Coach: Joe Coan

Honours: Lancashire Cup winners, Lancashire League winners: 1963-64; Lancashire League winners, League Leaders Bowl, Lancashire Cup winners 1964-65; League Champions, League Leaders Bowl. Challenge Cup winners, Lancashire League winners: 1965-66; Lancashire League winners: 1966-67.

The man behind Saints’ four trophy success in the 1965-66 campaign was a rugby union enthusiast from Cumbria who whilst never playing rugby league professionally, enjoyed great success as a coach. A PE teacher at West Park Grammar School, he was asked to take training sessions with the Saints’ players during the 1962-63 winter ‘lockdown’ at the indoor gym at West Park and subsequently was offered the job as Head Coach after a spell helping the A team at Knowsley Road. He replaced the previous incumbent, Stan McCormick and was in his early thirties.

Joe turned the training regime at the club on its head. “From pre-season we were metaphorically flogged,” wrote Peter Harvey in his book Redhead with Fire in his Boots. “To win we must be fitter than the opposition.”

Joe’s emphasis on physical fitness certainly paid dividends, as the team embarked upon a long unbeaten run of 21 matches during the 1964-65 campaign, including a 12-4 victory against Swinton in the Lancashire Cup final. The Lancashire League trophy also came to Knowsley Road. The 1965-66 season saw the Saints once again as major players in the race for honours. They had a formidable pack and a proverbial ‘points machine’ in winger Len Killeen, who could always be relied upon to get the team out of potential strife with his prodigious goal-kicking ability. The team replicated their league successes from the previous campaign and went further with a glorious Challenge Cup final victory over rivals Wigan at Wembley and thrashed holders Halifax 35-12 in a marvellous Championship final at Station Road, Swinton. 

Coan had laid down the initial groundwork for success, but he was more than just a fitness man, who made crucial coaching decisions during the four cups triumph. They made a great team, with skipper Alex Murphy making on-field decisions, with Ray French the pack leader.

Replicating the triumphs of the 1965-66 campaign was always going to be a tall order, however. There were rumblings that the team relied too much on forward power rather than send it out to the threequarters; Murphy was in dispute, too, before joining Leigh, initially as coach and although the team retained the Lancashire League trophy, they were beaten by Wakefield Trinity in a re-played Championship final at Swinton. 

Joe went on to coach at Huyton in the early 1970s and from January 1975 to September 1976 he was Coach of Wigan. Ironically, he was superseded at Central Park by former Saints’ legend Vince Karalius, with Kel Coslett a later incumbent. 

Joe will always be remembered for helping Saints achieve their place in sporting history in 1966 when the team enjoyed a four-cup haul with the Wembley win over Wigan being the centrepiece. And all this during one of sport’s most memorable years. For that he will always have a special place in the club’s history.

