Bill`s final appearance for the club came on the seventh of January 1956 in the 48 points to 2 victory over Salford. He had only played just seven games at prop all season when he moved to Wigan to continue his career successfully with his hometown club and later played for the successful Swinton team of the early sixties.

In his time at Knowsley Road Bill gained one cap for Lancashire. Sad to report that he passed away in August 2014 at the age of 84.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1950~51 1 0 0 5
1951~52 3 0 0 37
1952~533 0 0 48
1953~54 3 0 0 41
1954~550 0 0 20
1955~56 0 0 0 7
TOTALS:10 0 0 158
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1951~520004
1952~53 1102
1953~540001
1954~551002
1955~560001
TOTALS:21010

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
2nd Dec 1950 1
W
 12 Whitehaven L H 47 10 VIEW
12th Apr 1951 2
W
 11 Widnes L A 5 2 VIEW
14th Apr 1951 3
W
 11 Leeds L A 9 3 VIEW
18th Apr 1951 4
L
 11 Huddersfield L H 9 14 VIEW
21st Apr 1951 5
W
 11 York L H 31 3 1 VIEW
11th Aug 1951 --
W
 10 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 16 7 VIEW
18th Aug 1951 6
W
 10 Widnes L A 20 11 VIEW
21st Aug 1951 7
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L A 20 2 VIEW
25th Aug 1951 8
W
 10 Liverpool City L H 23 3 VIEW
29th Aug 1951 9
D
 10 Swinton L H 12 12 VIEW
1st Sep 1951 10
L
 10 Belle Vue Rangers LC1(1) H 4 8 VIEW
6th Sep 1951 11
D
 10 Belle Vue Rangers LC1(2) A 2 2 VIEW
8th Sep 1951 12
W
 10 Dewsbury L H 14 8 VIEW
15th Sep 1951 13
L
 10 Oldham L A 7 13 VIEW
6th Oct 1951 14
L
 10 Hull L H 10 15 VIEW
13th Oct 1951 15
W
 12 Halifax L A 20 9 1 VIEW
20th Oct 1951 16
L
 10 New Zealand Tour H 10 33 VIEW
27th Oct 1951 17
L
 10 Workington Town L A 8 11 VIEW
3rd Nov 1951 18
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L H 5 2 VIEW
17th Nov 1951 19
L
 10 Workington Town L H 11 20 VIEW
24th Nov 1951 20
L
 10 Dewsbury L A 2 6 VIEW
1st Dec 1951 21
W
 11 Widnes L H 14 3 1 VIEW
15th Dec 1951 22
L
 10 Salford L H 6 14 VIEW
22nd Dec 1951 23
L
 10 Salford L A 0 5 VIEW
25th Dec 1951 24
L
 10 Leigh L A 3 13 VIEW
26th Dec 1951 25
D
 10 Wigan L H 2 2 VIEW
29th Dec 1951 26
L
 10 Swinton L A 2 27 VIEW
5th Jan 1952 27
L
 10 Belle Vue Rangers L H 5 6 VIEW
12th Jan 1952 28
W
 11 Batley L H 22 2 VIEW
2nd Feb 1952 29
L
 12 Whitehaven L H 6 7 VIEW
9th Feb 1952 30
W
 11 Belle Vue Rangers CC1(1) H 6 5 VIEW
16th Feb 1952 31
W
 11 Belle Vue Rangers CC1(2) A 9 4 VIEW
23rd Feb 1952 32
W
 11 Huddersfield L H 37 13 1 VIEW
1st Mar 1952 33
W
 11 Liverpool City L A 31 6 VIEW
8th Mar 1952 34
L
 12 Workington Town CC2 A 4 15 VIEW
15th Mar 1952 35
W
 11 Belle Vue Rangers L A 16 8 VIEW
22nd Mar 1952 36
L
 10 Batley L A 5 16 VIEW
29th Mar 1952 37
L
 11 Oldham L H 6 10 VIEW
2nd Apr 1952 38
W
 11 Warrington L H 13 5 VIEW
11th Apr 1952 39
L
 12 Wigan L A 11 15 VIEW
12th Apr 1952 40
W
 11 Halifax L H 16 11 VIEW
14th Apr 1952 41
L
 11 Huddersfield L A 15 34 VIEW
26th Apr 1952 42
L
 12 Barrow L A 8 12 VIEW
30th Apr 1952 --
L
 12 Toulouse* Fr Tour A 5 31 VIEW
1st May 1952 --
L
 12 French XIII* Fr Tour T 5 45 VIEW
4th May 1952 --
W
 12 French XIII* Fr Tour F 27 24 VIEW
18th Aug 1952 --
L
 12 Barrow * Fr Ward Cup A 18 32 VIEW
