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Ray French

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
23-12-1939
N/A
Date unknown.
St. Helens RU
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
30-08-1961 v Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity
1967- Widnes
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1961-1967
204 (3)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
10
0
0
30

Biography of Ray French



HERITAGE NO : 786
Ray French by Dave Dooley:

It must be a great feeling to play rugby league for your hometown club! Ray was signed from St Helens RUFC in the summer of 1961. By then French had already represented England at the fifteen a side code. He was an uncompromising second row forward and a belligerent tackler whose running style was characterised by a high knees gallop. Ray was a cornerstone of a new pack of forwards that was to be rebuilt following the break-up of the six that had steered saints to a Lancashire Cup and Challenge Cup double in the 1960/61 season. Little did Ray realise as he embarked on the steep learning curve of the 13 a man game, that this knowledge and understanding would eventually lead to his inheritance of the mantle of BBC TV match commentator from the late, great Eddie Waring. Ray has remained a life-long native and resident of the glass town, very much a case of "local lad done well."

In the generally disappointing 1961-62 season Ray collected a winners medal in the 25 points to 9 Lancashire Cup Final victory over Swinton. Ray would never describe himself as a prolific try-scorer, he was more a workhorse characterised by storming runs and crunching tackles. His first try for the club and the only one in his first campaign came in the 31 points to 7 home victory over Liverpool City on March 13th, 1962. Remarkably Ray did not cross the tryline again until the 1963/4 season when he registered a career best haul of four touchdowns for the Saints. In that season Ray won his second Lancashire Cup winners medal as Saints defeated Leigh bi 15 points to 4. At the end of the campaign he was on hand to score a crucial try in the 10 points to 7 victory over Swinton in the Western Divisional Championship Final.

The 1964/5 season saw the introduction of substitutes in matches. Ray French was the first ever Saints substitute to enter the field in a league game in the away fixture at Leigh. As Saints finished the campaign on top of the league and winners of the Lancashire League Championship they boasted a set of forwards that was the best ever assembled at Knowsley Road. Ray`s contemporaries included John Warlow, Bob Dagnall, Bill Sayer, Albert Halsall, Cliff Watson, John Mantle, Mervyn Hicks, Brian Hogan, Doug Laughton and Kel Coslett. French was used only three times as a substitute in his Saints career. A statistic that indicates Ray`s importance to the Saints` starting line-up!

The four trophy season of 1965/66 was a pinnacle for Ray and the Saints. He turned in a barnstorming display in the 1966 Challenge Cup Final against Wigan and completed an equally strong performance in the 35 points to 12 demolition of Halifax in the Championship Final. At the end of that campaign Ray had manage to harvest a full set of winners` medals.

With the club on top of the world, all hell broke out in the summer break of 1966 over the future of Alex Murphy. At the start of the following season Alex had turned down a golden opportunity to play in Australia and was staying away from Knowsley Road. Ray stepped into the breach and became captain of his hometown club. The introduction of the four-tackle rule reduced the effectiveness of the Saints` pack in wearing down the opposition. French led the Saints to a third successive Lancashire League Championship and were runners up in the Championship Final against Wakefield Trinity. At the start of the 1967/8 season Ray played his final match against Wakefield Trinity. Saints won by 13 points to 11 and Ray crossed the line for his tenth and last try for the club. French relates how he was painting the front of his house when he heard that he being part-exchanged for Frank Myler, the Widnes and Great Britain stand-off half.

Ray gained three Lancashire caps in his time at Knowsley Road but had to wait until he was wearing the black and white of the `Chemics` before he gained full international honours. His work off the field has been nothing short of prolific having been a former writer for the Rugby Leaguer for decades, a match commentator on both Radio Merseyside and BBC TV and an author of many books on our great game. Ray still maintains an interest in both codes of rugby, with Saints particularly close to his heart.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1961~621 0 0 35
1962~630 0 0 25
1963~64 4 0 0 43
1964~65 2 0 0 33
1965~66 2 0 0 30
1966~670 0 0 36
1967~681 0 0 3
TOTALS:10 0 0 205
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1962~630001
1964~650001
1965~66 0001
TOTALS:0003

