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Coach: Alan Prescott

Honours: Lancashire League winners 1959-60; Lancashire Cup winners: 1960-61, 1961-62 Challenge Cup winners: 1960-61

Born in Widnes, Alan Prescott began his rugby league odyssey as a winger with Halifax during the latter years of World War Two, where he showed he had power and pace. He moved to the loose forward berth and Saints snapped him up for a £2,275 fee in 1948. Alan graduated to the front row, where he became one of the most decorated players of his generation. In 1956, he led Saints to their first-ever Wembley success and was, at the time, captain of club, county and country. He is immortalised after staying on the field after breaking his arm in the second test match against Australia at Brisbane in 1958, when Great Britain won a famous victory on the way to winning the Ashes. He won two league championships, a Challenge Cup, Lancashire Cup and Lancashire League title with the Saints and was seen as the perfect choice to take over from legendary coach Jim Sullivan in 1959-60, when he continued to play on after recovering from his tour injury.

Alan inherited a team of pace with phenomenal try-scoring capability from the likes of Vollenhoven and Prinsloo in the backs, Alex Murphy in the halves half-back and Austin Rhodes peerless with the boot at full-back. The team won the Lancashire League but lost 4-5 in controversial circumstances to Warrington in the Lancashire Cup final. Wakefield Trinity ended Challenge Cup hopes with a 10-15 first round win at Knowsley Road and although the team finished on top of the table, Wigan won the Championship semi-final at Knowsley Road. Prescott retired at the end of the season and his first success as a non-playing coach, in 1960-61, was a Lancashire Cup victory against Swinton. A cup double lay on the horizon, with the marvellous 12-6 success over Wigan at Wembley to come. Yet at the time there were rumours that the club was 'sounding out' another coach in Jim Brough, although this never transpired.

The 1961-62 season saw the Saints lift the Lancashire Cup once more but a slump in league form seemingly gave the Board no option but to replace Prescott as coach, on 16th December 1961, with another former Saints' player, Stan McCormick, stepping into the breach. The RFL proposed a two divisions setup for 1962-63 and at one stage the team's position would not have ensured a place in the top-flight. Alan continued for a spell as coach of Leigh before ending his involvement in the game. A brief TV cameo of Alan during the celebrations for the 100 years at Knowsley Road showed him to be an articulate and thoughtful man. His mark on the rugby league game and at St Helens in particular, will never be forgotten.