23rd Aug 1952 43
W
 12 Widnes L H 41 2 VIEW
27th Aug 1952 44
W
 12 Salford L A 15 9 VIEW
30th Aug 1952 45
W
 12 Barrow LC1(1) A 24 21 VIEW
3rd Sep 1952 46
W
 10 Barrow LC1(2) H 23 5 VIEW
6th Sep 1952 47
W
 12 Liverpool City L A 42 2 VIEW
10th Sep 1952 48
W
 12 Oldham L H 6 2 VIEW
13th Sep 1952 49
L
 12 Workington Town L H 9 15 VIEW
20th Sep 1952 50
W
 12 Keighley L A 27 7 VIEW
23rd Sep 1952 51
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets LC2 H 31 7 VIEW
27th Sep 1952 52
W
 12 Australia Tour H 26 8 VIEW
4th Oct 1952 53
W
 12 Castleford L H 18 17 VIEW
11th Oct 1952 54
W
 12 Bramley L A 21 0 VIEW
14th Oct 1952 55
W
 11 Warrington LCSF A 17 10 VIEW
18th Oct 1952 56
W
 11 Salford L H 14 6 1 VIEW
25th Oct 1952 57
L
 11 Huddersfield L H 14 17 VIEW
1st Nov 1952 58
W
 12 Swinton L A 14 7 VIEW
8th Nov 1952 59
W
 12 Barrow L A 14 7 VIEW
15th Nov 1952 60
W
 12 Swinton L H 23 10 VIEW
22nd Nov 1952 61
W
 12 Warrington L A 19 8 VIEW
29th Nov 1952 62
L
 12 Leigh LCF N 5 22 VIEW
6th Dec 1952 63
W
 12 Workington Town L A 22 5 VIEW
13th Dec 1952 64
W
 12 Barrow L H 26 9 VIEW
20th Dec 1952 65
W
 12 Widnes L A 7 2 VIEW
25th Dec 1952 66
W
 12 Leigh L A 22 2 VIEW
26th Dec 1952 67
W
 12 Wigan L H 5 0 VIEW
27th Dec 1952 68
W
 12 Wakefield Trinity L A 20 11 VIEW
1st Jan 1953 69
D
 12 Leigh L H 9 9 VIEW
3rd Jan 1953 70
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 37 5 VIEW
17th Jan 1953 71
W
 12 Bramley L H 52 14 VIEW
24th Jan 1953 72
W
 12 Warrington L H 17 5 VIEW
31st Jan 1953 73
W
 12 Castleford L A 8 0 VIEW
7th Feb 1953 74
W
 12 Oldham CC1(1) H 20 4 VIEW
14th Feb 1953 75
D
 11 Oldham CC1(2) A 5 5 VIEW
21st Feb 1953 76
W
 11 Belle Vue Rangers L A 20 7 VIEW
28th Feb 1953 77
W
 11 Belle Vue Rangers CC2 H 28 0 1 VIEW
7th Mar 1953 78
W
 12 Wakefield Trinity L H 69 17 VIEW
14th Mar 1953 79
W
 12 Leigh CC3 A 12 3 VIEW
18th Mar 1953 80
W
 12 Whitehaven L A 17 15 1 VIEW
21st Mar 1953 81
W
 12 Whitehaven L H 26 10 VIEW
28th Mar 1953 82
W
 12 Warrington CCSF N 9 3 VIEW
31st Mar 1953 83
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 8 0 VIEW
3rd Apr 1953 84
W
 12 Wigan L A 16 5 VIEW
6th Apr 1953 85
D
 12 Huddersfield L A 10 10 VIEW
11th Apr 1953 86
W
 12 Belle Vue Rangers L H 38 9 VIEW
13th Apr 1953 87
W
 11 Keighley L H 29 12 VIEW
25th Apr 1953 88
L
 12 Huddersfield CCF N 10 15 VIEW
2nd May 1953 89
W
 12 Huddersfield ChSF H 46 0 VIEW
7th May 1953 90
W
 12 Halifax ChF N 24 14 VIEW
16th May 1953 --
W
 12 Workington / Whitehaven* Fr Benefit A 53 26 1 1 VIEW
8th Aug 1953 --
W
 11 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 29 20 VIEW
15th Aug 1953 91
W
 12 Liverpool City L A 46 0 1 VIEW
22nd Aug 1953 92
D
 12 Widnes L A 11 11 VIEW
5th Sep 1953 93
L
 12 Barrow LC1(1) A 13 14 VIEW
9th Sep 1953 94
W
 12 Barrow LC1(2) H 21 17 VIEW
12th Sep 1953 95
W
 12 Bradford Northern L A 19 14 VIEW
19th Sep 1953 96
W
 12 Bramley L H 49 16 VIEW
23rd Sep 1953 97
W
 12 Swinton LC2 H 38 9 VIEW
26th Sep 1953 98
L
 12 Halifax L A 3 14 VIEW
30th Sep 1953 99
W
 12 Warrington LCSF A 17 10 VIEW
3rd Oct 1953 100
W
 12 Bradford Northern L H 22 12 VIEW
10th Oct 1953 101
W
 12 Belle Vue Rangers L A 27 5 VIEW
17th Oct 1953 102
W
 12 Castleford L H 35 9 VIEW
