Leeds Rhinos and Hunslet mourn 'all time great' Bill Ramsey - who also played for Bradford Northern, Hull and Widnes

Leeds Rhinos and Hunslet are mourning one of their great players of the 1960s and 1970s, Bill Ramsey, who has died suddenly aged 76.
By Peter Smith
Published 6th Jul 2020, 20:10 GMT
Updated 6th Jul 2020, 20:16 GMT
Bill Ramsey, left, is pictured with players Howard Budby and Peter Dunn in 1979, during his time as coach of New Hunslet. Picture by Yorkshire Post.Bill Ramsey, left, is pictured with players Howard Budby and Peter Dunn in 1979, during his time as coach of New Hunslet. Picture by Yorkshire Post.
Bill Ramsey, left, is pictured with players Howard Budby and Peter Dunn in 1979, during his time as coach of New Hunslet. Picture by Yorkshire Post.

Ramsey also played for Bradford Northern, Hull, Widnes and Great Britain during a glittering career.

After winning a Division Two title in 1962-63, Leeds-born Ramsey featured for Hunslet in their 1965 Challenge Cup final defeat by Wigan at Wembley and joined Leeds two years later for a £10,000 transfer fee.

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He won the Challenge Cup with Leeds in 1968 and the Championship the following year, as well as the BBC Floodlit Trophy in 1970-71 and the Yorkshire Cup four times.

A hard-running prop or second-row, he made 197 appearances for Leeds before moving to Bradford Northern in 1974, where he was a Division Two championship winner.

After a spell with Hull - featuring in a JP Trophy final - he finished his career at Widnes, playing against Leeds in the 1977 Challenge Cup final and winning a Division One championship medal the following year, as well as the Lancashire Cup in 1976-77.

After hanging up his boots, he returned to his roots as coach of New Hunslet from August, 1978 to December, 1979.

Ramsey also played eight times for Great Britain.

Leeds legend Garry Schofield, led tributes.

He said: "I knew Bill very, very well.

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"They don't make forwards like him any more, he was up there will the best forwards the game has produced."

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Related topics:Leeds RhinosLeedsHunsletHullDivision Two

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