Denis Litherland | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OVERALL STATISTICS | |||||||
BIRTH | AGE | SIGNED ON | FROM | ||||
DEBUT | LAST MATCH | LEFT | |||||
CAREER | APPEARANCES (SUBS) | ||||||
TRIES | GOALS | DGOALS | PTS | ||||
Biography of Denis Litherland |
---|
HERITAGE NO : 941 Denis Litherland by Alex Service Denis is one of the towns most popular rugby league personalities, as a player, coach and talisman for his beloved Pilkington Recs in particular. Indeed, that is where the story began, after he impressed the Saints officials during a John Player match at Knowsley Road on 16th September 1979, when Denis tore into the Riversiders defence with terrific pace and guile. Although the local amateurs eventually succumbed to their arguably more famous namesakes [9-18], Denis had the proverbial blinder and was promptly signed on professional forms by Chairman Harry Cook. Born in the town centre and a former pupil of Central Modern secondary school, his face shows the scars of a thousand battles on the field and he played for the Saints for almost ten years. For quite a bit of that time, things were not exactly easy for the club and the team. The Saints were rebuilding after their glory days in the 1970s and the early 1980s were testing times indeed. It speaks volumes for the ability of Denis Litherland that he was a real mainstay, who would normally play either on the left wing or at left centre. He could, in fact, play anywhere in the threequarters with equal effectiveness. Denis was at his best when the going got tough. In the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons he played in over 50 matches, always prepared to give everything for the cause, quite often in difficult circumstances. He made his debut at Headingley, on 7th October 1979 and he will tell you, with great pride that he managed to get on the scoresheet that day, despite a 21-12 victory for the home side. The Saints team was: Parkes; Meadows, Noonan, Glynn, Litherland; Holding, Smith; Nicholls, Liptrot, Chisnall, Mathias, Seldon and Pinner. Haggerty and Knighton were the substitutes. Denis played with and against some fantastic footballers during his career, something that he is very proud of. He took part in semi-finals in all the major competitions as a Saint and one major final, the Lancashire Cup final against Warrington, on 23rd October 1982. St. Helens lost 16-0 and played against the Australian tourists the week before with a slightly weakened team and were duly dispatched 32-0 at Knowsley Road. The Australian side that day contained all the big guns who triumphed in the Ashes series that season and Denis was to play his last game at Knowsley Road against another touring side on 1st November 1987, when Saints beat a powerful Auckland team 52-26. It was a fitting end for a whole-hearted player who would always give his all for the cause. The Saints team was: Veivers; Ledger, McCormack, Tanner, Quirk; Arkwright, Bailey; Burke, Liptrot, Evans, Forber, Haggerty, Platt. Substitutes: Litherland and Neill. Denis left Knowsley Road for Springfield Borough, but, in true homing fashion, it was not long before he was resuming his amateur career where it had begun, with the mighty Pilks Recs at City Road. He has been part of the furniture there ever since and is a fund of stories from his playing career. Denis is a genuine rugby league legend, no question about it. |
