Peter Roe

Who is Peter Roe?

Peter Roe is a rugby league footballer of the 1970s, and '80s, and coach of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s, playing at club level for Keighley, Bradford Northern, York and Hunslet, as a Centre, and coaching at club level for Keighley, Halifax, Barrow, Swinton, Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity.

Roe began his career at Keighley Boys' Grammar School and when they did not have a fixture he was drafted in to play for the Keighley rugby union colts. However at the same time on a Sunday Roe played his first love rugby league for the Keighley junior supporters club so effectively played two to three games of rugby a week including playing Wednesday afternoons for the first XV. Also at the same Roe had been courted by Manchester United and Sheffield United as during his time at the age of 15 been captain and centre half of a successful Keighley boys soccer team. However a fall from a tree whilst living on a farm after his father's early death curtailed any sporting activity for 12-months due to a bad back injury. Roe turned his back on soccer and whilst working as a laboratory technician signed professional forms for Keighley RLFC at the age of 17. Whilst at Keighley he became one of the youngest ever to represent Yorkshire County. On 30 December 1975 Roe was transferred to Bradford Northern, where he played 99 games under Roy Francis and Peter Fox who, coached the team to back-to-back championships. His playing position was at Centre. Roe was selected to play for Great Britain in France but had to pull out due to a serious knee injury and subsequently had to retire prematurely from the game when Bradford Northern cashed in their insurance policy on Roe in 1981. Roe proved the medical people wrong and fought his way back to fitness but was not allowed to play again for Bradford Northern due to the legalities of the payout. By his own admission Roe admitted that this was the low point of his life and went from potential tourist in 1979 go the forgotten man of rugby league. Also by his own admission although continuing to play with York and Hunslet he had lost that vital yard of pace which was vital at the top level of the sport. He began his coaching career at Keighley, taking over from the late Geoff Peggs who 'died in office' in 1985. He left the following year.