The Mighty Wyn RIP

[TrickyTrotter]

Former Wales forward Ronald 'Wyn' Davies has died aged 83.
 

RIP

[Dr. Feelgood]

4 minutes ago, TrickyTrotter said:

Former Wales forward Ronald 'Wyn' Davies has died aged 83.
 

RIP

God bless. In him Bolton very nearly found someone to replace Sir Nat. Quite an achievement. 

[HenryPorter]

One of my first BWFC heroes.

Regular scorer alongside Franny Lee. I saw him score 3 hat-tricks, Southampton, Carlisle and Preston. I’m sure the Carlisle hat-trick was a night match and 3 headers.

Great bloke.

[Steejay]

Saw him score a hat trick in the night match, then he got sold the very next day.

RIP Wyn.

[burnden]

 

Rip

[Sweep]

My Dads favourite player when he was growing up, apparently he used to lodge near where my Dad lived, early 60's I think it was. Anyway, one day my Dad was playing football in the street with his mate, and Wyn Davies walked past, he booted the ball, and it hit the corner of a wall and popped/burst. He apologised profusely, and said that he'd get a new ball the next day. True to his word, he apparently rocked up the next day, after training, with a "real" football and handed it to my Dad and his mate. Now some of you old duffers on here will know better then I, but apparently in the early 60s, being given a "proper" football was a real treat. My Dad was only about 10/11 and was well chuffed.....hence Wyn "The Leap" Davies being his favourite player.

My Dad did also say that Wyn Davies could jump higher than any other player, and scored a loads of headers. He also claimed that he'd seen the same player head the cross bar once......but I suspect that was bollocks 😬

[HenryPorter]

I have vivid memories from the Carlisle game because I was down at the front behind the goal on the embankment and looking up when Wyn leapt to head the ball I was sure his knees were above the heads of the defenders.

Sure enough there were photos on the back pages of the papers the following day.

The photographers used to be on the grassy slope at the side of the embankment goal and they got some great photos.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

Sad news.

RIP.

[mickbrown]

I'm sure I read once that when he first moved to Bolton, he couldn't speak English

[Sweep]

29 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

I'm sure I read once that when he first moved to Bolton, he couldn't speak English

Blimey, you wouldn't think Bolton would be the place to learn it either

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

33 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

I'm sure I read once that when he first moved to Bolton, he couldn't speak English

I've also read that but I think it's an urban myth

[Steejay]

Come all without 

Come all within 

You’ll not see nothing like the mighty Wyn.

Edited July 17, 2025 by Steejay

[paulhanley]

Before my time but spoken of with real affection by older generations of my family.

Here was his song from the Burnden faithful (substituing Wyn for Quinn obviously) 

 

[mickbrown]

5 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I've also read that but I think it's an urban myth

Just googled it. Might well be but if it is it's the man himself spreading it!

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/4158681.bolton-is-the-only-toon-for-striker-legend-wyn/

[Johnnyrotten]

11 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

Just googled it. Might well be but if it is it's the man himself spreading it!

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/4158681.bolton-is-the-only-toon-for-striker-legend-wyn/

A great interview, thanks for posting.  What a career he had.

RIP Wyn Davies.

[medwaywhite]

RIPWyn the leap

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

45 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

Just googled it. Might well be but if it is it's the man himself spreading it!

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/4158681.bolton-is-the-only-toon-for-striker-legend-wyn/

I can't really argue with that 😁

[Take Hunt Off]

Sad news , gutted when we sold him to Newcastle for £80k (decent fee then)

Only Gordon Taylor & Freddie Hill left of the forward line when I started watching

at Burnden.

RIP Wyn the leap.

[Casino]

4 hours ago, mickbrown said:

I'm sure I read once that when he first moved to Bolton, he couldn't speak English if anybody English was nearby

 

[Mounts Kipper]

I sat next to him at one of the ex player events very unassuming guy, he told me he didn’t speak any English when he arrived, was a legend up in Newcastle. RIP Wynn. 

[tomski]

RIP Wynn. Another fallen of a heroic Bolton era

[wakey]

5 hours ago, mickbrown said:

I'm sure I read once that when he first moved to Bolton, he couldn't speak English

but he did before 😁

Before my time, but my owd man always spoke highly of him.

RIP

[Dr. Feelgood]

7 hours ago, mickbrown said:

I'm sure I read once that when he first moved to Bolton, he couldn't speak English

Not true.

He came from Caernarfon,  first language Welsh but would have spoken good English.

He came to us from Wrexham, where barely 5% are fluent Welsh.

[Krimzon]

1 hour ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

Not true.

He came from Caernarfon,  first language Welsh but would have spoken good English.

He came to us from Wrexham, where barely 5% are fluent Welsh.

The story comes from the man himself , after training he had English lessons from his landlady in Great Lever. 

One of me Dads favourite players after Lofty . Niknamed "The Leap " after a similar Welsh athlete Lyn Davies won a medal in the Long Jump ( He was niknamed "The Leap" first) .  Big hero at Newcastle but he made Bolton his home. 

There is an S4C documentary/Interview  about him which shows loads of footage , Ill try to find and post , Its all in Welsh but hopefully there are subtitles. 

[Dr. Feelgood]

It may have suited some narrative at the time but I can guarantee it was not the case.

First language Welsh, absolutely. 

No English spoken in the home, quite possible.

English a learnt language, yes.

Bit not able to speak English, in the 60's, after time in Wrexham ... no chance.