A great watch https://youtu.be/1shkh7JTDG4

A great watch https://youtu.be/1shkh7JTDG4

Quote doc-rhino="doc-rhino"last day to donate on this fundraiser for mnd and make a wish : ---To donate to MND Association: www.facebook.com/donate/698641071060609/ www.justgiving.com/fundraising/docstoc47 To donate to Make A Wish : www.facebook.com/donate/2623091828002269/ www.justgiving.com/fundraising/docstoc48 Please note, if splitting your donation between the two charities please use different amounts. 30 acts played over 2 days viewable here or on the fundraiser pages -- 7 of them playing again next saturday for make a wish'" raised 423.75 for mnd and 335.00 for make a wish -- fb donation pages closed , just giving may be open , starting on 19th dec xmas party

Quote doc-rhino="doc-rhino"last day to donate on this fundraiser for mnd and make a wish : ---To donate to MND Association: www.facebook.com/donate/698641071060609/ www.justgiving.com/fundraising/docstoc47 To donate to Make A Wish : www.facebook.com/donate/2623091828002269/ www.justgiving.com/fundraising/docstoc48 Please note, if splitting your donation between the two charities please use different amounts. 30 acts played over 2 days viewable here or on the fundraiser pages -- 7 of them playing again next saturday for make a wish'" raised 423.75 for mnd and 335.00 for make a wish -- fb donation pages closed , just giving may be open , starting on 19th dec xmas party

I was asked by Rob if i would help contribute to his new book a few weeks back which i deemed a great honour.

This week i spoke with the writer sharing tales of the great man for 90 mins from his academy debut at St Helens to the present day. Very emotional i have to say.

Hopefully the book will do Rob justice once complete and released and make a few bob for the MND Association.

Massive compliment for you Marty with Rob asking you to contribute to his new book
Without giving too much away or spoiling your contribution to the book Marty How far back do you go with Rob and in what capacity?

Purely as a fan who goes to most of the academy/scholarship games home and away and obviously with small crowds you get to see and meet family members and players coming thru the system and also people at the club. I was very lucky to watch all the golden generation come thru and built some fantastic relationships that still stand now. The way i was treated at that time was truly incredible.

With Rob in particular i was there when he made his academy debut at St Helens, stood with his parents at many a game and watched him come thru.

When he became Academy coach i started to chat with him weekly, we would message each other on twitter about games and players and built a nice relationship in a way which led to swapping numbers.

Apparantly players have terrible memories about games and years so the writer asked if there was anyone who he knew that could help and maybe give a fans perspective so Rob text me a few weeks back asking if i would like to get involved which was an absolute honour and very humbling to be asked.

Lovely that Marty cheers, I Can't wait for the book

can't be many that watch all levels like that, did jason robinson ever try out

No mate. He was Wigan bound long before Academy days.

was there no truth that gary stephens turned him away in favour of gareth

That was Bob Pickles if I remember correctly - we were looking at both as half-backs, we went with Stephens, the rest is painful history....

Nah it was before Bob joined Leeds. If Bob and Laughton had been there at that time we wouldve signed both. But we are talking when the lads was very young before academy age. I remember watching Billy Whizz when he was at Parkside and it was already known he was joining Wigan then.

Leeds had a chance to sign him but it wasnt like he was at Leeds and we told him he wasnt good enough. We just didnt sign him from Parkside and Wigan did.