Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 2:44 pm  

I see Wigan Rotary are getting involved in the efforts to fund a statue for Billy Boston and having a collection at tomorrow's match.I wonder if A similar effort by the local Rotary at Headingley for a statue for John Holmes because the one proposed by the club looks like it's going to take an awful long time before that comes to fruition

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 2:57 pm  

Good idea from the Wigan rotary. As a youngster I was fortunate to watch Boston at the latter end of his career . What a tremendous player he was. Coupled with fact he has stayed with the Wigan club and the area since his retirement .
Obviously I saw a fair amount of John Holmes career but missed a few games as I was playing rugby at that time. It was a shame John died so young ,he was such a modest lad and a tremendous footballer .

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 4:40 pm  

Backwoodsman wrote: Good idea from the Wigan rotary. As a youngster I was fortunate to watch Boston at the latter end of his career . What a tremendous player he was. Coupled with fact he has stayed with the Wigan club and the area since his retirement . Obviously I saw a fair amount of John Holmes career but missed a few games as I was playing rugby at that time. It was a shame John died so young ,he was such a modest lad and a tremendous footballer . I do agree. Billy Boston was a tremendous winger and part of a great Wigan side. I recall a 5-5 draw in the Cup at Headingley sometime around late 1959/60 when Farmer Jack Fairbank knocked Boston into the paddock with a shoulder charge (was allowed in those days) I went to the replay on the Wednesday at Central Park and we got stuffed with Eric Ashton, McTigue & co having a fine games. John Holmes was certainly one of the very best players to have played for Leeds in my experience. PS: Billy Boston & Lewis Jones will both attend the match on Friday hand over the match ball to the officials. Nice to see them both looking so well in this photo http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/23739.php#.VAXzd8VSiAg

Backwoodsman wrote: Good idea from the Wigan rotary. As a youngster I was fortunate to watch Boston at the latter end of his career . What a tremendous player he was. Coupled with fact he has stayed with the Wigan club and the area since his retirement . Obviously I saw a fair amount of John Holmes career but missed a few games as I was playing rugby at that time. It was a shame John died so young ,he was such a modest lad and a tremendous footballer . I do agree. Billy Boston was a tremendous winger and part of a great Wigan side. I recall a 5-5 draw in the Cup at Headingley sometime around late 1959/60 when Farmer Jack Fairbank knocked Boston into the paddock with a shoulder charge (was allowed in those days) I went to the replay on the Wednesday at Central Park and we got stuffed with Eric Ashton, McTigue & co having a fine games. John Holmes was certainly one of the very best players to have played for Leeds in my experience. PS: Billy Boston & Lewis Jones will both attend the match on Friday hand over the match ball to the officials. Nice to see them both looking so well in this photo http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/23739.php#.VAXzd8VSiAg

[Ex-Swarcliffe Rhino]

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 4:49 pm  

What a fantastic idea by the Wigan rotary. I'll be glad to bob a few quid into such a collection.

Can't see why we couldn't do the same either, although I still think the john Holmes stand would be a befitting commemoration of one of our greatest heroes.

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 4:57 pm  

Juan Cornetto wrote: I do agree. Billy Boston was a tremendous winger and part of a great Wigan side. I recall a 5-5 draw in the Cup at Headingley sometime around late 1959/60 when Farmer Jack Fairbank knocked Boston into the paddock with a shoulder charge (was allowed in those days) I went to the replay on the Wednesday at Central Park and we got stuffed with Eric Ashton, McTigue & co having a fine games. John Holmes was certainly one of the very best players to have played for Leeds in my experience. PS: Billy Boston & Lewis Jones will both attend the match on Friday hand over the match ball to the officials. Nice to see them both looking so well in this photo http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/23739.php#.VAXzd8VSiAg I was at the 5 5 draw But Couldn't get off school for the replay

Juan Cornetto wrote: I do agree. Billy Boston was a tremendous winger and part of a great Wigan side. I recall a 5-5 draw in the Cup at Headingley sometime around late 1959/60 when Farmer Jack Fairbank knocked Boston into the paddock with a shoulder charge (was allowed in those days) I went to the replay on the Wednesday at Central Park and we got stuffed with Eric Ashton, McTigue & co having a fine games. John Holmes was certainly one of the very best players to have played for Leeds in my experience. PS: Billy Boston & Lewis Jones will both attend the match on Friday hand over the match ball to the officials. Nice to see them both looking so well in this photo http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/23739.php#.VAXzd8VSiAg I was at the 5 5 draw But Couldn't get off school for the replay

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:02 pm  

Ex-Swarcliffe Rhino wrote:

What a fantastic idea by the Wigan rotary. I'll be glad to bob a few quid into such a collection.

