MEN 1873-1895
MEN 1895-2024
WOMEN 2018-2024
 

Denis Litherland

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
02-11-1958
N/A
27-09-1979
Pilkington Recs ARL
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
07-10-1979 v Leeds
Auckland
1987- Springfield Borough
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1979-1987
142 (20)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
38
0
0
132

Biography of Denis Litherland



HERITAGE NO : 941
Denis Litherland by Alex Service

Denis is one of the towns most popular rugby league personalities, as a player, coach and talisman for his beloved Pilkington Recs in particular. Indeed, that is where the story began, after he impressed the Saints officials during a John Player match at Knowsley Road on 16th September 1979, when Denis tore into the Riversiders defence with terrific pace and guile. Although the local amateurs eventually succumbed to their arguably more famous namesakes [9-18], Denis had the proverbial blinder and was promptly signed on professional forms by Chairman Harry Cook.

Born in the town centre and a former pupil of Central Modern secondary school, his face shows the scars of a thousand battles on the field and he played for the Saints for almost ten years. For quite a bit of that time, things were not exactly easy for the club and the team. The Saints were rebuilding after their glory days in the 1970s and the early 1980s were testing times indeed. It speaks volumes for the ability of Denis Litherland that he was a real mainstay, who would normally play either on the left wing or at left centre. He could, in fact, play anywhere in the threequarters with equal effectiveness.

Denis was at his best when the going got tough. In the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons he played in over 50 matches, always prepared to give everything for the cause, quite often in difficult circumstances. He made his debut at Headingley, on 7th October 1979 and he will tell you, with great pride that he managed to get on the scoresheet that day, despite a 21-12 victory for the home side. The Saints team was: Parkes; Meadows, Noonan, Glynn, Litherland; Holding, Smith; Nicholls, Liptrot, Chisnall, Mathias, Seldon and Pinner. Haggerty and Knighton were the substitutes.

Denis played with and against some fantastic footballers during his career, something that he is very proud of. He took part in semi-finals in all the major competitions as a Saint and one major final, the Lancashire Cup final against Warrington, on 23rd October 1982. St. Helens lost 16-0 and played against the Australian tourists the week before with a slightly weakened team and were duly dispatched 32-0 at Knowsley Road. The Australian side that day contained all the big guns who triumphed in the Ashes series that season and Denis was to play his last game at Knowsley Road against another touring side on 1st November 1987, when Saints beat a powerful Auckland team 52-26. It was a fitting end for a whole-hearted player who would always give his all for the cause. The Saints team was: Veivers; Ledger, McCormack, Tanner, Quirk; Arkwright, Bailey; Burke, Liptrot, Evans, Forber, Haggerty, Platt. Substitutes: Litherland and Neill.

Denis left Knowsley Road for Springfield Borough, but, in true homing fashion, it was not long before he was resuming his amateur career where it had begun, with the mighty Pilks Recs at City Road. He has been part of the furniture there ever since and is a fund of stories from his playing career. Denis is a genuine rugby league legend, no question about it.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1979~80 4 0 0 19
1980~817 0 0 26
1981~82 6 0 0 27
1982~83 3 0 0 23
1983~84 7 0 0 20
1984~851 0 0 7
1985~86 4 0 0 12
1986~87 5 0 0 6
1987~881 0 0 3
TOTALS:38 0 0 143
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1981~820002
1982~831003
1983~84 2002
1984~85 0002
TOTALS:3009

