MEN 1873-1895
MEN 1895-2024
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Bill Whittaker

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
15-04-1920
N/A
-03-1949
Widnes
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
19-03-1949 v Salford
Oldham
1953-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1948-1952
143 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
10
0
0
30

Biography of Bill Whittaker



HERITAGE NO : 683
Bill Whittaker by Alex Service

Bill was a grafting front-row forward of the old school, who joined the Saints as part of their team-building policy in March 1949 for a '1500 fee from his home-town club Widnes. He was over six foot and 16 stones and was adept at carting the ball up in relentless fashion. Bill made his debut in a 6-7 reversal against Salford at the Willows on 19th March 1949. The Saints team lined up as follows, Lowe, Llewellyn, Jimmy Stott, Tommy Stott, McCormick, Greenall, Beesley, Whittaker, Dutton, Dicky Jones, Parsons, Aston and Prescott. The coach was Peter Lyons, who would have probably had some influence in bringing Bill to Knowsley Road with his Widnes connections

Bill remained at St. Helens for the start of the Jim Sullivan coaching era. He played in the 1952 Lancashire Cup final against Leigh, although the Saints lost 22-5. In what was a great season for the club, Bill was not selected for the Wembley squad and did not feature in the Championship final at the end of the season.

His last match for the club was against Oldham at the Watersheddings, which had a real end of season air to it in some ways. Yet the Saints pulled off a wonderful 14-13 victory, with tries from Jimmy Honey, Peter Metcalfe and four goals from George Langfield. The team had indeed shown many changes from Bill's first match for the club, Moses, Howard, Dickinson, Roach, Honey, Metcalfe, Langfield, Prescott, Winstanley, Whittaker, Doug Holland, Thornett, Karalius.

'Bill was quite a character,' remembers Denis Whittle. 'He had a chip shop in Prescot and he went on to be a Board member at Liverpool City and Huyton when he finished playing. I think he was Chairman for a spell at one time too.' Bill attended functions with the Saints Past Players Association.

In 1921 Bill was living in Mersey Road, Widnes. He lived with his father, John a Labourer at the Peter Spence Chemical Manufacturers, and mother Lily. Bill and passed away in September 2011 at the age of 91. He played in 143 matches and his efforts in establishing the Saints as a member of the rugby league elite will never be forgotten.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1948~490 0 0 8
1949~50 3 0 0 40
1950~511 0 0 37
1951~524 0 0 34
1952~532 0 0 24
TOTALS:10 0 0 143
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1948~491004
1949~500002
1950~513004
1951~520003
1952~53 0001
1953~540001
TOTALS:40015