24th Oct 1953 103
W
 12 Wigan LCF N 16 8 VIEW
31st Oct 1953 104
W
 12 Workington Town L H 20 5 VIEW
7th Nov 1953 105
W
 12 Oldham L A 5 3 VIEW
11th Nov 1953 106
W
 12 Castleford L A 31 14 VIEW
14th Nov 1953 107
W
 12 Swinton L H 2 0 VIEW
28th Nov 1953 108
W
 12 Whitehaven L A 12 4 VIEW
5th Dec 1953 109
W
 12 Belle Vue Rangers L H 38 7 1 VIEW
12th Dec 1953 110
W
 12 Oldham L H 21 9 VIEW
19th Dec 1953 111
W
 12 Salford L A 11 7 VIEW
25th Dec 1953 112
W
 12 Leigh L H 11 9 VIEW
26th Dec 1953 113
W
 12 Wigan L H 14 4 VIEW
2nd Jan 1954 114
L
 12 Warrington L H 2 7 VIEW
9th Jan 1954 115
W
 12 Swinton L A 8 0 VIEW
16th Jan 1954 116
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 28 5 1 VIEW
23rd Jan 1954 117
W
 12 Barrow L A 15 11 VIEW
30th Jan 1954 118
W
 12 Salford L H 29 0 VIEW
13th Feb 1954 119
W
 12 Featherstone Rovers CC1(1) H 26 7 VIEW
17th Feb 1954 120
W
 12 Featherstone Rovers CC1(2) A 27 16 VIEW
20th Feb 1954 121
D
 12 Halifax L H 5 5 VIEW
27th Feb 1954 122
L
 12 Warrington L A 8 12 VIEW
6th Mar 1954 123
L
 12 Huddersfield CC2 A 5 12 VIEW
13th Mar 1954 124
L
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 5 9 VIEW
24th Mar 1954 125
W
 11 Workington Town L A 15 7 VIEW
3rd Apr 1954 126
W
 12 Whitehaven L H 34 12 VIEW
7th Apr 1954 127
L
 12 Leigh L A 13 14 VIEW
10th Apr 1954 128
W
 12 Bramley L A 25 12 VIEW
16th Apr 1954 129
W
 12 Wigan L A 14 8 VIEW
19th Apr 1954 130
L
 12 Huddersfield L A 13 29 VIEW
1st May 1954 131
L
 12 Warrington ChSF A 0 11 VIEW
7th Aug 1954 --
L
 12 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 17 31 VIEW
14th Aug 1954 132
W
 12 Widnes L H 31 3 VIEW
18th Aug 1954 133
W
 12 Belle Vue Rangers L A 20 11 VIEW
21st Aug 1954 134
W
 12 Blackpool Borough L A 34 2 VIEW
25th Aug 1954 135
W
 12 Swinton L H 28 9 VIEW
28th Aug 1954 136
L
 10 Oldham L H 16 23 VIEW
4th Sep 1954 137
L
 12 Halifax L A 2 22 VIEW
11th Sep 1954 138
W
 12 Whitehaven LC1 H 27 6 VIEW
18th Sep 1954 139
W
 12 Wakefield Trinity L A 32 18 VIEW
25th Sep 1954 140
W
 12 Huddersfield L H 20 7 VIEW
2nd Oct 1954 141
W
 12 Liverpool City L A 30 14 VIEW
9th Oct 1954 142
W
 12 Leeds L H 13 6 VIEW
16th Oct 1954 143
W
 12 Salford L A 19 2 VIEW
30th Oct 1954 144
W
 12 Widnes L A 8 2 VIEW
6th Nov 1954 145
L
 12 Workington Town L A 11 15 VIEW
13th Nov 1954 146
W
 12 Barrow L H 11 4 VIEW
27th Nov 1954 147
D
 12 Warrington L H 8 8 VIEW
18th Dec 1954 148
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L A 20 9 VIEW
25th Dec 1954 149
L
 12 Leigh L A 13 14 VIEW
11th Apr 1955 150
L
 12 Huddersfield L A 11 35 VIEW
18th Apr 1955 151
L
 11 Barrow L A 3 26 VIEW
7th May 1955 --
W
 12 Leigh* Fr H 40 16 1 VIEW
13th Aug 1955 --
L
 12 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 17 31 VIEW
20th Aug 1955 152
W
 10 Widnes L A 35 18 VIEW
27th Aug 1955 153
L
 10 Barrow LC1 A 12 18 VIEW
31st Aug 1955 154
L
 10 Salford L A 10 11 VIEW
27th Dec 1955 155
L
 10 Wigan L A 0 8 VIEW
31st Dec 1955 156
W
 10 Dewsbury L A 19 10 VIEW
2nd Jan 1956 157
W
 10 Leigh L A 20 6 VIEW
7th Jan 1956 158
W
 10 Salford L H 48 2 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 112 | LOSSES : 47 | DRAWS : 9

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