Oldham RLFC Heritage Trust

Peter Smethurst

Career: 1961-62/1967-68

Heritage No. 643

Player profile

The word “character” was never more aptly applied to a Rugby League player than when associated with Peter Smethurst, a man who was always quite prepared to speak his mind on the subject of the game he loved and always guaranteed to give maximum effort on the field of play.

One of the most popular players ever to pull on an Oldham shirt, Peter arrived from Swinton in September 1961. Originally a centre, most of his games with the “Roughyeds” were in the second row, although he did strike up an excellent three-quarter partnership with Trevor Simms in the 1963-64 season, which realised 41 tries between them.

Peter played the game hard and fair, with no quarter asked or given. His trademark being to emerge from under two or three defenders after the most crunching tackle, only to be seen supporting a wide and cheeky grin. Always leading by example, he captained the side in the 1966 Lancashire Cup Final against Wigan, when only a desperate last ditch tackle on Oldham full back Stan McLeod in the final seconds right under the posts prevented the cup from coming to Watersheddings.

Leaving to join Salford in 1967, he went on to play in the Leigh side that won the Challenge Cup in 1971. He then returned to Oldham as assistant coach to Frank Myler in the early 1983 and eventually took charge of the team himself for a brief period in the 1983-84 season.

Photos 10

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Games played 199

Includes 5 games that don't count towards the career statistics above (friendlies and similar).