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
30th Aug 1961 1
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 10 5 VIEW
2nd Sep 1961 2
W
 11 Leigh LC1 H 43 8 VIEW
9th Sep 1961 3
W
 11 Salford L A 24 7 VIEW
12th Sep 1961 4
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L A 14 2 VIEW
16th Sep 1961 5
W
 11 Whitehaven L H 44 0 VIEW
23rd Sep 1961 6
W
 11 Barrow L A 34 2 VIEW
30th Sep 1961 7
L
 11 Hull L H 22 25 VIEW
2nd Oct 1961 8
W
 11 Oldham LC2 H 30 7 VIEW
7th Oct 1961 9
W
 11 Whitehaven L A 10 3 VIEW
10th Oct 1961 10
W
 11 Salford LCSF H 21 2 VIEW
14th Oct 1961 11
W
 11 New Zealand Tour H 25 10 VIEW
28th Oct 1961 12
L
 11 Warrington L A 7 11 VIEW
11th Nov 1961 13
W
 11 Swinton LCF N 25 9 VIEW
18th Nov 1961 14
L
 11 Widnes L A 12 13 VIEW
9th Dec 1961 15
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity L A 10 12 VIEW
16th Dec 1961 16
L
 11 Oldham L H 8 9 VIEW
3rd Feb 1962 17
W
 12 Huddersfield L H 36 5 VIEW
10th Feb 1962 18
W
 12 Salford CC1 A 15 2 VIEW
17th Feb 1962 19
W
 12 Salford L H 17 12 VIEW
24th Feb 1962 20
L
 12 Leigh L A 6 7 VIEW
3rd Mar 1962 21
L
 12 Huddersfield CC2 H 2 13 VIEW
10th Mar 1962 22
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 16 5 VIEW
13th Mar 1962 23
W
 11 Liverpool City L H 31 7 1 VIEW
17th Mar 1962 24
L
 11 Oldham L A 7 10 VIEW
24th Mar 1962 25
W
 11 Widnes L H 13 8 VIEW
31st Mar 1962 26
W
 11 Swinton L H 5 2 VIEW
3rd Apr 1962 27
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 27 2 VIEW
7th Apr 1962 28
W
 11 Hull L A 12 8 VIEW
9th Apr 1962 29
W
 11 Leigh L H 42 4 VIEW
14th Apr 1962 30
W
 11 Blackpool Borough L A 15 2 VIEW
20th Apr 1962 31
L
 11 Wigan L H 16 18 VIEW
21st Apr 1962 32
W
 11 Liverpool City L A 14 2 VIEW
23rd Apr 1962 33
W
 11 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
28th Apr 1962 34
L
 11 Wigan L A 3 12 VIEW
2nd May 1962 35
W
 11 Huddersfield L A 16 9 VIEW
10th Aug 1962 --
W
 11 Liverpool City* Fr Charity Cup H 33 2 VIEW
18th Aug 1962 36
W
 11 Salford WDC A 35 24 VIEW
22nd Aug 1962 37
W
 11 Leigh WDC H 21 3 VIEW
25th Aug 1962 38
W
 11 Blackpool Borough WDC H 21 12 VIEW
30th Aug 1962 39
W
 11 Liverpool City WDC A 16 9 VIEW
1st Sep 1962 40
W
 11 Salford WDC H 59 0 VIEW
8th Sep 1962 41
W
 11 Liverpool City LC1 H 22 0 VIEW
10th Nov 1962 42
L
 12 Warrington L H 2 4 VIEW
17th Nov 1962 43
W
 12 Castleford L A 8 7 VIEW
24th Nov 1962 44
W
 12 Huddersfield L H 36 3 VIEW
1st Dec 1962 45
L
 12 Workington Town L A 5 8 VIEW
8th Dec 1962 46
W
 12 Leeds L H 13 6 VIEW
15th Dec 1962 47
L
 12 Wakefield Trinity L A 7 10 VIEW
22nd Dec 1962 48
W
 11 Hull L H 27 14 VIEW
23rd Mar 1963 49
W
 11 Bramley L H 38 0 VIEW
26th Mar 1963 50
W
 11 Wigan L H 20 11 VIEW
1st Apr 1963 51
W
 11 Workington Town L H 29 0 VIEW
6th Apr 1963 52
W
 11 Halifax L H 33 3 VIEW
12th Apr 1963 53
W
 11 Wigan L A 24 4 VIEW
13th Apr 1963 54
L
 11 Swinton L A 8 9 VIEW
15th Apr 1963 55
L
 11 Swinton L H 9 24 VIEW
20th Apr 1963 56
W
 11 Featherstone Rovers L H 18 5 VIEW
27th Apr 1963 57
L
 11 Hull L A 7 15 VIEW