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
19th Mar 1949 1
L
 8 Salford L A 6 7 VIEW
26th Mar 1949 --
L
 8 Batley* Fr H 10 12 VIEW
31st Mar 1949 2
L
 8 Wigan L H 8 13 VIEW
9th Apr 1949 3
W
 8 Halifax L A 8 3 VIEW
15th Apr 1949 4
L
 8 Wigan L A 5 19 VIEW
16th Apr 1949 5
L
 8 Huddersfield L A 0 34 VIEW
18th Apr 1949 6
L
 11 Keighley L H 2 4 VIEW
23rd Apr 1949 7
L
 8 Swinton L A 3 16 VIEW
25th Apr 1949 8
W
 8 Barrow L H 16 5 VIEW
16th May 1949 --
L
 8 Huddersfield* Fr Tour P 11 46 VIEW
18th May 1949 --
W
 9 Huddersfield* Fr Tour B 33 17 VIEW
21st May 1949 --
L
 8 Huddersfield* Fr Tour A 16 25 1 VIEW
13th Aug 1949 --
W
 8 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 34 22 VIEW
20th Aug 1949 9
L
 8 Widnes L A 2 15 VIEW
25th Aug 1949 10
W
 8 Wakefield Trinity L H 22 12 VIEW
27th Aug 1949 11
L
 8 Workington Town LC1(1) H 0 7 VIEW
31st Aug 1949 12
L
 8 Workington Town LC1(2) A 4 7 VIEW
3rd Sep 1949 13
L
 8 Dewsbury L A 12 18 VIEW
7th Sep 1949 14
L
 8 Barrow L A 3 18 VIEW
10th Sep 1949 15
W
 11 Oldham L H 16 8 VIEW
17th Sep 1949 16
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity L A 9 12 VIEW
19th Sep 1949 17
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 12 5 VIEW
24th Sep 1949 18
W
 10 Workington Town L H 43 10 VIEW
1st Oct 1949 19
W
 10 Bramley L H 39 2 1 VIEW
15th Oct 1949 20
W
 10 Belle Vue Rangers L H 28 5 VIEW
22nd Oct 1949 21
W
 10 Oldham L A 12 2 VIEW
29th Oct 1949 --
W
 10 Leeds* Fr H 18 12 VIEW
5th Nov 1949 22
D
 10 Hull L A 5 5 VIEW
12th Nov 1949 23
W
 10 Warrington L A 7 3 VIEW
19th Nov 1949 24
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 14 3 1 VIEW
26th Nov 1949 25
W
 10 Liverpool Stanley L A 11 3 VIEW
3rd Dec 1949 26
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L H 23 0 VIEW
10th Dec 1949 27
L
 10 Salford L A 4 8 VIEW
17th Dec 1949 28
W
 10 Widnes L H 7 0 VIEW
24th Dec 1949 29
W
 10 Whitehaven L A 14 7 VIEW
26th Dec 1949 30
W
 10 Wigan L H 15 8 VIEW
27th Dec 1949 31
W
 10 Swinton L H 10 5 VIEW
31st Dec 1949 32
L
 10 Leigh L A 10 15 VIEW
2nd Jan 1950 33
W
 10 Hull L H 30 0 1 VIEW
21st Jan 1950 34
L
 10 Dewsbury L H 2 15 VIEW
4th Feb 1950 35
W
 10 Halifax CC1(1) H 10 6 VIEW
11th Feb 1950 36
L
 10 Halifax CC1(2) A 0 2 VIEW
18th Feb 1950 37
L
 10 Swinton L A 8 11 VIEW
25th Feb 1950 38
W
 10 Salford CC2 A 9 2 VIEW
4th Mar 1950 39
W
 10 Warrington L H 12 3 VIEW
11th Mar 1950 40
D
 10 Bradford Northern CC3 H 0 0 VIEW
15th Mar 1950 41
L
 10 Bradford Northern CC3(rep) A 0 11 VIEW
18th Mar 1950 42
D
 10 Belle Vue Rangers L A 7 7 VIEW
25th Mar 1950 43
L
 8 Workington Town L A 0 5 VIEW
1st Apr 1950 44
W
 8 Liverpool Stanley L H 27 2 VIEW
7th Apr 1950 45
L
 10 Wigan L A 12 17 VIEW
8th Apr 1950 46
W
 10 Barrow L H 16 0 VIEW
10th Apr 1950 47
W
 10 Whitehaven L H 30 17 VIEW
