Stanski profiles the rugby career of a man who was Wire head coach at the age of 29

TODAY Peter Harvey, Warrington’s youngest ever first-team coach, turns eighty.

He is also The Wire's first, and only Scottish coach, being born in Johnstone.

A top-class threequarter at schoolboy level in Rugby Union, saw him play a full England trial in 1963, before he joined a great St Helens team, where he would go on to win five major finals, including the demolition of rivals Wigan at Wembley in 1966, by 21 points to 2.

After that, however, due to a variety of reasons he was transferred to Warrington, where he made his debut, as a back substitute, on 6 September 1967 against Liverpool City, at Wilderspool in a 14-5 victory in the Lancashire Cup Second Round.

> More about Peter Harvey's St Helens career

The team that Wednesday evening was: Affleck (4G); Coupe, Melling, Pickavance, Glover; Aspinall, Gordon (2T); Ashcroft, Harrison, Brady, Briggs, Parr, Clark R. Subs: Harvey, Cotton.

Warrington would get to the Lancashire Cup Final, against St Helens, but Peter lasted only two minutes before breaking his nose in an accidental clash from a scrum, with Alan Whittle. The game ended in a 2 all draw, Warrington eventually loosing the replay.

Signed as a stand-off, his first season was rewarded with the club winning the Lancashire League Trophy after a narrow 7-6 win at Leigh in the last league match of the campaign.

In 1968/69 Peter continued to establish his position at stand-off, forming a good partnership with scrum half Parry Gordon, who become the leading try scorer that season with 22.

In the league Warrington’s form was erratic and they missed out on a top 16 place. There was better success in cup competitions, reaching the semi finals of the BBC2 Floodlight Trophy, and the Challenge Cup.

Peter however decided to call it a day on his playing career, and his final match in the primrose and blue jersey was at Derwent Park, Workington on 19 April 1969.

He had 63+5 appearances, and scored seven tries and five drop goals, however his career with Warrington wasn’t finished!

In September 1970 when Warrington coach Joe Egan resigned after a poor set of results, depleted staff, injuries and economics, Peter Harvey took up the call.

When on the 3 October 1970 he took charge of his first ever game as the new Warrington coach, at the tender age of 29, he became the youngest in the club’s history. He started with an honourable draw (22-22) at Odsal, Bradford, and at that stage Warrington - in a one division league of 30 - were 25th… and Bradford Northern were bottom!

Despite a turbulent season, where the club were faced with going out of existence, further player injuries, and a record home defeat, Peter admirably helped coach the club through the crisis, to the end of the season, when a new chairman in Ossie Davies brought in Alex Murphy.

He has continued to be an active member of both the Saints and Warrington Players Associations, regularly attending functions.

Peter went into the teaching profession and published a book about his rugby league career in 2014.

Stanski