Does anyone remember the players strike in the 70s when the first team refused to play and therefore the ‘A’ teamers and a few amateurs from St. Pats stepped in?
when was it, who was the game against, and what was the Wigan team?
thanks

Date Opposition Venue KO Result Tries Goals Att
Sun 13 Nov 77 Warrington Home 3:00 Lost 09-24 Foster (Trialist) 3 5401
Sun 20 Nov 77 JPT QF: Widnes Away 3:00 Lost 00-25 - - 8597

Courtesy of CherryandWhite.co.uk

Before my time, what was the strike about (pay presumably)?

A.N.Other Sivori Stockley Greenall Ramsdale Walsh Foster
Smethurst Martland Gaskell Dootson O'Neill Rennox
A.N Other A.N Other

thanks finfin- I am 99% sure that the two subs trialists were John sharples & Johnny Maye St. Pats

Am I correct in thinking the game was played on a Saturday afternoon? I remember going to it I seem to recall it was Saturday..but it was a long time ago.

The replacement lads gave a real good account of themselves in those matches.

If memory serves, several of the senior players at the root of the trouble got their marching orders shortly afterwards.

Difficult to recall the details now, and whether or not the strikers were at fault. The Wigan fans were pretty peeved at the time, as it had looked as if we were picking up our heels after a few fallow years, but to be honest, the Wigan directors of that era were a real shower and almost certainly provoked it.

Another grim tale from the 1970s, when nothing seemed to go right for Wigan RL.

I thought we played Rochdale away and won then widnes away and got battered

I don't remember this incident, but on a related note, I do remember a cup match against Runcorn Highfield in the late 80s (I think) where Runcorn hastily signed a load of amateurs also due to a players strike. The team was led by ex-Wigan player Bill Ashurst, who was Runcorn coach at the time, and came out of retirement at the age of 42 to help out, only to get sent off about 10 minutes in, for starting a fight with a Wigan player.

We won 92-2, which must have been pretty demoralising for them, especially when Brian Case went to stand off for a spell!

Sash was scrapping with Andy Goodway, and TBH, I think Goodway started it.

The players went on strike in February 1920, because forwards were paid less than backs and refused to travel to Swinton for a league game so the game didn't happen.

In November 1977, it was a row over bonus payments following a JPS Trophy win over New Hunslet. The match bonus was £55, a tenner over basic pay, but the players wanted an extra £35. The board maintained bonuses took into account opponent’s form, standing and the size of the gate and refused to be threatened or dictated to. As a result, a collection of ‘A’ teamers and trialists took on Warrington in the next league fixture and lost 24-9. ‘A’ team coach Peter Smethurst played as captain and brought all the players a chicken as a bonus (he was a butcher), an anonymous fan donated a jubilee crown to each player and the match sponsors gave each of them a tankard and share of the man of the match prize money. After a similar line up went out of the JPS Trophy 25-0 at Widnes, coach Vince Karalius stepped in to act as mediator and the dispute was settled just in time to take on New Hunslet again in the league. They lost, so need to row over bonuses.

(Information gleaned from The Wigan Warriors Miscellany book)

From my memory Ashurst walked over to Goodway ,I think Adi Shelford tried to stop him, and tried (and maybe did) headbut him at which point Goodway retaliated (as you would..). I am not sure if anything went on before that to lead up to it though.

That's a bit out of character for Goodway

Bill was giving us a one-legged cameo of kicks, flips and cut out passes when he decided to go the whole hog and reprise 1970's rugby by calmly walking 15 metres at a play the ball and headbutting Andy. Bill later admitted he had got the wrong man and the repercussions of this incident caused him to lose the coach's job at Runcorn.

didnt he take exception to goodway calling him an old fossil?