Maurice Bamford : Thu May 23, 2019 12:38 pm  

Sadly passed away aged 83. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/48382880 Was coach when I first started watching Wigan. To me it was the start of the revival of our great club. Signings like Gill, Whitfield, Stephens, Shaw, Juliffe... Etc took us from recently promoted fodder to trophy hunters within a couple of years. Great times, little did we know what was around the corner and Bamford was a part of that process. RIP.

Sadly passed away aged 83. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/48382880 Was coach when I first started watching Wigan. To me it was the start of the revival of our great club. Signings like Gill, Whitfield, Stephens, Shaw, Juliffe... Etc took us from recently promoted fodder to trophy hunters within a couple of years. Great times, little did we know what was around the corner and Bamford was a part of that process. RIP.

Re: Maurice Bamford : Thu May 23, 2019 7:48 pm  

One of only two men to coach Wigan, Leeds and GB. Not a bad CV and one of the game’s great characters. So sad to lose him shortly after Peter Fox-another fine coach and RL voice. RIP

Re: Maurice Bamford : Thu May 23, 2019 9:54 pm  

Your quite right Matty B.

Was Maurice the coach when we signed one of my favourites John Pendlebury ?

Re: Maurice Bamford : Fri May 24, 2019 12:21 am  

fleabag wrote:

Your quite right Matty B.

Was Maurice the coach when we signed one of my favourites John Pendlebury ?

Think you're right, another class player of the time. I remember my dad liked Martin Foy too.

Don't think it was too long in the future we started to sign really good players like Brian Case, Ian Potter and the magnificent Graeme West.

Re: Maurice Bamford : Mon May 27, 2019 8:47 pm  

One of my very favourite rugby people. Wigan played and got beat at Featherstone and we went for a beer after the game with a good friend who was involved with Fev. I was in the toilet and Bamford came in. I asked him why we weren't playing the A team scrum half who I thought looked really promising.

"Where are you sat" he asked? I told him and he said he would come round to us ( the usual crew, sadly only a few of us left). Within five minutes Bamford arrived accompanied by his assistant.

"Tell them why he's not playing, no I'll bloody tell um"
Silence, he frightened us.

"He can only pass the ball on f'in way, we've had him passing the ball against a wall for f'in weeks"

He then sat down with us for over an hour just talking about Rugby League, we couldn't get away.

R.I.P. Maurice, never forgotten.

Then there was the story after being sacked at Wigan, but I'll save that for another day.

Re: Maurice Bamford : Mon May 27, 2019 9:01 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

One of my very favourite rugby people. Wigan played and got beat at Featherstone and we went for a beer after the game with a good friend who was involved with Fev. I was in the toilet and Bamford came in. I asked him why we weren't playing the A team scrum half who I thought looked really promising.

"Where are you sat" he asked? I told him and he said he would come round to us ( the usual crew, sadly only a few of us left). Within five minutes Bamford arrived accompanied by his assistant.

"Tell them why he's not playing, no I'll bloody tell um"
Silence, he frightened us.

"He can only pass the ball on f'in way, we've had him passing the ball against a wall for f'in weeks"

He then sat down with us for over an hour just talking about Rugby League, we couldn't get away.

R.I.P. Maurice, never forgotten.

Then there was the story after being sacked at Wigan, but I'll save that for another day.

Great story Brian, do you remember who the scrum half was and did they ever 'make it'?

Re: Maurice Bamford : Mon May 27, 2019 9:05 pm  

MattyB wrote:

Great story Brian, do you remember who the scrum half was and did they ever 'make it'?

I can't it may have been Adrian Foster, but I' not 100% sure.