15th Apr 1950 48
L
 10 Leigh L H 5 12 VIEW
12th Aug 1950 --
W
 11 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 15 2 VIEW
19th Aug 1950 49
W
 8 Widnes L H 17 2 VIEW
23rd Aug 1950 50
W
 10 Barrow L A 14 4 VIEW
26th Aug 1950 51
W
 10 Liverpool Stanley L A 36 2 VIEW
30th Aug 1950 --
W
 10 Italy* Fr H 74 38 2 VIEW
13th Sep 1950 52
W
 12 Swinton LC1(2) H 11 3 1 VIEW
16th Sep 1950 53
L
 11 Workington Town L A 11 19 VIEW
23rd Sep 1950 54
W
 8 Swinton L H 21 2 VIEW
27th Sep 1950 55
W
 11 Salford LC2 H 20 3 VIEW
30th Sep 1950 56
L
 11 Huddersfield L A 9 19 VIEW
5th Oct 1950 --
W
 10 Carcassonne * Fr H 24 22 VIEW
11th Oct 1950 57
L
 8 Wigan LCSF H 7 9 VIEW
14th Oct 1950 58
L
 10 Salford L A 3 25 VIEW
21st Oct 1950 59
W
 8 Liverpool Stanley L H 26 4 VIEW
28th Oct 1950 60
L
 8 Warrington L A 2 19 VIEW
4th Nov 1950 61
W
 8 Workington Town L H 13 11 VIEW
11th Nov 1950 62
L
 8 Oldham L H 7 13 VIEW
18th Nov 1950 63
D
 8 York L A 6 6 VIEW
25th Nov 1950 64
W
 8 Hull L A 16 5 VIEW
2nd Dec 1950 65
W
 8 Whitehaven L H 47 10 VIEW
9th Dec 1950 66
W
 8 Rochdale Hornets L A 38 8 VIEW
23rd Dec 1950 67
W
 8 Swinton L A 11 3 VIEW
25th Dec 1950 68
L
 8 Leigh L H 2 12 VIEW
13th Jan 1951 69
L
 8 Belle Vue Rangers L A 8 9 VIEW
20th Jan 1951 70
W
 8 Barrow L H 10 6 VIEW
27th Jan 1951 71
W
 8 Whitehaven L A 3 2 VIEW
3rd Feb 1951 72
W
 8 Salford L H 10 0 VIEW
10th Feb 1951 73
L
 8 Bradford Northern CC1(1) A 6 11 VIEW
17th Feb 1951 74
W
 8 Bradford Northern CC1(2) H 4 0 VIEW
24th Feb 1951 75
L
 10 Hunslet L A 4 8 VIEW
17th Mar 1951 76
W
 12 Belle Vue Rangers L H 13 4 VIEW
23rd Mar 1951 77
L
 12 Wigan L A 13 22 VIEW
24th Mar 1951 78
W
 12 Warrington L H 5 3 VIEW
26th Mar 1951 79
L
 12 Oldham L AB A 0 3 VIEW
4th Apr 1951 80
W
 12 Leeds L H 22 14 VIEW
7th Apr 1951 81
L
 12 Oldham L A 4 17 VIEW
12th Apr 1951 82
W
 12 Widnes L A 5 2 VIEW
14th Apr 1951 83
W
 12 Leeds L A 9 3 VIEW
18th Apr 1951 84
L
 12 Huddersfield L H 9 14 VIEW
25th Apr 1951 85
L
 11 Leigh L A 7 10 VIEW
30th Apr 1951 --
W
 11 Players Union * Fr H 45 38 1 VIEW
18th Aug 1951 86
W
 12 Widnes L A 20 11 VIEW
21st Aug 1951 87
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 20 2 VIEW
25th Aug 1951 88
W
 12 Liverpool City L H 23 3 VIEW
29th Aug 1951 89
D
 12 Swinton L H 12 12 1 VIEW
1st Sep 1951 90
L
 12 Belle Vue Rangers LC1(1) H 4 8 VIEW
6th Sep 1951 91
D
 12 Belle Vue Rangers LC1(2) A 2 2 VIEW
15th Sep 1951 92
L
 12 Oldham L A 7 13 VIEW
22nd Sep 1951 93
W
 11 Barrow L H 16 3 VIEW
29th Sep 1951 94
W
 11 Warrington L A 19 13 1 VIEW
6th Oct 1951 95
L
 12 Hull L H 10 15 VIEW
13th Oct 1951 96
W
 11 Halifax L A 20 9 VIEW
20th Oct 1951 97
L
 12 New Zealand Tour H 10 33 VIEW
27th Oct 1951 98
L
 11 Workington Town L A 8 11 VIEW
3rd Nov 1951 99
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 5 2 VIEW
