Bill Bretherton | |||||||
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OVERALL STATISTICS | |||||||
BIRTH | AGE | SIGNED ON | FROM | ||||
DEBUT | LAST MATCH | LEFT | |||||
CAREER | APPEARANCES (SUBS) | ||||||
TRIES | GOALS | DGOALS | PTS | ||||
Biography of Bill Bretherton |
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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. |
SEASON STATISTICS | ||||
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Season (Official Matches) | Tries | Goals | DGoals | Matches |
1950~51 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
1951~52 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 37 |
1952~53 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
1953~54 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
1954~55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
1955~56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
TOTALS: | 10 | 0 | 0 | 158 |
Season (Other Matches) | Tries | Goals | DGoals | Matches |
1951~52 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
1952~53 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
1953~54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1954~55 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
1955~56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
TOTALS: | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
ALL MATCHES |
Date | Match | Pos | Opponents | Comp | Venue | FT | FTO | T | G | DG | ||
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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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GALLERY |
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