Date	Opposition	Result	Score
30 September 1961	Barrow	Won	40-0
7 October 1961	Workington Town	Won	14-12
21 October 1961	Warrington	Won	35-5
28 October 1961	Huddersfield	Lost	7-16
4 November 1961	Whitehaven	Won	25-7
18 November 1961	Hull FC	Lost	7-10
25 November 1961	Salford	Won	50-4
2 December 1961	Whitehaven	Won	45-10
9 December 1961	Workington Town	Lost	5-17
16 December 1961	St Helens	Won	9-8
6 January 1962	Warrington	Won	15-12
20 January 1962	Wigan	Lost	2-7
27 January 1962	Rochdale Hornets	Won	17-7
3 February 1962	Liverpool City	Won	13-7
10 February 1962	Hull FC	Won	32-16
17 February 1962	Leigh	Won	22-10
24 February 1962	Widnes	Lost	8-14
3 March 1962	Workington Town	Lost	0-5
10 March 1962	Leigh	Lost	12-18
17 March 1962	St Helens	Won	10-7
24 March 1962	Hull FC	Won	10-0
31 March 1962	Liverpool City	Won	41-2
5 April 1962	Salford	Won	37-10
7 April 1962	Hunslet	Won	14-5
14 April 1962	Widnes	Won	17-9
20 April 1962	Swinton	Draw	2-2
21 April 1962	Blackpool Borough	Won	10-7
11 August 1962	Rochdale Hornets Law Cup	Won	24-2
18 August 1962	Whitehaven	Lost	8-18
21 August 1962	Barrow	Won	17-0
7 September 1962	Whitehaven	Won	11-2
15 September 1962	Barrow	Won	15-13
18 September 1962	Rochdale Hornets	Won	14-3
22 September 1962	Rochdale Hornets	Won	22-7
29 September 1962	Leigh	Lost	17-24
13 October 1962	Huddersfield	Won	9-8
20 October 1962	Leeds	Lost	5-23
3 November 1962	Wigan	Draw	14-14
17 November 1962	Huddersfield	Lost	5-6
24 November 1962	Leeds	Lost	8-10
1 December 1962	Wakefield Trinity	Won	19-12
15 December 1962	Castleford	Lost	2-10
2 March 1963	Leigh	Won	18-10
9 March 1963	Featherstone Rovers	Won	26-2
16 March 1963	Workington Town	Won	13-0
23 March 1963	Hull Kingston Rovers	Won	23-17
6 April 1963	Wigan	Lost	0-18
9 April 1963	Workington Town	Won	5-3
12 April 1963	Swinton	Lost	3-7
15 April 1963	Hull FC	Lost	3-18
19 April 1963	Bramley	Lost	9-13
24 August 1963	Rochdale Hornets	Won	20-7
27 August 1963	Leigh	Draw	6-6
2 September 1963	Liverpool City	Won	20-9
14 September 1963	York	Won	7-4
16 September 1963	Blackpool Borough	Won	24-10
18 September 1963	Whitehaven	Won	35-4
21 September 1963	Barrow	Won	35-8
28 September 1963	Blackpool Borough	Won	22-6
30 September 1963	Leigh	Lost	0-10
5 October 1963	Australia	Lost	4-12
12 October 1963	Doncaster	Won	45-13
19 October 1963	Barrow	Won	21-15
26 October 1963	Rochdale Hornets	Won	13-4
2 November 1963	Doncaster	Won	12-6
9 November 1963	York	Won	17-0
16 November 1963	Whitehaven	Won	19-0
23 November 1963	Rochdale Hornets	Won	18-7
30 November 1963	Barrow	Lost	9-15
7 December 1963	Bramley	Lost	0-9
28 December 1963	Dewsbury	Won	29-0
4 January 1964	Blackpool Borough	Won	18-13
25 January 1964	Salford	Won	37-20
1 February 1964	Dewsbury	Won	11-4
8 February 1964	Keighley	Won	11-4
15 February 1964	Leigh	Won	6-2
22 February 1964	Blackpool Borough	Won	18-5
29 February 1964	Featherstone Rovers	Won	9-7
7 March 1964	Batley	Won	9-4
14 March 1964	Hunslet	Won	7-5
21 March 1964	Barrow	Won	32-5
28 March 1964	Leigh	Won	12-0
30 March 1964	Salford	Won	43-8
11 April 1964	Hull Kingston Rovers	Draw	5-5
15 April 1964	Hull Kingston Rovers	Aban	17-14
20 April 1964	Hull Kingston Rovers	Lost	2-12
24 April 1964	Rochdale Hornets	Won	5-3
27 April 1964	Leigh	Lost	7-21
1 May 1964	St Helens	Lost	11-22
2 May 1964	Whitehaven	Won	41-5
6 May 1964	Bramley	Won	20-2
29 August 1964	Swinton	Won	13-2
4 September 1964	Whitehaven	Won	31-10
12 September 1964	Liverpool City	Won	42-5
14 September 1964	Blackpool Borough	Won	13-2
19 September 1964	Widnes	Won	21-2
21 September 1964	Warrington	Lost	4-19
26 September 1964	Whitehaven	Lost	4-21
3 October 1964	Leigh	Won	20-10
10 October 1964	Rochdale Hornets	Won	14-5
