THE recent trip to Elland Road for the Super League Magic weekend stirred recollections of a more joyous St Helens visit to the home of Leeds United.

The football stadium was the venue for one of the most memorable Saints trophy successes – the 1985 Premiership Final win over newly-crowned champions Hull KR.

Alas two members of that victorious Saints team are no longer with us – taken way too soon. Winger Sean Day sadly died in 2019, aged 56, after a long battle with cancer, while the legendary Roy Haggerty, who played second row in that final, passed a year earlier aged just 58.

Day’s season in the limelight was quite remarkable – the stuff of Roy of the Rovers, and his contribution was one of many components of the landmark 1984-85 season that announced the return of the Saints after seven long years in the doldrums.

(Image: Brian Peers)

Although the off season build up to that campaign had understandably been dominated by the impending arrival of Australian superstar Mal Meninga, there were other sub-plots rippling through the south Lancashire town that summer.

Quietly slipping into training at the old Queens Park astroturf in July 1984 was an unknown 21-year-old, who had been playing with North West Counties amateurs Culcheth Eagles.

In those late summer evenings Day cut an unlikely but enthusiastic figure at training, slightly built in stature but standing out with his beaming smile, socks rolled down to his ankles and sporting an anti-fox hunting T-shirt.

Coach Billy Benyon saw enough to give him a shot in three trial games as what was then described as AN Other - and in the days before social media those on the terraces were quizzical who this new man on the flank was.

The Saints board agreed to offer Day a contract after watching him score a hat-trick and kick nine goals in the 84-12 pre-season friendly win over newcomers Mansfield.

The new boy slotted into the team straight away and crossed for his first senior try – a long range-effort at Odsal in the early league defeat by Bradford in September 1984.

Although his goalkicking was proving a bonus, it was temporarily taken off him on the immediate arrival of Meninga in early October.

It was soon restored, with Day ensuring that Saints’ scoring – inspired by Big Mal and Phil Veivers in a side of local talent that had been building for years – went up in sixes rather than fours.

He had a natural, no fuss goalkicking style – and that proved to be effective.

Some of those conversions were more crucial than others, the penalty among his five goals and a try in the 1984 Lancashire Cup Final at Central Park was key in keeping the late Wigan revival at bay.

That delivered Saints’ piece of silverware for seven seasons – and Saints marched on that year with Day crossing for 12 tries outside Meninga, whilst Barry Ledger made hay on the other flank.

Day also booted 157 goals in his 36 matches that campaign to help Saints to runners-up spot in the First Division Championship.

Day also kicked four goals in the Premiership Final win over Champions Hull KR at Elland Road to ensure they ended the comeback season with two pots to polish.

Bizarrely, on Meninga’s return to Australia after that finale, Saints chose to bring in goalkicking winger Australian test winger Ross Conlon for the following year’s campaign meaning that Day was nudged out and spent time on loan to Runcorn Highfield.

He played three more times after Conlon had gone back to Sydney, with his final game for the Saints being the Challenge Cup defeat by Wigan at Central Park in March 1986.

But for many Day will still be remembered for his role in the season that Saints’ seven-year trophy drought ended.