SEASON STATISTICS | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Season (Official Matches) | Tries | Goals | DGoals | Matches |
1979~80 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
1980~81 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
1981~82 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
1982~83 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
1983~84 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
1984~85 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
1985~86 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
1986~87 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
1987~88 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
TOTALS: | 38 | 0 | 0 | 143 |
Season (Other Matches) | Tries | Goals | DGoals | Matches |
1981~82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
1982~83 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
1983~84 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
1984~85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
TOTALS: | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
ALL MATCHES |
Date | Match | Pos | Opponents | Comp | Venue | FT | FTO | T | G | DG | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7th Oct 1979 | 1 | L |
5 | Leeds | L | A | 12 | 21 | 1 | VIEW | ||
9th Oct 1979 | 2 | W |
2 | Rochdale Hornets | FT1 | H | 45 | 17 | VIEW | |||
14th Oct 1979 | 3 | W |
2 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | H | 15 | 7 | 1 | VIEW | ||
28th Oct 1979 | 4 | W |
2 | Wakefield Trinity | L | H | 13 | 8 | 1 | VIEW | ||
4th Nov 1979 | 5 | D |
2 | Hunslet | L | A | 8 | 8 | VIEW | |||
11th Nov 1979 | 6 | W |
2 | Leigh | L | H | 19 | 12 | VIEW | |||
27th Nov 1979 | 7 | L |
5 | Bradford Northern | L | A | 9 | 13 | VIEW | |||
2nd Dec 1979 | 8 | W |
14 | Castleford | L | H | 39 | 21 | VIEW | |||
12th Jan 1980 | 9 | L |
14 | Salford | L | H | 17 | 18 | VIEW | |||
9th Mar 1980 | 10 | W |
2 | York | L | A | 18 | 5 | VIEW | |||
18th Mar 1980 | 11 | L |
2 | Hull | L | H | 10 | 18 | VIEW | |||
23rd Mar 1980 | 12 | W |
2 | Wakefield Trinity | L | A | 24 | 19 | VIEW | |||
30th Mar 1980 | 13 | L |
2 | Leeds | L | H | 15 | 22 | 1 | VIEW | ||
4th Apr 1980 | 14 | W |
5 | Wigan | L | H | 20 | 17 | VIEW | |||
6th Apr 1980 | 15 | L |
5 | Widnes | L | A | 9 | 16 | VIEW | |||
9th Apr 1980 | 16 | L |
5 | Workington Town | L | A | 5 | 20 | VIEW | |||
12th Apr 1980 | 17 | L |
5 | Widnes | L | H | 0 | 19 | VIEW | |||
20th Apr 1980 | 18 | L |
5 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | A | 4 | 21 | VIEW | |||
26th Apr 1980 | 19 | L |
5 | Bradford Northern | PT1 | A | 0 | 30 | VIEW | |||
7th Sep 1980 | --NPS | L |
14 | Castleford | L | A | 21 | 22 | VIEW | |||
14th Sep 1980 | 20 | L |
14 | Wakefield Trinity | L | H | 14 | 16 | VIEW | |||
19th Sep 1980 | 21 | W |
4 | Salford | L | A | 25 | 19 | VIEW | |||
28th Sep 1980 | 22 | W |
5 | Featherstone Rovers | L | H | 19 | 5 | 1 | VIEW | ||
5th Oct 1980 | 23 | D |
3 | Workington Town | L | A | 16 | 16 | VIEW | |||
12th Oct 1980 | 24 | W |
3 | New Zealand | Tour | H | 11 | 6 | VIEW | |||
