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A FORMER Saints player who was the club's earliest surviving debutant has passed away aged 95, writes Alex Service.

One of Saints’ oldest former players and one of the great characters from Thatto Heath, Jimmy Goodier passed away on Wednesday, April 15.

Born in Upland Road, Jimmy went to Thatto Heath Council School and then on to the newly-built secondary school at Grange Park, when it opened just prior to World War Two.

He was interested in all sports as a youngster, but it was football that he excelled in initially. Jimmy played for the local Toll Bar Congs and captained the Grange Park School team as a centre half and at 14 was a member of the St Helens Schoolboys squad that won the English Schools Shield.

Despite his interest in football and dreams of playing for Everton, rugby league became a big part of his life.

“I played in the Saints junior league team during the war as well as several First Team games," he recalled. "

At five feet six inches I wasn’t that big and I became a hooker and occasionally played scrum-half.”

Jimmy took up an apprenticeship with Critchleys in St Helens as a plumber and later took up a job with Houghtons in Aintree. “I was never called up during the war but didn’t necessarily have an easy life,” he said.

"I used to have to stay in Liverpool during the bombing raids and was on call to help to repair the damage to utilities.“

His signing by Saints was partly accidental, when his team, mostly comprised of Toll Bar Congs footballers, entered a seven-a-side competition at Knowsley Road and they won it somewhat against the odds, with Jimmy excelling as captain.

The Saints chairman was Rex Winter, also the boss of Critchley’s, who knew of Jimmy’s prowess on the football field but not necessarily with the oval ball.

Jimmy made his first team debut against Halifax at Thrum Hall on April 15, 1944 at scrum-half in what proved to be a heavy defeat for the young Saints team in the War Emergency League.

“I played many matches for the junior team the Saints had formed to keep them going as the war went on” he remembered. “Players like Aub Gregory [he could run!], Ernie Mills, Harold Clough and Joe Ball.

"As for me, well I could certainly get the ball out of the scrum! On the open side of the pack I often had the legendary ‘Porky’ Davies next to me.

"One time he kept saying: ‘lift your feet up, Jimmy!’ I said I couldn’t because their prop was standing on them. The solution was quite simple. Porky would sort him out for me the only way he knew how and that was to give him a thump!”

Jimmy’s last game was at hooker in cloying mud at Wheldon Road, Castleford, in a first round Challenge Cup tie on February 9, 1946. The Saints were narrowly beaten 4-10 in what was a difficult assignment, but the front row of Davies, Goodier and future international Norman Thompson held their own!

Jimmy maintained an interest in sport all his life and was a regular visitor to Knowsley Road and enjoyed the Players’ Association’s Dinners over many years, where he would exchange yarns with several former team-mates and opponents. He was also an accomplished crown green bowler.

When Saints launched their Heritage Numbers in January 2019, one of the first former players to be honoured was #607 Jimmy Goodier. A specially named and numbered jersey was presented to him by young star Jack Welsby in recognition of him being the club’s earliest surviving debutant.

Although he didn’t play too many first team games as such, he was one who helped the club to survive during the dark days of the Second World War.

Well-known in his native Thatto Heath, he was a thoughtful, amiable and extremely practical man, not averse to undertaking complex building projects, using his skills as a plumber and heating engineer to renovate houses and build his own bungalow in Heath Street.

From my own perspective, he was a long-time family friend; an absolute pleasure to talk to and would regale the listener with his vivid sporting and wartime recollections.

Jimmy was also steward at Sidac Social Club for a spell and was pre-deceased by his wife, Florence, (Flo) in 2005.

He will be sadly missed by many.