Coach: Cliff Evans

Won: 107; Lost: 34; Drawn: 8

Honours: Championship final [1969-70]; Lancashire Cup final [1968-69]; Lancashire League [1968-69]

Born in Resolven, South Wales, Clifford Haudel Evans came to prominence with the Salford team that toured France in 1934 which gave them the nickname ‘Diables Rouges.’ Adept at centre or in the halves, he later joined Leeds and won a wartime Challenge Cup winner’s medal with the Headingley club. Evans also won 7 Welsh caps whilst a Leeds player.

An astute ‘hands on’ coach, he joined Swinton in 1954 and developed them into one of the game’s powerhouses by the early 1960s, including First Division Championships in 1962-63 and 1963-64. He was, perhaps, just a couple of players short of further dominance, although the team fell short of success in the Lancashire Cup at the hands of the Saints. at that time on several occasions.

Before the end of 1967, the Saints’ Coach Joe Coan had been put under pressure not from bad results per se, but the team’s style of play, where too great an emphasis had been placed on forward power. His resignation prompted the Board to go for Evans, whose reputation for entertaining rugby was well known. It was an excellent appointment. The Saints played some of their finest rugby for years under his tutelage, which was rewarded with success in the Lancashire League and Lancashire Cups in 1968-69. In the county final, staged at Wigan’s Central Park, Saints obliterated Oldham by running up 25 points in the last quarter to win by a record 30-2 scoreline.

Evans had brought with him two players from Swinton: stand-off/full-back Austin Rhodes and mobile second-rower Graham Rees, who were major players in the team’s success. A fabulous 53-11 thrashing of the Old Enemy, Wigan at Central Park on Boxing Day 1969 will long live in the memory of any Saints’ fan who was present that afternoon. Another key signing was former Widnes legend Frank Myler, who provided much needed experience at centre and in the halves. Myler went on to Captain Great Britain to an Ashes triumph in Australia in the summer of 1970.

Cliff’s Last Game in charge was the classic 24-12 Championship final victory against Leeds at Odsal Stadium, when the team’s attacking style was showcased by the promptings of Myler and skipper Kel Coslett. Yet Evans controversially left out winger Frank Wilson, but was vilified by his replacement, Eric Prescott, a back-rower, who scored two tries.

