Dave Bolton
{{Short description|English RL coach and former GB international rugby league footballer (1937–2021)}}
{{otherpeople||David Bolton (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name = Dave Bolton
|fullname = David Ralph Bolton{{cite news |title=Who's Who in the British Backs |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-767602253/view?sectionId=nla.obj-768467495&partId=nla.obj-767645833#page/n13/mode/1up |work=The Rugby League news |publisher=N.S.W. Rugby Football League |date=28 April 1962 |location=Sydney |page=17 |volume=43 |issue=5 |via=Trove}}
|image =
|imagesize =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|1937|04|27|df=y}}
|birth_place = Wigan district, England
|death_date = {{death date and age|2021|01|21|1937|04|27|df=y}}
|death_place =
|position = {{rlp|SO|SH}}
|club1 = Wigan
|year1start = 1954
|year1end = 64
|appearances1 = 300
|tries1 = 127
|goals1 = 4
|fieldgoals1 = 0
|points1 = 386
|club2 = Balmain
|year2start = 1965
|year2end = 70
|appearances2 = 78
|tries2 = 5
|goals2 = 7
|fieldgoals2 = 21
|points2 = 71
|club3 = Blackpool Borough
|year3start = 1968
|year3end = 69
|appearances3 = 5
|tries3 =
|goals3 =
|fieldgoals3 =
|points3 =
|teamA = Lancashire
|yearAstart = 1956
|yearAend = 57
|appearancesA = 2
|triesA =
|goalsA =
|fieldgoalsA =
|pointsA =
|teamB = Great Britain
|yearBstart = 1958
|yearBend = 63
|appearancesB = 23
|triesB = 9
|goalsB = 0
|fieldgoalsB = 0
|pointsB = 3
|coachteam1 = Parramatta Eels
|coachyear1start = 1973
|coachyear1end = 74
|coachgames1 = 44
|coachwins1 = 11
|coachdraws1 = 0
|coachlosses1 = 33
|retired = yes
|source = {{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/dave-bolton/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/dave-bolton/summary.html|title=Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Thomson |first1=Doug |title=A hero in Wigan and Sydney |work=Rugby Leaguer & League Express |issue=3,261 |date=25 January 2021}}
}}
David Ralph Bolton (27 April 1937 – 21 January 2021) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, who later became a coach in Australia's NSWRFL premiership. An international representative for Great Britain whose usual position was in the halves, Bolton is one of a handful of Britons to win championships both in his home country and in Australia.
Playing career
=Britain=
During the 1957–58 Northern Rugby Football League season Bolton played at {{rlp|so}} in Wigan's 8–13 defeat by Oldham in the 1957 Lancashire Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton, on Saturday 19 October 1957. Later that season Bolton played stand-off in Wigan's 13–9 victory over Workington Town in the 1958 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, London, on Saturday 10 May 1958, in front of a crowd of 66,109,{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=436|title=1957–1958 Challenge Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-date=8 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908025828/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=436|url-status=dead}} and played stand-off, and scored a try in the 30–13 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1959 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley on Saturday 9 May 1959, in front of a crowd of 79,811.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=437|title=1958–1959 Challenge Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2012|access-date=1 January 2013|archive-date=2 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222948/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=437|url-status=dead}}
He also featured in the club's 1960 Championship Final win.{{cite news|title=Tributes following death of Wigan legend Dave Bolton|url=https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby-league/tributes-following-death-wigan-legend-dave-bolton-3109013|first=Phil|last=Wilkinson|date=22 January 2021|access-date=22 January 2021|newspaper=Wigan Post|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122202510/https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/rugby-league/tributes-following-death-wigan-legend-dave-bolton-3109013|archive-date=22 January 2021}} During the 1959–60 Kangaroo tour Bolton played for Great Britain at stand-off in all three Ashes series Test matches. During the 1963–64 Kangaroo tour Bolton again played for Great Britain at stand-off in the first and third Ashes series Test matches.{{cite news|title=Vale former Great Britain and Balmain great David Bolton|url=https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2021/01/22/vale--dave-bolton/|first=Terry|last=Williams|date=22 January 2021|access-date=22 January 2021|publisher=New South Wales Rugby League|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122201525/https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2021/01/22/vale--dave-bolton/|archive-date=22 January 2021}}
=Australia=
Bolton also played in Australia for the Sydney club Balmain. With them he reached the 1966 NSWRFL season's grand final against St George. Bolton played at number 7 in his sides loss against the all-conquering Dragons team of the era. As Balmain had gone through the first half of the 1966 season undefeated, they earned the right to play the Great Britain touring team. With Bolton playing no small part, Balmain defeated Great Britain. He featured in the 1969 season's Grand Final-winning Balmain team. This made him only the second Englishman to play in a grand final-winning team in Australia. Bolton retired from playing in 1970 after being unable to keep his first grade spot in 1970. He is often remembered as a prolific kicker of drop goals, at a time when they were worth 2 points. He was a great drop goal kicking asset to the club, he kicked 21 drop goals for Balmain during his era, some of them long range, and many of the drop goals were the difference between Balmain winning and losing.
Later life
After retiring, Bolton remained in Australia.{{cite news|title=Wigan rugby league 'legend' Dave Bolton dies aged 83|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/wigan-rugby-league-dave-bolton-19683947|first=Seamus|last=McDonnell|date=22 January 2021|access-date=22 January 2021|newspaper=Manchester Evening News}} He coached Sydney club Parramatta for the 1973 and 1974 NSWRFL seasons. He went on to serve as assistant coach to Tim Sheens at Penrith in the mid-1980s.{{cite news|title=Dave Bolton: Wigan rugby league 'legend' dies aged 83|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-55770509|date=22 January 2021|access-date=22 January 2021|publisher=BBC News}} He also worked as a sports commentator and writer.
Bolton was inducted into the Balmain Tigers' Hall of Fame in 2005. Three years later, he was retrospectively conferred the Clive Churchill Medal for his performance in the 1969 Grand Final. He died on 21 January 2021 at the age of 83, after suffering a long illness.
References
{{reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-sport}}
{{Succession box
| before = Ian Walsh
1971−1972
| after = Norm Provan
1975
| title = Coach
{{leagueicon|parramatta|size=18}}
Parramatta Eels
| years = 1973−1974
}}
{{S-end}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080809053655/http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=4683 Statistics at nrlstats.com]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080720041417/http://stats.rleague.com/rl/scorers/players/Dave_Bolton.html Statistics at stats.rleague.com]
- [http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=188 Statistics at wigan.rlfans.com]
- [https://www.britishpathe.com/video/rugby-league-final-1 Video 'Rugby League Final 1963' at britishpathe.com]
{{Wigan - 1958 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Wigan - 1959 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Wigan - 1959–60 Championship Final winners}}
{{Balmain Tigers squad 1969 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1958 Tour}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1962 Tour}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolton, Dave}}
Category:Balmain Tigers players
Category:Blackpool Borough players
Category:English rugby league coaches
Category:English rugby league players
Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players
Category:Lancashire rugby league team players
Category:Parramatta Eels coaches
Category:Rugby league five-eighths
Category:Rugby league halfbacks
Category:Rugby league players from Wigan