Saints Heritage Society, in conjunction with St Helens RFC is currently distributing Heritage Number Certificates to current players, past players and relatives of deceased players.

The Star will feature five former players to see if their Heritage Number Certificate [only one per player] can be handed over to those who are ‘nearest and dearest.’

This week we feature five players from during and after the Second World War and the 1950s

#536 Ernie Large

3 appearances

Originally St Helens Recs’ youngest signing at 16 in 1932, he joined Oldham when the club folded, just before the war, together with former Recs’ forward Bill Parr [brother of footballer Lily Parr]. The flying winger from Clyde Street served in the army in India and played some wartime games for Saints, before joining Gus Risman’s fledgling Workington Town team. He later joined Saints in 1949-50 and finished with a spell at Liverpool City. He is probably the only Saints player to become a ‘Lollipop Man’ after his retirement!

#606 Aubrey Gregory

51 appearances 13 tries 39 points

A speedy winger, originally from the Union Inn, Oldfield Street, where his mother was the licensee, Aubrey made his debut against Halifax at Thrum Hall in what were difficult times for the St Helens club. He became a fixture in the first team for a few years, however and was one of the few who progressed from the War Emergency League competition to the first full season when the game resumed in earnest in 1945-46. He also became a local licensee including the Travellers Rest and Aubrey died in St Helens in July 1998, aged 72.

#683 Bill Whittaker

143 appearances 10 tries 30 points

A key signing from Widnes, his hometown team, for £1,500, Bill was a hard-grafting front-rower of the old school, an uncompromising scrummager and, at over 6 feet and 16 stones, was quite a handful in the loose. Bill was a key signing for the Saints and bolstered the side until the advent of coach Jim Sullivan in the early 1950s. His best season was 1949-50, when he played in 40 matches. He owned a chip shop in Prescot for a spell and later became Chairman of Liverpool City, as well as being a member of the Saints’ Players Association. Bill passed away aged 91 in 2011.

#687 Bill Finnan

124 appearances 58 tries 174 points

Originally from Rivington Street, Bill attended Rivington Road school, where he came to the attention of Saints’ Chairman Harry Cook. A strong, forceful centre-cum-stand-off, signed from Pilkington Recs, he played less than 20 matches before joining Salford for £1,000 in 1950. He returned to Knowsley Road, however and was a member of the first Saints’ team to lift the Challenge Cup in 1956 against Halifax, when he played at stand-off half. A county player, he was transferred to Liverpool City in the late 1950s.

#726 Billy Adams

1 appearance

A lively, creative scrum-half, Billy’s sole outing for the first team came against Blackpool Borough on 29th January 1955, when the Saints won 13-2 at Knowsley Road. He partnered England international stand-off Peter Metcalfe during the game. Billy was a stalwart of a very successful A team, however, as good as many senior outfits at the time and helped the team to victory in the Rugby League Combination Shield in 1952-53, a year when the senior team also won their second championship.

Are you related? Do you think you can claim the appropriate Heritage Number Certificate?

If so, feel free to contact Saints Heritage Society at info@saints.org.uk or phone Alex Service on 01744 756135.