 |
| Saints’ Heritage Society Newsletter - Winter 2010 |  |
| Saints’ Heritage Society Newsletter – Winter 2010 The Last Post for Knowsley Road This is, of course, the final season at the Knowsley Road ground, our home since 1890. This time next year, the old place will no longer exist and the team faces a period, apparently, of ‘on the road’ football, for an indeterminate spell. It is important for us all to savour this last opportunity of watching rugby league at our own Theatre of Dreams and I’m sure that the club will endeavour to make sure that the last twelve months will be memorable for everyone. It is too early at this stage to talk about particular events, although a timeline will be announced in the coming weeks, together with the new stadium forums in February. It is also very much a time of transition at Knowsley Road, having said farewell to the likes of Sean Long, Willie Talau, Lee Gilmour and Jason Cayless. We wish them every success with their new clubs and look forward to seeing Longy back once more with Hull in the first game of the season. A sensational start if ever there was one. The Gerrard Archive We plan to release further archive footage from this marvellous archive, with two Saints v Wigan clashes in glorious technicolour. The first features the 1953 Lancashire Cup final against Wigan at Swinton; the other league action from Central Park in the late 1950s in front of a record crowd. Once again we must thank Graham Gerrard for permission to use the footage from his collection. Tony Atherton Archive This promising young footballer’s career was halted after a terrible head injury in March 1974, which left him close to death at one stage. Tony’s scrapbook, which is featured on our website with his full permission, recalls those trying times, but is also a fine record of happier days in the junior teams at Knowsley Road. You can view the scrapbook by clicking here Saints in Print The major Saints-related publication has, of course, been the Sean Long autobiography, which has sold extremely well, despite the ‘adult’ nature of many of the tales contained within. Longy, Booze, Brawls, Sex and Scandal – the Autobiography of the Wild Man of Rugby League was written in conjunction with Nick Appleyard and published by John Blake, price £17-99. In the New Year, we look forward to Club President Kel Coslett’s long-awaited book of his rugby career, written in conjunction with Mike Appleton, entitled A Welsh Saint. Few players have achieved so much in their careers and it should be a fascinating read. Mike Bennett starts his Testimonial in 2010 and there are few players more deserving than the former Golborne junior. His brochure has been done in a slightly different style and the production by Colourplan in St.Helens is first class. It will be sold at all his events, including his Testimonial Match against Barrow on 17th January. The title is Unsung Hero, which suits him to a tee. When you read about the bad luck he has had with injuries, plus the determination to return from every set-back, you will appreciate just how much he has deserved the award of his Testimonial. The booklet costs £4. Stephen Prescott MBE If there is one thing sure to unite the Rugby League Community, it has been the award of the MBE to Stephen Prescott for his untiring charity work. He really has been an inspiration to us all and the award has already done much to lift the profile of the Greatest Game. Saints Heritage Society sends congratulations to Stephen and his family. Great news indeed. You can read an extended biography of Stephen under his player profile on the site – what a guy!
| | ||
| | |
| Tommy Martyn and Bernard Dwyer Enter Hall of Fame | |
| Bernard Dwyer and Tommy Martyn were installed into the Hall of Fame last weekend.  Tommys Profile Bernards Profile
| | ||
| | |
| FOND FAREWELL FOR SAINT ‘JIMMY TICKET’ | |
| FOND FAREWELL FOR SAINT ‘JIMMY TICKET’ By Denis Whittle Countless friends at Knowsley Road and the Rugby League family at large have been saddened by the death of a stalwart fan who earned folklore status for untiring efforts in aid of players’ testimonials. Irish-as-the-hills James O’Sullivan (75) died in Whiston Hospital on Friday after an illnesss of a ‘creaking gate’ nature. He leaves his wife Marjorie (former matron at Fairfield Hospital), sons David, Adrian and Andrew, six grandchildren, brothers Aidan, Sean, and Liam, and sister Mary. Born in County Mayo, Jimmy settled in St.Helens as a broth of a boy of 18 in 1952. He worked first at Triplex, then for his brother-in-law Rainford builder Tony Brown, before owning newsagent’s shops in Clock Face, Cooper Street, Elephant Lane and Parr Stocks Road. Blessed with a captivating Irish brogue having kissed the Blarney Stone, and sporting shamrock on ‘Paddy’s Night,’ personable O’Sullivan found his true niche off the field at Saints in spearheading scores of benefit seasons for grateful stars. Aided and abetted by benefit events compere Lennie Lowe, Jimmy’s persuasive charm was irresistible to supporters throughout the town. And such off-the-cuff eloquence soon found him dubbed ‘Jimmy Ticket.’ Knowsley Road favourites like Les Jones, Roy Mathias, George Nicholls, Mel James, Eric Chisnall, Tony Karalius, Harry Pinner, Neil Holding, Roy Haggerty and Chris Arkwright were just a random sample of the O’Sullivan testimonial ‘team.’ Requiem Mass will be held at St. Teresa’s Church, Newtown, on Wednesday, October 28, at 11.45am. Cremation follows, after which a buffet will be held in Jimmy’s memory at Greenall’s Social Club. He will later be laid to rest with his mother on the Emerald Isle. Family flowers are requested with donations invited for Willowbrook Hospice and Crossroads. An honorary member of Saints’ Past Players Association, the perennial O’Sullivan was included in the minute’s silence observed at the annual dinner on Sunday. In the meantime heads are currently being put together with a view to a permanent memorial for a Knowsley Road luminary who, already a lover of the ‘wearin o’ the green,’ was also proud to sport the traditional red-and-white of his beloved Saints.
| | ||
| | |
| Saints Heritage Society Newsletter June-July 2009 | |
| Improving the Website Over the past few months, nearly 150 new biographies have been added to the site. Obviously work is on-going and existing biographies are also refreshed accordingly. | |
| | |
| St. Helens Programme Fayre & RL Memorabilia Auction | |
| St. Helens Programme Fayre & RL Memorabilia Auction Saints’ Heritage Society in conjunction with the Original Supporters Club and the Rugby League Collectors Federation are holding at Programme Fayre and Rugby League Memorabilia Auction at the Black Bull on Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Saturday 25th April 2009. Commencing at 10.30am, old Programmes, Photographs, Badges, Collectors Cards and other Rugby League Memorabilia will be both on sale and display. There will be an opportunity to bring down your cameras and have your photograph taken with the Challenge Cup, at the cost of a donation to the Steve Prescott Foundation. The RLCF Auction will commence at 12.30pm. The highlights of the sale being a 1910 Widnes v Australasia programme, 4 Medals won by Edgar Morgan of Hull in the early 1920s, a 1908 Huddersfield v Merthyr Tydfil programme, a 1935 Streatham & Mitcham v Acton & Willesden programme and a 1939 St. Helens v New Zealand programme. Admission is free of charge.
| | ||
| | |
| Saints Heritage Society Newsletter January-February 2009 | |
| Another fantastic year in prospect? | |
| | |
| Obituary : FAREWELL TO ‘WILD BULL’ VINTY. | |
| | |
| | |
| New Book about to hit town!!! | |
| There is a new book out .... | |
| | |
| St Helens RL Collectors Fayre. | |
| Saints’ Heritage Society in conjunction with the Original Supporters Club and the Rugby League Collectors Federation are holding at Programme Fayre and Rugby League Memorabilia Auction at the Black Bull on Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Saturday 17th May 2008. | |
| | |
| Obituary : Eric Ashton MBE | |
| | |
| | |
Posted by 