Coach from : Aug 01st 1964 to Aug 01st 1967
DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
1964-08-14 --
W
 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup H 22 2 VIEW
1964-08-22 1
W
 Leigh L A 19 6 VIEW
1964-08-24 2
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 28 4 VIEW
1964-08-29 3
W
 Widnes L H 29 6 VIEW
1964-08-31 4
W
 Whitehaven L A 15 5 VIEW
1964-09-05 5
W
 Liverpool City LC1 A 41 11 VIEW
1964-09-12 6
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
1964-09-14 7
W
 Barrow LC2 A 22 11 VIEW
1964-09-19 8
W
 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 6 VIEW
1964-09-26 9
W
 Featherstone Rovers L A 30 15 VIEW
1964-09-29 10
W
 Warrington LCSF A 10 8 VIEW
1964-10-03 11
W
 Workington Town L H 32 6 VIEW
1964-10-10 12
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 31 9 VIEW
1964-10-17 13
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 25 12 VIEW
1964-10-24 14
W
 Swinton LCF N 12 4 VIEW
1964-10-31 15
W
 Oldham L H 22 6 VIEW
1964-11-07 16
W
 Warrington L H 26 10 VIEW
1964-11-14 17
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 25 12 VIEW
1964-11-21 18
W
 Barrow L H 37 3 VIEW
1964-12-19 19
W
 Leigh L H 10 7 VIEW
1965-01-01 20
W
 Swinton L A 11 5 VIEW
1965-01-09 21
W
 Liverpool City L H 23 3 VIEW
1965-01-16 22
L
 Warrington L A 4 6 VIEW
1965-01-23 23
W
 Whitehaven L H 16 3 VIEW
1965-01-27 --
W
 Other Nationalities* Fr Opening of Floodl H 19 2 VIEW
1965-02-06 24
W
 Castleford CC1 H 22 9 VIEW
1965-02-13 25
L
 Workington Town L A 3 4 VIEW
1965-02-16 26
W
 Salford L H 12 6 VIEW
1965-02-20 27
W
 Huddersfield L H 28 6 VIEW
1965-02-27 28
L
 Wigan CC2 A 2 7 VIEW
1965-03-13 29
W
 Oldham L A 15 9 VIEW
1965-03-16 30
L
 Wakefield Trinity L H 2 9 VIEW
1965-03-20 31
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 4 5 VIEW
1965-03-23 32
L
 Wigan L H 6 10 VIEW
1965-03-27 33
L
 Salford L A 8 11 VIEW
1965-03-30 34
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 8 2 VIEW
1965-04-05 35
W
 Barrow L A 21 14 VIEW
1965-04-09 36
W
 Liverpool City L A 11 0 VIEW
1965-04-16 37
W
 Wigan L A 16 8 VIEW
1965-04-17 38
W
 Widnes L A 14 2 VIEW
1965-04-19 39
W
 Swinton L H 16 5 VIEW
1965-04-21 40
W
 Huddersfield L A 20 6 VIEW
1965-04-24 41
W
 Barrow Ch1 H 23 7 VIEW
1965-04-30 42
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers Ch2 H 24 6 VIEW
1965-05-15 43
W
 Wakefield Trinity ChSF H 10 5 VIEW
1965-05-22 44
L
 Halifax ChF N 7 15 VIEW
1965-08-14 --
L
 Swinton * Fr Gallie Cup A 9 11 VIEW
1965-08-20 45
W
 Halifax L H 15 4 VIEW
1965-08-24 46
W
 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 9 VIEW
1965-08-28 47
W
 Castleford L A 19 15 VIEW
1965-08-30 48
W
 Whitehaven L H 30 5 VIEW
1965-09-04 49
W
 Warrington L A 11 2 VIEW
1965-09-10 50
L
 Swinton LC1 H 7 8 VIEW
1965-09-15 51
W
 New Zealand Tour H 28 7 VIEW
1965-09-18 52
W
 Castleford L H 21 6 VIEW
1965-09-27 53
W
 Widnes L A 9 4 VIEW
1965-10-01 54
W
 Oldham L H 23 17 VIEW
1965-10-05 55
W
 Leigh FT1 H 25 19 VIEW
1965-10-09 56
W
 Barrow L H 18 14 VIEW
1965-10-16 57
W
 Salford L A 15 11 VIEW
1965-10-23 58
W
 Workington Town L H 43 4 VIEW
1965-10-30 59
W
 Barrow L A 15 10 VIEW
1965-11-09 60
W
 Huddersfield L H 11 4 VIEW
1965-11-13 61
W
 Workington Town L A 7 3 VIEW
1965-11-16 62
W
 Leeds FT2 H 21 9 VIEW
1965-11-19 63
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 19 7 VIEW
1965-11-27 64
D
 Wakefield Trinity L H 9 9 VIEW
1965-12-04 65
W
 Whitehaven L A 4 2 VIEW
1965-12-07 66
W
 Swinton FTSF H 9 5 VIEW
1965-12-14 67
L
 Castleford FTF H 0 4 VIEW
1965-12-17 68
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 21 9 VIEW
1966-01-01 69
W
