Just read on social media that he passed away this morning after a long illness.
Great player and a true gentleman
RIP
Just read on social media that he passed away this morning after a long illness.
Great player and a true gentleman
RIP
St Helens Openwater Swimming Society
Looking out from the top of Table Mountain
Very sad news. Top player and very friendly to talk to. Wonder how old he was.
According to what I read he will be 76.
St Helens Openwater Swimming Society
Looking out from the top of Table Mountain
Really sad news, I only recall John at the end of his career but his record speaks for itself. A legend of the club R.I.P
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fantastic second rower, great player RIP.
So sad great player and an absolute gentleman , fond memories of a great man from back in the day RIP sir.
roy litherland it's happened i told you it would
R I P and condolences to his family , I like that back in the day Roy because those were the days , you had to be good to be in that team.
now confirmed by the club.
I was lucky enough to see some of his final games for Saints in the early 1980's.
A Saints great .RIP John
I never got to see him play, but he was one of a number of great names that I used to love reading about as a kid. I remember loving a photo of him diving over for a try against Wigan in the '66 cup final (this one: https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2018/11/1...tle/#gallery-4), but having looked at the club's tribute I see that there is an even better shot of the same moment from the reverse angle ... what an amazing photograph!:
https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2018/11/1...tle/#gallery-1
RIP John Mantle, a Saints great.
Former coach of mine back when i was playing u16. Lovely bloke he was. My favourite photo of him was the 76 cup final,sat on the sidelines smiling away after a job well done.
RIP a great player in both codes and a Gentleman.
It was only last week (watching England) that I was reminiscing to my two sons about him and the rest if that 1966 cup winning pack.
I find the older Rugby League players stories fascinating. Unlike todays fully professional players, players of yester-year were only part time. They still needed another "day" job to pay their bills. They were literally giving up everything to come and play Rugby League.
Mantle was well before my time, but when he moved up to St Helens, we wouldn't have known how long he'd have been her for, could've been just a season, however he ended up living the rest of his life in St Helens!
The greatest Second Row I have ever seen, and a nice guy. He had it all; Powerful running, tackling, good hands and loads of stamina.
I'll never for get the game at Wigan when he had just declined to go on tour to Aus. After some jibes from the Wiganers he absolutely terrorised them that day. The other outstanding memory was at KR against HKR, there had just been an all in fight and Saints got the penalty, Murphy did an up and under and I remember Mantle and Warlow flying in to Turner and Holliday, Four great competitors but Mantle was the best.
RIP.
Great player and teacher, always remember him and Mr Lindsay taking us for PE at Rivi, scary looking bloke to an 11 year old. One of his favourite games in the boys gym was skittling us all down with a medicine ball in his amended version of pirates.
Was a great player in my early days of watching Saints. Different shape to the modern day player of course. Dual code international.
RIP
He was a centre come second row when he arrived. Bags of pace. I remember being on the wall near the old score board as one of the opposition was strolling over for a try. Out of nowhere came Mantle and knocked him and the corner flag into the wall. Remember when he had his finger amputated because he kept dislocating it. Hard as nails. I remember being at Huyton and one of their lads was dishing it out. Coslett went low, Mantle went high. Poor lad was carried off and John was sent off. As mentioned the last few seasons of his career he moved to front row. In later life I went to one of the Welsh reunion doos at the Black Bull and he was struggling with his mobility. As mentioned a true gentleman
A legend. He was the best prop in the league in 75/76 culminating in the Wembley win over Widnes and a Premiership final win against Salford. As a young lad it broke my heart when he left for Salford shortly after. RIP Sir
Having spent some time in hospital last year, I was fortunate to meet a fascinating man named Alan McInnes ( https://www.salfordreddevils.net/alan-mcinnes/ )in the next bed to me, whose knowledge of Rugby League was unbounded and probably second only to that of his wife.
He knew every name I could mention from past Saints players and knew most of them personally, particularly all the teachers (Peter Harvey, John Mantle, Geoff Pimblett, the latter two being my teachers at Grange Park), from their days at Loughborough University, but especially John Mantle, because .. “John was the finest physical specimen of a human being he had ever seen”. Some praise indeed from a man with Alan McInnes’ connections and career within the game.
RIP John Mantle.. Sir
RIP big John. And thank you for the memories. His contribution to the saints cause was a massive one in many ways, definitely one of the first names on the team sheet.
What a player and what a man, a gent off the pitch and a true warrior on it. Different era but wish Saints could find his ilk nowadays.
God bless John.
Very sad, a Saints legend and up with the games greatest second rows. My first favourite in the v. RIP John.
One of my lasting memories of him was arriving late at Watersheddings. Mid week cup game I think and Les Jones had been sent off in first ten minutes. Snow was piled high at side of pitch and who had gone onto the wing only John Mantle. We won as well with 12 men!
Johnny was probably a near perfect speciman of what a rugby player should look like.
As everyone has said he was a great player and a lovely man . God bless Johnny , & rest
in peace mate . commiserations to his family & friends .