View source for Doug Laughton

{{Short description|English rugby league coach and footballer (1944–2025)}}
{{Refimprove|date=March 2025}}
{{use British English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|first              = 
|name               = Doug Laughton
|fullname           = Charles Douglas Laughton 
|image              = 
|imagesize          = 
|caption            = 
|birth_date         = {{birth date|df=yes|1944|5|13}}
|birth_place        = [[Widnes]], [[Cheshire]], England
|death_date         = {{death date and age|df=yes|2025|3|16|1944|5|13}}
|height             = 
|weight             = 
|ru_position        = 
|position           = {{rlp|SR|LF}}
|club1              = [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]
|year1start         = 1963
|year1end           = 66
|appearances1       = 79
|tries1             = 14
|goals1             = 0
|fieldgoals1        = 0
|points1            = 42
|club2              = [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]
|year2start         = 1967
|year2end           = 73
|appearances2       = 183+2
|tries2             = 38
|goals2             = 0
|fieldgoals2        = 0
|points2            = 114
|club3              = [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]]
|year3start         = 1973
|year3end           = 79
|appearances3       = 185
|tries3             = 38
|goals3             = 0
|fieldgoals3        = 0
|points3            = 114
|club4              = {{nowrap|[[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs|Canterbury-Bankstown]]}}
|year4start         = 1974
|year4end           = 74
|appearances4       = 5
|tries4             = 0
|goals4             = 0
|fieldgoals4        = 0
|points4            = 0
|teamA              = [[Lancashire rugby league team|Lancashire]]
|yearAstart         = 1964
|yearAend           = 74
|appearancesA       = 11
|triesA             = 5
|goalsA             = 0
|fieldgoalsA        = 0
|pointsA            = 15
|teamB              = [[England national rugby league team|England]]
|yearBstart         = 1977
|yearBend           = 
|appearancesB       = 1
|triesB             = 0
|goalsB             = 0
|fieldgoalsB        = 0
|pointsB            = 0
|teamC              = [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]
|yearCstart         = 1970
|yearCend           = 79
|appearancesC       = 15
|triesC             = 7
|goalsC             = 0
|fieldgoalsC        = 0
|pointsC            = 21
|coachteam1         = [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]]
|coachyear1start    = 1978
|coachyear1end      = 83
|coachgames1        = 217
|coachwins1         = 153
|coachdraws1        = 10
|coachlosses1       = 54
|coachteam2         = [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]]
|coachyear2start    = 1986
|coachyear2end      = 91
|coachgames2        = 226
|coachwins2         = 153
|coachdraws2        = 6
|coachlosses2       = 67
|coachteam3         = [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]]
|coachyear3start    = 1991
|coachyear3end      = 95
|coachgames3        = 153
|coachwins3         = 91
|coachdraws3        = 7
|coachlosses3       = 55
|coachteam4         = [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]]
|coachyear4start    = 1995
|coachyear4end      = 97
|coachgames4        = 61
|coachwins4         = 32
|coachdraws4        = 2
|coachlosses4       = 27
|coachteamA         = [[Lancashire rugby league team|Lancashire]]
|coachyearAstart    = 1988
|coachyearAend      = 89
|coachgamesA        = 2
|coachwinsA         = 0
|coachdrawsA        = 0
|coachlossesA       = 2
|retired            = yes
|updated            = 14 June 2020
|source             = <ref>{{cite book|last1=Quirke|first1=Andrew|last2=Laughton|first2=Doug|title=A Dream Come True: A Rugby League Life|date=2003|publisher=London League Publications|location=London|isbn=978-1903659120}}</ref><ref name="Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/charles-laughton/summary.html|title=Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|access-date=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="RKC">{{rugby league records|id=9023 |access-date=16 March 2025}}</ref>
}}

'''Charles Douglas Laughton''' (13 May 1944 – 16 March 2025) was an English professional [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and [[Coach (sport)|coach]]ed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He played at representative level for [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] ([[Captain (sports)|captain]]), winning 15 caps in all, winning a further cap for [[England national rugby league team|England]], and [[Lancashire rugby league team|Lancashire]], and at club level for [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]], [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]], [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]], and [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs|Canterbury-Bankstown]], as a {{rlp|sr}}, or {{rlp|lf}},<ref name="RKC">{{rugby league records|id=9023 |access-date=16 March 2025}}</ref> and coached at club level for Widnes (three spells) and [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]].<ref name="Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org"/>

==Background==
Laughton was born in [[Widnes]], [[Lancashire]], England on 13 May 1944.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doug Laughton |url=http://www.narlvi.co.uk/douglaughton.html |publisher=The National Archive of Rugby League |access-date=1 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602200424/http://www.narlvi.co.uk/douglaughton.html |archive-date=2 June 2014 }}</ref> He played for St. Paul's the Lowerhouse junior team. He then signed as a professional for [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] at the age of 18.

