Calls for Boston memorial growing louder

BILLY Boston has been feted at a rugby dinner in Cardiff for the first time amid renewed calls for a permanent memorial of Rugby League’s record British try-scorer.

The event coincided with the launch of a campaign for a statue of Wigan’s original superstar to be erected in the city he left in 1953 without achieving his boyhood ambition of playing for Wales at the Arms Park.

Boston, now 83 and suffering from dementia, has been immortalised in bronze in his adopted Wigan and at Wembley. The tribute dinner, organised by David Power of the Welsh Charitables RFC, brought impassioned pleas from ex-players of both codes for a statue to be commissioned, a plea first made in TRP last year.

Former international referee Alun Wyn Bevan summed it up best: “It’s about time Cardiff as a city and the Welsh Assembly pay him a suitable tribute and erect a life-sized statue akin to those erected for Gareth Edwards and the boxer, Jim Driscoll.’’

The statue in Wigan, unveiled 13 months ago, cost more than £90,000. Dave Whelan, former owner of Wigan Athletic FC, made a large donation and Wigan Council gave £3,000.

At Wembley, within a drop goal of Bobby Moore’s statue, Boston stands forever alongside four other League greats – Martin Offiah, Eric Ashton, Alex Murphy and another Welshman, Gus Risman.

A galaxy of famous names from both sides of the old rugby divide attended the Boston dinner, united in their admiration of a man who grew up in Tiger Bay in Cardiff ’s dockland. They included Clive Rowlands, David Watkins, Dai Morris, Terry Cobner, Jim Mills, Keith Jarrett, Stuart Watkins, Leigh Davies, Nigel Meek and JPR Williams.

“Boston was one of the first rugby players I ever saw, playing in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley,’’ he said. “What a player.”

Boston’s League total of 513 tries from 534 matches stands second on the alltime list, surpassed only by a hollow-cheeked, knobbly-kneed Australian, Brian Bevan, whose 740 tries in 620 matches for Warrington will never be beaten.