{{short description|English rugby league footballer and coach}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Use British English|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Geoff Fletcher |fullname = |image = |imagesize = |position = |birth_date = 10 December 1943 |birth_place = |death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2017|11|9|1943|12|10}} |death_place = Holme Farm, St Helens, England |height = |weight = |club1 = Leigh{{efn|statistics are a total of all three spells at club}} |year1start = 1962 |year1end = 65 |appearances1 = 154 |tries1 = 11 |goals1 = 0 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 33 |club2 = Oldham |year2start = 1965 |year2end = 69 |appearances2 = 107+4 |tries2 = 13 |goals2 = 1 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 41 |club3 = Wigan |year3start = 1969 |year3end = 72 |appearances3 = 98 |tries3 = 12 |goals3 = 0 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 36 |club4 = Leigh |year4start = 1972 |year4end = 73 |appearances4 = |tries4 = |goals4 = |fieldgoals4 = |points4 = |club5 = Wigan |year5start = 1973 |year5end = 75 |appearances5 = 31 |tries5 = 3 |goals5 = 0 |fieldgoals5 = 0 |points5 = 9 |club6 = Leigh |year6start = 1975 |year6end = 77 |appearances6 = |tries6 = |goals6 = |fieldgoals6 = |points6 = |club7 = Workington Town |year7start = 1977 |year7end = |appearances7 = 15 |tries7 = 2 |goals7 = 0 |fieldgoals7 = 0 |points7 = 6 |club8 = Huyton |year8start = 1977 |year8end = 84 |appearances8 = 113+6 |tries8 = 6 |goals8 = 4 |fieldgoals8 = 0 |points8 = 28 |club9 = Runcorn Highfield |year9start = 1984 |year9end = 85 |appearances9 = 10+4 |tries9 = 1 |goals9 = 0 |fieldgoals9 = 0 |points9 = 4 |teamA = Lancashire |yearAstart = 1968 |yearAend = 69 |appearancesA = 3 |triesA = 1 |goalsA = 0 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 3 |coachteam1 = {{nowrap|Huyton/Runcorn Highfield}} |coachyear1start = 1977 |coachyear1end = 86 |coachgames1 = |coachwins1 = |coachdraws1 = |coachlosses1 = |coachteam2 = Runcorn Highfield |coachyear2start = 1989 |coachyear2end = |coachgames2 = |coachwins2 = |coachdraws2 = |coachlosses2 = |retired = yes |source = <ref>{{cite web |title=Fletcher, Geoff |url=https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/blog/team_member/fletcher-geoff/ |website=Leigh Centurions |accessdate=19 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Geoff Fletcher |url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=395 |website=Cherryandwhite.co.uk |accessdate=19 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Oldham Rugby League Player Statistics |url=http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/stats/to1997.shtml |website=Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust |accessdate=19 June 2019 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060115/http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/stats/to1997.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Rugby league records |id=19164 |title=Geoff Fletcher |access-date=12 March 2024}}</ref> {{notelist}} }} '''Geoff Fletcher''' (10 December 1943 – 9 November 2017) was a professional rugby league footballer, coach and chairman. Fletcher in his younger years played for Thatto Heath and later with Pilkington Recs where he played as a back and also as a winger. He later turned professional with Leigh. Geoff Fletcher also had stints with Oldham, Wigan and Workington Town. He joined Huyton in 1978 and went on to become player / coach and later manager.<ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/Geoff_Fletcher/summary.html RL Project profile]</ref> He died in November 2017, aged 74.<ref>{{cite web |title=In Memory of Geoff Fletcher |url=https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/blog/2017/11/10/in-memory-of-geoff-fletcher/ |website=Leigh Centurions |publisher=Sporting Club Leigh |accessdate=19 June 2019 |date=10 November 2017}}</ref>
==Playing career== ===County Cup Final appearances=== Fletcher played right-{{rlp|pr}} in Oldham's 13–16 defeat by Wigan in the 1966 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1966–67 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 29 October 1966,<ref name="1966-1967 Lancashire Cup Final">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=440|title=1966-1967 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=16 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716170330/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=440|url-status=dead}}</ref> played left-{{rlp|pr}} (replaced by substitute Dennis Maders) in the 2–30 defeat by St Helens in the 1968 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1968–69 season at Central Park, Wigan on Friday 25 October 1968, and played left-{{rlp|pr}}, and scored in Wigan's 15–8 victory over Widnes in the 1971 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1971–72 season at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Saturday 28 August 1971.<ref name="1971-1972 Lancashire Cup Final">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=442|title=1971-1972 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212102809/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=442|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Coaching career and chairmanship== Fletcher joined Huyton as player-coach in August 1977. He stayed on as coach after his playing career was over and eventually became the club's chairman. Fletcher remained involved with the club until its demise as Prescot Panthers in 1997.
==Personal life== In addition to his rugby career, Fletcher owned a pig farm situated close to St Helens former ground, Knowsley Road. He was the son of the rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s for St Helens R.F.C.; Bill Fletcher.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Fletcher |url=http://www.saints.org.uk/saints/player.php?num=15321 |website=Saints Heritage Society |accessdate=19 June 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/once-lifetime-another-bloody-sunday Once in a Lifetime: Another Bloody Sunday] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190619200404/http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/once-lifetime-another-bloody-sunday |date=19 June 2019 }} at Yorkshire Film Archive, featuring Fletcher as player-coach at Huyton in 1980
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Geoff}} Category:2017 deaths Category:English rugby league coaches Category:English rugby league players Category:Lancashire rugby league team players Category:Leigh Leopards players Category:Liverpool City coaches Category:Liverpool City (rugby league) players Category:Oldham R.L.F.C. players Category:Rugby articles needing expert attention Category:Rugby league props Category:Wigan Warriors players Category:Workington Town players Category:1943 births Category:20th-century English sportsmen