FANS can relive the joy and the heartache of all of Saints' competition final appearances over 120 years in a new book.

Retired head teacher Ken Bold has published Saints: The Final Countdown.

The book tells the story of every final the club has played in, from the 1897 Challenge Cup final to the Super League Grand Final of 2014.

Ken says the book includes all finals, featuring the old Championship finals used to decide the title winners in most years from 1906/07 to 1972/73 and Premiership deciders, the knockout competition which lasted until 1997.

There are tales from now defunct tournament s like the Lancashire Cup, BBC Floodlit Trophy

"I know there has been quite a few books about Saints but I just thought rugby league is really about finals, that's when the trophies are distributed, so I thought that's the sort of book I'd want to read."

In the introduction, Ken, who grew up in Dentons Green, says first experience of attending a cup final is one of his clearest childhood memories to see Saints beat Wigan at Wembley in 1961.

Ken, 65, says: "A final is all about winners and losers. There is no opportunity for the losers to put things right, no chance of the winners having the prize removed from their grasp. Finals are binary; joy or despair, glory or gloom. Finals are sport at its most extreme, both for players and for supporters."

Nuggets of information featured also include Saints' appearance in the only Club Championship final, held at the end of the 1973/74 season, and their victory in the Western Region final of 1963/64.

Ken adds: "I hope that readers will enjoy reading the accounts of every one of the 79 finals, and two replays, in which Saints have played. For some they will jog memories of matches they attended, for others they will provide what I intend to be an interesting insight into the long and proud history of St Helens Rugby League Club.

"Let’s hope there are many more final appearances in the years to come."