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Bill Major

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
01-02-1936
N/A
Date unknown.
Widnes
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
03-02-1962 v Huddersfield
Castleford
1964- when he Retired
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1961-1963
81 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
3
0
0
9

Biography of Bill Major



HERITAGE NO : 791

William Major by Dave Dooley:

Bill Major was a born leader for the club playing over 80 matches in the mid-sixties. Born in Warrington, he signed from Widnes in an exchange deal involving Jimmy Measures in late January, 1962.

Between the 22nd of March 1958 and the 3rd of May 1961 Bill played 97 matches for the Chemics scoring an impressive 19 tries from the loose forward berth. Despite his tender years he was demonstrating his leadership qualities and a great tactical awareness aroundd the pitch.

He made his debut against Huddersfield in the 35 to 13 points home victory on the 3rd. February 1962. His debut would be best remembered for the feat of legendary Mick Sullivan who notched five tries in the demolition of the Farowners. Bill`s reading of the game was exemplary and he perfected the offload in the tackle by casting his arms over the shoulders of the defender and flicking a short pass to a supporting Saints` player.

The programme notes from Bill`s debut match provide us with another glimpse into his early days. Bill and his brother Harry used to play for the same Junior team in Warrington. One day officials from the Warrington RFC came down to one of their Junior fixtures with the intention of assessing Bill with a view to signing him up. Unfortunately, Bill wasn`t available for selection that day but brother Harry played a blinder and the Wire snapped him up leaving Bill to be eventually signed by Widnes. Harry Major went on to become a mainstay of the Warrington team.

Now in Saints` colours Bill always possessed a keen eye for a chink in the defence of the opposition it was no surprise when he was appointed the captain of the team.In the latter half of his first season Bill scored his first try for the club in a 12 points to 8 away win against Hull. This solitary try was the only one in 18 matches to the end of the campaign.

On 27th.October, 1962 Bill was Captain when the Club won the Lancashire Cup as Saints defeated Swinton by 7 points to 4 in front of a crowd of over 23 000 at Central Park. Bill scored his last two tries for the club this season in 10 points all draw against Castleford and the Boxing Day victory over Wigan by 20 points to 11.

The following season Bill was again captain as Saints lifted the Lancashire Cup for the fourth year in succession. This time the opposition was Leigh as 21 231 spectators witnessed Saints overcome the Leythers by 15 points to 4. The second half of the season saw changing fortunes for Bill as a raft of talented forwards pressed hard for a starting position in the pack. After increasing work commitments, Bill retired from professional rugby league. It was the opportunity for Widnes-born youngster Doug Laughton to claim the loose forward berth.

Bill Major played 81 matches for the club. He scored 3 tries and kicked no goals for an aggregate score of 9 points. When Bill joined the Saints, the Club felt a need to build a new side to continue to challenge for the game`s top honours. With established stars like Murphy, Vollenhoven and Watson Saints needed a steer whilst the team was being rebuilt. His experience and tactical awareness were invaluable. Cometh the hour, cometh the man; Bill Major was a very important signing for the Club in bringing on the young guns in Saints pack with tremendous promise.

Sad to report that Bill passed away in June 2015 in Redditch, Worcestershire aged 79.

The following article by Alex Service was written at the end of June 2025.

A few weeks ago, James Major-Mackay contacted St Helens RFC and Saints Heritage Society about the availability of his grandfather Bill Major’s Heritage Number Certificate. He was delighted to learn that it had not been claimed. The superb certificate and brochure were soon dispatched to his home in Wisbech [Cambridgeshire] to add to James’ burgeoning collection of rugby league memorabilia for his family.

Bill Major [Heritage Number #234] will certainly be remembered by those Saints’ fans who watched the team in the early 1960s. Born in Warrington, the burly loose forward was brought in from Widnes as part of the deal that saw young gun second-rower Jimmy Measures join the Chemics. Legendary ‘13’ Vince Karalius was still a Saint at the time but on the list at £8,000 and later joined the Chemics himself, leaving Bill first choice at the base of the scrum. Bill was an excellent ball-handler but he also possessed great leadership skills and he would later assume the role of captain at Knowsley Road.

Bill’s Saints’ career got off to a great start with a 36-5 demolition of Huddersfield in the league at Knowsley Road on 3rd February 1962, with legendary winger Mick Sullivan roaring in for five tries. A month later, the same opponents came for a 2nd round Challenge Cup tie and unfortunately for Saints [who were the cup holders] and Bill Major things did not go according to plan as the Yorkshiremen snatched an improbable 2-13 victory on a pitch which had been cleared of snow.

