Billy Blan
Personal information | ||||||
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Full name | William Blan | |||||
Nickname | Billy | |||||
Born | Birth Registered in April→June 1922 Wigan, Lancashire, England |
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Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Wigan, England |
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Playing information | ||||||
Position | Second-row, Loose forward/Lock | |||||
Club | ||||||
Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
1945–53 | Wigan | 255 | 77 | 4 | 239 | |
1953–55 | Leeds | 45 | ||||
1955 | St. Helens | 17 | 2 | 7 | 20 | |
1955 | Leeds | 11 | ||||
1955–56 | Rochdale Hornets | 10 | ||||
Total | 338 | 79 | 11 | 0 | 259 | |
Representative | ||||||
Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
1950–53 | Lancashire | 6 | ||||
1951 | Great Britain | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
1951–52 | England | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: rugbyleagueproject.org englandrl.co.uk |
William "Billy" Blan (birth registered April→June 1922[1] – 13 April 2008) was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and 1950s. Born in Wigan, Lancashire, he played at representative level for Lancashire, Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan, Leeds and St. Helens, as a Second-row, or Loose forward/Lock, i.e. number 11 or 12, or, 13, during the era of contested scrums.
Contents
Playing career
International honours
Billy Blan won caps for England while at Wigan in 1951 against Wales, and France, in 1952 against Other Nationalities, and won caps for Great Britain while at Wigan in 1951 against New Zealand (3 matches).[2][3]
County Cup final appearances
Billy Blan played Right-Second-row, i.e. number 12, and scored a try in Wigan's the 9-3 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the 1946 Lancashire Cup final during the 1946–47 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 26 October 1946,[4] played Right-Second-row in the 10-7 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the 1947 Lancashire Cup final during the 1947–48 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 1 November 1947,[5] played Right-Second-row in the 14-8 victory over Warrington in the 1948 Lancashire Cup final during the 1948–49 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 13 November 1948,[6] played Loose forward/Lock and scored a try in the 20-7 victory over Leigh in the 1949 Lancashire Cup final during the 1949–50 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 29 October 1949,[7] and played Loose forward/Lock in the 28-5 victory over Warrington in the 1950 Lancashire Cup final during the 1950–51 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 4 November 1950.[8]
Club career
Billy Blan joined Wigan from the Royal Air Force straight after the World War II and won a Championship medal in his first season. In his Wigan career he won two Challenge Cup Winners medals, three Championship medals, and five Lancashire Cup winners medals. Billy Blan made his début for Leeds against Hunslet in the Lazenby Cup at Headingley on Monday 10 August 1953.[9]
Personal life
Blan was the younger brother of the rugby league footballer Jack Blan[1], and the older brother of the rugby league footballer Albert Blan. He died in April 2008, leaving behind his wife, Pat, and five children.[10]
Honoured at Wigan
Billy Blan was a life member at Wigan.[11]
After playing
After Billy Blan finished his playing career, he worked as Wigan's Lottery Manager in Pools Office.
Note
The Civil Registration index gives William Blan's district of birth as being Barnsley, whereas other sources state Wigan.
References
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- ↑ Dalby, Ken (1955). The Headingley Story – 1890–1955 – Volume One – Rugby. The Leeds Cricket, Football & Athletic Co. Ltd ASIN: B0018JNGVM
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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External links
- EngvarB from April 2015
- Use dmy dates from April 2015
- Infobox rugby league biography templates updated
- 1922 births
- 2008 deaths
- England national rugby league team players
- English rugby league players
- Great Britain national rugby league team players
- Leeds Rhinos players
- Sportspeople from Wigan
- Rochdale Hornets players
- Rugby league locks
- Rugby league second-rows
- St Helens RLFC players
- Wigan Warriors players
- Lancashire rugby league team players