Peter Metcalfe

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
05-11-1931
N/A
17-05-1952
United Services/ Pilkington Recs
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
27-12-1952 v Wakefield Trinity
York
1955- when he Retired
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1952-1955
71 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
29
234
0
555

Biography of Peter Metcalfe



HERITAGE NO : 713
Peter Metcalfe by Dave Dooley:

Peter Metcalfe was potentially one the club`s all-time greats when his career was tragically cut short after he broke his knee cap. as a stand off. He made his debut against Wakefield Trinity on the 27th. December 1952. In only 71 matches for the Saints Peter scored 29 tries, kicked 234 goals for a total points aggregate of 555 points. In the 1953-54 season Peter was the game`s top goalkicker with 153 goals and the league`s top points scorer with 369 points.

This lively, creative stand off was rewarded with caps for Lancashire and England. Peter was a member of the 1953 Lancashire Cup winning team that defeated Wigan by 16 points to 8. In this match Peter kicked five goals to punish the Wigan outfit. The first ever Cup Final between the deadly rivals went the way of St Helens.

One of his career highlights must have been the 1953 Championship Final when Peter completely dominated his more experienced opponents. The match was characterised by Metcalfe`s shrewd handling, body swerves, side-steps and neat off-loads setting up tries for his team mates and finishing off a fine move to sink Halifax in the first quarter of the match. His personal haul of a try and three goals was a major contribution to the crowning of Saints as champions for only the second time in their history.

His final match for the Club was against York on the 3rd. of September, 1955. Peter cruelly was forced to retire after breaking his knee cap at the age of 24 years.

Peter Metcalfe Passes

Supporters of a particular generation were saddened to hear of the passing of our former stand-off Peter Metcalfe, on 13th February, 2016. He was in his mid 80s. Peter originally came from Greenbank and the family later moved to Thatto Heath. Yet Peter remained at Sacred Heart School and after a spell in the Army, Peter joined the Saints. Signed after an amateur career with Pilkington Recs [he worked at Sheet Works originally] and United Services, Peter made rapid strides in the A Team, before making a successful debut against Wakefield Trinity at Belle Vue on 27th December 1952. The visitors won 20-11 and Peter scored a try, with his partner at scrum-half, John Dickinson, another local lad, notching a brace! Just seven games into his senior career at Knowsley Road he was selected at stand-off for the 1953 Championship final against Halifax at Manchester City's Maine Road ground. In front of over 50,000, Peter scored a try and three goals as Saints won their second Championship 24-14.

Although he was a specialist goal-kicker, Peter had all the attributes of a great stand-off with the ball in hand: swerve, step, eye for the gap and great handling skills. It was no surprise that both county and international recognition came his way in what was a brilliant season for him in 1953-54. He also played in the 1953 Lancashire Cup final against Wigan at Swinton and kicked 5 goals for good measure in the Saints' 16-8 success ' the first time the two old rivals had clashed in a major final! At the end of the 1953-54 season he was the league's leading points scorer, with 369 and shared the leading goalkicker's tag with Warrington's Harry Bath [153].

Unfortunately, Peter suffered a severe knee injury, which eventually forced him into premature retirement from the game he loved. His last match for the Saints was at home to York, on 3rd September 1955. Although St. Helens won 26-18, he could not carry on. According to his wife, Joan [a Haresfinch girl ' they married in 1952], they were involved in a number of business enterprises over the years and they also migrated to Australia for a couple of years [Brisbane] where Peter did some coaching locally. He did continue his local rugby league links with his former club, Pilkington Recs and coached them to their first-ever match against a professional club when they played at Hull KR in 1961. Peter and Joan had a hotel on the front at Southport for several years, before moving to the Scarborough area, where they had, at various times, three hotels and a chip shop. They remained on the Yorkshire coast until Peter's death.

We need to mention one of Peter`s friends, Joe Wadsworth, for additional information for this article.


SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1952~535 16 0 7
1953~5421 145 0 42
1954~553 73 0 21
1955~560 0 0 1
TOTALS:29 234 0 71
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1952~531701
1953~540401
1954~550401
TOTALS:11503