19th Oct 1980 | 25 | L |
3 | Warrington | L | A | 11 | 15 | VIEW | |||
26th Oct 1980 | 26 | L |
4 | Castleford | L | H | 5 | 8 | VIEW | |||
9th Nov 1980 | 27 | W |
4 | Leigh | L | A | 21 | 7 | 1 | VIEW | ||
16th Nov 1980 | 28 | W |
5 | Workington Town | L | H | 18 | 8 | VIEW | |||
23rd Nov 1980 | 29 | L |
4 | Warrington | JP1 | H | 12 | 14 | VIEW | |||
30th Nov 1980 | 30 | L |
4 | Featherstone Rovers | L | A | 8 | 12 | VIEW | |||
14th Dec 1980 | 31 | L |
4 | Leeds | L | H | 11 | 13 | VIEW | |||
26th Dec 1980 | 32 | W |
4 | Oldham | L | H | 11 | 10 | VIEW | |||
28th Dec 1980 | 33 | L |
4 | Barrow | L | A | 8 | 11 | 1 | VIEW | ||
1st Jan 1981 | 34 | L |
4 | Widnes | L | A | 8 | 11 | VIEW | |||
8th Mar 1981 | 35 | W |
14 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | H | 11 | 5 | VIEW | |||
15th Mar 1981 | --NPS | W |
14 | Oldham | CC3 | A | 6 | 5 | VIEW | |||
24th Mar 1981 | 36 | L |
5 | Hull | L | A | 15 | 18 | 1 | VIEW | ||
29th Mar 1981 | 37 | L |
5 | Halifax | L | A | 7 | 17 | VIEW | |||
4th Apr 1981 | 38 | L |
14 | Hull Kingston Rovers | CCSF | N | 5 | 22 | VIEW | |||
6th Apr 1981 | 39 | W |
4 | Warrington | L | H | 29 | 9 | 1 | VIEW | ||
12th Apr 1981 | 40 | W |
4 | Halifax | L | H | 31 | 22 | VIEW | |||
17th Apr 1981 | 41 | W |
5 | Oldham | L | A | 21 | 18 | VIEW | |||
19th Apr 1981 | 42 | W |
1 | Hull | L | H | 26 | 6 | 1 | VIEW | ||
21st Apr 1981 | 43 | W |
1 | Widnes | L | H | 24 | 9 | VIEW | |||
29th Apr 1981 | 44 | W |
1 | Bradford Northern | PT1 | A | 14 | 12 | VIEW | |||
10th May 1981 | 45 | L |
5 | Hull Kingston Rovers | PT2 | A | 17 | 30 | 1 | VIEW | ||
9th Aug 1981 | -- | L |
1 | Oldham* | Fr Ward Cup | A | 8 | 12 | VIEW | |||
23rd Aug 1981 | 46 | W |
2 | Barrow | LC2 | H | 40 | 17 | VIEW | |||
20th Sep 1981 | 47 | L |
14 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | A | 12 | 21 | VIEW | |||
27th Sep 1981 | 48 | W |
3 | Wakefield Trinity | L | H | 33 | 14 | 1 | VIEW | ||
4th Oct 1981 | 49 | L |
14 | Warrington | L | A | 11 | 13 | VIEW | |||
11th Oct 1981 | 50 | W |
3 | Bradford Northern | L | H | 20 | 8 | VIEW | |||
18th Oct 1981 | 51 | D |
5 | Barrow | JP1 | H | 16 | 16 | VIEW | |||
22nd Oct 1981 | 52 | L |
5 | Barrow | JP1 (rep) | A | 0 | 17 | VIEW | |||
25th Oct 1981 | 53 | D |
5 | Featherstone Rovers | L | A | 8 | 8 | VIEW | |||
1st Nov 1981 | 54 | L |
5 | Wakefield Trinity | L | A | 9 | 16 | VIEW | |||
15th Nov 1981 | 55 | W |
5 | Bradford Northern | L | A | 20 | 8 | VIEW | |||
22nd Nov 1981 | 56 | L |
5 | Barrow | L | A | 5 | 7 | VIEW | |||
6th Dec 1981 | 57 | W |
14 | Whitehaven | L | A | 9 | 7 | VIEW | |||
1st Jan 1982 | 58 | W |
5 | Widnes | L | H | 13 | 10 | VIEW | |||
3rd Jan 1982 | 59 | L |
5 | Leeds | L | A | 4 | 30 | VIEW | |||
20th Jan 1982 | 60 | L |
5 | Castleford | L | H | 10 | 40 | VIEW | |||
24th Jan 1982 | 61 | L |
5 | Leigh | L | A | 5 | 27 | VIEW | |||
27th Jan 1982 | 62 | W |
5 | York | L | H | 17 | 3 | VIEW | |||
31st Jan 1982 | 63 | L |
5 | Hull | L | A | 8 | 26 | VIEW | |||
7th Feb 1982 | 64 | L |
5 | Leeds | L | H | 6 | 15 | VIEW | |||
13th Feb 1982 | 65 | L |
5 | Wigan | CC1 | H | 12 | 20 | 1 | VIEW | ||
21st Feb 1982 | 66 | W |
5 | York | L | A | 19 | 7 | 1 | VIEW | ||
28th Feb 1982 | 67 | W |
5 | Whitehaven | L | H | 41 | 7 | 2 | VIEW | ||