Coach from : Aug 01st 1959 to Jul 31st 1962
DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
1959-08-08 --
W
 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 50 3 VIEW
1959-08-15 1
W
 Widnes L A 27 14 VIEW
1959-08-17 2
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 59 17 VIEW
1959-08-22 3
W
 Wakefield Trinity L H 40 7 VIEW
1959-08-26 4
W
 Swinton L A 32 9 VIEW
1959-08-29 5
W
 Swinton LC1 A 17 9 VIEW
1959-09-02 6
W
 Widnes L H 22 0 VIEW
1959-09-05 7
W
 Leeds L H 23 9 VIEW
1959-09-09 8
W
 Widnes LC2 A 24 9 VIEW
1959-09-12 9
W
 Wakefield Trinity L A 16 2 VIEW
1959-09-19 10
W
 Hunslet L H 38 17 VIEW
1959-09-26 11
W
 Liverpool City L A 45 6 VIEW
1959-09-30 12
W
 Whitehaven LCSF A 18 2 VIEW
1959-10-03 13
W
 Salford L H 40 11 VIEW
1959-10-10 14
L
 Australia Tour H 2 15 VIEW
1959-10-17 15
W
 Whitehaven L A 15 12 VIEW
1959-10-24 16
W
 Hull L H 29 11 VIEW
1959-10-31 17
L
 Warrington LCF N 4 5 VIEW
1959-11-07 18
W
 Liverpool City L H 40 17 VIEW
1959-11-14 19
W
 Dewsbury L A 20 15 VIEW
1959-11-21 20
W
 Halifax L H 25 10 VIEW
1959-11-28 21
L
 Leeds L A 11 24 VIEW
1959-12-05 22
L
 Workington Town L H 11 12 VIEW
1959-12-12 23
W
 Rochdale Hornets L A 40 4 VIEW
1959-12-19 24
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 26 2 VIEW
1959-12-25 25
W
 Leigh L H 14 10 VIEW
1959-12-26 26
W
 Wigan L A 19 7 VIEW
1960-01-01 27
W
 Leigh L A 12 4 VIEW
1960-01-02 28
W
 Workington Town L A 21 6 VIEW
1960-01-09 29
W
 Warrington L H 40 6 VIEW
1960-01-16 30
W
 Barrow L A 16 8 VIEW
1960-01-23 31
W
 Oldham L H 27 6 VIEW
1960-01-30 32
D
 Salford L A 2 2 VIEW
1960-02-06 33
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 26 7 VIEW
1960-02-13 34
L
 Wakefield Trinity CC1 H 10 15 VIEW
1960-02-20 35
W
 Dewsbury L H 25 4 VIEW
1960-03-05 36
W
 Warrington L A 19 16 VIEW
1960-03-12 37
W
 Barrow L H 13 12 VIEW
1960-03-19 38
L
 Halifax L A 15 20 VIEW
1960-04-02 39
W
 Swinton L H 46 10 VIEW
1960-04-15 40
W
 Wigan L H 12 4 VIEW
1960-04-16 41
W
 Whitehaven L H 41 5 VIEW
1960-04-18 42
W
 Hull L A 10 7 VIEW
1960-04-23 43
W
 Hunslet L A 20 8 VIEW
1960-04-26 44
W
 Oldham L A 10 2 VIEW
1960-05-07 45
L
 Wigan ChSF H 9 19 VIEW
1960-08-06 --
W
 Liverpool City* Fr Charity Cup H 34 10 VIEW
1960-08-09 --
W
 Great Britain* Fr H 21 16 VIEW
1960-08-13 46
L
 Oldham L A 4 16 VIEW
1960-08-15 47
W
 Liverpool City L H 17 9 VIEW
1960-08-20 48
W
 Hunslet L H 22 10 VIEW
1960-08-27 49
W
 Widnes LC1 A 19 17 VIEW
1960-09-03 50
L
 Wakefield Trinity L H 5 18 VIEW
1960-09-07 51
W
 Wigan LC2 H 7 4 VIEW
1960-09-10 52
W
 Leigh L A 28 13 VIEW
1960-09-17 53
W
 Oldham L H 26 12 VIEW
1960-09-21 54
W
 Swinton L A 15 7 VIEW
1960-09-26 55
W
 Halifax L H 32 4 VIEW
1960-10-12 56
W
 Australia Tour H 15 12 VIEW
1960-10-15 57
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 34 13 VIEW
1960-10-17 58
W
 Leigh LCSF A 15 2 VIEW
1960-10-22 59
W
 Wigan L H 11 6 VIEW
1960-10-29 60
W
 Swinton LCF N 15 9 VIEW
1960-11-05 61
W
 Whitehaven L H 18 8 VIEW
1960-11-12 62
W
 Rochdale Hornets L A 38 5 VIEW
1960-11-19 63
W
 Barrow L A 29 15 VIEW
1960-11-26 64
W
 Workington Town L H 47 2 VIEW
1960-12-03 65
L
 Hunslet L A 5 10 VIEW
1960-12-24 66
W
 Salford L A 17 5 VIEW
1960-12-26 67
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 51 4 VIEW
1961-01-02 68
W
 Leigh L H 10 4 VIEW
1961-01-07 69
W
 Warrington L A 8 5 VIEW
