32
53
59
66
70
71
75
96
99
00
02
06
14
19
20
01
07
56
61
66
72
76
96
97
01
04
06
07
08

Pat Lannon

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
16-11-1928
N/A
Date unknown.
Leigh
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
14-08-1954 v Widnes
Keighley
1955-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1954-1955
46 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
4
0
0
12

BIOGRAPHY


Pat Lannon by SHS

In the mid fifties, there was a hooking crisis at Knowsley Road. Welshman Reg Blakemore had called it a day and Coach Jim Sullivan remembered Pat Lannon, whose registration was held by Leigh, but he had quit the game as a result of his increasing frustration at being switched from first team to A team and back and from hooker to prop forward. The signing of iconic hooker Joe Egan, from Wigan, had been the initial catalyst for Pat being unsettled. He made several transfer requests, but to his disappointment, was turned down each time. Pat decided to call it a day on his playing career, rather than continue to play while unhappy.

Pat Lannon was born in Wigan, attended St Joseph’s school and shone in the school team as hooker. He left school at 14 and played no rugby for a couple of years until he took it up again with the Victoria Colliery open age team. He later switched to Worsley Boys club, where he had future Saints’ second-rower Bill Bretherton as his partner in the front-row. Both became amateur internationals together.

Pat came to the attention of professional scouts when Worsley played Hunslet in the first round of the Challenge Cup in 1951. Wigan, naturally, were interested, but he turned them down and signed for Leigh. He made good progress and was in the team beaten by Featherstone Rovers in a Challenge Cup semi-final. When Saints came on the scene, they insisted on six trial matches for the hooker before completing the transfer. Yet Pat proved himself to be a reliable number nine, playing 46 games for the Saints over a two-year period. A specialist hooker, with good hands, he proved to be quite an asset during his tenure at Knowsley Road. In 1954-55, he only missed the last three games of the campaign and proved himself to be a consistent performer.

He made his debut in a convincing 31-3 victory against Widnes at Knowsley Road, on 14th August 1954, when his front-row compatriots were Eric Ayles and George Parr. Ayles was also with him, together with Nat Silcock, when he made what was to be his final appearance for Saints in a 21-6 success against Keighley at Lawkholme Lane, on 8th October 1955. Local lad Frank McCabe then took over, although it was Len McIntyre who wore the number 9 jersey at the end of the season against Halifax in the Challenge Cup final.

Pat later went to Warrington and played against his former club in the 1959 Lancashire Cup final at Central Park, Wigan, which the Wires won 4-5. He played 72 matches in the primrose and blue and his Heritage Number in #593. It is believed that he passed away in September 1984, aged 55.

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1954~554 0 0 38
1955~56 0 0 0 8
TOTALS:4 0 0 46
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1954~550002
1955~560001
TOTALS:0003

ALL MATCHES

DatePosOpponentsCompSeasonVenueFTFTOTGDGNPS**
7th Aug 1954
L
 9 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup 1954~55 A 17 31 VIEW
14th Aug 1954
W
 9 Widnes L 1954~55 H 31 3 VIEW
18th Aug 1954
W
 9 Belle Vue Rangers L 1954~55 A 20 11 VIEW
21st Aug 1954
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L 1954~55 A 34 2 VIEW
25th Aug 1954
W
 9 Swinton L 1954~55 H 28 9 VIEW
28th Aug 1954
L
 9 Oldham L 1954~55 H 16 23 VIEW
4th Sep 1954
L
 9 Halifax L 1954~55 A 2 22 VIEW
11th Sep 1954
W
 9 Whitehaven LC1 1954~55 H 27 6 VIEW
18th Sep 1954
W
 9 Wakefield Trinity L 1954~55 A 32 18 VIEW
20th Sep 1954
L
 9 Oldham LC2 1954~55 A 9 20 VIEW
25th Sep 1954
W
 9 Huddersfield L 1954~55 H 20 7 1 VIEW
2nd Oct 1954
W
 9 Liverpool City L 1954~55 A 30 14 VIEW
9th Oct 1954
W
 9 Leeds L 1954~55 H 13 6 VIEW
16th Oct 1954
W
 9 Salford L 1954~55 A 19 2 VIEW
23rd Oct 1954
W
 9 Whitehaven L 1954~55 H 30 3 VIEW
30th Oct 1954
W
 9 Widnes L 1954~55 A 8 2 VIEW
6th Nov 1954
L
 9 Workington Town L 1954~55 A 11 15 1 VIEW
13th Nov 1954
W
 9 Barrow L 1954~55 H 11 4 VIEW
20th Nov 1954
W
 9 Leeds L 1954~55 A 21 10 VIEW
27th Nov 1954
D
 9 Warrington L 1954~55 H 8 8 VIEW
11th Dec 1954
W
 9 Workington Town L 1954~55 H 16 2 VIEW
18th Dec 1954
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L 1954~55 A 20 9 VIEW
25th Dec 1954
L
 9 Leigh L 1954~55 A 13 14 VIEW
27th Dec 1954
W
 9 Wigan L 1954~55 H 19 7 VIEW
1st Jan 1955
W
 9 Leigh L 1954~55 H 27 3 1 VIEW
8th Jan 1955
L
 9 Warrington L 1954~55 A 14 18 VIEW
22nd Jan 1955
W
 9 Wakefield Trinity L 1954~55 H 39 7 VIEW
29th Jan 1955
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L 1954~55 H 13 2 VIEW
5th Feb 1955
W
 9 Whitehaven L 1954~55 A 8 0 VIEW
12th Feb 1955
W
 9 Batley CC1 1954~55 A 15 2 VIEW
19th Feb 1955
L
 9 Oldham L 1954~55 A 2 9 VIEW
5th Mar 1955
W
 9 Keighley CC2 1954~55 A 3 2 VIEW
12th Mar 1955
L
 9 Swinton L 1954~55 A 4 7 VIEW
19th Mar 1955
L
 9 Workington Town CC3 1954~55 A 4 14 VIEW
21st Mar 1955
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L 1954~55 H 23 3 VIEW
26th Mar 1955
W
 9 Salford L 1954~55 H 16 8 VIEW
28th Mar 1955
W
 9 Liverpool City L 1954~55 H 12 4 1 VIEW
2nd Apr 1955
W
 9 Belle Vue Rangers L 1954~55 H 31 0 VIEW
8th Apr 1955
L
 9 Wigan L 1954~55 A 12 16 VIEW
7th May 1955
W
 9 Leigh* Fr 1954~55 H 40 16 VIEW
13th Aug 1955
L
 9 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup 1955~56 H 17 31 VIEW
20th Aug 1955
W
 9 Widnes L 1955~56 A 35 18 VIEW
27th Aug 1955
L
 9 Barrow LC1 1955~56 A 12 18 VIEW
31st Aug 1955
L
 9 Salford L 1955~56 A 10 11 VIEW
3rd Sep 1955
W
 9 York L 1955~56 H 26 18 VIEW
10th Sep 1955
W
 9 Keighley L 1955~56 H 52 23 VIEW
24th Sep 1955
W
 9 Barrow L 1955~56 H 66 15 VIEW
1st Oct 1955
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L 1955~56 H 53 19 VIEW
8th Oct 1955
W
 9 Keighley L 1955~56 A 21 6 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 34 | LOSSES : 14 | DRAWS : 1

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