29th Apr 1963 58
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 15 16 VIEW
4th May 1963 59
W
 11 Widnes L A 25 2 VIEW
13th May 1963 60
W
 11 Widnes L H 14 6 VIEW
24th Aug 1963 61
L
 12 Huddersfield L H 7 10 VIEW
28th Aug 1963 62
W
 12 Castleford L H 20 11 VIEW
31st Aug 1963 63
W
 12 Keighley L A 18 6 VIEW
2nd Sep 1963 64
W
 12 Hunslet L A 15 7 VIEW
7th Sep 1963 65
W
 11 Swinton LC1 A 12 2 VIEW
14th Sep 1963 66
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 40 5 VIEW
16th Sep 1963 67
W
 11 Workington Town LC2 H 28 4 VIEW
21st Sep 1963 68
L
 11 Halifax L A 5 13 VIEW
23rd Sep 1963 69
W
 11 Warrington LCSF A 21 14 VIEW
28th Sep 1963 70
L
 11 Australia Tour H 2 8 VIEW
5th Oct 1963 71
W
 11 Barrow WDC H 19 15 VIEW
12th Oct 1963 72
W
 11 Leeds L A 10 2 VIEW
19th Oct 1963 73
W
 11 Hull L H 11 10 VIEW
26th Oct 1963 74
W
 11 Leigh LCF N 15 4 VIEW
2nd Nov 1963 75
W
 11 Warrington L H 19 8 VIEW
16th Nov 1963 76
D
 11 Featherstone Rovers L H 11 11 1 VIEW
30th Nov 1963 77
W
 11 Liverpool City WDC H 16 0 VIEW
7th Dec 1963 78
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity L A 8 7 VIEW
14th Dec 1963 79
L
 11 Halifax L H 12 13 VIEW
28th Dec 1963 80
W
 11 Workington Town L A 5 0 VIEW
1st Jan 1964 81
L
 11 Swinton L H 6 8 VIEW
4th Jan 1964 82
W
 11 Salford WDC A 15 5 VIEW
11th Jan 1964 83
L
 11 Hunslet L H 10 12 VIEW
25th Jan 1964 84
W
 11 Keighley L H 28 3 VIEW
1st Feb 1964 85
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 9 5 VIEW
8th Feb 1964 86
L
 10 Castleford CC1 H 6 13 VIEW
15th Feb 1964 87
W
 11 Barrow WDC A 14 10 VIEW
22nd Feb 1964 88
L
 11 Leeds L H 6 14 VIEW
7th Mar 1964 89
W
 11 Huddersfield L A 16 11 VIEW
14th Mar 1964 90
W
 11 Workington Town L H 14 8 VIEW
21st Mar 1964 91
W
 11 Whitehaven WDC H 50 7 VIEW
27th Mar 1964 92
W
 11 Wigan L H 11 5 VIEW
28th Mar 1964 93
W
 11 Salford WDC H 24 13 VIEW
30th Mar 1964 94
W
 11 Swinton L A 10 7 VIEW
4th Apr 1964 95
L
 11 Widnes L H 6 10 VIEW
8th Apr 1964 96
L
 11 Featherstone Rovers L A 12 19 1 VIEW
11th Apr 1964 97
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 24 10 1 VIEW
18th Apr 1964 98
W
 11 Liverpool City WDC A 32 7 VIEW
22nd Apr 1964 99
W
 11 Wigan L A 22 13 VIEW
25th Apr 1964 100
W
 11 Widnes L A 19 8 VIEW
1st May 1964 101
W
 11 Oldham WDCSF H 22 11 VIEW
6th May 1964 102
W
 11 Hull L A 17 9 VIEW
16th May 1964 103
W
 11 Swinton WDCF N 10 7 1 VIEW
22nd Aug 1964 104
W
 15 Leigh L A 19 6 VIEW
24th Aug 1964 105
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 28 4 VIEW
29th Aug 1964 106
W
 11 Widnes L H 29 6 VIEW
31st Aug 1964 107
W
 11 Whitehaven L A 15 5 VIEW
5th Sep 1964 108
W
 11 Liverpool City LC1 A 41 11 VIEW
12th Sep 1964 109
W
 11 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
14th Sep 1964 110
W
 11 Barrow LC2 A 22 11 VIEW
29th Sep 1964 111
W
 12 Warrington LCSF A 10 8 VIEW
3rd Oct 1964 112
W
 11 Workington Town L H 32 6 VIEW
17th Oct 1964 113
W
 11 Featherstone Rovers L H 25 12 VIEW
24th Oct 1964 114
W
 11 Swinton LCF N 12 4 VIEW
