Out 7th October. Looking forward to it

Could be interesting if he tells all the old truths

Such a shame we didn't see the real Ashurst due to injury I recon that side with him injury free would have taken some trophys.

I agree, and may well have then been able to stay together.

That man could mix it with the best and control a game. I remember the crack he got against Wigan, think it was breaney who shouldn't have been selected because of a ban. Chisnell at st Helen's who couldn't get out of the way quick enough when bill pulled his arm back ready to let go. Featherstone Boxing Day I think. He became a very good mate of Nigel bell. Think bill found religion and does not drink. We might of not seen the best of him but I can't think of another anything like him.

He was class and could mix it with the best. I remember a game during a scrum when suddenly the oppositions second row flew backwards out of the pack, the cause of which was a punch of the highest quality from one Bill Ashurst. It was a shame that his knee injury put the end to one of the greatest and creative players of his era. I believe we paid £16,000 to sign him from Wigan.

he was one hard hombre

It will be a must read for me. During that era you needed a hard up front no nonsense pack man, bill also had skill. I honestly can not think of any other player you could say he was like.

And a good laugh in the pub, now wished I'd listened to him

If Bill Ashurst was playing you always knew you were going to see something special. I think he was the best second rower I have ever seen in over 50 years, he had everything.
I'm not criticising the modern game now, because todays game and when Bill played are completely different but I haven't seen a second row forward fit to lace his boots since...well since Bill!

His name was Steve Bresnez and was picked for one specific reason, to sort out BA which he did by breaking his jaw when packing down. Steve was an hgv driver and worked for our company in Wigan because of his size and build he was an intimidating figure which he always used to his advantage so it was very pleasing to see him get his comeuppance in the Bees' Knees' one night when he thought he was on a winner by picking on someone half his size, not a pretty sight

My memories a bit hazy i was only about 8 at the time when my dad started taking me mainly because the pubs shut on a sunday afternoon and you could always get a drink till opening time again under the old stand, being one of my earliest rugby league memories i cant remember who we played but this giant of a man who could hardly walk seemed to throw a dummy the entire opposition took he scythed through with only the full back to beat dinked it over the top of him regathered and scored if so was that him and who was it against ?

Or did he dink it over regathered then sold the full back the most outrageous dummy and scored one thing i do remember was the over powering smell of wintergreen and germolene in those days

I think one of Bill's last games for Wigan was a televised cup tie v Bradford. He got sent off after flattening a procession of Bradford players who made the mistake of approaching him singly. As he walked off the pitch he turned back and flicked the V's at the ref.
I remember thinking why can't we have a player like that. Not long after, we did.

I remember something similar, think it was a Yorkshire Cup game away to Bradford, think it was Mumby who he made look silly 79/80 season.

Regarding the injury he received the previous season, I thought the bloke fractured his cheekbone, & I thought his name was Mick Breheny? My memories are now fading in my senior years, but I thought he was taken off the ball & it was against maybe Workington?

Although it should have been a season ending injury for Ashurst, they rushed him back for the CC final

Bill dinked the ball over the Bradford defence, re-gathered and Toppo followed him through, as keith Mumby the Bradford fullback approached Bill sold him the most outrageous dummy and went in under the sticks to score,

I like everyone else in the ground was watching Toppo, I think he even though he had the ball for a while.

amazing....

Toppo said it was like Roy of the rovers stuff when bill first put pen to paper for wakey. With regards to today's game yes it's totally different now. I still think he's the best second row I have ever seen.

It was a world record fee of £18,000 when we signed him. The £16,000 was his fee from Wigan to Penrith a few years earlier which was also a record fee at that time.

Bet there's more interest in the book from Wakey fans than Pie-Eaters.

Just imagine him fit with the side we had at the time I recon we would have had a side doing a similar job as the sixties side winning trophys alas it wasn't to be.

I'm sure it was against Wigan at home. He d chipped the ball forward and got sandwiched breaney or who ever elbowed him.

bill ashurst is the best player ive ever seen,never saw the great sixties team,but seen bill ashurst play,his ball handling skills were truly amazing,in my opinion he has no equal,and i will be buying his book for certain.

don't know if I am wrong but didn't Bill also used to be very good at kicking from hand and 40/20 nowadays would have been ideal for him

I was asked to write a foreword for the book. I have two hopes:
1. They use it
2. I did him justice

yes, your right he was a great kicker from hand and would have kicked 40 / 20s for fun. i can remember the rayne twins running onto the delayed passes ashurst delivered.he could open up any defence could bill ashurst great player.

When we signed him we had to raise the height of the dug out due to him being so tall. Hence one dug oit being higher than the other!