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
7th Oct 1979 1
L
 5 Leeds L A 12 21 1 VIEW
9th Oct 1979 2
W
 2 Rochdale Hornets FT1 H 45 17 VIEW
14th Oct 1979 3
W
 2 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 15 7 1 VIEW
28th Oct 1979 4
W
 2 Wakefield Trinity L H 13 8 1 VIEW
4th Nov 1979 5
D
 2 Hunslet L A 8 8 VIEW
11th Nov 1979 6
W
 2 Leigh L H 19 12 VIEW
27th Nov 1979 7
L
 5 Bradford Northern L A 9 13 VIEW
2nd Dec 1979 8
W
 14 Castleford L H 39 21 VIEW
12th Jan 1980 9
L
 14 Salford L H 17 18 VIEW
9th Mar 1980 10
W
 2 York L A 18 5 VIEW
18th Mar 1980 11
L
 2 Hull L H 10 18 VIEW
23rd Mar 1980 12
W
 2 Wakefield Trinity L A 24 19 VIEW
30th Mar 1980 13
L
 2 Leeds L H 15 22 1 VIEW
4th Apr 1980 14
W
 5 Wigan L H 20 17 VIEW
6th Apr 1980 15
L
 5 Widnes L A 9 16 VIEW
9th Apr 1980 16
L
 5 Workington Town L A 5 20 VIEW
12th Apr 1980 17
L
 5 Widnes L H 0 19 VIEW
20th Apr 1980 18
L
 5 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 4 21 VIEW
26th Apr 1980 19
L
 5 Bradford Northern PT1 A 0 30 VIEW
7th Sep 1980 --NPS
L
 14 Castleford L A 21 22 VIEW
14th Sep 1980 20
L
 14 Wakefield Trinity L H 14 16 VIEW
19th Sep 1980 21
W
 4 Salford L A 25 19 VIEW
28th Sep 1980 22
W
 5 Featherstone Rovers L H 19 5 1 VIEW
5th Oct 1980 23
D
 3 Workington Town L A 16 16 VIEW
12th Oct 1980 24
W
 3 New Zealand Tour H 11 6 VIEW
19th Oct 1980 25
L
 3 Warrington L A 11 15 VIEW
26th Oct 1980 26
L
 4 Castleford L H 5 8 VIEW
9th Nov 1980 27
W
 4 Leigh L A 21 7 1 VIEW
16th Nov 1980 28
W
 5 Workington Town L H 18 8 VIEW
23rd Nov 1980 29
L
 4 Warrington JP1 H 12 14 VIEW
30th Nov 1980 30
L
 4 Featherstone Rovers L A 8 12 VIEW
14th Dec 1980 31
L
 4 Leeds L H 11 13 VIEW
26th Dec 1980 32
W
 4 Oldham L H 11 10 VIEW
28th Dec 1980 33
L
 4 Barrow L A 8 11 1 VIEW
1st Jan 1981 34
L
 4 Widnes L A 8 11 VIEW
8th Mar 1981 35
W
 14 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 11 5 VIEW
15th Mar 1981 --NPS
W
 14 Oldham CC3 A 6 5 VIEW
24th Mar 1981 36
L
 5 Hull L A 15 18 1 VIEW
29th Mar 1981 37
L
 5 Halifax L A 7 17 VIEW
4th Apr 1981 38
L
 14 Hull Kingston Rovers CCSF N 5 22 VIEW
6th Apr 1981 39
W
 4 Warrington L H 29 9 1 VIEW
12th Apr 1981 40
W
 4 Halifax L H 31 22 VIEW
17th Apr 1981 41
W
 5 Oldham L A 21 18 VIEW
19th Apr 1981 42
W
 1 Hull L H 26 6 1 VIEW
21st Apr 1981 43
W
 1 Widnes L H 24 9 VIEW
29th Apr 1981 44
W
 1 Bradford Northern PT1 A 14 12 VIEW
10th May 1981 45
L
 5 Hull Kingston Rovers PT2 A 17 30 1 VIEW
9th Aug 1981 --
L
 1 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup A 8 12 VIEW
23rd Aug 1981 46
W
 2 Barrow LC2 H 40 17 VIEW
20th Sep 1981 47
L
 14 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 12 21 VIEW
27th Sep 1981 48
W
 3 Wakefield Trinity L H 33 14 1 VIEW
4th Oct 1981 49
L
