Bill Major

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
01-02-1936
N/A
Date unknown.
Widnes
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
03-02-1962 v Huddersfield
Castleford
1964- when he Retired
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1961-1963
81 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
3
0
0
9

Biography of Bill Major



HERITAGE NO : 791

William Major by Dave Dooley:

Bill Major was a born leader for the club playing over 80 matches in the mid-sixties. Born in Warrington, he signed from Widnes in an exchange deal involving the great Vinty Karalius in late January, 1962. He made his debut against Huddersfield in the 35 to 13 points away victory on the 3rd. February 1962. Bill`s reading of the game was exemplary and he perfected the offload in the tackle by casting his arms over the shoulders of the defender and flicking a short pass to a supporting Saints` player. Always with a keen eye for a chink in the defence of the opposition it was no surprise when he was appointed the captain of the team.

In this half-season Bill scored his first try for the club in a 12 points to 8 away win against Hull. This solitary try was the only one in 18 matches to the end of the season.

On 27th.October, 1962 Bill was Captain when the Club won the Lancashire Cup as Saints defeated Swinton by 7 points to 4 in front of a crowd of over 23 000 at Central Park. Bill scored his last two tries for the club this season in 10 points all draw against Castleford and the Boxing Day victory over Wigan by 20 points to 11.

The following season Bill was again captain as Saints lifted the Lancashire Cup for the fourth year in succession. This time the opposition was Leigh as 21 231 spectators witness Saints overcome the Leythers by 15 points to 4. The second half of the season saw changing fortunes for Bill as a raft of talented forwards pressed hard for a starting position in the pack. Bill was eventually ousted from the loose forward berth by another precocious Widnesian, Doug Laughton.

Bill Major played 81 matches for the club. He scored 3 tries and kicked no goals for an aggregate score of 9 points. When Bill joined the Saints, the Club felt a need to build a new side to continue to challenge for the game`s top honours. With established stars like Murphy, Vollenhoven and Watson Saints needed a steer whilst the team was being rebuilt. His experience and tactical awareness were invaluable. Cometh the hour, cometh the man; Bill Major was a very important signing for the Club in bringing on the young guns in Saints pack with tremendous promise.

Sad to report that Bill passed away in June 2015 in Redditch, Worcestershire aged 79.



SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1961~621 0 0 18
1962~63 2 0 0 42
1963~640 0 0 21
TOTALS:3 0 0 81
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1962~630001
TOTALS:0001

