There are many still remaining with us who actively participated in the pastime of "Rugger" in former days, and from time to time it is intended to reproduce here the impressions of some of the members of "the old brigade". Seeing that he was a founder of the organisation which developed, by varying stages, into the present prosperous club which has its home at Central Park, probably it was fitting that we should approach at the outset Mr. James Slevin, who for many seasons stood out as he most popular exponent of the handling code who wore the Wigan colours.

"It is a far cry back to the year 1876, or thereabouts, when Jack Underwood, Joe Wardle, Billy Baldwin, and myself founded the Wigan Wasps, and commenced playing off Dicconson-street, on a pitch for which we paid the magnificent yearly rental of £2 10s. 0d. For some time we battled in the open, but we became sufficiently enterprising in time to have the enclosure canvassed round, and I well remember Charlie Cronshaw obtaining... some collecting boxes from St. Thomas's Church to enable us to make a collection at the matches. I think the first takings amounted to (low sum), so you will see that the grist to the mill in those times was indeed very small as compared with receipts at present-day matches in the town. After three seasons the Wigan Wasps took unto themselves a more pretentious title, that of the Wigan Rugby Football Club."

"We fought many a gallant fight on the Dicconson-street ground, more particularly with our formidable neighbours of Aspull. Somehow or other I always fancied the Dark Blues frightened us; the men from the Moorlands were in those days a power, and they continued to be so until such players as Dicky Seddon, Pilkington, and Charlie Samuels were induced to come across their own... and throw in their lot with Wigan. Those Charity Cup struggles, however, served a very good subject, for some of the 'gates' produced upwards of £100 in aid of the Infirmary."

In reply to a query as to the players who were associated with him, Mr. Slevin recited the names of many exponents of the old days, Jack Underwood, Joe Wardle, Joe Clegg, Tom Brayshay, W.S. Grime, S. Grime, Jack Hunter, (Alf) Le Peton, Charlie Holt, Charlie Cronshaw, W. Hindley Smith, Jack Anderton, J. Halliwell, J. MItchinson, W. Halliwell, Hampton Jones, Jim Hatton, and others. It was modesty itself in regard to his own achievements in the arena, but he confirmed one of two notable performances, which won him considerable notoriety at the time.

"Yes, I recall the Manningham incident you mention," he remarked. "Manningham were a crack side in those days. During the encounter I received the leather in my own twenty-five, and after handing off a few of the opposition ran the full length for the try. The Tykes claimed that I had gone into touch, and as the referee declined to give a decision on the point, an appeal was lodged with the County Authority, which awarded us the try."