 Salford L H 16 3 VIEW
1966-01-08 70
L
 Oldham L A 9 13 VIEW
1966-01-29 71
W
 Halifax L A 5 2 VIEW
1966-02-01 72
W
 Widnes L H 9 4 VIEW
1966-02-05 73
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 25 11 VIEW
1966-02-14 74
W
 Leigh L H 17 2 VIEW
1966-02-19 75
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 12 20 VIEW
1966-02-26 76
W
 Wakefield Trinity CC1 A 10 0 VIEW
1966-03-01 77
W
 Warrington L H 22 6 VIEW
1966-03-08 78
W
 Liverpool City L H 16 2 VIEW
1966-03-12 79
W
 Huddersfield L A 8 7 VIEW
1966-03-19 80
W
 Swinton CC2 H 16 4 VIEW
1966-03-23 81
W
 Leigh L A 6 5 VIEW
1966-03-26 82
L
 Wigan L A 8 17 VIEW
1966-04-02 83
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers CC3 H 12 10 VIEW
1966-04-08 84
W
 Wigan L H 17 10 VIEW
1966-04-11 85
L
 Swinton L A 6 20 VIEW
1966-04-16 86
W
 Dewsbury CCSF N 12 5 VIEW
1966-04-22 87
L
 Swinton L H 10 15 VIEW
1966-04-25 88
W
 Liverpool City L A 28 3 VIEW
1966-04-30 89
W
 Warrington Ch1 H 35 7 VIEW
1966-05-07 90
W
 Oldham Ch2 H 15 10 VIEW
1966-05-14 91
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers ChSF H 14 6 VIEW
1966-05-21 92
W
 Wigan CCF N 21 2 VIEW
1966-05-28 93
W
 Halifax ChF N 35 12 VIEW
1966-08-12 --
L
 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup H 13 27 VIEW
1966-08-19 94
D
 Widnes L A 10 10 VIEW
1966-08-23 95
L
 Warrington L H 6 10 VIEW
1966-08-27 96
W
 Salford L H 42 7 VIEW
1966-08-29 97
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 15 28 VIEW
1966-09-03 98
W
 Rochdale Hornets LC1 A 18 16 VIEW
1966-09-07 99
W
 Salford FTP(1) A 19 10 VIEW
1966-09-10 100
W
 Liverpool City L A 35 12 VIEW
1966-09-12 101
W
 Barrow L A 15 9 VIEW
1966-09-14 102
L
 Wigan LC2 A 9 11 VIEW
1966-09-17 103
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 23 14 VIEW
1966-09-24 104
D
 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 17 VIEW
1966-09-26 105
W
 Salford FTP(2) H 40 5 VIEW
1966-09-30 106
W
 Whitehaven L H 35 12 VIEW
1966-10-07 107
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 25 6 VIEW
1966-10-14 108
W
 Wakefield Trinity L H 18 15 VIEW
1966-10-18 109
W
 Swinton FT1 H 11 9 VIEW
1966-10-22 110
W
 Salford L A 30 3 VIEW
1966-10-28 111
W
 Leeds L H 16 3 VIEW
1966-11-01 112
D
 Barrow FT2 A 11 11 VIEW
1966-11-02 113
L
 Leigh L A 5 29 VIEW
1966-11-11 114
W
 Castleford L H 13 2 VIEW
1966-11-18 115
W
 Barrow L H 16 11 VIEW
1966-11-26 116
W
 Huddersfield L A 15 10 VIEW
1966-12-02 117
L
 Castleford L A 7 25 VIEW
1966-12-09 118
W
 Leigh L H 4 0 VIEW
1966-12-17 119
W
 Workington Town L A 16 9 VIEW
1966-12-26 120
W
 Wigan L H 8 3 VIEW
1966-12-27 121
W
 Warrington L A 9 8 VIEW
1967-01-02 122
D
 Swinton L A 9 9 VIEW
1967-01-21 123
L
 Workington Town L H 5 6 VIEW
1967-01-27 124
W
 Oldham L H 25 7 VIEW
1967-02-03 125
D
 Salford CC1 A 5 5 VIEW
1967-02-07 126
L
 Salford CC1(rep) H 3 8 VIEW
1967-02-11 127
W
 Liverpool City L H 23 6 VIEW
1967-02-17 128
L
 Oldham L A 7 8 VIEW
1967-03-04 129
L
 Leeds L A 20 26 VIEW
1967-03-10 130
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 17 2 VIEW
1967-03-18 131
W
 Huddersfield L H 11 4 VIEW
1967-03-24 132
W
 Wigan L A 21 7 VIEW
1967-03-25 133
L
 Whitehaven L A 3 4 VIEW
1967-03-27 134
L
 Swinton L H 5 12 VIEW
1967-04-07 135
W
 Widnes L H 25 10 VIEW
1967-04-14 136
W
 Leigh Ch1 H 37 12 VIEW
1967-04-22 137
W
 Bradford Northern Ch2 H 15 8 VIEW
1967-04-29 138
W
 Castleford ChSF H 14 3 VIEW
1967-05-06 139
D
 Wakefield Trinity ChF N 7 7 VIEW
1967-05-10 140
L
 Wakefield Trinity ChF(rep) N 9 21 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 108 | LOSSES : 29 | DRAWS : 7




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