Chris Charles | |||||||
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OVERALL STATISTICS | |||||||
BIRTH | AGE | SIGNED ON | FROM | ||||
DEBUT | LAST MATCH | LEFT | |||||
CAREER | APPEARANCES (SUBS) | ||||||
TRIES | GOALS | DGOALS | PTS | ||||
Biography of Chris Charles |
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HERITAGE NO : 902 Signed from Llanelli in August 1974 Chris was a tough forward who was a handful when taking the ball into the attack. He played 39 matches for the Saints and proved unlucky when missing out on several finals in 1976. Nevertheless he was a member of the great 1975 Championship winning squad and played 14 matches in that memorable campaign. He scored three tries for the Saints in his matches. Chris went on to play for Oldham. Adrian Lawrenson adds his own appreciation of the Welsh forward: It used to be a mantra for more years than you care to remember for rugby league clubs to go to the Welsh Valleys for when forwards were needed. The results are there for all to see, particularly at St Helens RFC! Chris Charles was recruited from Llanelli in August 1974, playing his first match in the pre-season friendly against Blackpool Borough on 16 August 1974 and he made his competitive debut in the Lancashire Cup defeat by Workington Town on 30 August. He was to become part of a squad that were reigning champions at the end of the 1974-75 season. Chris played 45 matches for the Saints, scoring 3 tries. His last competitive match being against Widnes on 6 January 1977, when he was subsequently sold to Oldham that same year. Chris was a tall man and very much a rugby union forward. Early in his Saints’ career it was clear that his natural instincts still revolved around the need to form a ruck after being tackled – a basic difference between the two codes. Chris soon seemed to pick up the ropes, however, in his new environment! Sadly Chris died in November 2021 in his hometown of Llanelli. Alex Service produced the following obituary. Chris was recruited from Llanelli RUFC, in August 1974 to bolster the Saints’ front row and made his competitive debut at home to Workington in the first round of the Lancashire Cup when he packed down with Mick Murphy and young hooker Graham Liptrot.It was a strong side too, with four other Welshmen in the line-up: Frank Wilson, Roy Mathias, his former team-mate at Llanelli, John Mantle and Kel Coslett. The visitors came away with the spoils, however, winning 11-13, but Chris showed that he was a powerful scrummager, although it was to be several games before he really became accustomed to his new rugby environment, when he was able to put his size and power to good effect. Chris played 14 games during the 1974-75 season, when the Saints won their one and only First Division Championship and was unlucky not to have played in any finals at top level for the club during his 52 games in the red vee. Once described as a ‘vivacious’ character, he came to St Helens with a burgeoning reputation in Welsh rugby union, beginning with Burry Port RUFC; on to Aberavon, before joining Llanelli, for whom he made 99 appearances. Chris played representative rugby for West Wales v Australia, Western Counties v Japan and for the Welsh ‘B’ team against France. He never appeared on the pitch for the full Welsh XV, although he was a substitute at one time. Chris always approached his rugby at full tilt and was a loyal clubman. Yet with fellow Welshman Mel James back in the side after injury and the experienced Dave Chisnall and Neil Courtney vying for places, he joined Oldham, playing his final game for St Helens at Widnes on 6th January 1977. He made 24 appearances for the Second Division side [Heritage Number #808] including a Challenge Cup tie at Watersheddings against his former club on 12th March 1978, which Saints won 26-11. On returning home, he continued in the 15-a-side code, despite his involvement with the rugby league game, when he helped to develop the junior section at Burry Port RUFC and later became first team coach. Sadly pre-deceased by his wife, Helen, everyone at St Helens R.F.C. send their condolences to his daughters Jayne and Andrea. His funeral took place in Llanelli on 18th November. |
SEASON STATISTICS | ||||
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Season (Official Matches) | Tries | Goals | DGoals | Matches |
1974~75 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
1975~76 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
1976~77 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
TOTALS: | 3 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
Season (Other Matches) | Tries | Goals | DGoals | Matches |
1974~75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