 14 Warrington L A 11 13 VIEW
11th Oct 1981 50
W
 3 Bradford Northern L H 20 8 VIEW
18th Oct 1981 51
D
 5 Barrow JP1 H 16 16 VIEW
22nd Oct 1981 52
L
 5 Barrow JP1 (rep) A 0 17 VIEW
25th Oct 1981 53
D
 5 Featherstone Rovers L A 8 8 VIEW
1st Nov 1981 54
L
 5 Wakefield Trinity L A 9 16 VIEW
15th Nov 1981 55
W
 5 Bradford Northern L A 20 8 VIEW
22nd Nov 1981 56
L
 5 Barrow L A 5 7 VIEW
6th Dec 1981 57
W
 14 Whitehaven L A 9 7 VIEW
1st Jan 1982 58
W
 5 Widnes L H 13 10 VIEW
3rd Jan 1982 59
L
 5 Leeds L A 4 30 VIEW
20th Jan 1982 60
L
 5 Castleford L H 10 40 VIEW
24th Jan 1982 61
L
 5 Leigh L A 5 27 VIEW
27th Jan 1982 62
W
 5 York L H 17 3 VIEW
31st Jan 1982 63
L
 5 Hull L A 8 26 VIEW
7th Feb 1982 64
L
 5 Leeds L H 6 15 VIEW
13th Feb 1982 65
L
 5 Wigan CC1 H 12 20 1 VIEW
21st Feb 1982 66
W
 5 York L A 19 7 1 VIEW
28th Feb 1982 67
W
 5 Whitehaven L H 41 7 2 VIEW
4th Apr 1982 68
L
 1 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 16 28 VIEW
18th Apr 1982 69
W
 5 Barrow L H 15 6 VIEW
21st Apr 1982 70
L
 5 Hull L H 13 14 VIEW
25th Apr 1982 71
L
 14 Wigan L A 5 23 VIEW
5th May 1982 72
L
 5 Hull PT1 A 8 23 1 VIEW
5th Jun 1982 --
D
 5 Welsh XIII* Fr Testimonial L 18 18 VIEW
6th Aug 1982 --
W
 5 Pilkington Recs* Fr Testimonial H 51 7 1 VIEW
15th Aug 1982 --
D
 14 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup H 15 15 VIEW
22nd Aug 1982 73
D
 2 Leigh L A 19 19 VIEW
25th Aug 1982 74
W
 5 Bradford Northern L H 12 11 VIEW
29th Aug 1982 75
L
 5 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 31 VIEW
5th Sep 1982 76
W
 5 Widnes LC1 A 14 12 VIEW
12th Sep 1982 77
W
 5 Oldham L H 20 15 VIEW
15th Sep 1982 78
W
 14 Barrow LC2 A 9 6 VIEW
19th Sep 1982 79
L
 5 Barrow L A 12 19 VIEW
26th Sep 1982 80
W
 5 Workington Town L H 27 7 1 VIEW
29th Sep 1982 81
D
 5 Carlisle LCSF H 7 7 VIEW
3rd Oct 1982 82
W
 5 Featherstone Rovers L A 29 12 VIEW
6th Oct 1982 83
W
 5 Carlisle LCSF (rep) A 9 5 1 VIEW
10th Oct 1982 84
L
 5 Leigh L H 10 19 VIEW
17th Oct 1982 85
L
 5 Australia Tour H 0 32 VIEW
23rd Oct 1982 86
L
 5 Warrington LCF N 0 16 VIEW
6th Nov 1982 87
L
 5 Leeds L A 10 13 VIEW
14th Nov 1982 88
W
 5 Workington Town L A 20 15 VIEW
21st Nov 1982 89
L
 5 Castleford L H 23 24 VIEW
27th Nov 1982 90
W
 5 Fulham JP1 H 17 5 VIEW
12th Dec 1982 91
L
 5 Wigan JP2 A 5 9 VIEW
19th Dec 1982 92
W
 1 Featherstone Rovers L H 13 10 VIEW
26th Dec 1982 93
W
 1 Wigan L H 11 8 VIEW
16th Jan 1983 94
L
 4 Castleford L A 10 31 1 VIEW
10th Apr 1983 95
W
 2 Halifax L A 23 5 VIEW
22nd May 1983 --
D
 4 Warrington* Fr Testimonial A 16 16 VIEW
7th Aug 1983 --
W
 17 Huyton* Fr Charity H 48 14 1 VIEW
10th Aug 1983 --
W
 2 Widnes * Fr Testimonial H 44 20 1 VIEW
3rd Sep 1983 96
W
 15 Rochdale Hornets LC1 A 28 4 VIEW
25th Sep 1983 97
W
