Coach: Kel Coslett

Won: Lost: Drawn:

Kel joined the Saints as a prolific goal-kicking full-back and became an integral part of the team from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s as a loose forward and captain. At the end of the 1979-80 season, Coach Eric Ashton retired from his position at Knowsley Road and, according to the Liverpool Echo, “a lengthy list of applications for the post had been considered,” before Kel was appointed and started his new duties on 1st June 1980 on a one-year contract. He had previously coached Rochdale Hornets and laterally Wigan, after Vince Karalius had resigned from Central Park. Kel had also coached Wales on the international scene.

Saints were a big club, of course, but in a period of transition. The Dad’s Army team of the late 1970s was breaking up. Team building was going to be the order of the day, with finances tight. Youngsters like Roy Haggerty, Steve Peters, Chris Arkwright and Neil Holding came into the squad and although Kel’s first season realised a disappointing 8th place in the league, the team beat the visiting New Zealanders 11-6; reached the Challenge Cup semi-final, only to lose against a powerful Hull KR team and lost in the Premiership second round to the same opponents.

Things became difficult in 1981-82. Roy Haggerty was leading scorer with 12 tries; Peter Glynn [42] and Clive Griffiths [59] shared the kicking duties. The team finished in 7th place, but progress in the cups was disappointing. Leigh ended Lancashire Cup hopes at Hilton Park [6-20]; Barrow in the John Player trophy 17-0 after a replay at Craven Park; Wigan in the Challenge Cup at Knowsley Road in round one and Hull in the Premiership at the Boulevard. After a heavy defeat at Leeds, the team conceded 31 points in their next home game [20th January] against Castleford in the first half - it finished 10-40 - that set alarm bells ringing. Kel’s position was invariably discussed but he stayed on to the end of the season, when he was replaced by his former team-mate Billy Benyon, who had been Warrington’s coach. Others in the frame also had a Saints’ connection: Frank Myler, Doug Laughton and George Nicholls.

Mild-mannered and well-respected as a coach, it was always going to be a difficult job to turn things around at the club, despite signings in his second season such as John Butler and Gary Moorby. Loss of form and injuries were the principal factors thrown into the mix at challenging times, which did not help the team’s cause. Typical of the man, Kel remained associated with the Saints as Gameday Manager in later years and is the club’s Honorary President. A true legend of the red vee!

