Wow – good thread and some great memories.

I started watching Leeds in 1976. First match v Fev Rovers in Yorkshire cup final. For some reason my dad stood me in the Rovers end! The only words that I recognised were the swear words (and there was a lot of them). I really became hooked though in 1980. The start of bleak period in terms of winning trophies, but there were some standout players and matches.

ET – best attacking fullback I have ever seen.
Paul Medley – will never forget his rampaging runs in front of the south stand. What a hand off. Petty Mal Reilly didn’t rate him.
Gary Schofield – love him or hate him he was a legend and carried the team single handed for many years.
Terry Webb / Steve Martin – first Aussies I saw play for Leeds.
Craig Izzard – Best import I’ve seen.
Ellery Hanley – the best rugby player I have ever seen – even at Leeds he was a class above.

Lowest Point – Semi Final v Widnes at Swinton. Cross bar incident! I have never felt so upset after a rugby match.

Best Atmosphere – again CC against Bradford (cant remember what year) – I believe Neil Hague dropped a last minute goal to secure a 17-17 draw. I think there was 21k there and I remember chants of ‘Northern’ echoing around the ground before these were engulfed a huge wall of ‘Loiners’. Up until that point I had only ever heard 10 people in the centre of the south stand sing!

High Points – they were few and far between. Yorkshire cup v Cas and did we win the John Player v Saints?

I seem to remember the attendances at Headingley were never that great for league matches especially in the early 80s. However Hull and Hull KR supporters nearly always filled the south stand!

11th March 1984 - great game and atmosphere but the crowd was 'only' 17,494. Those were the days when you could actually have a draw in the Challenge Cup and do it all again a few days later as we went over to Odsal and Kevin Squire briefly became a Headingley hero or at least a Rooley Lane hero for an unforgettable two minutes.



I'd guess the JP Final you're thinking of was V Widnes at Central Park after the previous nights storm had snapped one of the uprights in half leaving it barely legal. Oddly enough one of my highlights of that day was on the return journey home and sliding clean across the camber and stopping only when collecting the opposite curb - and all from a standing start ..... brilliant.

The St Helens JP memory was a huge disappointment after the incredible high of defeating the almighty Wigan on a never to be forgotten Saturday afternoon in Notlob. In the week that followed I must have watched the recording at least a dozen times ..... jeez and I think I'm sad today.

Thanks for the corrections - its funny how the memory blurs things. I think its time to dig out all the 1980s Programmes. Kevin Squire - he had a shaggy perm didnt he?

Kevin Squire did have a shaggy perm and was recruited from RU down Devon IIRC

Kevin Squire! Now there is a name! Could've easily doubled as an extra in an early episode of neighbours! Came from the South West iirc

Aussie full back Neil Hunt with his side step in the mid 80's
and the wall of players leeds used to form at the tap after a penalty kick to touch to try and confuse the defence , dont think it every work

and Trevor Patterson,he was a good Aussie forward. Unlike international and highly rated Wally Fullerton-Smith who never really did much for us

Rated Peter Tunks remember seeing him and stevie morris in the old TC Night club in leeds , Those were the days

The first time I saw RL at Headingley.

My memory of Tunks is him wearing a cravat at the side of Maurice Bamford. A strange contrast.

Scoring arguably the scruffiest try I think I've ever seen IIRC.

Wasn't that the game where Trevor Clark when to play the ball to himself right on their line (in the days when you still could) and it just popped up into Squire's hands at dummy half for him to barge over?