Evans took the reins at Salford , from 1970-73, another good ‘fit’ in what was a powerful and entertaining team, with several players drawn from rugby union ranks, like David Watkins and Keith Fielding. He left an impressive legacy at all the clubs he coached
Coach from : Aug 01st 1967 to Jul 31st 1970
DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
1967-08-11 --
W
 Swinton * Fr Gallie Cup A 9 7 VIEW
1967-08-18 1
W
 Rochdale Hornets LC1 H 7 4 VIEW
1967-08-23 2
W
 Leeds L A 13 12 VIEW
1967-08-26 3
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 13 8 VIEW
1967-08-28 4
W
 Wakefield Trinity L H 13 11 VIEW
1967-09-01 5
W
 Salford L A 15 3 VIEW
1967-09-09 6
W
 Liverpool City L A 32 5 VIEW
1967-09-15 7
W
 Leigh L H 22 0 VIEW
1967-09-19 8
W
 Swinton LCSF A 12 8 VIEW
1967-09-23 9
W
 Rochdale Hornets L A 8 2 VIEW
1967-09-27 10
W
 Warrington L H 17 12 VIEW
1967-10-07 11
D
 Warrington LCF N 2 2 VIEW
1967-10-14 12
W
 Liverpool City L H 15 7 VIEW
1967-10-21 13
L
 Whitehaven L A 6 11 VIEW
1967-10-24 14
W
 Australia Tour H 8 4 VIEW
1967-10-27 15
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 14 7 VIEW
1967-11-07 16
W
 Oldham FT1 H 14 0 VIEW
1967-11-11 17
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 17 3 VIEW
1967-11-18 18
W
 Leigh L A 7 4 VIEW
1967-11-22 19
L
 Wigan FT2 H 11 22 VIEW
1967-11-24 20
L
 Salford L H 4 7 VIEW
1967-12-02 21
W
 Warrington LCF(rep) N 13 10 VIEW
1967-12-16 22
W
 Oldham L H 10 2 VIEW
1967-12-26 23
W
 Wigan L A 16 10 VIEW
1967-12-30 24
D
 Batley L H 9 9 VIEW
1968-01-05 25
L
 Barrow L A 7 17 VIEW
1968-01-15 26
W
 Barrow L H 6 2 VIEW
1968-01-20 27
W
 Oldham L A 26 14 VIEW
1968-01-22 28
L
 Swinton L H 10 17 VIEW
1968-01-27 29
L
 Workington Town L A 5 14 VIEW
1968-02-03 30
L
 Huddersfield CC1 H 0 5 VIEW
1968-02-17 31
W
 Batley L A 18 12 VIEW
1968-02-23 32
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 12 VIEW
1968-02-26 33
W
 Whitehaven L H 31 8 VIEW
1968-03-06 34
W
 Warrington L A 12 6 VIEW
1968-03-09 35
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 23 7 VIEW
1968-03-16 36
W
 Widnes L H 18 13 VIEW
1968-03-19 37
L
 Leeds L H 4 12 VIEW
1968-03-23 38
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 3 23 VIEW
1968-03-30 39
W
 Workington Town L H 18 11 VIEW
1968-04-12 40
W
 Wigan L H 24 13 VIEW
1968-04-13 41
L
 Widnes L A 7 24 VIEW
1968-04-15 42
W
 Swinton L A 19 16 VIEW
1968-04-19 43
W
 Halifax Ch1 H 31 2 VIEW
1968-04-24 44
W
 Warrington Ch2 H 20 0 VIEW
1968-04-27 45
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers ChSF A 10 23 VIEW
1968-08-09 --
W
 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup H 13 9 VIEW
1968-08-14 46
W
 Wakefield Trinity L A 5 0 VIEW
1968-08-20 47
W
 Whitehaven L H 28 9 VIEW
1968-08-24 48
L
 Leeds L A 13 20 VIEW
1968-08-28 49
W
 Wakefield Trinity L H 24 8 VIEW
1968-08-31 50
W
 Widnes L H 24 9 VIEW
1968-09-02 51
W
 Barrow L A 17 2 VIEW
1968-09-07 52
W
 Wigan LC1 H 19 16 VIEW
1968-09-10 53
W
 Barrow FTP(1) H 21 5 VIEW
1968-09-14 54
W
 Leigh L H 27 2 VIEW
1968-09-18 55
W
 Widnes LC2 A 20 17 VIEW
1968-09-20 56
W
 Huyton L H 11 10 VIEW
1968-09-23 57
L
 Barrow FTP(2) A 11 18 VIEW
1968-09-27 58
W
 Warrington L H 24 11 VIEW
1968-10-04 59
D
 Salford L A 10 10 VIEW
1968-10-07 60
W
 Leigh LCSF A 17 6 VIEW
1968-10-12 61
W
 Leeds L H 28 3 VIEW
1968-10-14 62
W
 Swinton FT1 H 12 10 VIEW
1968-10-19 63
W
 Workington Town L A 13 2 VIEW
1968-10-25 64
W
 Oldham LCF N 30 2 VIEW
1968-10-30 65
L
 Rochdale Hornets L A 2 13 VIEW
1968-11-09 66
W
 Doncaster L A 22 8 VIEW
1968-11-11 67
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 21 5 VIEW
1968-11-16 68
D
 Salford L H 9 9 VIEW
1968-11-23 69
W
 Warrington L A 20 5 VIEW
1968-11-26 70
W
 Hull FT2 H 14 10 VIEW