17th Nov 1951 100
L
 12 Workington Town L H 11 20 VIEW
24th Nov 1951 101
L
 11 Dewsbury L A 2 6 VIEW
15th Dec 1951 102
L
 12 Salford L H 6 14 VIEW
26th Dec 1951 103
D
 11 Wigan L H 2 2 VIEW
29th Dec 1951 104
L
 8 Swinton L A 2 27 VIEW
1st Jan 1952 105
W
 10 Leigh L H 9 0 VIEW
19th Jan 1952 106
L
 10 Whitehaven L A 5 7 VIEW
9th Feb 1952 107
W
 10 Belle Vue Rangers CC1(1) H 6 5 VIEW
16th Feb 1952 108
W
 10 Belle Vue Rangers CC1(2) A 9 4 VIEW
23rd Feb 1952 109
W
 10 Huddersfield L H 37 13 VIEW
1st Mar 1952 110
W
 10 Liverpool City L A 31 6 1 VIEW
8th Mar 1952 111
L
 10 Workington Town CC2 A 4 15 VIEW
15th Mar 1952 112
W
 10 Belle Vue Rangers L A 16 8 VIEW
29th Mar 1952 113
L
 10 Oldham L H 6 10 VIEW
2nd Apr 1952 114
W
 10 Warrington L H 13 5 VIEW
5th Apr 1952 115
L
 10 Hull L A 7 14 VIEW
11th Apr 1952 116
L
 10 Wigan L A 11 15 VIEW
12th Apr 1952 117
W
 10 Halifax L H 16 11 VIEW
14th Apr 1952 118
L
 10 Huddersfield L A 15 34 VIEW
26th Apr 1952 119
L
 10 Barrow L A 8 12 1 VIEW
30th Apr 1952 --
L
 10 Toulouse* Fr Tour A 5 31 VIEW
1st May 1952 --
L
 10 French XIII* Fr Tour T 5 45 VIEW
4th May 1952 --
W
 10 French XIII* Fr Tour F 27 24 VIEW
18th Aug 1952 --
L
 8 Barrow * Fr Ward Cup A 18 32 VIEW
23rd Aug 1952 120
W
 10 Widnes L H 41 2 VIEW
30th Aug 1952 121
W
 10 Barrow LC1(1) A 24 21 VIEW
6th Sep 1952 122
W
 10 Liverpool City L A 42 2 VIEW
10th Sep 1952 123
W
 10 Oldham L H 6 2 VIEW
13th Sep 1952 124
L
 10 Workington Town L H 9 15 VIEW
20th Sep 1952 125
W
 10 Keighley L A 27 7 VIEW
23rd Sep 1952 126
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets LC2 H 31 7 VIEW
4th Oct 1952 127
W
 10 Castleford L H 18 17 VIEW
11th Oct 1952 128
W
 10 Bramley L A 21 0 VIEW
14th Oct 1952 129
W
 10 Warrington LCSF A 17 10 VIEW
18th Oct 1952 130
W
 10 Salford L H 14 6 VIEW
25th Oct 1952 131
L
 10 Huddersfield L H 14 17 VIEW
1st Nov 1952 132
W
 10 Swinton L A 14 7 VIEW
8th Nov 1952 133
W
 10 Barrow L A 14 7 VIEW
15th Nov 1952 134
W
 10 Swinton L H 23 10 VIEW
22nd Nov 1952 135
W
 10 Warrington L A 19 8 VIEW
29th Nov 1952 136
L
 10 Leigh LCF N 5 22 VIEW
13th Dec 1952 137
W
 10 Barrow L H 26 9 1 VIEW
27th Dec 1952 138
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity L A 20 11 VIEW
7th Mar 1953 139
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity L H 69 17 1 VIEW
31st Mar 1953 140
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L A 8 0 VIEW
6th Apr 1953 141
D
 10 Huddersfield L A 10 10 VIEW
11th Apr 1953 142
W
 10 Belle Vue Rangers L H 38 9 VIEW
18th Apr 1953 143
W
 10 Oldham L A 14 13 VIEW
8th Aug 1953 --
W
 10 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 29 20 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 89 | LOSSES : 61 | DRAWS : 8

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