Fifty years ago today since The Great Bev played his last game for The Wire.

[Teessidewire]

I never saw him play in a real competitive game, but surely he must have been Warrington's greatest ever player. Anyone on here got any memories?

[harry hayes]

Where do you start. I saw him in his only A team trial game and he was sensational. In his early days they would pass the ball to Bev about 15 yards in. He would simply hare towards the touchline - too fast for his opposite number - and side-step the full-back as he came across. Full length of the field, no problem, time and again.

 

I remember him running the full length of the field near the end of a Lancashire cup final , where we were hammered. Bev dropped the ball over their line - I still believe it was in disgust at the team performance.

 

Lastly, always loved the story of him entering a handicap sprint at a holiday camp. they looked at this scrawny fellow and put him off the front mark --------

 

Happy days

[algy]

I never saw him play in a real competitive game, but surely he must have been Warrington's greatest ever player. Anyone on here got any memories?

I watched him play many times and as Harry says very few could catch him, if he had a fault he was very reluctant to tackle the opposition.

[safeway60]

I too am old enough to see BB play on many occasions. He was my first hero. One of his particular methods of beating a man was to put the defender in doubt as to where he was going...Sometimes the best bet would seem to be to cut inside to beat his man but the old Bev would do quite the opposite and somehow squeeze past him on the outside. The defender would think he would tackle him with ease but Bev had that change of pace and would simply accelerate with incredible speed leaving the defender clutching the air. It was an athletic gift which I've not seen since. I used to wait for the great man at the back of the stand at Wilderspool on match days and ask him to autograph my programme which he did with some reluctance. He seemed to be a very shy man and when he spotted me he looked as if he would turn round and go back from where he came..He seemed to be more frightened of me, a little kid, than any hairy backsided RL player.We'll never see the likes of BB again...Only AJ Murphy runs him close as the greatest player of all time.

[harry hayes]

Algy,

Slight disagreement. No-one could catch him - until Wally McArthur did so when Bev was past his prime. Generally speaking you are right about his tackling, but when opposed by a top-class winger (say Roy Castle) he raised his game.. Another slight thing to remember is that so many of his length of the field tries came from interceptions when the opposition was two on one.

 

I have a lovely article from the Sunday Express when Tom Van Vollenhoven was 'the' rising star. Bev swept in from the wing, and side-stepped him leaving Van V "standing like a pensive Roman statue".(that to us poor wire fans was like beating Saints away now).

 

Lastly, his brother, Owen Bevan wasn't a bad player either, although not quite top grade.

 

Happy days

[artie]

i have memories of brian bevan,i saw him play many times--i lived in clock-face at the time and we went to the baths on saturday morning and then to wilderspool later on.

he seemed to score mant tries when jim challenor kicked through for him--a very good player.

i remember the lancashire cup final at wigan when bevan scored the only try of the game for wire to win 5--4

vollenhoven was switch ed from right wing to left wing for that game.

[safeway60]

I too was at that Lancashire Cup Final game and the smart money is on Brian never touching the ball for his *try*..I couldn't say if he did or not, I was at the other end of the ground.

[artie]

i was in that corner safeway and never a try --but do you think if we had the technology that we have now

do you think a try would have been given--i do -to add saints played in black that day.

[safeway60]

Technology means that decisions by and large are correct but even then there are times I still think they get it wrong...For instance the video ref isn't allowed to rule on forward passes which are easy to spot these days because of the grid markings on the pitch. Why it isn't allowed is a mystery to me, it seems Russia's Politburo find it easier to change things than the RFL.

[Latchford Locks]

I watched him play many times and as Harry says very few could catch him, if he had a fault he was very reluctant to tackle the opposition.

I can't remember if I have posted these memories before ,if so please accept my apologies.

My first game ever was as a young lad of 10 and the game was Feathersone Rovers at home in the cup 2nd round ( February 1961)

Donning my new Wires scarf and armed with a massive wooden rattle( ex Air Raid Warden's) I was ready for my indoctrination.Just as I was setting off my Dad shouted to me "Don't forget to look out for the number 2 winger Bevan he's the best player that has ever played for us" wow that was some statement and I couldn't wait to see this super hero !

Well here I was at Wilderspool and the atmosphere was electric as Wire entered the arena to the roar of a packed crowd.

 

Then shock horror I realised Bevan wasn't playing but instead some old man who was bald with no teeth ,thin as a rake and swathed in more bandages than a Egyptian mummy was on the wing instead.!

Oh well not to worry I watched the game and was still captivated for life with my beloved Wire.

Even though we lost 13-10.

I got home and told my Dad all about the game and how we probably got beat because Bevan never played and I then described this old man who had taken his place.

Suddenly I felt a clip around my earhole as Dad told me that WAS Brian Bevan !!!

Happy days happy memories.

[wireone]

i was in that corner safeway and never a try --but do you think if we had the technology that we have now

do you think a try would have been given--i do -to add saints played in black that day.

i was in the corner that day also. Bobby Greenough kicked to the corner for Bev to chase it down which was a regular and predictable Warrington tactic. Vollenhoven got to the corner before Bev and was shepherding the ball in the in goal area when Bev dove through his legs to touch down. It looked a good try to me.

I was also there when Bev scored the try at the Spion Kop end at Wilderspool when he left Vollenhoven, the centre and fullback like Roman statues grasping at thin air as he touched down under the posts.

Both these tries were scored when Bev was in the twilight of his career and behind a pack that could not be described as one of the best in the league.

I have also been there when, on more than one occasion, he has beaten half the opposition or run the full length of the field only to drop the ball over the line.

He was a complete one off. You could not imagine anyone who looked less like a Rugby League player but I no other player in my lifetime generated the same degree of expectation in the crowd when he got the ball.

I feel privileged to have been around when he was playing and sorry for those who did not have that experience.