Dave Hill

Discuss all things Wigan Warriors. Comments and opinions on all aspects of the club's performance are welcome.
Post Reply
morley pie eater
Posts: 3517
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 2:01 pm

Dave Hill

Post by morley pie eater »

Sad news. I remember us signing Dave in the 60s. Condolences to his family.

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2025/02/ ... dave-hill/

https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/ ... er-4973836
Wigan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Saints ⭐⭐⭐
josie andrews
Posts: 37867
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:17 pm
Location: Wigan
Contact:

Re: Dave Hill

Post by josie andrews »

Hiya the second link to the Wigan Post is unreadable unless you have a subscription

Widow's tribute after death of 'wonderful' husband and much-loved Wigan rugby player

The grieving widow of a former Wigan rugby league player has paid tribute to him after his death.
David Hill died surrounded by his loved ones at a care home in Southport on Friday, aged 78.

He was survived by his wife Pat, son Andrew, daughter Catherine and granddaughters Anna and Freya.

Mr Hill grew up in Ashton with his brother Cliff and sister Joan and attended Ashton Grammar School.

He was a big rugby fan and often went to watch Wigan matches with his dad and Cliff, who also went on to play for Wigan.

Mr Hill initially played rugby union for Newton-le-Willows and Liverpool, before he was invited to join Wigan RLFC in 1967.

Mrs Hill said: “He lived on Old Road in the first house after the library. He was still friends with all the people that he’d grown up with along there.

"It was a very simple childhood in those days where they played football or rugby in the back alleys. They made their own entertainment and most of it was outdoors.

"He was very involved in sport and his brother Cliff signed for Wigan several years before David did. They were always very close.

"David’s dad was a real mad Wigan supporter and took both boys to watch them every week, so he grew up thinking playing for Wigan would be wonderful. He was really excited when they wanted him to play for them.

"In his teenage years he went to Newton-le-Willows rugby club, because there weren’t many places in Ashton that played rugby union.

"Then one of the top flight clubs Liverpool asked him to go and play there and he played for them for about a year, before someone spotted him from Wigan and asked him to turn professional.”

Mr Hill made a total of 369 appearances for Wigan at stand-off and right-centre and made one appearance playing for Great Britain.

He captained Wigan on occasions, including when the club lifted the Lancashire Cup.

He was part of the team which played at Wembley in the Challenge Cup final in 1970, but they lost out to Castleford when Colin Tyler’s jaw was broken and Wigan were left without a goal kicker

Mr Hill retired from rugby in his early 30s because of injuries and spent the rest of his working life as a structural engineer.

Mrs Hill said: “Him and Cliff being in the same team was quite exciting.

"He captained the team on the day they won the Lancashire Cup.

"It was still a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him to play at Wembley.

"David had a couple of injuries to his knees and had to have both cartilages removed, which affected how fast he could run. He decided he wasn’t playing to the standard that he wanted to so he would bow out gracefully.

"In those days they didn’t just play rugby, they had a profession as well, so he went to technical college and became a structural engineer.

"He also did some coaching at Newton-le-Willows with Cliff but that eventually fizzled out.”

Mr and Mrs Hill met at Newton-le-Willows rugby club and love blossomed. They celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in September

In his later years, David was diagnosed with dementia and spent the last three years in a care home in Southport.

Mrs Hill said: “I went to Newton-le-Willow Grammar School which was across the road from the rugby club. Once I left school and was old enough to go out, I used to go to the dances there.

"I was dancing with somebody else on Christmas Eve 1966 and he just came and excused the other person and started dancing with me. It was just one of those moments where it felt like I had come home, it just felt so right.

“We were very lucky we celebrated our golden wedding anniversary before David’s dementia got so bad that he needed care.

"He had been in a home for the last three years, but the blessing about it all was because he couldn’t remember where he was or why he was, we would tell him he needed to listen to the doctors and nurses there which kept him calm.

"It was really sad to see him change because he’s always been so independent it wasn’t in his nature to be dependent.

"The care home have been absolutely lovely and I’m really grateful they took the burden.

"I used to go every day to see him and we’d look at old photographs and I used to put the rugby on YouTube for him. I’d just try and stimulate him with things we’d done in the past.

"The longer he was there the less he remembered. It really was a blessing when he passed on Friday, he would’ve hated to know what he was like.”

Mrs Hill added: “He was wonderful, always so loving, very caring and his family came first with everything.

"The children remember him playing with them and taking them on holiday, we were really close.

"We were very close with his brother and his wife Irene too, I would say they were our best friends, we really enjoyed life together

"He made us laugh and always made us smile. I’ll miss his smiles and his cuddles.”

A date has not yet been set for Mr Hill’s funeral, but the family will provide updates once arrangements have been made.

https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/ ... er-4973836
Anyone can support a team when it is winning, that takes no courage.
But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
that takes a lot of courage. #18thMan
morley pie eater
Posts: 3517
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 2:01 pm

Re: Dave Hill

Post by morley pie eater »

Thanks, Josie.

The lovely comments from his wife brought tears to my eyes. We celebrated our 50th anniversary 2 or 3 months ago.

God bless you, Mrs Hill, and rest in peace, David, and thanks for the memories.
Wigan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Saints ⭐⭐⭐
Stanfax
Posts: 159
Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2020 8:42 pm

Re: Dave Hill

Post by Stanfax »

Spot on Morley. Beautiful and heartfelt tribute.
Post Reply