31st Oct 1964 115
W
 11 Oldham L H 22 6 VIEW
7th Nov 1964 --NPS
W
 15 Warrington L H 26 10 VIEW
14th Nov 1964 116
W
 12 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 25 12 VIEW
21st Nov 1964 117
W
 11 Barrow L H 37 3 VIEW
19th Dec 1964 118
W
 11 Leigh L H 10 7 1 VIEW
1st Jan 1965 119
W
 11 Swinton L A 11 5 VIEW
16th Jan 1965 120
L
 11 Warrington L A 4 6 VIEW
23rd Jan 1965 121
W
 11 Whitehaven L H 16 3 VIEW
27th Jan 1965 --
W
 15 Other Nationalities* Fr Opening of Floodl H 19 2 VIEW
6th Feb 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Castleford CC1 H 22 9 VIEW
13th Feb 1965 122
L
 12 Workington Town L A 3 4 VIEW
16th Feb 1965 123
W
 11 Salford L H 12 6 VIEW
20th Feb 1965 124
W
 12 Huddersfield L H 28 6 VIEW
27th Feb 1965 125
L
 11 Wigan CC2 A 2 7 VIEW
13th Mar 1965 126
W
 11 Oldham L A 15 9 VIEW
16th Mar 1965 127
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 2 9 VIEW
20th Mar 1965 128
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity L A 4 5 VIEW
23rd Mar 1965 --NPS
L
 15 Wigan L H 6 10 VIEW
27th Mar 1965 129
L
 15 Salford L A 8 11 VIEW
30th Mar 1965 130
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 8 2 VIEW
5th Apr 1965 131
W
 12 Barrow L A 21 14 VIEW
16th Apr 1965 --NPS
W
 14 Wigan L A 16 8 VIEW
17th Apr 1965 132
W
 11 Widnes L A 14 2 VIEW
19th Apr 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Swinton L H 16 5 VIEW
21st Apr 1965 133
W
 10 Huddersfield L A 20 6 VIEW
24th Apr 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Barrow Ch1 H 23 7 VIEW
30th Apr 1965 134
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers Ch2 H 24 6 1 VIEW
15th May 1965 135
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity ChSF H 10 5 VIEW
22nd May 1965 136
L
 11 Halifax ChF N 7 15 VIEW
14th Aug 1965 --
L
 10 Swinton * Fr Gallie Cup A 9 11 VIEW
16th Oct 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Salford L A 15 11 VIEW
23rd Oct 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Workington Town L H 43 4 VIEW
30th Oct 1965 137
W
 10 Barrow L A 15 10 VIEW
9th Nov 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Huddersfield L H 11 4 VIEW
13th Nov 1965 138
W
 15 Workington Town L A 7 3 VIEW
16th Nov 1965 139
W
 8 Leeds FT2 H 21 9 VIEW
19th Nov 1965 140
W
 8 Rochdale Hornets L H 19 7 VIEW
27th Nov 1965 141
D
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 9 9 VIEW
4th Dec 1965 142
W
 11 Whitehaven L A 4 2 VIEW
7th Dec 1965 143
W
 8 Swinton FTSF H 9 5 VIEW
14th Dec 1965 144
L
 8 Castleford FTF H 0 4 VIEW
17th Dec 1965 145
W
 11 Blackpool Borough L H 21 9 VIEW
1st Jan 1966 146
W
 11 Salford L H 16 3 1 VIEW
8th Jan 1966 147
L
 10 Oldham L A 9 13 VIEW
29th Jan 1966 148
W
 11 Halifax L A 5 2 VIEW
1st Feb 1966 149
W
 11 Widnes L H 9 4 VIEW
5th Feb 1966 150
W
 12 Blackpool Borough L A 25 11 VIEW
26th Feb 1966 151
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity CC1 A 10 0 VIEW
1st Mar 1966 152
W
 11 Warrington L H 22 6 VIEW
8th Mar 1966 153
W
 11 Liverpool City L H 16 2 VIEW
12th Mar 1966 154
