Saints 1976 Wembley winner Peter Glynn has died, aged 71

A classy, elusive player, with footwork and an ability to sniff out tries and openings, Peter joined Saints in April 1974 from Widnes amateur rugby league.

He started as he meant to go on, scoring on his debut in the red vee on August 1975, a tight 19-17 Lancashire Cup win at Oldham.

Peter would go on to score 118 tries, kick 86 goals and 5 drop goals from 258 appearances at the Knowsley Roaders.

With a skillset best used at centre or stand off, although some coaches tried him at full back and wing, Peter's ability to know where to be and simply ghost into space was his trademark style of play.

And it was his two-try performance off the bench in the 1976 Challenge Cup Final win over his home town of Widnes earned that earned him a place in Saints and rugby league folklore.

Then aged 22, Peter was in his debut season and had only belatedly made the subs bench ahead of Frank Wilson.

After coming on for veteran stand-off Billy Benyon at half time with the scores tight at 6-4 at a red hot Wembley, Peter helped Saints pull away from the Cup-holding Chemics.

Nothing summed up the way his intervention had gone more than his vision and pace against a tired defence in the last minute of the game when his chip kick over the defensive line sat up perfectly.

It was an iconic Challenge Cup Final moment captured wonderfully by Eddie Waring`s commentary at the time:

"If it bounces right he`s in, and it bounces right and he`s in and he bashes it down, Peter Glynn. What a moment for this boy - came on as sub and that's his second try."

Those special moments last a lifetime – especially as it would be the last time Saints would win the Challenge Cup for 20 years.

The following week Peter was picked at centre in the Premiership Trophy Final win over Salford at Swinton - and again he scored a try.

The following year he won another Premiership Trophy medal against Warrington.

There were international honours too, with Eric Ashton taking him on the 1979 tour to Australia and New Zealand. He also gained two England caps.

Alas, Saints' 1977 Premiership win was their last bit of silverware as the team went into transition.

Peter was versatile and was switched around positionally, slotting in at full back for a spell at the end of the 1979 season when skipper Geoff Pimblett was dropped and then retired.

The following season he flitted between centre, stand off and full back, and nothing epitomised his style of play than the try he scored off the bench against Widnes on New Year's Day 1981 in his first game back after breaking his leg in the September. 

He was a key player in Saints' Challenge Cup run that year, scoring their only try in the memorable 5-3 victory over favourites Hull in Round 2 and then slotting the drop goal in the quarter finals at Oldham that sent them into the semis.

It was not to be, and the side continued what was often a difficult transition.

Peter was exchanged for Salford full back Steve Rule at the end of the 1982-83 season but had left fans with very many fond memories.

We send our condolences to Peter's wife Carol and daughters Ashley and Hayley and the rest of the family during this sad time.