Laughton died on 16 March 2025, at the age of 80.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thomson |first1=Doug |title=Former Great Britain captain, Widnes and Leeds coach Doug Laughton dies aged 80 – Total Rugby League |url=https://www.totalrl.com/former-great-britain-captain-widnes-and-leeds-coach-doug-laughton-dies-aged-80/ |access-date=16 March 2025 |work=Total RL |date=16 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Doug Laughton, rugby league giant and one of the last survivors from Great Britain's 1970s Ashes triumph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2025/03/19/doug-laughton-rugby-league-giant-widnes-britain-obituary/ |access-date=19 March 2025 |publisher=The Telegraph |date=19 March 2025}}</ref>

==Playing career==
===St Helens===
Laughton played {{rlp|lf}} in St Helens' 12–4 victory over [[Swinton Lions|Swinton]] in the [[1964 Lancashire Cup]] Final at [[Central Park (Wigan)|Central Park]], [[Wigan]] on Saturday 24 October 1964.

He played loose forward in St Helens' 0-4 defeat by [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] in the [[1965 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy]] Final  at [[Knowsley Road]], [[St Helens, Merseyside|St. Helens]] on Tuesday 14 December 1965.

Laughton made 79 appearances for St Helens before his transfer to Wigan on 16 May 1967 for £4,000.<ref name="archive">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140602200424/http://www.narlvi.co.uk/douglaughton.html/ "THE NATIONAL ARCHIVE OF RUGBY LEAGUE VIDEO INTERVIEWS Doug Laughton"], Retrieved on 11 January 2018</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Duggie Laughton|url=http://www.saints.org.uk/home/player.php?num=15807|publisher=Saints Heritage Society|access-date=31 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601002310/http://www.saints.org.uk/home/player.php?num=15807|archive-date=1 June 2014}}</ref>

===Wigan===
Laughton played {{rlp|lf}} in Wigan's 7-4 victory over St Helens in the [[1968 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy]] Final  at Central Park, Wigan on Tuesday 17 December 1968,<ref name="1968-1968 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final">{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=441|title=1968-1968 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|access-date=1 January 2012|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612211418/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=441|url-status=dead}}</ref> and played loose forward in the 6-11 defeat by [[Leigh Centurions|Leigh]] in the [[1969 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy]] Final  at Central Park, Wigan on Tuesday 16 December 1969.

He made his first appearance in a Challenge Cup Final in 1970 when Wigan played Castleford.

He played loose forward in Wigan's 15–8 victory over [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]] in the [[1971 Lancashire Cup]] Final 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|access-date=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>

He signed for his home town team Widnes on 6 March 1973 for £6,000.<ref name="archive"/>

===Widnes===
Laughton played {{rlp|lf}} in Widnes' 14–7 victory over [[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]] in the [[1975 Challenge Cup]] Final at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], [[London]] on Saturday 10 May 1975, in front of a crowd of 85,998, played loose forward in the 5–20 defeat by St. Helens in the [[1976 Challenge Cup]] Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 8 May 1976, in front of a crowd of 89,982, played loose forward in the 7–16 defeat by [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] in the [[1977 Challenge Cup]] Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 7 May 1977, in front of a crowd of 80,871, and played loose forward in the 12–3 victory over [[Wakefield Trinity]] in the [[1979 Challenge Cup (rugby)|1979 Challenge Cup]] Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 5 May 1979, in front of a crowd of 94,218.

He played loose forward in Widnes' 6–2 victory over [[Salford Red Devils|Salford]] in the [[1974 Lancashire Cup]] Final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 2 November 1974, played loose forward in the 16–11 victory over [[Workington Town]] in the [[1976 Lancashire Cup]] Final  at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 30 October 1976, and played loose forward and scored two [[Try (rugby)|tries]] in the 15–13 victory over Workington Town in the [[1978 Lancashire Cup]] Final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 7 October 1978.

He played loose forward in Widnes' 7–15 defeat by [[Bramley RLFC|Bramley]] in the [[1973 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy]] Final  at [[Halton Stadium|Naughton Park]], [[Widnes]] on Tuesday 18 December 1973, and played loose forward, and was the [[Coach (sport)|coach]] in Widnes' 13–7 victory St. Helens in the [[1978 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy]] Final at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Tuesday 12 December 1978.

Laughton played loose forward in Widnes' 2–3 defeat by [[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]] in the [[1974–75 League Cup (rugby league)|1974–75 Player's No.6 Trophy]] Final at [[Wilderspool Stadium]], [[Warrington]] on Saturday 25 January 1975, and played loose forward in the 4–9 defeat by Warrington in the [[1977–78 League Cup (rugby league)|1977–78 Players No.6 Trophy]] Final at Knowsley Road, St Helens on Saturday 28 January 1978.

He led Widnes to victory over the Australian tourists in 1978.

In 1979, while playing for Widnes, Laughton won the [[Man of Steel Award]].

===International career===
During his Wigan career he was chosen to tour Australia/New Zealand with the Great Britain team coached by Hull Legend Johnny Whiteley.

In 1979, he captained [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] team on a tour of Australia.