W
 11 Huddersfield L A 8 7 VIEW
19th Mar 1966 155
W
 11 Swinton CC2 H 16 4 VIEW
23rd Mar 1966 156
W
 11 Leigh L A 6 5 VIEW
26th Mar 1966 157
L
 12 Wigan L A 8 17 VIEW
2nd Apr 1966 158
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers CC3 H 12 10 VIEW
8th Apr 1966 159
W
 11 Wigan L H 17 10 VIEW
11th Apr 1966 160
L
 11 Swinton L A 6 20 VIEW
16th Apr 1966 161
W
 11 Dewsbury CCSF N 12 5 VIEW
22nd Apr 1966 162
L
 11 Swinton L H 10 15 VIEW
7th May 1966 163
W
 12 Oldham Ch2 H 15 10 1 VIEW
14th May 1966 164
W
 12 Hull Kingston Rovers ChSF H 14 6 VIEW
21st May 1966 165
W
 11 Wigan CCF N 21 2 VIEW
28th May 1966 166
W
 11 Halifax ChF N 35 12 VIEW
19th Aug 1966 167
D
 11 Widnes L A 10 10 VIEW
23rd Aug 1966 168
L
 11 Warrington L H 6 10 VIEW
27th Aug 1966 169
W
 11 Salford L H 42 7 VIEW
10th Sep 1966 170
W
 11 Liverpool City L A 35 12 VIEW
12th Sep 1966 171
W
 11 Barrow L A 15 9 VIEW
14th Sep 1966 172
L
 11 Wigan LC2 A 9 11 VIEW
17th Sep 1966 173
W
 11 Blackpool Borough L A 23 14 VIEW
24th Sep 1966 174
D
 11 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 17 VIEW
26th Sep 1966 175
W
 11 Salford FTP(2) H 40 5 VIEW
30th Sep 1966 176
W
 11 Whitehaven L H 35 12 VIEW
7th Oct 1966 177
W
 11 Blackpool Borough L H 25 6 VIEW
14th Oct 1966 178
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 18 15 VIEW
18th Oct 1966 179
W
 11 Swinton FT1 H 11 9 VIEW
22nd Oct 1966 180
W
 11 Salford L A 30 3 VIEW
28th Oct 1966 181
W
 11 Leeds L H 16 3 VIEW
1st Nov 1966 182
D
 11 Barrow FT2 A 11 11 VIEW
2nd Nov 1966 183
L
 11 Leigh L A 5 29 VIEW
11th Nov 1966 184
W
 11 Castleford L H 13 2 VIEW
18th Nov 1966 185
W
 11 Barrow L H 16 11 VIEW
26th Nov 1966 186
W
 11 Huddersfield L A 15 10 VIEW
2nd Dec 1966 --NPS
L
 15 Castleford L A 7 25 VIEW
9th Dec 1966 187
W
 11 Leigh L H 4 0 VIEW
17th Dec 1966 188
W
 11 Workington Town L A 16 9 VIEW
26th Dec 1966 189
W
 11 Wigan L H 8 3 VIEW
27th Dec 1966 190
W
 12 Warrington L A 9 8 VIEW
21st Jan 1967 191
L
 11 Workington Town L H 5 6 VIEW
27th Jan 1967 192
W
 11 Oldham L H 25 7 VIEW
3rd Feb 1967 193
D
 11 Salford CC1 A 5 5 VIEW
7th Feb 1967 194
L
 11 Salford CC1(rep) H 3 8 VIEW
11th Feb 1967 --NPS
W
 15 Liverpool City L H 23 6 VIEW
18th Mar 1967 195
W
 12 Huddersfield L H 11 4 VIEW
24th Mar 1967 196
W
 11 Wigan L A 21 7 VIEW
25th Mar 1967 197
L
 10 Whitehaven L A 3 4 VIEW
14th Apr 1967 198
W
 11 Leigh Ch1 H 37 12 VIEW
22nd Apr 1967 199
W
 11 Bradford Northern Ch2 H 15 8 VIEW
29th Apr 1967 200
W
 11 Castleford ChSF H 14 3 VIEW
6th May 1967 201
D
 11 Wakefield Trinity ChF N 7 7 VIEW
10th May 1967 202
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity ChF(rep) N 9 21 VIEW
23rd Aug 1967 203
W
 11 Leeds L A 13 12 VIEW
26th Aug 1967 204
W
 15 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 13 8 VIEW
28th Aug 1967 205
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 13 11 1 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 163 | LOSSES : 49 | DRAWS : 7

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