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
27th Dec 1952 1
W
 6 Wakefield Trinity L A 20 11 1 VIEW
3rd Apr 1953 2
W
 6 Wigan L A 16 5 1 5 VIEW
6th Apr 1953 3
D
 6 Huddersfield L A 10 10 VIEW
11th Apr 1953 4
W
 6 Belle Vue Rangers L H 38 9 1 VIEW
18th Apr 1953 5
W
 6 Oldham L A 14 13 1 VIEW
2nd May 1953 6
W
 6 Huddersfield ChSF H 46 0 8 VIEW
7th May 1953 7
W
 6 Halifax ChF N 24 14 1 3 VIEW
16th May 1953 --
W
 6 Workington / Whitehaven* Fr Benefit A 53 26 1 7 VIEW
8th Aug 1953 --
W
 6 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 29 20 4 VIEW
15th Aug 1953 8
W
 6 Liverpool City L A 46 0 1 5 VIEW
22nd Aug 1953 9
D
 6 Widnes L A 11 11 4 VIEW
26th Aug 1953 10
W
 6 Barrow L H 23 10 1 VIEW
29th Aug 1953 11
W
 6 Huddersfield L H 12 9 1 VIEW
5th Sep 1953 12
L
 6 Barrow LC1(1) A 13 14 1 2 VIEW
9th Sep 1953 13
W
 6 Barrow LC1(2) H 21 17 2 VIEW
12th Sep 1953 14
W
 6 Bradford Northern L A 19 14 1 4 VIEW
19th Sep 1953 15
W
 6 Bramley L H 49 16 1 8 VIEW
23rd Sep 1953 16
W
 6 Swinton LC2 H 38 9 1 4 VIEW
30th Sep 1953 17
W
 6 Warrington LCSF A 17 10 2 3 VIEW
3rd Oct 1953 18
W
 6 Bradford Northern L H 22 12 1 5 VIEW
10th Oct 1953 19
W
 6 Belle Vue Rangers L A 27 5 1 6 VIEW
17th Oct 1953 20
W
 6 Castleford L H 35 9 4 VIEW
24th Oct 1953 21
W
 6 Wigan LCF N 16 8 5 VIEW
31st Oct 1953 22
W
 6 Workington Town L H 20 5 4 VIEW
11th Nov 1953 23
W
 6 Castleford L A 31 14 8 VIEW
14th Nov 1953 24
W
 6 Swinton L H 2 0 1 VIEW
28th Nov 1953 25
W
 6 Whitehaven L A 12 4 3 VIEW
5th Dec 1953 26
W
 6 Belle Vue Rangers L H 38 7 1 7 VIEW
12th Dec 1953 27
W
 6 Oldham L H 21 9 3 VIEW
19th Dec 1953 28
W
 6 Salford L A 11 7 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1953 29
W
 6 Leigh L H 11 9 4 VIEW
26th Dec 1953 30
W
 6 Wigan L H 14 4 4 VIEW
2nd Jan 1954 31
L
 6 Warrington L H 2 7 1 VIEW
9th Jan 1954 32
W
 6 Swinton L A 8 0 1 VIEW
16th Jan 1954 33
W
 6 Rochdale Hornets L H 28 5 2 VIEW
23rd Jan 1954 34
W
 6 Barrow L A 15 11 3 VIEW
30th Jan 1954 35
W
 6 Salford L H 29 0 1 4 VIEW
13th Feb 1954 36
W
 6 Featherstone Rovers CC1(1) H 26 7 1 4 VIEW
17th Feb 1954 37
W
 6 Featherstone Rovers CC1(2) A 27 16 1 6 VIEW
20th Feb 1954 38
D
 6 Halifax L H 5 5 1 VIEW
27th Feb 1954 39
L
 6 Warrington L A 8 12 4 VIEW
6th Mar 1954 40
L
 4 Huddersfield CC2 A 5 12 1 VIEW
20th Mar 1954 41
W
 6 Liverpool City L H 18 0 1 6 VIEW
24th Mar 1954 42
W
 6 Workington Town L A 15 7 3 VIEW
3rd Apr 1954 43
W
 6 Whitehaven L H 34 12 5 VIEW
7th Apr 1954 44
L
 6 Leigh L A 13 14 2 VIEW
10th Apr 1954 45
W
 6 Bramley L A 25 12 2 5 VIEW
16th Apr 1954 46
W
 6 Wigan L A 14 8 4 VIEW
17th Apr 1954 47
W
 6 Widnes L H 28 4 1 5 VIEW
19th Apr 1954 48
L
 6 Huddersfield L A 13 29 1 2 VIEW
1st May 1954 49
L
 6 Warrington ChSF A 0 11 VIEW
7th Aug 1954 --
L
 6 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 17 31 4 VIEW
14th Aug 1954 50
W
 6 Widnes L H 31 3 5 VIEW
18th Aug 1954 51
W
 6 Belle Vue Rangers L A 20 11 1 7 VIEW
21st Aug 1954 52
W
 6 Blackpool Borough L A 34 2 5 VIEW
25th Aug 1954 53
W
 6 Swinton L H 28 9 2 VIEW
28th Aug 1954 54
L
 6 Oldham L H 16 23 2 VIEW
4th Sep 1954 55
L
 6 Halifax L A 2 22 1 VIEW
25th Sep 1954 56
W
 6 Huddersfield L H 20 7 1 4 VIEW
2nd Oct 1954 57
W
 6 Liverpool City L A 30 14 1 6 VIEW
9th Oct 1954 58
W
 6 Leeds L H 13 6 5 VIEW
16th Oct 1954 59
W
 6 Salford L A 19 2 2 VIEW
23rd Oct 1954 60
W
 6 Whitehaven L H 30 3 6 VIEW
30th Oct 1954 61
W
 6 Widnes L A 8 2 1 VIEW
6th Nov 1954 62
L
 6 Workington Town L A 11 15 4 VIEW
29th Jan 1955 63
W
 6 Blackpool Borough L H 13 2 2 VIEW
19th Mar 1955 64
L
 6 Workington Town CC3 A 4 14 2 VIEW
21st Mar 1955 65
W
 6 Rochdale Hornets L H 23 3 4 VIEW
26th Mar 1955 66
W
 6 Salford L H 16 8 1 VIEW
8th Apr 1955 67
L
 6 Wigan L A 12 16 6 VIEW
9th Apr 1955 68
W
 1 Halifax L H 14 8 4 VIEW
11th Apr 1955 69
L
 1 Huddersfield L A 11 35 4 VIEW
18th Apr 1955 70
L
 1 Barrow L A 3 26 VIEW
3rd Sep 1955 71
W
 6 York L H 26 18 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 56 | LOSSES : 15 | DRAWS : 3

GALLERY





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