Billy Boston

Billy Boston just before he signed for Wigan, he was playing in a team selected from junior clubs around Cardiff.
The story of his signing,
Born in Cardiff, at No 7 Angelina Street in Tiger Bay, his mother, Nellie, was Cardiff-Irish, and his father, John, was a merchant seaman from Sierra Leone. He was one of 11 children. He went to South Church Street School, in Butetown, and always dreamed of playing for Cardiff and Wales. In fact, his rugby union career was very brief. He played for Cardiff Schools, the CIACS (Cardiff International Athletic Club), the Boys Clubs of Wales and Wales Youth. At senior level he played for Neath before heading North to do his National Service. That put him in the shop-window for Rugby League scouts and it wasn’t long before the Wigan chairman, Joe Taylor, came calling. On Friday, 13 March, 1953, while Billy was home on leave, Taylor and his entourage descended on Angelina Street and offered him £1,000 to sign on. The answer was ‘No’. The money rose to £1,500, but still Billy stuck to his guns. Eventually, his Mum, Nellie, said she would get rid of them, she asked for £3,000 . . . and they agreed. So began one of the greatest rugby league careers of all-time.
As well as scoring try, after try, Billy became one of the biggest crowd pullers and pleasers in the 13-a-side code. That £3,000 investment was arguably the best every made by a Wigan chairman! After just six matches for Wigan he was picked for Great Britain on their tour of Australia, where he became the first black player to play for the Lions and broke the try-scoring record with 36 tries in 18 games. He played 31 games for Great Britain, was the first player to score four tries in a game against New Zealand and also scored against Australia in the decisive game in the 1960 World Championship series that earned GB the world crown.
He won the Rugby League Challenge Cup three times in six trips to Wembley, ran in two tries in the 1960 Championship final to earn Wigan their first title in eight years, and picked up two Lancashire League and one Lancashire Cup winners medals. In 15 years at Wigan between 1953-68 he set records that will never be broken, not least 478 tries in 487 matches for the club.
He was made MBE in 1986 for his services to Rugby League.
William John Boston (Rugby League player) Born in Cardiff on 6 August, 1934

The person who made that statue, was given the wrong photograph to do it from, that statue is a statue of someone else.

Look at the hairline, in the Billy Boston picture in the newspaper, it is of a long and slightly wavy style, with a parting on the left, my hair was like that when I had it, look at the hairline on the statue, it is of a tight curly style, with no parting.

You're right TTS, nowt like him, how the heck did they manage to commission the statue of an important celebrity without proper info, very shabby.

I've seen the photo he was given - and this looks just like it! Must have been a sh*te photo!

Looks like the same bloke did the one in Cardiff. Same base etc.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/giant-statue-three-welsh-rugby-27353769

An old photo of him which is a little closer to his statue imagies, but showing him slightly balding.
They should’ve got you to take his picture OY

https://www.mediastorehouse.co.uk/p/767/billy-boston-plays-rugby-league-blackpool-21250868.jpg.webp

[quote="ramiejamie"]An old photo of him which is a little closer to his statue imagies, but showing him slightly balding.
They should’ve got you to take his picture OY  

I did - at the official unveiling of that statue on Believe Square (I designed the leaflet he's holding too.)

"I did - at the official unveiling of that statue on Believe Square (I designed the leaflet he's holding too.)"

Well done you OY

he looks young