 3 Wakefield Trinity L H 50 12 VIEW
2nd Oct 1983 98
L
 4 Oldham L A 6 32 VIEW
9th Oct 1983 99
W
 4 Fulham L H 18 14 VIEW
23rd Oct 1983 100
W
 4 Bradford Northern L H 29 14 2 VIEW
4th Dec 1983 101
L
 2 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 7 32 VIEW
17th Dec 1983 102
L
 3 Widnes JPSF N 4 18 VIEW
20th Dec 1983 103
W
 4 Salford L A 18 16 1 VIEW
26th Dec 1983 104
L
 5 Wigan L A 8 12 VIEW
1st Jan 1984 105
L
 5 Widnes L H 12 20 VIEW
8th Jan 1984 106
L
 5 Wakefield Trinity L A 22 31 VIEW
11th Jan 1984 107
L
 5 Hull L A 24 30 1 VIEW
15th Jan 1984 108
W
 5 Whitehaven L H 40 10 1 VIEW
22nd Jan 1984 109
W
 5 Fulham L A 30 0 1 VIEW
12th Feb 1984 110
W
 14 Leigh CC1 H 16 10 VIEW
19th Feb 1984 111
L
 3 Leeds L A 7 18 VIEW
20th Mar 1984 112
W
 5 Warrington L H 37 25 VIEW
23rd Apr 1984 113
D
 1 Widnes L A 28 28 1 VIEW
29th Apr 1984 114
W
 14 Warrington PT1 A 19 13 VIEW
7th May 1984 115
L
 14 Hull Kingston Rovers PTSF A 16 21 VIEW
29th Jul 1984 --
L
 2 Barrow * Fr Benefit A 10 19 VIEW
26th Aug 1984 --
W
 18 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup H 38 4 VIEW
4th Nov 1984 116
W
 1 Warrington L A 20 14 VIEW
11th Nov 1984 117
W
 2 Barrow L H 59 2 VIEW
18th Nov 1984 118
W
 14 Keighley JP1 H 60 8 1 VIEW
25th Nov 1984 119
W
 3 Bradford Northern L H 28 6 VIEW
1st Jan 1985 120
W
 5 Widnes L A 8 6 VIEW
27th Feb 1985 121
L
 14 Hull L A 24 46 VIEW
17th Mar 1985 122
D
 2 Halifax L A 19 19 VIEW
30th Aug 1985 123
W
 14 Swinton L A 32 14 VIEW
8th Sep 1985 124
W
 14 York L H 30 8 VIEW
15th Sep 1985 125
W
 3 Carlisle LC1 H 72 8 1 VIEW
22nd Sep 1985 126
L
 4 Leeds L A 8 21 VIEW
25th Sep 1985 127
W
 4 Whitehaven LC2 H 26 8 2 VIEW
29th Sep 1985 128
L
 4 Hull L H 22 35 1 VIEW
2nd Oct 1985 129
L
 14 Wigan LCSF A 2 30 VIEW
12th Jan 1986 --NPS
L
 15 Warrington L A 16 26 VIEW
19th Mar 1986 130
W
 5 Salford L H 28 10 VIEW
23rd Mar 1986 131
W
 5 Dewsbury L A 18 12 VIEW
9th Apr 1986 132
W
 5 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 22 13 VIEW
13th Apr 1986 133
W
 5 Salford L A 30 28 VIEW
16th Apr 1986 134
W
 5 Castleford L H 62 12 VIEW
22nd Mar 1987 135
D
 2 Warrington L A 17 17 VIEW
25th Mar 1987 136
W
 5 Leigh L A 16 8 2 VIEW
29th Mar 1987 137
W
 5 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 44 22 1 VIEW
5th Apr 1987 138
W
 5 Leeds L H 24 22 1 VIEW
8th Apr 1987 139
W
 5 Barrow L H 26 4 1 VIEW
12th Apr 1987 140
L
 5 Bradford Northern L A 4 18 VIEW
20th Sep 1987 141
L
 14 Warrington L A 20 24 VIEW
27th Sep 1987 142
W
 5 Bradford Northern L H 38 10 1 VIEW
4th Oct 1987 --NPS
L
 15 Halifax L A 12 14 VIEW
1st Nov 1987 143
W
 14 Auckland Tour H 52 26 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 78 | LOSSES : 66 | DRAWS : 12

GALLERY





Copyright © Saints Heritage Society 1999-2025.