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Bill Sayer

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
22-06-1934
N/A
08-12-1965
Wigan
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
29-01-1966 v Halifax
Bramley
1970- when he Retired
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1965-1970
147 (1)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
26
0
0
78

Biography of Bill Sayer



HERITAGE NO : 832
William Sayer by Dave Dooley:
Occasionally as players approach the end of their careers, a change can be just as good as a rest. Bill`s switch from Wigan to Saints in 1965 provided a glorious swansong for this accomplished and highly decorated hooker. Bill was in the twilight of his career at Wigan and facing stiff competition for his hooking role from the up and coming Colin Clarke. Whilst at Wigan Bill had gained almost every honour in the domestic game as well as representing Lancashire and Great Britain on several occasions. He had few peers in the hooking department as well as being a superb dummy half, sound tackler and could read the flow of the game. The sale of `Sos` Sayer to their rivals over Billinge Lump would come to haunt the Riversiders before the season was out.

As Saints marched to the top of the league and down Wembley Way, Bill established himself as the regular first choice hooker at Knowsley Road superseding Bob Dagnall. Possession was paramount in those days of unlimited tackle rugby and front rows that included Halsall, Sayer and Watson would guarantee the lion`s share of the ball on most match days. At the business end of the season fate determined that Bill and the Saints had a date with their destiny as Saints progressed to meet Wigan in the 1966 Challenge Cup Final. When the RL Disciplinary Committee declared that Colin Clarke was suspended for the Final many pundits thought that the outcome was done and dusted. As matters unfolded rather too much was made of the `possession` aspect of the contest. The Wigan replacement, Tom Woosey, fared no worse than other hookers who had competed for the ball with Sayer in matches leading up to the Final. The actual match statistics bears this out. Saints were strategically superior on the day and came to the Final well prepared with match winners all over the pitch. `Sos` delivered the ball and the team of all talents punished Wigan by 21 points to 2.

One week later Bill picked up a Championship winners medal as a rampant Saints` side demolished Halifax by 35 points to 12 in the Swinton sunshine. In a 17 match spell that half-season Bill had augmented his honours tally with four winners` medals (the League Leaders award and the Lancashire League being the other two). For many players of Bill`s years this would have been the perfect ending to a glorious career - but not Mr Sayer! Bill continued to play a key role for the Saints over the next 4 and a half years. This was even more remarkable when you consider that during this time, the nature of the game was transformed from with the limited tackle rule and tap penalties.

Bill scored his first try for the club in the 42 points to 7 victory over Salford in the 1966/7 season. Saints ended that campaign by winning the Lancashire League title again and losing out to Wakefield Trinity in a Championship Final replay. The season brought a further nine tries to Bill`s try tally, testimony to his excellent support skills. This impressive haul for a hooker included a `Sos` sizzler in the 21 points to 7 away victory at Wigan!

The only missing item in Bill`s medal collection was a Lancashire Cup winners medal. Over the following two seasons, Sayer won two of this particular variety in wins over Warrington and Oldham. Moreover, Bill was more or less ever-present in the Saints line-up during these two campaigns.

The 1969/70 season was a different kettle of fish as Bill lost his place in the side to a rampant Tony Karalius. After just 11 appearances that season Bill was called upon to wear the number nine shirt in the 1970 Championship Final against Leeds. This last match of the season was an absolute cracker between two teams playing open attacking rugby and at the peak of their form. After falling behind in the early stages, the Saints stood up to the challenge. Alex Service takes up the tale:

"A well rehearsed tap penalty move thirty yards from the Leeds tryline saw Mantle smash into the heart of the enemy defence before feeding Chisnall. The big second rower charged down the middle, drew the cover and passed one-handed to Myler who sent veteran hooker Bill sayer under the posts."

That classic try edged Saints into the lead and kept Saints in contention in a closely fought first half. In the second stanza Saints dominated events and ran out winners by 24 points to 12 and providing Bill with another Championship winner`s medal.

Bill played a further four matches the following season. His last match against Bramley on December 19th. 1970. `Sos` rounded off his career in style with a well-taken try. Bill Sayer - evergreen, ever great!