Coach from : Aug 01st 1980 to Jul 31st 1982
DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
1980-08-10 --
W
 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup H 30 12 VIEW
1980-08-17 1
W
 Workington Town LC1 A 15 5 VIEW
1980-08-24 2
L
 Widnes LC2 A 20 22 VIEW
1980-08-31 3
W
 Bradford Northern L H 16 6 VIEW
1980-09-07 4
L
 Castleford L A 21 22 VIEW
1980-09-14 5
L
 Wakefield Trinity L H 14 16 VIEW
1980-09-19 6
W
 Salford L A 25 19 VIEW
1980-09-28 7
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 19 5 VIEW
1980-10-05 8
D
 Workington Town L A 16 16 VIEW
1980-10-12 9
W
 New Zealand Tour H 11 6 VIEW
1980-10-19 10
L
 Warrington L A 11 15 VIEW
1980-10-26 11
L
 Castleford L H 5 8 VIEW
1980-11-09 12
W
 Leigh L A 21 7 VIEW
1980-11-16 13
W
 Workington Town L H 18 8 VIEW
1980-11-23 14
L
 Warrington JP1 H 12 14 VIEW
1980-11-30 15
L
 Featherstone Rovers L A 8 12 VIEW
1980-12-14 16
L
 Leeds L H 11 13 VIEW
1980-12-21 17
L
 Bradford Northern L A 0 11 VIEW
1980-12-26 18
W
 Oldham L H 11 10 VIEW
1980-12-28 19
L
 Barrow L A 8 11 VIEW
1981-01-01 20
L
 Widnes L A 8 11 VIEW
1981-01-04 21
W
 Salford L H 29 14 VIEW
1981-01-11 22
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 12 10 VIEW
1981-01-18 23
W
 Barrow L H 11 2 VIEW
1981-01-25 24
L
 Leeds L A 17 20 VIEW
1981-02-01 25
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 11 20 VIEW
1981-02-08 26
L
 Leigh L H 9 10 VIEW
1981-02-15 27
W
 Huddersfield CC1 A 10 8 VIEW
1981-02-28 28
W
 Hull CC2 H 5 3 VIEW
1981-03-08 29
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 11 5 VIEW
1981-03-15 30
W
 Oldham CC3 A 6 5 VIEW
1981-03-24 31
L
 Hull L A 15 18 VIEW
1981-03-29 32
L
 Halifax L A 7 17 VIEW
1981-04-04 33
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers CCSF N 5 22 VIEW
1981-04-06 34
W
 Warrington L H 29 9 VIEW
1981-04-12 35
W
 Halifax L H 31 22 VIEW
1981-04-17 36
W
 Oldham L A 21 18 VIEW
1981-04-19 37
W
 Hull L H 26 6 VIEW
1981-04-21 38
W
 Widnes L H 24 9 VIEW
1981-04-29 39
W
 Bradford Northern PT1 A 14 12 VIEW
1981-05-10 40
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers PT2 A 17 30 VIEW
1981-08-09 --
L
 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup A 8 12 VIEW
1981-08-16 41
W
 Blackpool Borough LC1 A 28 0 VIEW
1981-08-23 42
W
 Barrow LC2 H 40 17 VIEW
1981-08-30 43
W
 Fulham L H 35 4 VIEW
1981-09-02 44
L
 Leigh LCSF A 6 20 VIEW
1981-09-06 45
W
 Castleford L A 32 17 VIEW
1981-09-13 46
W
 Leigh L H 16 13 VIEW
1981-09-20 47
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 12 21 VIEW
1981-09-27 48
W
 Wakefield Trinity L H 33 14 VIEW
1981-10-04 49
L
 Warrington L A 11 13 VIEW
1981-10-11 50
W
 Bradford Northern L H 20 8 VIEW
1981-10-18 51
D
 Barrow JP1 H 16 16 VIEW
1981-10-22 52
L
 Barrow JP1 (rep) A 0 17 VIEW
1981-10-25 53
D
 Featherstone Rovers L A 8 8 VIEW
1981-11-01 54
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 9 16 VIEW
1981-11-15 55
W
 Bradford Northern L A 20 8 VIEW
1981-11-22 56
L
 Barrow L A 5 7 VIEW
1981-12-06 57
W
 Whitehaven L A 9 7 VIEW
1982-01-01 58
W
 Widnes L H 13 10 VIEW
1982-01-03 59
L
 Leeds L A 4 30 VIEW
1982-01-20 60
L
 Castleford L H 10 40 VIEW
1982-01-24 61
L
 Leigh L A 5 27 VIEW
1982-01-27 62
W
 York L H 17 3 VIEW
1982-01-31 63
L
 Hull L A 8 26 VIEW
1982-02-07 64
L
 Leeds L H 6 15 VIEW
1982-02-13 65
L
 Wigan CC1 H 12 20 VIEW
1982-02-21 66
W
 York L A 19 7 VIEW
1982-02-28 67
W
 Whitehaven L H 41 7 VIEW
1982-03-03 68
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 14 4 VIEW
1982-03-14 69
W
 Warrington L H 18 10 VIEW
1982-03-21 70
W
 Fulham L A 17 2 VIEW
1982-04-04 71
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 16 28 VIEW
1982-04-09 72
W
 Wigan L H 13 11 VIEW
1982-04-12 73
W
 Widnes L A 21 16 VIEW
1982-04-18 74
W
 Barrow L H 15 6 VIEW
1982-04-21 75
L
 Hull L H 13 14 VIEW
1982-04-25 76
L
 Wigan L A 5 23 VIEW
1982-05-05 77
L
 Hull PT1 A 8 23 VIEW
1982-06-05 --
D
 Welsh XIII* Fr Testimonial L 18 18 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 41 | LOSSES : 35 | DRAWS : 4




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