Mike Gregory

Nov 21 2007 by David Charters, Liverpool Daily Post

IF YOU want one of life’s ironies you only had to remember him, the great bear of a man, six feet tall and 14 stone, cheered by thousands, the hero of boys in those honest northern towns of pies and beer – thundering through the mud, clutching the ball, heading for glory.

And there he was in a wheelchair, the might of his body drained by a tick’s bite.

But the courage was still there, stronger than ever, springing from the spirit of Mike Gregory.

So it was that one of the finest Rugby League players, whose most memorable moment came when he was appointed captain of the Great Britain team, became a charity worker, determined to show people how you could continue in difficult circumstances.

Gregory was born and brought up in Newtown, Wigan, and educated at St John Fisher High School and then St John Rigby Sixth Form College.

This was Rugby League country and the strapping loose-forward joined Warrington, where he would make 250 appearances in 12 years, captaining the team at their last Challenge Cup Final in 1990, when they lost 36-14 to Wigan.

He also played 20 matches for Great Britain, nine as captain, including two winning series against New Zealand.

He then had a brief spell with Salford, before beginning his coaching career as an assistant at St Helens. He coached at Swinton and then the Great Britain Academy, before joining the staff at Wigan, here he was appointed coach in 2003, guiding the team to the Cup Final, the following year and defeat against St Helens.

By then, his health was starting to fail. It is thought that his progressive muscular atrophy, similar to motor neurone disease, was caused by an insect bite in Australia during his 2003 tour with the GB Academy.

He and his wife, who have two young sons, sought treatment in Holland and the USA, but to no avail. For the past year, Gregory was confined to a wheelchair, but he remained able to communicate by typing into a computer, completing his autobiography.

His brain remained clear and Erica pushed him on sponsored runs to raise awareness of the need for more research into such diseases.

The many tributes to him reflected his bravery in the final months, as much as his courage on the field.

Mike Gregory, Rugby League player; born May 20, 1964, died November 20, 2007.