1961-01-16 70
W
 Hull L H 22 15 VIEW
1961-01-21 71
W
 Whitehaven L A 15 11 VIEW
1961-02-04 72
L
 Warrington L H 7 8 VIEW
1961-02-11 73
D
 Widnes CC1 H 5 5 VIEW
1961-02-16 74
W
 Widnes CC1(rep) A 29 10 VIEW
1961-02-18 75
W
 Widnes L H 44 7 VIEW
1961-02-25 76
W
 Castleford CC2 A 18 10 VIEW
1961-03-04 77
W
 Liverpool City L A 52 2 VIEW
1961-03-11 78
W
 Swinton CC3 H 17 9 VIEW
1961-03-18 79
W
 Halifax L A 19 12 VIEW
1961-03-21 80
W
 Barrow L H 31 2 VIEW
1961-03-25 81
W
 Salford L H 45 2 VIEW
1961-03-27 82
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 2 4 VIEW
1961-03-31 83
L
 Wigan L A 2 12 VIEW
1961-04-01 84
L
 Workington Town L A 11 12 VIEW
1961-04-03 85
L
 Swinton L H 3 10 VIEW
1961-04-08 86
W
 Hull L A 9 4 VIEW
1961-04-15 87
W
 Hull CCSF N 26 9 VIEW
1961-04-19 88
W
 Widnes L A 17 5 VIEW
1961-04-22 89
L
 Featherstone Rovers L A 11 28 VIEW
1961-04-25 90
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 28 4 VIEW
1961-04-29 91
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 38 0 VIEW
1961-05-06 92
L
 Leeds ChSF A 4 11 VIEW
1961-05-13 93
W
 Wigan CCF N 12 6 VIEW
1961-08-12 --
W
 Liverpool City* Fr Charity Cup H 29 14 VIEW
1961-08-19 94
W
 Leeds L H 20 5 VIEW
1961-08-26 95
L
 Swinton L A 6 15 VIEW
1961-08-30 96
W
 Wakefield Trinity L H 10 5 VIEW
1961-09-02 97
W
 Leigh LC1 H 43 8 VIEW
1961-09-09 98
W
 Salford L A 24 7 VIEW
1961-09-12 99
W
 Rochdale Hornets L A 14 2 VIEW
1961-09-16 100
W
 Whitehaven L H 44 0 VIEW
1961-09-23 101
W
 Barrow L A 34 2 VIEW
1961-09-30 102
L
 Hull L H 22 25 VIEW
1961-10-02 103
W
 Oldham LC2 H 30 7 VIEW
1961-10-07 104
W
 Whitehaven L A 10 3 VIEW
1961-10-10 105
W
 Salford LCSF H 21 2 VIEW
1961-10-14 106
W
 New Zealand Tour H 25 10 VIEW
1961-10-28 107
L
 Warrington L A 7 11 VIEW
1961-11-11 108
W
 Swinton LCF N 25 9 VIEW
1961-11-18 109
L
 Widnes L A 12 13 VIEW
1961-11-25 110
W
 Workington Town L H 16 7 VIEW
1961-12-02 111
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 5 12 VIEW
1961-12-09 112
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 10 12 VIEW
1961-12-16 113
L
 Oldham L H 8 9 VIEW
1962-01-06 114
W
 Barrow L H 30 6 VIEW
1962-01-13 115
L
 Leeds L A 3 20 VIEW
1962-01-20 116
W
 Warrington L H 11 7 VIEW
1962-01-27 117
L
 Workington Town L A 7 23 VIEW
1962-02-03 118
W
 Huddersfield L H 36 5 VIEW
1962-02-10 119
W
 Salford CC1 A 15 2 VIEW
1962-02-17 120
W
 Salford L H 17 12 VIEW
1962-02-24 121
L
 Leigh L A 6 7 VIEW
1962-03-03 122
L
 Huddersfield CC2 H 2 13 VIEW
1962-03-10 123
W
 Rochdale Hornets L H 16 5 VIEW
1962-03-13 124
W
 Liverpool City L H 31 7 VIEW
1962-03-17 125
L
 Oldham L A 7 10 VIEW
1962-03-24 126
W
 Widnes L H 13 8 VIEW
1962-03-31 127
W
 Swinton L H 5 2 VIEW
1962-04-03 128
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 27 2 VIEW
1962-04-07 129
W
 Hull L A 12 8 VIEW
1962-04-09 130
W
 Leigh L H 42 4 VIEW
1962-04-14 131
W
 Blackpool Borough L A 15 2 VIEW
1962-04-20 132
L
 Wigan L H 16 18 VIEW
1962-04-21 133
W
 Liverpool City L A 14 2 VIEW
1962-04-23 134
W
 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
1962-04-28 135
L
 Wigan L A 3 12 VIEW
1962-05-02 136
W
 Huddersfield L A 16 9 VIEW
1962-05-07 --
W
 SHAPE Indians* Fr H 43 8 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 108 | LOSSES : 31 | DRAWS : 2




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