Bill died in Wigan in August 1989, aged 55.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1965~66 0 0 0 17
1966~67 9 0 0 35
1967~68 4 0 0 37
1968~69 9 0 0 43
1969~70 1 0 0 11
1970~71 3 0 0 4
TOTALS:26 0 0 147
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1966~670001
1968~690001
TOTALS:0002

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
29th Jan 1966 1
W
 9 Halifax L A 5 2 VIEW
1st Feb 1966 2
W
 9 Widnes L H 9 4 VIEW
5th Feb 1966 3
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L A 25 11 VIEW
19th Feb 1966 4
L
 9 Wakefield Trinity L A 12 20 VIEW
26th Feb 1966 5
W
 9 Wakefield Trinity CC1 A 10 0 VIEW
8th Mar 1966 6
W
 9 Liverpool City L H 16 2 VIEW
19th Mar 1966 7
W
 9 Swinton CC2 H 16 4 VIEW
26th Mar 1966 8
L
 9 Wigan L A 8 17 VIEW
2nd Apr 1966 9
W
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers CC3 H 12 10 VIEW
8th Apr 1966 10
W
 9 Wigan L H 17 10 VIEW
16th Apr 1966 11
W
 9 Dewsbury CCSF N 12 5 VIEW
22nd Apr 1966 12
L
 9 Swinton L H 10 15 VIEW
30th Apr 1966 13
W
 9 Warrington Ch1 H 35 7 VIEW
7th May 1966 14
W
 9 Oldham Ch2 H 15 10 VIEW
14th May 1966 15
W
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers ChSF H 14 6 VIEW
21st May 1966 16
W
 9 Wigan CCF N 21 2 VIEW
28th May 1966 17
W
 9 Halifax ChF N 35 12 VIEW
12th Aug 1966 --
L
 9 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup H 13 27 VIEW
19th Aug 1966 18
D
 9 Widnes L A 10 10 VIEW
23rd Aug 1966 19
L
 9 Warrington L H 6 10 VIEW
27th Aug 1966 20
W
 9 Salford L H 42 7 1 VIEW
29th Aug 1966 21
L
 9 Wakefield Trinity L A 15 28 VIEW
3rd Sep 1966 22
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets LC1 A 18 16 VIEW
7th Sep 1966 23
W
 9 Salford FTP(1) A 19 10 VIEW
14th Sep 1966 24
L
 9 Wigan LC2 A 9 11 VIEW
17th Sep 1966 25
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L A 23 14 1 VIEW
24th Sep 1966 26
D
 9 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 17 VIEW
26th Sep 1966 27
W
 9 Salford FTP(2) H 40 5 1 VIEW
30th Sep 1966 28
W
 9 Whitehaven L H 35 12 VIEW
14th Oct 1966 29
W
 9 Wakefield Trinity L H 18 15 1 VIEW
18th Oct 1966 30
W
 9 Swinton FT1 H 11 9 1 VIEW
22nd Oct 1966 31
W
 9 Salford L A 30 3 1 VIEW
28th Oct 1966 32
W
 9 Leeds L H 16 3 VIEW
2nd Nov 1966 33
L
 9 Leigh L A 5 29 VIEW
26th Nov 1966 34
W
 9 Huddersfield L A 15 10 VIEW
9th Dec 1966 35
W
 9 Leigh L H 4 0 VIEW
17th Dec 1966 36
W
 9 Workington Town L A 16 9 VIEW
26th Dec 1966 37
W
 9 Wigan L H 8 3 VIEW
2nd Jan 1967 38
D
 9 Swinton L A 9 9 VIEW
27th Jan 1967 39
W
 9 Oldham L H 25 7 1 VIEW
3rd Feb 1967 40
D
 9 Salford CC1 A 5 5 VIEW
7th Feb 1967 41
L
 9 Salford CC1(rep) H 3 8 VIEW
11th Feb 1967 42
W
 9 Liverpool City L H 23 6 VIEW
17th Feb 1967 43
L
 9 Oldham L A 7 8 VIEW
10th Mar 1967 44
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L H 17 2 VIEW
18th Mar 1967 45
W
 9 Huddersfield L H 11 4 VIEW
24th Mar 1967 46
W
 9 Wigan L A 21 7 1 VIEW