==Coaching career==
===Widnes===
Doug Laughton took over the job of team coach at Widnes when Frank Myler retired from the position in 1978. Immediately, he gained from the Widnes players the same respect for his coaching that he still enjoyed for his playing ability.<ref name="Rugby">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080422072415/http://www.rlhalloffame.org.uk/laughton.htm/ "Virtual Rugby League Hall of Fame. Doug Laughton"] Retrieved on 11 January 2018</ref> His first acquisition when he became coach was Mick Burke. He had three coaching spells at Widnes between 1978 and 1996. He coached Widnes to consecutive league championship wins in 1987-88 and 1988–89 and to three successive Premiership Trophy wins in these years and 1989-90. During the [[1989–90 Rugby Football League season]], he coached defending champions Widnes to their [[1989 World Club Challenge]] victory against the visiting [[Canberra Raiders]].

Laughton recruited the likes of [[Martin Offiah]], Jonathan Davies, [[Alan Tait]], and John Devereux as his Widnes side conquered England and the world in 1989.<ref>[http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2016-03-24/widnes-legend-doug-laughton-reveals-the-moment-he-turned-to-rugby-union-after-a-brain-flash-in-the-pub/ "Widnes legend Doug Laughton reveals the moment he turned to Rugby Union"] Retrieved on 11 January 2018</ref> During his first season as coach, the club gained four major trophies. More recently, they have been the only team to win three successive Premiership titles, and have become World Club Champions.<ref name="Rugby"/>

Doug Laughton was the coach in Widnes' 12-3 victory over [[Wakefield Trinity]] in the [[1979 Challenge Cup (rugby)|1979 Challenge Cup]] Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 5 May 1979, in front of a crowd of 94,218, was the coach in the 18-9 victory over [[Hull Kingston Rovers]] in the [[1981 Challenge Cup]] Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 2 May 1981, in front of a crowd of 92,496, was the coach in the 14-14 draw with [[Hull F.C.]] in the [[1982 Challenge Cup]] Final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1 May 1982, in front of a crowd of 92,147, and the 9-18 defeat by Hull in the  [[Replay (sports)|replay]] at [[Elland Road]], [[Leeds]] on Wednesday 19 May 1982, in front of a crowd of 41,171.

===Leeds===
Laughton arrived at Leeds in 1991 and took the club to two successive [[Challenge Cup]] Finals but was beaten by [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] on both occasions. He surprisingly resigned at the end of the [[1994–95 Rugby Football League season|1994–95 season]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Hadfield|first=Dave|title=Leeds stunned as Laughton resigns|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/leeds-stunned-as-laughton-resigns-1588598.html|work=The Independent|access-date=31 May 2014|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925224708/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/leeds-stunned-as-laughton-resigns-1588598.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Honours==
* [[Open Rugby]] World XIII: February 1979<ref>{{cite web |title=A complete history of the World XIII |url=https://www.totalrl.com/a-complete-history-of-the-world-xiii/ |website=Total Rugby League |access-date=25 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707045313/https://www.totalrl.com/a-complete-history-of-the-world-xiii/ |archive-date=7 July 2022 |date=20 March 2018}}</ref>
* [[Man of Steel Awards|Man of Steel Award]]: 1979

==Books==
* Doug Laughton (2003).''A Dream Come True: A Rugby League Life''. Publisher:London League Publications Ltd; First edition (31 Oct 2003)

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* (archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20080422072415/http://www.rlhalloffame.org.uk/laughton.htm Doug Laughton at rlhalloffame.org.uk]
* [http://www.rugby.widnes.tv/halloffame.php?id=8 Doug Laughton at rugby.widnes.tv]
* [http://www.saints.org.uk/saints/player.php?num=15807 Saints Heritage Society profile]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120303114553/http://www.rugby.widnes.tv/search.php?q=Laughton Statistics at rugby.widnes.tv]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20031217/ai_n12717242?tag=col1;fa_related_widget "CHRISTMAS BOOKS: Laughton's colourful ramble gives taste of brutal" by Dave Hadfield, ''The Independent'' (London),  17 Dec 2003]
* (archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20120224235428/http://www.totalrl.com/features/content.php?feat_id=289&featcat_id=32 Kangaroos beat Lions at Wilderspool]

{{Navboxes
|title= Widnes squads
| bg=white
| fg=black
| bordercolor=black
|list1=
{{Widnes - 1975 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Widnes - 1979 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Widnes - 1981 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Widnes RLFC - 1989 World Club Challenge winners}}
{{Widnes Vikings Hall of Fame Inductees}}
}}
{{Widnes Vikings coaches}}
{{Leeds Rhinos coaches}}
{{Great Britain Squad – 1970 Australasian Tour}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1970 World Cup}}
{{Great Britain squad – 1979 Tour}}
{{Man of Steel Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laughton, Doug}}
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:2025 deaths]]
[[Category:Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs players]]
[[Category:England national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:English rugby league coaches]]
[[Category:English rugby league players]]
[[Category:Great Britain national rugby league team captains]]
[[Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Lancashire rugby league team coaches]]
[[Category:Lancashire rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Leeds Rhinos coaches]]
[[Category:Rugby league locks]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Widnes]]
[[Category:Rugby league second-rows]]
[[Category:St Helens R.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Widnes Vikings coaches]]
[[Category:Widnes Vikings players]]
[[Category:Wigan Warriors captains]]
[[Category:Wigan Warriors players]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]