Can't see why we couldn't do the same either, although I still think the john Holmes stand would be a befitting commemoration of one of our greatest heroes.

yes the club said it intended to commission a John Holmes statue with the rebuild of the 'John Holmes' South stand , but the stand doesn't look like it's going to be done in the near future .Leeds united fans got together for a statue of their legendary manager too

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 7:30 pm  

lionarmour87 wrote:

I was at the 5 5 draw But Couldn't get off school for the replay

I was at a grammar school in Orrell, Wigan and they wouldn't give us the afternoon off. We caught the school bus into Wigan after we finished and ran to Central Park just to see the last fifteen minutes. Fairbank and Ashton got sent off. It was the only time in Eric Ashtons career that he was dismissed.

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 7:33 pm  

Juan Cornetto wrote: I do agree. Billy Boston was a tremendous winger and part of a great Wigan side. I recall a 5-5 draw in the Cup at Headingley sometime around late 1959/60 when Farmer Jack Fairbank knocked Boston into the paddock with a shoulder charge (was allowed in those days) I went to the replay on the Wednesday at Central Park and we got stuffed with Eric Ashton, McTigue & co having a fine games. John Holmes was certainly one of the very best players to have played for Leeds in my experience. PS: Billy Boston & Lewis Jones will both attend the match on Friday hand over the match ball to the officials. Nice to see them both looking so well in this photo http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/23739.php#.VAXzd8VSiAg How much of the salary cap would those two take up now. Sadly probably none, as they would be playing Union. We were out with Alex Murphy and his wife for a meal about a month ago and he said Boston would be the best fullback in the world in todays game.

Juan Cornetto wrote: I do agree. Billy Boston was a tremendous winger and part of a great Wigan side. I recall a 5-5 draw in the Cup at Headingley sometime around late 1959/60 when Farmer Jack Fairbank knocked Boston into the paddock with a shoulder charge (was allowed in those days) I went to the replay on the Wednesday at Central Park and we got stuffed with Eric Ashton, McTigue & co having a fine games. John Holmes was certainly one of the very best players to have played for Leeds in my experience. PS: Billy Boston & Lewis Jones will both attend the match on Friday hand over the match ball to the officials. Nice to see them both looking so well in this photo http://www.therhinos.co.uk/news/23739.php#.VAXzd8VSiAg How much of the salary cap would those two take up now. Sadly probably none, as they would be playing Union. We were out with Alex Murphy and his wife for a meal about a month ago and he said Boston would be the best fullback in the world in todays game.

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 8:11 pm  

lionarmour87 wrote:

I wonder if A similar effort by the local Rotary at Headingley for a statue for John Holmes because the one proposed by the club looks like it's going to take an awful long time before that comes to fruition

Having been involved with the Jack Harrison memorial at the KC, it soon became obvious that if we had relied solely on the club, nothing would've happened.

If you want a similar memorial to John Holmes, then I suggest it starts and ends with the fans. You'll need some club input but the donkey work of fundraising and commissioning a memorial shouldn't be left to the club. Nothing will happen.

The only note of caution I would sound, is the cost of a statue. I know when we looked the cost was absolutely horrendous. Even then, if it hadn't been for the grace of the bronze casting company and Campbell Engineering giving their materials and services FOC, I seriously doubt we'd have seen even the modest memorial to Jack.

What was most gratifying was the support and donations that came from right across the RL spectrum. We really are (or were then), a true family

Re: Wigan Rotary : Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:58 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

I was at a grammar school in Orrell, Wigan and they wouldn't give us the afternoon off. We caught the school bus into Wigan after we finished and ran to Central Park just to see the last fifteen minutes. Fairbank and Ashton got sent off. It was the only time in Eric Ashtons career that he was dismissed.

I remember seeing a little bit of the sending off on late night Granada it was either Keith Macklin or Brian Trueman Eric Ashton was playing the ball and Jack Fairbank was impeding him,but there must have been more to it than that for Eric to lose his cool