7th Apr 1967 47
W
 9 Widnes L H 25 10 VIEW
14th Apr 1967 48
W
 9 Leigh Ch1 H 37 12 1 VIEW
22nd Apr 1967 49
W
 9 Bradford Northern Ch2 H 15 8 VIEW
29th Apr 1967 50
W
 9 Castleford ChSF H 14 3 VIEW
6th May 1967 51
D
 9 Wakefield Trinity ChF N 7 7 VIEW
10th May 1967 52
L
 9 Wakefield Trinity ChF(rep) N 9 21 VIEW
18th Aug 1967 53
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets LC1 H 7 4 VIEW
28th Aug 1967 54
W
 9 Wakefield Trinity L H 13 11 VIEW
9th Sep 1967 55
W
 9 Liverpool City L A 32 5 1 VIEW
15th Sep 1967 56
W
 9 Leigh L H 22 0 VIEW
19th Sep 1967 57
W
 9 Swinton LCSF A 12 8 VIEW
23rd Sep 1967 58
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L A 8 2 VIEW
27th Sep 1967 59
W
 9 Warrington L H 17 12 VIEW
7th Oct 1967 60
D
 9 Warrington LCF N 2 2 VIEW
14th Oct 1967 61
W
 9 Liverpool City L H 15 7 VIEW
21st Oct 1967 62
L
 9 Whitehaven L A 6 11 VIEW
27th Oct 1967 63
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L H 14 7 VIEW
7th Nov 1967 64
W
 9 Oldham FT1 H 14 0 VIEW
11th Nov 1967 65
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L H 17 3 VIEW
18th Nov 1967 66
W
 9 Leigh L A 7 4 VIEW
22nd Nov 1967 67
L
 9 Wigan FT2 H 11 22 VIEW
24th Nov 1967 68
L
 15 Salford L H 4 7 VIEW
2nd Dec 1967 69
W
 9 Warrington LCF(rep) N 13 10 VIEW
26th Dec 1967 70
W
 9 Wigan L A 16 10 VIEW
30th Dec 1967 71
D
 9 Batley L H 9 9 VIEW
5th Jan 1968 72
L
 9 Barrow L A 7 17 VIEW
15th Jan 1968 73
W
 9 Barrow L H 6 2 VIEW
20th Jan 1968 74
W
 9 Oldham L A 26 14 VIEW
22nd Jan 1968 75
L
 9 Swinton L H 10 17 1 VIEW
27th Jan 1968 76
L
 9 Workington Town L A 5 14 VIEW
3rd Feb 1968 77
L
 9 Huddersfield CC1 H 0 5 VIEW
23rd Feb 1968 78
L
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 12 VIEW
26th Feb 1968 79
W
 9 Whitehaven L H 31 8 1 VIEW
6th Mar 1968 80
W
 9 Warrington L A 12 6 VIEW
9th Mar 1968 81
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L A 23 7 1 VIEW
16th Mar 1968 82
W
 9 Widnes L H 18 13 VIEW
19th Mar 1968 83
L
 9 Leeds L H 4 12 VIEW
23rd Mar 1968 84
L
 9 Wakefield Trinity L A 3 23 VIEW
12th Apr 1968 85
W
 9 Wigan L H 24 13 VIEW
15th Apr 1968 86
W
 9 Swinton L A 19 16 VIEW
19th Apr 1968 87
W
 9 Halifax Ch1 H 31 2 VIEW
24th Apr 1968 88
W
 9 Warrington Ch2 H 20 0 VIEW
27th Apr 1968 89
L
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers ChSF A 10 23 VIEW
9th Aug 1968 --
W
 9 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup H 13 9 VIEW
14th Aug 1968 90
W
 9 Wakefield Trinity L A 5 0 VIEW
20th Aug 1968 91
W
 9 Whitehaven L H 28 9 VIEW
24th Aug 1968 92
L
 9 Leeds L A 13 20 VIEW
28th Aug 1968 93
W
 9 Wakefield Trinity L H 24 8 VIEW
31st Aug 1968 94
W
 9 Widnes L H 24 9 1 VIEW
7th Sep 1968 95
W
 9 Wigan LC1 H 19 16 VIEW
14th Sep 1968 96
W
 9 Leigh L H 27 2 1 VIEW
18th Sep 1968 97
W
 9 Widnes LC2 A 20 17 1 VIEW
20th Sep 1968 98
W
 9 Huyton L H 11 10 VIEW
27th Sep 1968 99
W
 9 Warrington L H 24 11 1 VIEW
