I once had a conversation with a woman who was tracing her family tree, her father when younger had played for Bradford and she was born and brought up there but her father was Welsh.She took a trip down to the club he had first played for in Wales and in the club house was a team picture with her fathers face obliterated this upset her greatly as she had no idea of the animosity that they held against players who turned to league.She asked someone in the clubhouse why his face had been wiped out and they said it had been done a long time previous and couldn`t be now put right.I did not see the lady in question again but she did say she was not going to let it rest and was writing to the club over it.I often wonder what hapened ,probably nothing.

There's a lot of animosity towards League from Rugby Union in Wales, Mike Stephenson (Stevo) mentioned in his column in the lague express how he was once asked to leave a pub (in south wales, think it may have been swansea) despite having been in there a couple of hours, once someone mentioned to the landlord that he was a rugby league player. That was many years ago though.

Didnt some Union players often have trials at league clubs as "A N Other" or under other false names so not to be banned from Union?

Barry John at Fax.

Interesting thread! I got into the Sport as a St Helens fan! My Grandad used to watch all there games on tele so i'd just sit in with him and then also Paul Wellens brother worked at my primary school which though in Rainhill about 10mins from Saints was just Footy, footy, footy but he had some Rugby sessions and brought Saints coaches in a few times as well which was great!

Though i'd never been a live game and when started playing the sport in high school (Widnes, where have lived since was about 1/2 anyway so hometown for me) a few lads some of whoom playing now in the Championships asked me to go watch the Vikings and then that stuck and now go most games home & away and Widnes is a way of life for me!

Funnily enough out of the initial group of about 15-20 lads I used to go with there's only me left now

Still watch Saints in SL as a bit of a fan and have been Knowsley Road a few time like but nothing major! And when Widnes played against them I was giving it my all for the men in Black & White!

some interesting replies so far, nobody has admitted to or been bold enough to say, " i switched and why they did it" the consensus seems to be once you choose a team u stick with them through thick and thin!

I had Halifax chosen for me at an early age, my best mates dad was a fan, and my best mate used to go with him every Sunday, it was a choice, be Billy no mates at home or go with em to the rugby, i went along, they gave up watching 20 years ago, i have been supporting ever since!

I never supported any team as a lad, but played for the school team, even playing at half time in a schools 7's comp at the old Fartown ground. I never played amateur or went to watch Fartown in any of their guises. But, I lived in Halifax for three years about sixteen years ago when I became a father, and went to my first live game at Thrum Hall. Pooper League had just started, and my family were over for Sunday lunch. My old boy suggested we nip up to Thrum Hall to watch Fax v Saints. Happy at the chance to escape the baby talk I agreed. It was a close encounter and the proximity of the fans to the pitch made the atmosphere electrifying; you could hear every hit, every connection of body on bone, and see the hunger in the eyes of the players. I was hooked! Even though Fax lost narrowly that day, I went to every home game from then on in and have held a season ticket from the following season up to now. I've never even contemplated switching allegiances. It'd be like swapping your kids for new ones because they are a disappointment, (if only it were legal! ). You choose your team; they're yours for life, and you are theirs.

But since kick and clap went legal and players started paying tax on ther earnings we have seen onion pay large sums for nearly past it league players to play for England like Andy Farrell, Shontayne Hape, Leslie Vinacolo, Chev Walker, Henry Paul.Plus many Guinness Premiership sides have ex RL players on the coaching staff Shaun Edwards at Wasps and Wales, Brad (I love Cas Vegas) Davis at Sarries and Paul Morriarty at Newcastle. So perhaps we are not the great satan we once were.

I spent over 20 years not missing a game,attending any events,sponsoring players, etc.......then i saw something which im not prepared to discuss, which ive stuck to my principles ever since.
I still buy the Fax merchandise,listen to radio leeds,read here, rugby papers etc,,, but if i choose a game now to watch it is for entertainment purposes only.
I probably watch Leeds more than anyone else now, inc going to Catalans away, and i watch them in my Fax shirt.
I remember travelling back on the free bus after the game and the Rhinos fans asking for Halifax to give us a song or show them apart of my body,so i began to chant 'OOO HALI HALI' the Leeds fans began chanting it, and as the bus full of Leeds fans travelled back to Perpignan it must have been funny, hearing the fans on the bus chant for Fax.
I do miss it, i miss the crowd i stood with, but its been too long now.

Cats are loyal to their owners for life !!

Was it a murder?


Or was it a crap season where we only won one match and then had those points taken away for cheating? It was enough to test the faith of any diehard fan I guess . . . . . .

Was it the unvieling of our new name by Big Nigel ? The one that was chosen by a Courier comp and was so far advanced noone would ever forget it.Can`t remember it now but it seemed like a good idea at the time for him.

Never ever will that happen.
Fax in RL since I was born, my Dad took me up Thrum Hall when I was about 6 and my Grandad was a fan at one point we had 3 generations watching Fax.
If it ever came to not watching Fax I would just give up the game of RL altogether and never switch to any other club. Sometimes the way the game is run I feel like that but its in my blood so it would be very hard to just give up now.

Halifax Town and Leeds United in football.
Town as I am Halifax born and bred and they are my local team I went with my Uncle when they had good teams in the early seventies, saw them beat both Man U in the Watney Cup and Man C in the FAC, happy days.
My Uncle took me to see Leeds against Arsenal at Elland Road when I was 10 and they had a great team and I was hooked but always kept Town at heart and when the hooligans spoilt things I stuck more to watching RL as got sick of all the trouble at football.

I do support all three clubs through thick and thin, blimey it was thin for Fax in the mid seventies, even thinner for Town in the early eighties and its not been so good for Leeds Utd these last 5 years.
But you stick with them don't you.

I don't like turncoats, its easy to do that when things get tough. I also get sick of the 'I have supported them all my' life Man U fans, like a bad season for them is not winning anything yet still being in the top 5 of the best league in football, when did Man u have a bad season last? I would say 1974 when they got relegated to Div 2 (by Man C at Old Trafford and Leeds won the league, now that was blissful).
I despised any ex Fax fan who turned to the dark side and supported Bradfut, although I do not know any myself, they are the lowest kind of fan to me. How can you turn your colours and support your own clubs biggest rivals?
Where are they now then???

Strange, very strange..... I bet the Leeds fans also thought as much.

Sounds to me like they were taking the Michael out of him.