First game of RL I went to was at the old Crown Flat when the two Stephensons were playing it finished 2-0!! Rugby was so good in those days

It was indeed the very first game of the 85/86. The day before I started High School. Reason I remember is that I backed my Homework Diary Book in the YEP report from the game!

Hull KR Leigh looks good as well

rlProbably this game - opening fixture of the 1985/86 seasonrl

And the Heavy Woollen Derby.

Another home draw for Leeds in the CC.

The laws of probability don't seem to apply to them.

As does Leigh-HKR. Wouldn't be too upset to see the lower league underdog win this.

Leeds also drew Doncaster in the CC in the same season 1985/86 of the Dewsbury game alluded to above, except on that occasion, Leeds were actually drawn away to Doncaster at Tattersfield.

However, the game was switched to Headingley for reasons which I cannot recall. Could have been weather concerns therefore Headingley's undersoil heating was taken advantage of. It also could have been Doncaster's decision (with some encouragement from Leeds of course) in order to profit from a larger attendance.

Leeds played in seven CC fixtures that season (against Swinton, Halifax, Doncaster, Widnes and Hull KR) and still didn't make it to Wembley. Drawn in the Preliminary Round, plus a couple of replays after draws against Widnes and Hull KR.

That'd be the year we lost the semi replay to Hull KR, would it not?

Indeed.

You beat me to my edit

It was that game that drew me back to RL, I went to the replay that we lost at Elland Rd & I've been hooked ever since.

drew with with widnes as well, pretty convinced we would have won the first semi if it had gone to extra time. we were well beat in the replay. my first trip to elland road.

That was the game being discussed but I now realize it wasn't Leeds last visit to the old Crown Flatt as they were back there again a couple of weeks later for a Yorkshire Cup tie. This time it was another Leeds winger's debut - Friday night hero Stormin Norman Francis. Routine result this time 2-48 away win fir Leeds.

It was moved due to the state of Tattersfield. It really was a quagmire back then. It was the the flood plain of the River Don. I remember one year playing in an amateur final on it, after it had been under water for weeks, there were strange marsh grasses growing out of it all over.
Back to the game, Dons were actually winning, maybe even at half time but my memory is too sketchy. I do remember the great Kevin Parkhouse crashing over in the corner of the West Stand & North stand.