The Bostons display heartfelt gratitude to Wigan Warriors and wider community after incredible knighthood honour

Billy Boston made history last month on becoming the first player to receive a knighthood for services to rugby league. The Wigan legend was officially named a ‘Sir’ in King Charles III’s honours and attended a ceremony, accompanied by his wife Joan and family members, at Buckingham Palace.

It followed a campaign by his MP and councillors for him to be recognised, as well as a national campaign calling for the first knighthood for the sport.

And Sir Billy being the first couldn’t be more fitting, with the Welshman having scored an incredible 478 tries in 488 matches for Wigan after making the switch from union to league in 1953.

And the Warriors celebrated Sir Billy’s knighthood in a tribute game dedicated to the 90-year-old on July 11 – a win over Huddersfield Giants at the Brick Community Stadium.

Billy and his wife Joan were picked up in a vintage Bentley and taken to the stadium in style, with hundreds of fans waiting to applaud the pair as they arrived.

The celebrations continued in the build-up to the match, with Sir Billy sitting on a throne on the pitch, accompanied by some of his former teammates, whilst the current Warriors players had a one-off photo with him before kick-off.

A Tifo – a giant flag showing him in his playing days at Central Park in 1962 – was unveiled in front of the newly renamed Sir Billy Boston East Stand.

"The club have been unbelievable with us, to be honest,” Joan told the Wigan Post in an exclusive interview. “I can’t express how we feel. It is tremendous.

"They said that somebody was picking us up but they never mentioned the Bentley. We don’t know how old it was but it was in terrific condition. It was brilliant, every part of the night. You can’t find a fault in anything they did.

"When he was sitting on the throne, that did me... I was crying. And they’ve made the stand ‘Sir’ now, haven’t they? I couldn’t believe it. I said they’ve done that quickly!

"I don’t know who thought of that (flag), but they’re clever. I never expected anything like that. I just thought we were going for a meal with our family. I never expected anything else, so it was a shock.

"You don’t know what to say. We’re just so grateful. I’m a Wiganer born and bred, so I always brag about Wigan anyway but you can’t explain it, can you? It was just an absolutely brilliant night.

"Kris Radlinski (chief executive), Mike Danson (owner), Chris Brookes (chairman), Mandy Johnston (administration), Rebecca Webb (head of partnerships) and the players as well ... they all make a lot of him when they see him. They always shake hands with him.

"And I must give a special mention to the Lenagan family too, because they have always been great with us.”

June 10, 2025, will be a day that will be cherished in Wigan forever, when Sir Billy, who revealed he was living with vascular dementia in 2016, was officially knighted by King Charles III.

“To meet the King, I’ll never forget that,” said Joan. “Billy also met the Queen when he got his MBE, so he’s met the King and the Queen. How many people can say that? Not many!

"It was unbelievable. The King, I cannot believe how friendly he was. He was just like an ordinary human being, and he made us feel good and glad we were there.

"The King said something to him about his rugby. He said something like, ‘I used to play rugby but I stopped when I was 30 because it was too much’ and Billy came out with, ‘Your job is a lot harder than mine!’ and we all started laughing.”

The Wigan Post was invited to the Boston household earlier this week to speak to Sir Billy and his beloved wife Joan, who wanted to publicly thank everyone who helped make the knighthood happen.

"Josh (Simons) the MP has been absolutely brilliant,” Joan added. “He was at the Palace with us as well, so he and his assistant have been great for us.

"They kept coming to tell us what was happening before we knew we had got it. When he said we’d actually got it, we couldn’t believe it because all this time nobody had ever tried. Even when he got his MBE he got it for charity, he didn’t get it for rugby. That annoyed me at the time because I said, ‘The others have got it for rugby’.

“Wigan Council has been absolutely brilliant too, especially David Molyneux and Chris Reedy.

“And then we got a letter from the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, which was brilliant. And then when they said we’d got it, we were just like, ‘We can’t believe this’."

The Bostons try to attend most Warriors home matches, with Sir Billy lighting up the room every time he walks in, and that was evident in the Good Friday derby between Wigan and St Helens, when he received a standing ovation from all four stands when he appeared on the big screen.

Billy, 90, and Joan, 89, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary this coming January.

They say they can’t thank the wider community enough for the love and support they’ve received over the years.

"The club always ring us up to see when we’re coming,” Joan smiled. “We’re getting near the end of our lives, but we’re still going strong. It’s a good job we’re both together, you know. And I just want to publicly thank our family too, because they have always been there for us, looking after us.”