1975~76 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1976~77 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1977~78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
TOTALS: | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
ALL MATCHES |
Date | Match | Pos | Opponents | Comp | Venue | FT | FTO | T | G | DG | ||
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16th Aug 1974 | -- | W |
18 | Blackpool Borough * | Fr Charity | H | 30 | 8 | VIEW | |||
30th Aug 1974 | 1 | L |
10 | Workington Town | LC1 | H | 11 | 13 | VIEW | |||
24th Sep 1974 | 2 | L |
10 | Wakefield Trinity | FTP(2) | A | 15 | 18 | VIEW | |||
25th Oct 1974 | --NPS | W |
15 | Rochdale Hornets | L | H | 23 | 5 | VIEW | |||
15th Nov 1974 | 3 | W |
8 | Bramley | L | H | 12 | 10 | VIEW | |||
24th Nov 1974 | 4 | L |
15 | Wakefield Trinity | L | A | 5 | 13 | VIEW | |||
29th Nov 1974 | 5 | W |
10 | Castleford | L | H | 17 | 5 | VIEW | |||
15th Dec 1974 | 6 | W |
15 | Warrington | L | H | 20 | 2 | VIEW | |||
21st Dec 1974 | 7 | D |
8 | Castleford | L | A | 10 | 10 | VIEW | |||
5th Jan 1975 | 8 | W |
8 | Halifax | L | H | 19 | 3 | VIEW | |||
23rd Mar 1975 | 9 | W |
15 | Bradford Northern | L | A | 26 | 15 | VIEW | |||
31st Mar 1975 | 10 | W |
8 | Widnes | L | H | 25 | 5 | 1 | VIEW | ||
6th Apr 1975 | 11 | W |
10 | York | L | A | 10 | 9 | VIEW | |||
20th Apr 1975 | -- | L |
8 | Wales * | Fr Testimonial | H | 22 | 31 | VIEW | |||
25th Apr 1975 | 12 | W |
15 | Oldham | PT1 | H | 42 | 5 | VIEW | |||
2nd May 1975 | --NPS | W |
15 | Bradford Northern | PT2 (rep) | H | 14 | 5 | VIEW | |||
8th Aug 1975 | -- | L |
8 | Salford* | Fr Gallie Cup | A | 15 | 17 | VIEW | |||
17th Aug 1975 | 13 | W |
8 | Swinton | L | A | 10 | 8 | VIEW | |||
22nd Aug 1975 | 14 | W |
8 | Featherstone Rovers | L | H | 17 | 3 | VIEW | |||
31st Aug 1975 | 15 | W |
15 | Oldham | LC1 | A | 19 | 17 | VIEW | |||
8th Oct 1975 | 16 | W |
10 | Rochdale Hornets | FTP | A | 15 | 7 | VIEW | |||
12th Oct 1975 | 17 | L |
8 | Australia | Tour | H | 7 | 32 | VIEW | |||
16th Nov 1975 | 18 | W |
8 | Castleford | L | H | 22 | 9 | VIEW | |||
18th Nov 1975 | 19 | W |
8 | Hull | FT2 | H | 36 | 13 | VIEW | |||
28th Dec 1975 | 20 | W |
10 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | A | 18 | 4 | VIEW | |||
1st Jan 1976 | 21 | W |
10 | Widnes | L | H | 12 | 4 | VIEW | |||
11th Jan 1976 | 22 | W |
10 | Bradford Northern | L | H | 19 | 7 | VIEW | |||
17th Jan 1976 | 23 | W |
10 | Leeds | L | A | 17 | 8 | VIEW | |||
20th Jan 1976 | 24 | W |
10 | Swinton | L | H | 40 | 6 | VIEW | |||
25th Jan 1976 | 25 | L |
10 | Warrington | L | H | 3 | 9 | VIEW | |||
8th Feb 1976 | --NPS | L |
15 | Oldham | L | H | 7 | 8 | VIEW | |||
5th Mar 1976 | --NPS | L |
15 | Salford | L | A | 9 | 10 | VIEW | |||
19th Mar 1976 | 26 | W |
8 | Keighley | L | H | 21 | 2 | VIEW | |||
24th Mar 1976 | --NPS | W |
15 | Oldham | L | A | 15 | 8 | VIEW | |||
30th Mar 1976 | 27 | W |
8 | Salford | L | H | 24 | 7 | VIEW | |||
4th Apr 1976 | 28 | W |
8 | Warrington | L | A | 16 | 10 | VIEW | |||
19th Apr 1976 | 29 | L |
8 | Widnes | L | A | 7 | 23 | 1 | VIEW | ||
5th Sep 1976 | 30 | L |
8 | Rochdale Hornets | L | A | 21 | 24 | 1 | VIEW | ||
10th Sep 1976 | 31 | D |
8 | Wakefield Trinity | L | H | 7 | 7 | VIEW | |||
19th Sep 1976 | 32 | W |
8 | Barrow | L | A | 19 | 2 | VIEW | |||
24th Sep 1976 | 33 | W |
8 | Leigh | L | A | 20 | 5 | VIEW | |||
26th Sep 1976 | 34 | W |
8 | Castleford | L | H | 17 | 15 | VIEW | |||
2nd Oct 1976 | 35 | L |
8 | Bradford Northern | L | A | 7 | 17 | VIEW | |||
9th Oct 1976 | 36 | L |
8 | Leeds | L | A | 13 | 23 | VIEW | |||
17th Oct 1976 | 37 | W |
8 | Warrington | L | H | 23 | 9 | VIEW | |||
24th Oct 1976 | 38 | W |
8 | Hull Kingston Rovers | JP1 | A | 12 | 7 | VIEW | |||
26th Oct 1976 | 39 | W |
8 | Swinton | FT1 | A | 22 | 15 | VIEW | |||
29th Oct 1976 | 40 | W |
8 | Salford | L | A | 18 | 15 | VIEW | |||
6th Nov 1976 | 41 | L |
8 | Castleford | JP2 | H | 18 | 22 | VIEW | |||
11th Nov 1976 | -- | L |
8 | Catalan XIII* | Fr Charity | A | 10 | 18 | VIEW | |||
14th Nov 1976 | 42 | W |
15 | Featherstone Rovers | L | H | 22 | 17 | VIEW | |||
16th Nov 1976 | 43 | L |
10 | Huddersfield | FT2 | A | 7 | 9 | VIEW | |||
21st Nov 1976 | 44 | W |
8 | Oldham | L | A | 20 | 9 | VIEW | |||
4th Dec 1976 | --NPS | W |
15 | Workington Town | L | A | 16 | 12 | VIEW | |||
27th Dec 1976 | --NPS | L |
15 | Wigan | L | H | 12 | 14 | VIEW | |||
6th Jan 1977 | 45 | L |
8 | Widnes | L | A | 8 | 13 | VIEW | |||
7th Aug 1977 | -- | W |
15 | Pilkington Recs* | Fr Queens Silver Jub | H | 23 | 17 | VIEW |
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub. |
WINS : 37 | LOSSES : 18 | DRAWS : 2 |
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GALLERY |
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