News circulating on social media that Bill Ashurst has sadly passed away today. Legendary player with a fierce reputation but off the pitch was the sweetest man you could meet, an absolute gentleman.

RIP Bill.

Sad news. I’m not old enough to remember him but my dad and my best mates dads eyes light up talking about his playing days.

It’s been a really sad few months for the club, with the passing of so many legends.

RIP

One of Wigan's few great stars of the 1970s.

Ran his blood to water in the 1970 Cup Final. Certainly wasn't Bill's fault we lost to Cas that day.

I do remember him headbutting Andy Goodway and getting sent off at Central Park in an early round cup game (was it Runcorn as player coach)?

The King is dead, long live the King. A truly great rugby league player both in England and Australia. RIP Bill.

Can honestly say that he was one of the nicest men you could ever wish to meet. Spoke to him regularly when I lived over in Poolstock. A true gentleman. RIP Bill.

Was at his first game for Penrith in 1974 when he debuted with Mike Stephenson and at the Panthers became a huge fan favourite. In 2006 to celebrate their first 40 years in the NSWRFL Panthers picked a team of club legends that had played in that period with Bill being selected( but not Stevo). A huge mural of the team members was subsequently displayed in the foyer of the Panthers Leagues Club for almost 30 years before being moved to the entrance of the adjacent A$22 Million Academy when it was opened in 2016.

Being here since 1968 I have seen all of the UK players that have played here and Bill was in the top tier. He was the first in Aus to use the round-the -corner goal kicking style which pleased me because in the 50 and 60's I used the same technique when I played Rugby in England. I have him in the team as the best I have seen that have played for Wigan.

RIP Bill. Your song has ended but your melody will linger on.

Sad news indeed. I never saw him play but it's obvious from the way people talk about him that he was a genuinely great player.

I met Bill through work a few years back. He sat in the kitchen here talking about rugby and relaying stories with his wife and daughter patiently sat next to him clearly hearing them for the 100th time! A genuinely nice bloke but with bags of character. I'll treasure the signed copy of his autobiography that he gave me. RIP Bill

This was the only time I saw Bill play.

Outrageous headbutt for no reason. I suspect he was absolutely knackered and wanted a rest.

RIP

IIRC Goodway had picked him up and dumped him. He took exception and followed him into the defensive line after playing the ball. There was footage knocking about of it at one point.

Would love to see some footage of Bill's playing days - is there any about anywhere? RIP Bill.

Found this clip of him in a scoring movement for Penrith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR-dVMqfTm8

Found this clip of him in a scoring movement for Penrith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR-dVMqfTm8

Unfortunately for me I never got the chance to speak to him.

For me unquestionably would be in my Wigan 13 (who I've seen live) of all time with very little if any pause for thought.
I have posted previously that Ashurst would literally be a world beater in today's game. I have never seen (live) any player kick better from hand. The 40/20 rule was made for him and he'd quite easily make 2 or 3 a game if he played today. I'm not exaggerating his skill in this department due to his death because he was truly that good. When he played for Wigan it was the 4 tackle rule therefore, very often to make decent yardage whilst in possession a good accurate deep kick was a necessity. Bill Ashurst could do that for fun.

For those who never saw him play I'd say he had the footballing skills of Andy Farrell, the offloading game per Gareth Hock, the aggression of Shaun Wane and the kicking skills of Bill Ashurst. What he didn't have like virtually every player of the 70's was excellent physical fitness which I'm certain he would have acquired if coached by today's coaching staff.

A genuine top class player who rarely, if ever, received the plaudits that he really deserved.

Very very sad news indeed. Bill Ashurst was indeed a great player . Unfortunately, he played in the late 60's and 70's when RL was really for the most part in the 'doldrums'. I remember 'Sash' as being the only highlight for Wigan when he played for us back then in that fallow period. He was a very big rawboned forward, who could 'mix it' with anyone on the field and very often did. If there was trouble on the pitch Bill was usually either the cause of it, or was involved in some way. Mind you, RL at that time was vicious and 'stiff arm tackles' were quite common, as was much 'biff'. Forwards had to be tough and sometimes brutal. Bill Ashurst had though some silky skills in his armoury. He was a rangy forward who could shift a bit on the move, coupled with fine ballplaying abilities. As others have mentioned 'Sash' would be made for todays RL with just his kicking skills. 40-20's came long after Bill 'hung up his boots'. He would have kicked opposition teams off the park today and killed them with his kicking abilities. One rather surprising fact that came out in Bills later life was his finding Jesus and God. My old Dad who had been a Wigan fan from the late 1920's laughed when I told him of Bill Ashursts 'conversion' to God, he wouldn't believe me for quite a while. Such was Bill Ashurst's reputation and exploits on the rugby field . One memory I have is Bill's family used to stand regularly by the wall at Central park many years ago shouting about "Our Bill", with their very broad 'Wiggin accents' and they hailing from Ince. Bill had what would now be called a very unfashionable fringe, that hung over his face and eyes when he got up to play the ball. It is indeed a great shame that not much 'video' exists of Bill Ashurst's exploits on the field - perhaps just as well from one vid that was on Youtube which has seemingly been 'pulled' due to the violence that ensued . But that is how old time rugby was played back then. I would put Bill Ashurst into any all time Wigan RLFC team every time. RIP Bill lad , and thanks for the memories.