4th Oct 1968 100
D
 9 Salford L A 10 10 VIEW
7th Oct 1968 101
W
 9 Leigh LCSF A 17 6 VIEW
12th Oct 1968 102
W
 9 Leeds L H 28 3 1 VIEW
14th Oct 1968 103
W
 9 Swinton FT1 H 12 10 VIEW
19th Oct 1968 104
W
 9 Workington Town L A 13 2 1 VIEW
25th Oct 1968 105
W
 9 Oldham LCF N 30 2 VIEW
9th Nov 1968 106
W
 9 Doncaster L A 22 8 VIEW
11th Nov 1968 107
W
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 21 5 VIEW
16th Nov 1968 108
D
 9 Salford L H 9 9 VIEW
23rd Nov 1968 109
W
 9 Warrington L A 20 5 1 VIEW
26th Nov 1968 110
W
 9 Hull FT2 H 14 10 VIEW
4th Dec 1968 111
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L H 13 10 VIEW
10th Dec 1968 112
W
 9 Warrington FTSF H 29 6 1 VIEW
17th Dec 1968 113
L
 9 Wigan FTF A 4 7 VIEW
26th Dec 1968 114
W
 9 Wigan L AB H 11 3 VIEW
1st Jan 1969 115
W
 9 Swinton L A 15 5 1 VIEW
6th Jan 1969 116
W
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 16 5 VIEW
14th Jan 1969 117
W
 9 Wigan L H 13 3 VIEW
18th Jan 1969 118
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L H 17 7 VIEW
25th Jan 1969 119
W
 9 Hull CC1 A 13 3 VIEW
25th Feb 1969 120
W
 9 Oldham CC2 A 15 6 VIEW
1st Mar 1969 121
L
 9 Warrington CC3 A 2 4 VIEW
15th Mar 1969 --NPS
L
 14 Leigh L A 10 12 VIEW
21st Mar 1969 122
W
 9 Widnes L A 18 4 VIEW
24th Mar 1969 123
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L H 43 12 VIEW
28th Mar 1969 124
W
 9 Oldham L H 19 4 VIEW
4th Apr 1969 125
L
 9 Wigan L A 10 34 VIEW
7th Apr 1969 126
W
 9 Swinton L H 40 5 VIEW
12th Apr 1969 127
L
 9 Workington Town L H 5 8 VIEW
15th Apr 1969 128
W
 9 Oldham L A 17 2 VIEW
19th Apr 1969 129
W
 9 Doncaster L H 57 5 VIEW
26th Apr 1969 130
W
 9 Keighley Ch1 H 25 7 VIEW
3rd May 1969 131
W
 9 Featherstone Rovers Ch2 H 47 4 VIEW
10th May 1969 132
L
 9 Castleford ChSF H 6 18 VIEW
16th Aug 1969 --NPS
W
 15 Castleford L H 27 3 VIEW
20th Aug 1969 133
L
 9 Widnes L A 5 17 VIEW
10th Jan 1970 134
W
 9 Batley L H 22 9 VIEW
27th Jan 1970 --NPS
L
 15 Salford L H 15 16 VIEW
23rd Mar 1970 135
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L A 10 0 VIEW
28th Mar 1970 136
W
 9 Leeds L H 12 5 VIEW
4th Apr 1970 137
L
 9 Castleford CCSF N 3 6 VIEW
6th Apr 1970 --NPS
W
 15 Oldham L A 43 0 VIEW
10th Apr 1970 138
W
 9 Widnes L H 15 12 VIEW
18th Apr 1970 139
W
 9 Warrington Ch1 H 36 8 VIEW
25th Apr 1970 140
W
 9 Leigh Ch2 H 16 5 VIEW
2nd May 1970 141
D
 9 Castleford ChSF A 9 9 VIEW
4th May 1970 142
W
 9 Castleford ChSF(rep) H 21 12 VIEW
16th May 1970 143
W
 9 Leeds ChF N 24 12 1 VIEW
22nd Sep 1970 144
W
 9 Hull L H 30 9 1 VIEW
26th Sep 1970 145
W
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 38 3 1 VIEW
12th Dec 1970 146
W
 9 Castleford L H 9 5 VIEW
19th Dec 1970 147
W
 9 Bramley L H 34 0 1 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 111 | LOSSES : 32 | DRAWS : 10

GALLERY





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