Unashamedly nicked from the Widnes board . . . . .


I caught the bug in the 1984-5 season. Langmack, Bella, Ryan, Hagan, Arnold, Hudson, Anderson et al. All I'd ever heard about prior to that era was the label "yo-yo" club. The season after that we were Champions and the one after that Challenge Cup winners. Hooked ever since.

What made you a diehard?

My dad dragged me along to the games starting in about 1986(im a glory fan technically). I just loved it really, so much better than football. I remember i used to run on the pitch after the games to get players tie ups. My claim to shame when i was young was that i was once on Scrumdown stood where the players came out and a Hull player got sent off and i could be seen making rude gestures to the player. Oops. I thought Les Holliday was the most skilful player i had seen and was devastated when he left, but then a couple of years later we signed Greg Austin and i was happy again.

The year was 1974 and I was born In Halifax to a mother who refused to move to Perth Australia with my old man, and here we remained, for eternity, in damnation, purgatory or whatever we call it.

Started supporting Fax as a school boy.
In 1974 my employer sent me to Leicester and I lost touch with my Rugby. Watching the tv one Saturday afternoon it was the quarter finals of the challenge cup 1987. We won that and so I took my two sons to the semi and then to Wembley.
The bug had struck again, despite living in Leicester and then Nottingham we rarely missed a game home and away from then on. Many winter evenings we would leave Leicester or Nottingham for an evening game without knowing whether the game was on or off.
On a number of occasions we would arrive and the game would have been postponed. One evening I think it was against Batley the fog was so bad, yet the game carried on and it wasn't until we read the paper next day that we found out Steve Smith had been sent off.
Sometimes an away game would be closer to us than a home game, believe it or not Nottingham to Widnes, Leigh , Wigan etc is less miles than Nottingham to Halifax. Sheffield was a welcome fixture.
Fortunately, I escaped from the Midlands in 1998 returning home.
I was sorry we left Thrum Hall and to be honest was sorry we changed to summer rugby. (although looking at the rain now tomorrow night can hardly be called summer rugby)
Yet upward and onwards, just like old times I shall be at Batley tomorrow with my two sons and at least one of my grand children.

In the blood, dad played and all the family are strong in rugby tradition, remember going up as a kid but then in the early 80's started going with my mates. Don't know how i stuck it really, stuffings in Cumbria, up and down seasons. Must have been the beer and the banter, now my kids follow Fax and love it. Have to say last couple of seasons the rugby has been as entertaining as the mid 80's.

first game in 85 (1985 by the way )hardly missed a game since.

cant belive you lot are so you and started in 1980.s

mean so young.
my first memory is seeing fax come down king cross past our house on a coach with the playoff trophy, think it was, that won at swinton? my dad got me out of bed to watch as they came down road with people blowing whistles etc as they made their way towards town.

Started going to Thrum Hall in 70's cos dad did the pre,half time and after game music.Spent many a time shifting snow of the terraces.Used to watch some of the game from the directors(think thats what it was) room then would run down n get dad a cuppa before wandering round the ground catching glimpses of the game between peoples shoulders.Kept interest when moved to Hull,some scary times at the Boulevard,usually when Leeds there,then lost touch when moved to staffordshire.Got back into rl when moved to Wakey,partner and I went to matches at Fax and Wakey then I convinced him that going to Fax was better than Wakey

What a fascinating read!!!! Keep 'em coming.

My love for Fax is a family Gene my Dad started taking my brother and me in the early 1990s I can remember bits from the 1990-91 promotion season but the 1st game that really stands out was when we thrashed Hull KR at Thrum Hall early in the 1991-92 season. I remember many great games at Thrum Hall including the time we beat Wigan 18-16 when John Bentley throwing a snow ball into the scratching shed when he scored a try in the 1994-95 season. I remember the many games when we had to defrost our feet after a game happy Days. I was also a proud member of Junior Blues when we used to meet at Mc Donalds in Halifax me and my brother where the 1st twins to join (and I believe the only twins) so we got to have our photo taken with a player of our choice which was Mark Preston. Does anybody else remember Junior Blues? Times have changed but my love for Fax has not. UP THE FAX

I have told this tale many a time but make no apologies for repeating it as I think it just shows why you should allow children in cheaply or for nothing and encourage players to sell their club.
I was brought up in Gibbet St and would watch the thousands of spectators walk down into town after a game . My dad was a soccer supporter though and never went to rugby he did take me to the Shay once but I found it boreing and refused to go again.
1953 and Johnny Freeman arrived in town and spent some time with the Thomas family who had something to do with Thrum Hall and lived around the back of us at Warwick St.He caused quite a stir amongst the hundreds of kids in the area , we were used to seeing players about they all lived around there but a non white person was unique . We were fascinated and we would all gather to watch for him coming home from work and soon we were en mass going up to Thrum Hall. None of us had any money so we would wait for the gates to open 10 min after half time and Johnny would duly oblige with a try or two.I may not have paid anything back then but I reckon Fax have had there money back and more from me.Plus from the other kids as I still see some of them now all the kids worshiped him.
I did have a break when the kids were little but started watching again when they became old enough to go because it`s a bit like Malaria once the bugs in you then only a slight exposure to it triggers you off again.

I moved to Halifax from Huddersfield, and one weekend my parents came over for a family meal one Sunday in '96. Me and my dad decided to go up to Thrum Hall to see what this new-fangled Super League was all about. It was Fax v Saints, and we lost by 2 points that day. But, I was hooked! We stood on the bottom side that day, and we couldn't believe how close to the action we were. You could hear every impact, every curse, and see the effort on the players' faces from up close. Players would even have a chat with you whilst waiting for a try to be converted, or a penalty taken. You felt a part of the game. And after that, I started standing behind the dugouts. Certainly livelier up there, especially if there was a bit of Biff. And, you would always go and stand by the Pavillion to applaud the players off the field. I bet they hated going off in that corner when they had a shocker, because we know how Fax fans like to voice their opinions! Bought a season ticket after that first game, and have had one ever since.

Rich, you could expand on these and make a book.
Great reading.

Unfortunately I never made it to a game at Thrum Hall. I began watching Fax, in the first season at The Shay. My first memory is being sat on the wall at the side of the pitch at Knowsley Road, watching Fax get hammered and not really understanding what was going on, however, it must have made some sort of impression as I’m still here 13 years later, despite being born and bred in Littleborough and having no real connection with the town of Halifax! I think my parents bought me a promotional junior season ticket for Christmas 1998 costing £5, this was great marketing from the club as I’ve had one ever since. In all honesty, I can’t remember much of my first few seasons as I was too young, which is a pity as that was the season they finished third in SL and its been downhill from there ever since.

Over the years I’d have to say my favourite moments were...

The 2004 ‘losers play-off final’ against YCK at Widnes. It doesn’t bear thinking about, what would’ve happened if we’d have lost that game.
Getting beat by Cas in Extra Time in the CC in 2008 (I think)
Beating Fev in this year’s NRC semi
On a personal note I’d have to say that my first (and now obviously last) trip over to Toulouse this year in the NRC QF, will live in the memory for a long time

I may sometimes be critical of the players and club on here, but I wouldn’t swop any of it for the world. I suppose that’s the benefit of supporting a lesser team - it makes the rare success seem even more special!