1968-12-04 71
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 13 10 VIEW
1968-12-10 72
W
 Warrington FTSF H 29 6 VIEW
1968-12-17 73
L
 Wigan FTF A 4 7 VIEW
1968-12-26 74
W
 Wigan L AB H 11 3 VIEW
1969-01-01 75
W
 Swinton L A 15 5 VIEW
1969-01-06 76
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 16 5 VIEW
1969-01-11 77
W
 Whitehaven L A 9 7 VIEW
1969-01-14 78
W
 Wigan L H 13 3 VIEW
1969-01-18 79
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 17 7 VIEW
1969-01-25 80
W
 Hull CC1 A 13 3 VIEW
1969-02-25 81
W
 Oldham CC2 A 15 6 VIEW
1969-03-01 82
L
 Warrington CC3 A 2 4 VIEW
1969-03-06 83
W
 Huyton L H 37 6 VIEW
1969-03-11 84
W
 Barrow L H 32 7 VIEW
1969-03-15 85
L
 Leigh L A 10 12 VIEW
1969-03-21 86
W
 Widnes L A 18 4 VIEW
1969-03-24 87
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 43 12 VIEW
1969-03-28 88
W
 Oldham L H 19 4 VIEW
1969-04-04 89
L
 Wigan L A 10 34 VIEW
1969-04-07 90
W
 Swinton L H 40 5 VIEW
1969-04-12 91
L
 Workington Town L H 5 8 VIEW
1969-04-15 92
W
 Oldham L A 17 2 VIEW
1969-04-19 93
W
 Doncaster L H 57 5 VIEW
1969-04-26 94
W
 Keighley Ch1 H 25 7 VIEW
1969-05-03 95
W
 Featherstone Rovers Ch2 H 47 4 VIEW
1969-05-10 96
L
 Castleford ChSF H 6 18 VIEW
1969-08-09 --
W
 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup A 32 4 VIEW
1969-08-16 97
W
 Castleford L H 27 3 VIEW
1969-08-20 98
L
 Widnes L A 5 17 VIEW
1969-08-23 99
W
 Workington Town L H 31 11 VIEW
1969-08-29 100
W
 Warrington L A 14 7 VIEW
1969-09-01 101
W
 Maryport LC1 H 58 5 VIEW
1969-09-05 102
W
 Huyton L H 31 0 VIEW
1969-09-10 103
L
 Castleford L A 3 9 VIEW
1969-09-13 104
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 35 2 VIEW
1969-09-20 105
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 63 10 VIEW
1969-09-27 106
W
 Workington Town L A 17 5 VIEW
1969-09-29 107
L
 Widnes LC2 A 14 22 VIEW
1969-10-04 108
W
 Warrington L H 11 7 VIEW
1969-10-07 109
L
 Leeds L A 7 13 VIEW
1969-10-11 110
W
 Huyton L A 28 5 VIEW
1969-10-13 111
W
 Swinton FT1 A 17 9 VIEW
1969-10-29 112
L
 Salford L A 12 16 VIEW
1969-11-04 113
W
 Barrow FT2 A 11 6 VIEW
1969-11-08 114
W
 Whitehaven L A 10 9 VIEW
1969-11-10 115
W
 Leigh L H 16 10 VIEW
1969-11-15 116
L
 Featherstone Rovers L A 6 13 VIEW
1969-11-17 117
W
 Barrow L H 31 9 VIEW
1969-11-22 118
W
 Oldham L H 41 10 VIEW
1969-12-09 119
D
 Wigan FTSF A 13 13 VIEW
1969-12-11 120
L
 Wigan FTSF(rep) H 9 15 VIEW
1969-12-13 121
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 26 9 VIEW
1969-12-26 122
W
 Wigan L A 53 11 VIEW
1970-01-01 123
D
 Swinton L H 18 18 VIEW
1970-01-10 124
W
 Batley L H 22 9 VIEW
1970-01-27 125
L
 Salford L H 15 16 VIEW
1970-01-31 126
L
 Leigh L A 3 6 VIEW
1970-02-07 127
W
 Bradford Northern CC1 H 16 3 VIEW
1970-02-21 128
W
 Bramley CC2 H 17 2 VIEW
1970-02-27 129
W
 Barrow L A 6 0 VIEW
1970-03-02 130
W
 Whitehaven L H 37 5 VIEW
1970-03-10 131
D
 Doncaster CC3 A 4 4 VIEW
1970-03-14 132
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 22 4 VIEW
1970-03-16 133
W
 Doncaster CC3(rep) H 36 0 VIEW
1970-03-21 134
W
 Batley L A 8 7 VIEW
1970-03-23 135
W
 Rochdale Hornets L A 10 0 VIEW
1970-03-27 136
L
 Wigan L H 16 23 VIEW
1970-03-28 137
W
 Leeds L H 12 5 VIEW
1970-03-30 138
L
 Swinton L A 9 10 VIEW
1970-04-04 139
L
 Castleford CCSF N 3 6 VIEW
1970-04-06 140
W
 Oldham L A 43 0 VIEW
1970-04-10 141
W
 Widnes L H 15 12 VIEW
1970-04-18 142
W
 Warrington Ch1 H 36 8 VIEW
1970-04-25 143
W
 Leigh Ch2 H 16 5 VIEW
1970-05-02 144
D
 Castleford ChSF A 9 9 VIEW
1970-05-04 145
W
 Castleford ChSF(rep) H 21 12 VIEW
1970-05-16 146
W
 Leeds ChF N 24 12 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 108 | LOSSES : 33 | DRAWS : 8




Copyright © Saints Heritage Society 1999-2024.