4th Apr 1982 | 68 | L |
1 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | H | 16 | 28 | VIEW | |||
18th Apr 1982 | 69 | W |
5 | Barrow | L | H | 15 | 6 | VIEW | |||
21st Apr 1982 | 70 | L |
5 | Hull | L | H | 13 | 14 | VIEW | |||
25th Apr 1982 | 71 | L |
14 | Wigan | L | A | 5 | 23 | VIEW | |||
5th May 1982 | 72 | L |
5 | Hull | PT1 | A | 8 | 23 | 1 | VIEW | ||
5th Jun 1982 | -- | D |
5 | Welsh XIII* | Fr Testimonial | L | 18 | 18 | VIEW | |||
6th Aug 1982 | -- | W |
5 | Pilkington Recs* | Fr Testimonial | H | 51 | 7 | 1 | VIEW | ||
15th Aug 1982 | -- | D |
14 | Oldham* | Fr Ward Cup | H | 15 | 15 | VIEW | |||
22nd Aug 1982 | 73 | D |
2 | Leigh | L | A | 19 | 19 | VIEW | |||
25th Aug 1982 | 74 | W |
5 | Bradford Northern | L | H | 12 | 11 | VIEW | |||
29th Aug 1982 | 75 | L |
5 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | A | 10 | 31 | VIEW | |||
5th Sep 1982 | 76 | W |
5 | Widnes | LC1 | A | 14 | 12 | VIEW | |||
12th Sep 1982 | 77 | W |
5 | Oldham | L | H | 20 | 15 | VIEW | |||
15th Sep 1982 | 78 | W |
14 | Barrow | LC2 | A | 9 | 6 | VIEW | |||
19th Sep 1982 | 79 | L |
5 | Barrow | L | A | 12 | 19 | VIEW | |||
26th Sep 1982 | 80 | W |
5 | Workington Town | L | H | 27 | 7 | 1 | VIEW | ||
29th Sep 1982 | 81 | D |
5 | Carlisle | LCSF | H | 7 | 7 | VIEW | |||
3rd Oct 1982 | 82 | W |
5 | Featherstone Rovers | L | A | 29 | 12 | VIEW | |||
6th Oct 1982 | 83 | W |
5 | Carlisle | LCSF (rep) | A | 9 | 5 | 1 | VIEW | ||
10th Oct 1982 | 84 | L |
5 | Leigh | L | H | 10 | 19 | VIEW | |||
17th Oct 1982 | 85 | L |
5 | Australia | Tour | H | 0 | 32 | VIEW | |||
23rd Oct 1982 | 86 | L |
5 | Warrington | LCF | N | 0 | 16 | VIEW | |||
6th Nov 1982 | 87 | L |
5 | Leeds | L | A | 10 | 13 | VIEW | |||
14th Nov 1982 | 88 | W |
5 | Workington Town | L | A | 20 | 15 | VIEW | |||
21st Nov 1982 | 89 | L |
5 | Castleford | L | H | 23 | 24 | VIEW | |||
27th Nov 1982 | 90 | W |
5 | Fulham | JP1 | H | 17 | 5 | VIEW | |||
12th Dec 1982 | 91 | L |
5 | Wigan | JP2 | A | 5 | 9 | VIEW | |||
19th Dec 1982 | 92 | W |
1 | Featherstone Rovers | L | H | 13 | 10 | VIEW | |||
26th Dec 1982 | 93 | W |
1 | Wigan | L | H | 11 | 8 | VIEW | |||
16th Jan 1983 | 94 | L |
4 | Castleford | L | A | 10 | 31 | 1 | VIEW | ||
10th Apr 1983 | 95 | W |
2 | Halifax | L | A | 23 | 5 | VIEW | |||
22nd May 1983 | -- | D |
4 | Warrington* | Fr Testimonial | A | 16 | 16 | VIEW | |||
7th Aug 1983 | -- | W |
17 | Huyton* | Fr Charity | H | 48 | 14 | 1 | VIEW | ||
10th Aug 1983 | -- | W |
2 | Widnes * | Fr Testimonial | H | 44 | 20 | 1 | VIEW | ||
3rd Sep 1983 | 96 | W |
15 | Rochdale Hornets | LC1 | A | 28 | 4 | VIEW | |||
25th Sep 1983 | 97 | W |
3 | Wakefield Trinity | L | H | 50 | 12 | VIEW | |||
2nd Oct 1983 | 98 | L |
4 | Oldham | L | A | 6 | 32 | VIEW | |||
9th Oct 1983 | 99 | W |
4 | Fulham | L | H | 18 | 14 | VIEW | |||
23rd Oct 1983 | 100 | W |
4 | Bradford Northern | L | H | 29 | 14 | 2 | VIEW | ||
4th Dec 1983 | 101 | L |
2 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | A | 7 | 32 | VIEW | |||
17th Dec 1983 | 102 | L |
3 | Widnes | JPSF | N | 4 | 18 | VIEW | |||
20th Dec 1983 | 103 | W |
4 | Salford | L | A | 18 | 16 | 1 | VIEW | ||
26th Dec 1983 | 104 | L |
5 | Wigan | L | A | 8 | 12 | VIEW | |||
