AN OPEN day will be held this Friday as part of a project exploring the history of the St Helens Recs.

Run by Saints historian Alex Service, the venture delves back to Recs’ days in the professional ranks when the town’s rugby loyalties were sharply divided in two.

Alex is inviting any relatives, or people with information on any past Recs players to come forward.

“It is a real community-based project, in that relatives of former players invariably will come from within the town,” says Alex.

“My idea is to try and engage the nearest and dearest of players to come forward.

“If people know they are directly related to a former St Helens Recs player, or if they think they may be I will have all the statistical information to hand, together with the old rugby league signing-on registers to confirm the facts – or otherwise.

“Nearest and dearest will receive their certificate there and then. If they could also bring in any images they might have, that would be an added bonus too!

The certificate will give details of the player’s achievements and will also have a unique player number included on it.

The Recs were a professional club between 1919 and 1939, with the club then returning to the amateur ranks from 1949 as the Pilkington Recs.

“I am then hoping to be able to publish a book of biographies of every player who played a competitive match from 1919 to 1939.

“There are almost 200 and this experience has also further enhanced my knowledge of the Saints from that period too.”

The open day will take place at The Local History Library, in the Central Library building at Victoria Square between 10am and 4pm.