17 October 1964	Workington Town	Lost	5-21
24 October 1964	Warrington	Lost	6-15
31 October 1964	St Helens	Lost	6-22
7 November 1964	Barrow	Won	21-4
14 November 1964	Huddersfield	Won	12-10
21 November 1964	Wigan	Lost	9-18
28 November 1964	Salford	Won	9-5
5 December 1964	Hunslet	Won	7-4
2 January 1965	Hunslet	Won	36-7
9 January 1965	Barrow	Lost	5-8
30 January 1965	Warrington	Lost	5-19
6 February 1965	Hunslet	Lost	4-12
20 February 1965	Wigan	Lost	12-20
27 February 1965	Liverpool City	Won	15-7
3 April 1965	Blackpool Borough	Won	16-2
5 April 1965	Workington Town	Won	10-5
9 April 1965	Rochdale Hornets	Won	12-10
13 April 1965	Salford	Won	21-3
16 April 1965	Swinton	Draw	6-6
17 April 1965	Whitehaven	Lost	4-7
19 April 1965	Dewsbury	Lost	3-6
29 May 1965	Oldham Past Benefit Match	Won	47-32
14 August 1965	Rochdale Hornets Law Cup	Lost	14-19
21 August 1965	Warrington	Won	26-14
25 August 1965	Whitehaven	Won	12-0
28 August 1965	Wigan	Won	23-8
31 August 1965	New Zealand	Lost	2-5
4 September 1965	Blackpool Borough	Draw	4-4
6 September 1965	Rochdale Hornets	Won	12-5
16 September 1965	Wigan	Won	28-13
25 September 1965	Salford	Won	12-8
11 December 1965	Leeds	Won	13-10
18 December 1965	Widnes	Won	15-3
1 January 1966	Hunslet	Won	7-3
8 January 1966	St Helens	Won	13-9
1 February 1966	Hunslet	Draw	10-10
5 February 1966	Halifax	Won	13-4
9 February 1966	Warrington	Won	8-4
19 February 1966	Halifax	Lost	11-17
26 February 1966	Swinton	Lost	5-18
4 March 1966	Leigh	Won	15-5
12 March 1966	Liverpool City	Won	20-9
22 March 1966	Swinton	Lost	10-12
26 March 1966	Whitehaven	Won	33-5
31 March 1966	Barrow	Lost	9-14
8 April 1966	Swinton	Lost	2-8
11 April 1966	Rochdale Hornets	Won	11-9
16 April 1966	Barrow	Won	12-2
22 April 1966	Leigh	Won	6-2
23 April 1966	Workington Town	Won	15-5
30 April 1966	Workington Town	Won	7-6
7 May 1966	St Helens	Lost	10-15
13 August 1966	Rochdale Hornets Law Cup	Lost	5-13
20 August 1966	Hull FC	Won	24-12
23 August 1966	Blackpool Borough	Won	40-9
2 September 1966	Swinton	Won	16-13
9 September 1966	Salford	Lost	13-15
12 September 1966	Blackpool Borough	Won	22-4
15 September 1966	Salford	Won	7-2
17 September 1966	Whitehaven	Won	37-9
24 September 1966	Halifax	Lost	15-23
27 September 1966	Blackpool Borough	Won	15-5
30 September 1966	Wigan	Lost	15-16
4 October 1966	Barrow	Lost	7-10
8 October 1966	Liverpool City	Won	19-15
14 October 1966	Rochdale Hornets	Won	12-7
22 October 1966	Whitehaven	Lost	0-12
29 October 1966	Wigan	Lost	13-16
5 November 1966	Leeds	Lost	14-21
12 November 1966	Liverpool City	Won	11-2
25 November 1966	Leeds	Won	16-13
3 December 1966	Workington Town	Won	13-9
10 December 1966	Barrow	Won	10-4
14 December 1966	Leigh	Lost	8-12
17 December 1966	Leigh	Won	14-5
24 December 1966	Huddersfield	Lost	7-13
27 December 1966	Rochdale Hornets	Aban	0-0
31 December 1966	Warrington	Lost	6-12
14 January 1967	Barrow	Won	13-8
21 January 1967	Salford	Won	17-4
27 January 1967	St Helens	Lost	7-25
4 February 1967	Huddersfield	Won	12-7
11 February 1967	Workington Town	Lost	5-13
17 February 1967	St Helens	Won	8-7
25 February 1967	Leeds	Lost	4-13
3 March 1967	Widnes	Draw	4-4
11 March 1967	Huddersfield	Won	9-4
18 March 1967	Wigan	Won	20-8
24 March 1967	Swinton	Lost	10-13
25 March 1967	Widnes	Lost	6-11
31 March 1967	Rochdale Hornets	Won	15-4
7 April 1967	Swinton	Lost	9-10
15 April 1967	Swinton	Draw	12-12
18 April 1967	Swinton	Lost	7-15
12 August 1967	Blackpool Borough Friendly	Won	26-23
15 August 1967	Liverpool City	Lost	12-13
19 August 1967	Leigh	Won	17-11
23 August 1967	Bradford Northern	Lost	10-28
2 September 1967	Whitehaven	Won	34-14

Peter Smethurst

Player profile

Career statistics

Photos 10

Games played 199