There were mitigating circumstances, however. After 20 minutes, a Vollenhoven interception down the Popular Side on half-way was crudely halted by a stiff-arm tackle from Huddersfield loose forward Ramsden. Vol went down as if pole-axed and pandemonium ensued. One enraged fan ran on to the pitch to confront the assailant, accompanied by a covering volley of snowballs from the Popular Side. Referee Eric Clay duly dispatched Ramsden for an early bath, together with an enraged skipper Alex Murphy, who had showed his displeasure with events and joined in the ensuing flare up. To compound matters, hooker Bob Dagnall was a virtual passenger in the loose with a leg injury. No replacements in those days. Keith Ashcroft went on the wing, with Sullivan switching to stand off. Huddersfield went on to Wembley where they lost to their Yorkshire rivals Wakefield Trinity.

Major later took over the captaincy and skippered the team in two consecutive Lancashire Cup final victories, in 1962-63, against Swinton and against Leigh the following year. Unfortunately, Bill’s business commitments meant that his days in professional rugby league soon came to a premature end, although injury was also a factor. He played his final game – his 81st – on 8th February 1964 when Castleford beat Saints 6-13 at Knowsley Road in the first round of the Challenge Cup, a huge disappointment for the 16,000 fans. Bill played in the front-row that afternoon with Ray French and hooker Bob Burdell. The back three: John Warlow, Dick Huddart and Keith Ashcroft.

Back to the present and James was delighted to receive his Grandad’s Heritage Certificate and brochure, which will help to keep the memories alive for his extended family. “My Grandad went on to become a Director at Norsk Hydro Aluminium before retiring in his 50s,” says James. “He had four children, two of which passed before he did, including my Mum. He had five grandchildren, all boys and took us to rugby, football and any other sporting event every weekend come rain or shine. The photo shows Bill with his first great-grandchild, Archie. Sadly, he passed away six months later.”

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1961~621 0 0 18
1962~632 0 0 42
1963~640 0 0 21
TOTALS:3 0 0 81
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1962~630001
TOTALS:0001