1st Jan 1984 | 105 | L |
5 | Widnes | L | H | 12 | 20 | VIEW | |||
8th Jan 1984 | 106 | L |
5 | Wakefield Trinity | L | A | 22 | 31 | VIEW | |||
11th Jan 1984 | 107 | L |
5 | Hull | L | A | 24 | 30 | 1 | VIEW | ||
15th Jan 1984 | 108 | W |
5 | Whitehaven | L | H | 40 | 10 | 1 | VIEW | ||
22nd Jan 1984 | 109 | W |
5 | Fulham | L | A | 30 | 0 | 1 | VIEW | ||
12th Feb 1984 | 110 | W |
14 | Leigh | CC1 | H | 16 | 10 | VIEW | |||
19th Feb 1984 | 111 | L |
3 | Leeds | L | A | 7 | 18 | VIEW | |||
20th Mar 1984 | 112 | W |
5 | Warrington | L | H | 37 | 25 | VIEW | |||
23rd Apr 1984 | 113 | D |
1 | Widnes | L | A | 28 | 28 | 1 | VIEW | ||
29th Apr 1984 | 114 | W |
14 | Warrington | PT1 | A | 19 | 13 | VIEW | |||
7th May 1984 | 115 | L |
14 | Hull Kingston Rovers | PTSF | A | 16 | 21 | VIEW | |||
29th Jul 1984 | -- | L |
2 | Barrow * | Fr Benefit | A | 10 | 19 | VIEW | |||
26th Aug 1984 | -- | W |
18 | Oldham* | Fr Ward Cup | H | 38 | 4 | VIEW | |||
4th Nov 1984 | 116 | W |
1 | Warrington | L | A | 20 | 14 | VIEW | |||
11th Nov 1984 | 117 | W |
2 | Barrow | L | H | 59 | 2 | VIEW | |||
18th Nov 1984 | 118 | W |
14 | Keighley | JP1 | H | 60 | 8 | 1 | VIEW | ||
25th Nov 1984 | 119 | W |
3 | Bradford Northern | L | H | 28 | 6 | VIEW | |||
1st Jan 1985 | 120 | W |
5 | Widnes | L | A | 8 | 6 | VIEW | |||
27th Feb 1985 | 121 | L |
14 | Hull | L | A | 24 | 46 | VIEW | |||
17th Mar 1985 | 122 | D |
2 | Halifax | L | A | 19 | 19 | VIEW | |||
30th Aug 1985 | 123 | W |
14 | Swinton | L | A | 32 | 14 | VIEW | |||
8th Sep 1985 | 124 | W |
14 | York | L | H | 30 | 8 | VIEW | |||
15th Sep 1985 | 125 | W |
3 | Carlisle | LC1 | H | 72 | 8 | 1 | VIEW | ||
22nd Sep 1985 | 126 | L |
4 | Leeds | L | A | 8 | 21 | VIEW | |||
25th Sep 1985 | 127 | W |
4 | Whitehaven | LC2 | H | 26 | 8 | 2 | VIEW | ||
29th Sep 1985 | 128 | L |
4 | Hull | L | H | 22 | 35 | 1 | VIEW | ||
2nd Oct 1985 | 129 | L |
14 | Wigan | LCSF | A | 2 | 30 | VIEW | |||
12th Jan 1986 | --NPS | L |
15 | Warrington | L | A | 16 | 26 | VIEW | |||
19th Mar 1986 | 130 | W |
5 | Salford | L | H | 28 | 10 | VIEW | |||
23rd Mar 1986 | 131 | W |
5 | Dewsbury | L | A | 18 | 12 | VIEW | |||
9th Apr 1986 | 132 | W |
5 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | A | 22 | 13 | VIEW | |||
13th Apr 1986 | 133 | W |
5 | Salford | L | A | 30 | 28 | VIEW | |||
16th Apr 1986 | 134 | W |
5 | Castleford | L | H | 62 | 12 | VIEW | |||
22nd Mar 1987 | 135 | D |
2 | Warrington | L | A | 17 | 17 | VIEW | |||
25th Mar 1987 | 136 | W |
5 | Leigh | L | A | 16 | 8 | 2 | VIEW | ||
29th Mar 1987 | 137 | W |
5 | Hull Kingston Rovers | L | H | 44 | 22 | 1 | VIEW | ||
5th Apr 1987 | 138 | W |
5 | Leeds | L | H | 24 | 22 | 1 | VIEW | ||
8th Apr 1987 | 139 | W |
5 | Barrow | L | H | 26 | 4 | 1 | VIEW | ||
12th Apr 1987 | 140 | L |
5 | Bradford Northern | L | A | 4 | 18 | VIEW | |||
20th Sep 1987 | 141 | L |
14 | Warrington | L | A | 20 | 24 | VIEW | |||
27th Sep 1987 | 142 | W |
5 | Bradford Northern | L | H | 38 | 10 | 1 | VIEW | ||
4th Oct 1987 | --NPS | L |
15 | Halifax | L | A | 12 | 14 | VIEW | |||
1st Nov 1987 | 143 | W |
14 | Auckland | Tour | H | 52 | 26 | VIEW |
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub. |
WINS : 78 | LOSSES : 66 | DRAWS : 12 |
---|
GALLERY |
---|