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Sir Billy Boston MBE RIP

Cumbrian Fanatic
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Cumbrian Fanatic

Cumbrian Fanatic

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Posted (edited)

Billy Boston has passed away aged 92 just a few days after his wife's funeral.

Had the pleasure of speaking to the great man in his pub many years ago, an absolute gentleman and one of the few great Rugby League players to transcend the sport

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/cwy4zxypry7o

Edited by Cumbrian Fanatic
To amend the title
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100% League 0% Union

Just because I don't know doesn't mean I don't understand


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Cumbrian Fanatic
Cumbrian Fanatic

Billy Boston has passed away aged 92 just a few days after his wife's funeral. Had the pleasure of speaking to the great man in his pub many years ago, an absolute gentleman and one of the few gr

Dunbar
Dunbar

A life to celebrate.  I was too young to see him play live but growing up in Wigan and visiting Central Park, his name was synonymous with Wigan RL and Rugby League in general.  The fact he

Damien
Damien

Lovely tribute from Wigan:    

EastLondonMike

EastLondonMike

Posted
Posted

Sad news indeed. One of the all time greats. Rest easy Billy.

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Newham Dockers - Champions 2013. Rugby League For East London. 100% Cockney Rugby League!

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Dunbar

Dunbar

Posted
Posted

A life to celebrate. 

I was too young to see him play live but growing up in Wigan and visiting Central Park, his name was synonymous with Wigan RL and Rugby League in general. 

The fact he has a statue in Cardiff, Wigan and at Wembley says it all really.

Legend is an overused word. Not in this case.

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"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

  • John Drake changed the title to Billy Boston MBE RIP
Futtocks

Futtocks

Posted
Posted

One of the true greats and, by all accounts, a thoroughly good bloke.

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Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wiltshire Warrior Dragon

Wiltshire Warrior Dragon

Posted
Posted (edited)

On 25 January, 1964, I attended my first ever rugby league match, Wigan -v- Fev at Central Park.  My school mate, Ian Ibbotson from Atherton, took me (I lived in Astley then)

The first time Boston touched the ball he just managed to get his fingertips to a poor pass - too high and behind him.  It went into touch.  The next time he touched the ball he held on to it and went through, as much as round, his opposite number to score a try.  I was a lifelong Billy fan.

His death, so soon after that of his wife, makes you think that maybe you can die of a broken heart.

RIP, great man.

Edited by Wiltshire Warrior Dragon
spelling mistake
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ELBOWSEYE

ELBOWSEYE

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Posted

RIP sir Billy  absolute legend, sits in top level of any sportsman in any sport.

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Waynebennettswinger

Waynebennettswinger

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Posted

Beyond any rivalry and beyond even our own sport Billy Boston was an absolute legend, trail blazer and real gentleman.

My grandad was at Saints and he was very honest about many players, our own included, but he was only ever full of the greatest of praise for Billy Boston as a player and man.

 

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Click

Click

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, EggFace said:

I just looked at the BBC page on his passing and history and it has 405 comments  already 😲...RIP Sir Billy.

And almost all of those comments have at least 1 or 2 sad individuals who felt the need to go through and downvote each of those comments.

There are lots of sad people in this world

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EggFace

EggFace

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Posted
Just now, Click said:

And almost all of those comments have at least 1 or 2 sad individuals who felt the need to go through and downvote each of those comments.

There are lots of sad people in this world

I think I not bother reading it as it pee me off but thank you for the heads up👍

BadlyOverdrawnBoy

BadlyOverdrawnBoy

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, Click said:

And almost all of those comments have at least 1 or 2 sad individuals who felt the need to go through and downvote each of those comments.

Nothing new. Billy was subjected to racist abuse at every match I saw him play, as was every other black player 

Dunbar

Dunbar

Posted
Posted

Can we change the title to Sir Billy Boston please

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"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

Futtocks

Futtocks

Posted
Posted

Mirror obit: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/british-sport-lost-true-colossus-37591206

Grauniad: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/aug/25/sir-billy-boston-first-rugby-league-player-to-receive-knighthood-dies-aged-92 

Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2026/08/25/sir-billy-boston-first-rugby-league-knight-died-obituary/

Times: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/obituaries/article/sir-billy-boston-death-obituary-rugby-league-wigan-wales-pszbwnqc6

Many more to come, I'm sure.

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Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cumbrian Fanatic

Cumbrian Fanatic

Posted
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Posted
1 minute ago, Dunbar said:

Can we change the title to Sir Billy Boston please

I did have that in the original title but it seems to have been merged with a thread from Damien, I assume we were typing at the same time, and it seems to have been missed.

As I type this, it's just been one of the headlines at the start of the 6 o'clock BBC news 

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100% League 0% Union

Just because I don't know doesn't mean I don't understand

Irish Saint

Irish Saint

Posted
Posted

Rest in Peace Sir Billy.

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Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor but because we cannot satisfy the rich.

Cumbrian Fanatic

Cumbrian Fanatic

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Posted
6 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Can we change the title to Sir Billy Boston please

Done - didn't realise that I could edit the title 

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100% League 0% Union

Just because I don't know doesn't mean I don't understand

Futtocks

Futtocks

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

Done - didn't realise that I could edit the title 

A thread creator can edit the title. Or you can report the original post with a request for a rename.

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Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Future is League

The Future is League

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

Billy Boston has passed away aged 92 just a few days after his wife's funeral.

Had the pleasure of speaking to the great man in his pub many years ago, an absolute gentleman and one of the few great Rugby League players to transcend the sport

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/articles/cwy4zxypry7o

To say he was a giant of our game is an understatement. He was more than that. RIP great man.

graveyard johnny

graveyard johnny

Posted
Posted (edited)

bbc main news at 6  recognising his passing with a tribute at the end was good and well deserved- bless him

Edited by graveyard johnny
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I'm having my fun and that's all that matters 

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