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
3rd Feb 1962 1
W
 13 Huddersfield L H 36 5 VIEW
10th Feb 1962 2
W
 13 Salford CC1 A 15 2 VIEW
17th Feb 1962 3
W
 13 Salford L H 17 12 VIEW
24th Feb 1962 4
L
 13 Leigh L A 6 7 VIEW
3rd Mar 1962 5
L
 13 Huddersfield CC2 H 2 13 VIEW
10th Mar 1962 6
W
 13 Rochdale Hornets L H 16 5 VIEW
13th Mar 1962 7
W
 13 Liverpool City L H 31 7 VIEW
17th Mar 1962 8
L
 13 Oldham L A 7 10 VIEW
24th Mar 1962 9
W
 13 Widnes L H 13 8 VIEW
31st Mar 1962 10
W
 13 Swinton L H 5 2 VIEW
3rd Apr 1962 11
W
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 27 2 VIEW
7th Apr 1962 12
W
 13 Hull L A 12 8 1 VIEW
9th Apr 1962 13
W
 13 Leigh L H 42 4 VIEW
20th Apr 1962 14
L
 13 Wigan L H 16 18 VIEW
21st Apr 1962 15
W
 13 Liverpool City L A 14 2 VIEW
23rd Apr 1962 16
W
 13 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
28th Apr 1962 17
L
 13 Wigan L A 3 12 VIEW
2nd May 1962 18
W
 13 Huddersfield L A 16 9 VIEW
10th Aug 1962 --
W
 13 Liverpool City* Fr Charity Cup H 33 2 VIEW
18th Aug 1962 19
W
 13 Salford WDC A 35 24 VIEW
22nd Aug 1962 20
W
 13 Leigh WDC H 21 3 VIEW
25th Aug 1962 21
W
 13 Blackpool Borough WDC H 21 12 VIEW
30th Aug 1962 22
W
 13 Liverpool City WDC A 16 9 VIEW
1st Sep 1962 23
W
 13 Salford WDC H 59 0 VIEW
8th Sep 1962 24
W
 13 Liverpool City LC1 H 22 0 VIEW
15th Sep 1962 25
W
 13 Leigh WDC A 20 10 VIEW
18th Sep 1962 26
W
 13 Blackpool Borough LC2 A 14 3 VIEW
22nd Sep 1962 27
W
 13 Liverpool City WDC H 32 3 VIEW
29th Sep 1962 28
D
 13 Blackpool Borough WDC A 12 12 VIEW
2nd Oct 1962 29
W
 13 Oldham LCSF A 10 8 VIEW
6th Oct 1962 30
L
 13 Warrington L A 13 21 VIEW
9th Oct 1962 31
L
 13 Widnes WDCSF H 9 10 VIEW
13th Oct 1962 32
D
 13 Castleford L H 10 10 1 VIEW
20th Oct 1962 33
W
 13 Huddersfield L A 22 9 VIEW
27th Oct 1962 34
W
 13 Swinton LCF N 7 4 VIEW
3rd Nov 1962 35
L
 13 Leeds L A 7 14 VIEW
10th Nov 1962 36
L
 13 Warrington L H 2 4 VIEW
17th Nov 1962 37
W
 13 Castleford L A 8 7 VIEW
24th Nov 1962 38
W
 8 Huddersfield L H 36 3 VIEW
1st Dec 1962 39
L
 13 Workington Town L A 5 8 VIEW
8th Dec 1962 40
W
 8 Leeds L H 13 6 VIEW
15th Dec 1962 41
L
 8 Wakefield Trinity L A 7 10 VIEW
22nd Dec 1962 42
W
 8 Hull L H 27 14 VIEW
9th Mar 1963 43
L
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 2 3 VIEW
11th Mar 1963 44
L
 13 Halifax CC1 A 2 9 VIEW
23rd Mar 1963 45
W
 13 Bramley L H 38 0 VIEW
26th Mar 1963 46
W
 13 Wigan L H 20 11 1 VIEW
30th Mar 1963 47
W
 13 Featherstone Rovers L A 17 10 VIEW
1st Apr 1963 48
W
 13 Workington Town L H 29 0 VIEW
6th Apr 1963 49
W
 13 Halifax L H 33 3 VIEW
12th Apr 1963 50
W
 13 Wigan L A 24 4 VIEW
13th Apr 1963 51
L
 13 Swinton L A 8 9 VIEW
15th Apr 1963 52
L
 13 Swinton L H 9 24 VIEW
29th Apr 1963 53
L
 13 Wakefield Trinity L H 15 16 VIEW
4th May 1963 54
W
 13 Widnes L A 25 2 VIEW
6th May 1963 55
W
 13 Oldham L H 22 8 VIEW
13th May 1963 56
W
 13 Widnes L H 14 6 VIEW
18th May 1963 57
W
 13 Bramley L A 21 9 VIEW
25th May 1963 58
W
 13 Halifax L A 33 5 VIEW
27th May 1963 59
W
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 16 15 VIEW
30th May 1963 60
W
 13 Oldham L A 24 9 VIEW
24th Aug 1963 61
L
 13 Huddersfield L H 7 10 VIEW
2nd Sep 1963 62
W
 13 Hunslet L A 15 7 VIEW
7th Sep 1963 63
W
 13 Swinton LC1 A 12 2 VIEW
14th Sep 1963 64
W
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 40 5 VIEW
16th Sep 1963 65
W
 13 Workington Town LC2 H 28 4 VIEW
21st Sep 1963 66
L
 13 Halifax L A 5 13 VIEW
5th Oct 1963 67
W
 13 Barrow WDC H 19 15 VIEW
12th Oct 1963 68
W
 13 Leeds L A 10 2 VIEW
19th Oct 1963 69
W
 13 Hull L H 11 10 VIEW
26th Oct 1963 70
W
 13 Leigh LCF N 15 4 VIEW
2nd Nov 1963 71
W
 13 Warrington L H 19 8 VIEW
30th Nov 1963 72
W
 13 Liverpool City WDC H 16 0 VIEW
7th Dec 1963 73
W
 13 Wakefield Trinity L A 8 7 VIEW
14th Dec 1963 74
L
 13 Halifax L H 12 13 VIEW
28th Dec 1963 75
W
 13 Workington Town L A 5 0 VIEW
1st Jan 1964 76
L
 10 Swinton L H 6 8 VIEW
4th Jan 1964 77
W
 10 Salford WDC A 15 5 VIEW
11th Jan 1964 78
L
 12 Hunslet L H 10 12 VIEW
25th Jan 1964 79
W
 8 Keighley L H 28 3 VIEW
1st Feb 1964 80
W
 8 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 9 5 VIEW
8th Feb 1964 81
L
 8 Castleford CC1 H 6 13 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 58 | LOSSES : 22 | DRAWS : 2

GALLERY





Copyright © Saints Heritage Society 1999-2024.