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
3rd Feb 1962 1
W
 13 Huddersfield L H 36 5 VIEW
10th Feb 1962 2
W
 13 Salford CC1 A 15 2 VIEW
17th Feb 1962 3
W
 13 Salford L H 17 12 VIEW
24th Feb 1962 4
L
 13 Leigh L A 6 7 VIEW
3rd Mar 1962 5
L
 13 Huddersfield CC2 H 2 13 VIEW
10th Mar 1962 6
W
 13 Rochdale Hornets L H 16 5 VIEW
13th Mar 1962 7
W
 13 Liverpool City L H 31 7 VIEW
17th Mar 1962 8
L
 13 Oldham L A 7 10 VIEW
24th Mar 1962 9
W
 13 Widnes L H 13 8 VIEW
31st Mar 1962 10
W
 13 Swinton L H 5 2 VIEW
3rd Apr 1962 11
W
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 27 2 VIEW
7th Apr 1962 12
W
 13 Hull L A 12 8 1 VIEW
9th Apr 1962 13
W
 13 Leigh L H 42 4 VIEW
20th Apr 1962 14
L
 13 Wigan L H 16 18 VIEW
21st Apr 1962 15
W
 13 Liverpool City L A 14 2 VIEW
23rd Apr 1962 16
W
 13 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
28th Apr 1962 17
L
 13 Wigan L A 3 12 VIEW
2nd May 1962 18
W
 13 Huddersfield L A 16 9 VIEW
10th Aug 1962 --
W
 13 Liverpool City* Fr Charity Cup H 33 2 VIEW
18th Aug 1962 19
W
 13 Salford WDC A 35 24 VIEW
22nd Aug 1962 20
W
 13 Leigh WDC H 21 3 VIEW
25th Aug 1962 21
W
 13 Blackpool Borough WDC H 21 12 VIEW
30th Aug 1962 22
W
 13 Liverpool City WDC A 16 9 VIEW
1st Sep 1962 23
W
 13 Salford WDC H 59 0 VIEW
8th Sep 1962 24
W
 13 Liverpool City LC1 H 22 0 VIEW
15th Sep 1962 25
W
 13 Leigh WDC A 20 10 VIEW
18th Sep 1962 26
W
 13 Blackpool Borough LC2 A 14 3 VIEW
22nd Sep 1962 27
W
 13 Liverpool City WDC H 32 3 VIEW
29th Sep 1962 28
D
 13 Blackpool Borough WDC A 12 12 VIEW
2nd Oct 1962 29
W
 13 Oldham LCSF A 10 8 VIEW
6th Oct 1962 30
L
 13 Warrington L A 13 21 VIEW
9th Oct 1962 31
L
 13 Widnes WDCSF H 9 10 VIEW
13th Oct 1962 32
D
 13 Castleford L H 10 10 1 VIEW
20th Oct 1962 33
W
 13 Huddersfield L A 22 9 VIEW
27th Oct 1962 34
W
 13 Swinton LCF N 7 4 VIEW
3rd Nov 1962 35
L
 13 Leeds L A 7 14 VIEW
10th Nov 1962 36
L
 13 Warrington L H 2 4 VIEW
17th Nov 1962 37
W
 13 Castleford L A 8 7 VIEW
24th Nov 1962 38
W
 8 Huddersfield L H 36 3 VIEW
1st Dec 1962 39
L
 13 Workington Town L A 5 8 VIEW
8th Dec 1962 40
W
 8 Leeds L H 13 6 VIEW
15th Dec 1962 41
L
 8 Wakefield Trinity L A 7 10 VIEW
22nd Dec 1962 42
W
 8 Hull L H 27 14 VIEW
9th Mar 1963 43
L
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 2 3 VIEW
11th Mar 1963 44
L
 13 Halifax CC1 A 2 9 VIEW
23rd Mar 1963 45
W
 13 Bramley L H 38 0 VIEW
26th Mar 1963 46
W
 13 Wigan L H 20 11 1 VIEW
30th Mar 1963 47
W
 13 Featherstone Rovers L A 17 10 VIEW
1st Apr 1963 48
W
 13 Workington Town L H 29 0 VIEW
6th Apr 1963 49
W
 13 Halifax L H 33 3 VIEW
12th Apr 1963 50
W
 13 Wigan L A 24 4 VIEW
13th Apr 1963 51
L
 13 Swinton L A 8 9 VIEW
15th Apr 1963 52
L
 13 Swinton L H 9 24 VIEW
29th Apr 1963 53
L
 13 Wakefield Trinity L H 15 16 VIEW
4th May 1963 54
W
 13 Widnes L A 25 2 VIEW
6th May 1963 55
W
 13 Oldham L H 22 8 VIEW
13th May 1963 56
W
 13 Widnes L H 14 6 VIEW
18th May 1963 57
W
 13 Bramley L A 21 9 VIEW
25th May 1963 58
W
 13 Halifax L A 33 5 VIEW
27th May 1963 59
W
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 16 15 VIEW
30th May 1963 60
W
 13 Oldham L A 24 9 VIEW
24th Aug 1963 61
L
 13 Huddersfield L H 7 10 VIEW
2nd Sep 1963 62
W
 13 Hunslet L A 15 7 VIEW
7th Sep 1963 63
W
 13 Swinton LC1 A 12 2 VIEW
14th Sep 1963 64
W
 13 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 40 5 VIEW
16th Sep 1963 65
W
 13 Workington Town LC2 H 28 4 VIEW
21st Sep 1963 66
L
 13 Halifax L A 5 13 VIEW
5th Oct 1963 67
W
 13 Barrow WDC H 19 15 VIEW
12th Oct 1963 68
W
 13 Leeds L A 10 2 VIEW
19th Oct 1963 69
W
 13 Hull L H 11 10 VIEW
26th Oct 1963 70
W
 13 Leigh LCF N 15 4 VIEW
2nd Nov 1963 71
W
 13 Warrington L H 19 8 VIEW
30th Nov 1963 72
W
 13 Liverpool City WDC H 16 0 VIEW
7th Dec 1963 73
W
 13 Wakefield Trinity L A 8 7 VIEW
14th Dec 1963 74
L
 13 Halifax L H 12 13 VIEW
28th Dec 1963 75
W
 13 Workington Town L A 5 0 VIEW
1st Jan 1964 76
L
 10 Swinton L H 6 8 VIEW
4th Jan 1964 77
W
 10 Salford WDC A 15 5 VIEW
11th Jan 1964 78
L
 12 Hunslet L H 10 12 VIEW
25th Jan 1964 79
W
 8 Keighley L H 28 3 VIEW
1st Feb 1964 80
W
 8 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 9 5 VIEW
8th Feb 1964 81
L
 8 Castleford CC1 H 6 13 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 58 | LOSSES : 22 | DRAWS : 2

GALLERY





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