I thought that i would write a little something

rlhttp://leedsleedsandstalbans.blogspot.com/2010/09/last-orders-for-old-lady.htmlrl

Excellent write up Ande, I enjoyed reading that, so many fantastic memories

An outstanding piece of work there Ande.

I shall be likewise, going to be real strange leaving the place, looking back and thinking "well, all the memories of this great old ground are now just that, memories". However even though in 5 years time all trace of Knowsley Road will be gone, everyone will still know the places. I hope the strip near the touchline (main stand side) becomes a street (or something), many a child will want to do a Wide to West down the exact same area!

Mother thinks its daft getting emotional about a stadium, especially a 120 year old one...

She clearly doesn't understand.

It's much more than a stadium to me, it's where I've met some great people. Without Saints and Knowsley Road I wouldn't know some of those people today. It's my 2nd home and it'll feel weird to see it go. Let's 'ave it S!

She's been told accordingly, blummin' mothers!

We heading near a sell out for this? Sounds like the Hudds following will be a bit bigger than norm (they'll have to hire a minibus, instead of the usual taxi ) so hope we can get the gate at least above 15k. However just how apathetic is St Helens?

Are any of you fans taking any piece of the stadium when you leave on fri like notices or advertising hoardings.

I don't often post on here but have been inspired by other peoples comments! A great thread this one - well done to all concerned.

I have a really odd feeling about tomorrow nights match. It's a strange mix of excitement at a great play-off match and hopefully getting to the Grand Final but also a feeling of dread at the last ever visit to the great old stadium.

My first memory of KR was standing in the away end (strangely) watching a match between the Saints and someone else (no idea who!) and seeing a spear tackle result in a player being stretchered off. I was probably about 7 or 8 years old at the time and I remember my dad commenting on what a terribe tackle it was.

Another early memory was a fan shouting 'are you blind?' to a touch judge. The touch judges response was to remove his glass eye and show it to the fan with a massive grin on his face!

My dad grew up in Wakefield as a Trinity fan but I was born in 1980 as a proud Lancastrian and some friends of ours were Saints fans which is why we started watching them.

We started watching regularly in 1996 and since then me and my dad have made the 100 mile round trip to virtually every home match from Burnley.

I have so many great memories from my time at KR:
Saints v Warrington in 1996 to win the league with Tommy God's "Sean Edwards" nod at the camera.
Beating Wigoon in the cup with 12 men
Enjoying watching Newlove and Sullivan in front of the Popular Side.
Can't remember the year but a match against Halifax - we all thought it would be an easy win but at 30-all ( I think) it was suddenly a near disaster! Think it was Sean Hoppe who scored to win the match for us late on.
Saints v Wigoon 21-21 and 'that' fight!
Passing the 'Saints Visa card' sellers outside the ground who asked Sean Hoppe if he was interested in signing up! They had nooooooooo idea who he was!!!!
It's Wiiiideee to West.... (that's still my ringtone on my phone to this day and I still get shivers every time I hear it!)
Paul Anderson and Barry Ward's touchline conversions.
75-0
All the victories over the Wire (especially the 2 drop goals!)
Cunningham just being Cunningham. Legend.
The last 3 minutes of the Castleford match - a proper 'hug-a-stranger' moment.

Can't believe it all comes to an end tomorrow for KR. I am massively excited about the new stadium and can't wait to get into the new ground. But KR is a part of me - a part of all of us. It is me and my dad spending quality time together. It is an amazing place and will live with us forever.

I am dreading walking away from the ground tomorrow night knowing me and my dad will never set foot in there again. It will be an empty feeling for all of us but we should have so much optimism for the brilliant new stadium we are getting. I only wish my wife was interested so she could come and experience the KR atmosphere too!

Let's give the old girl a great send off. Once a Saint - ALWAYS A SAINT. COME ON YOU SAINTS!!!!!!!

Good stuff mate.

I first went in the '60s as a young lad with my Dad (sadly no longer with us to see the last game) but I've no idea which game. I vaguely remember seeing Voll but my earliest memories are of the team from the late '60s/early '70s. Johnny Walsh was always my favourite player and Geoff Pimblett seemed flawless at full back. A bit later the mighty Kel was my fave - it was an homour to meet him at a books signing at KR a few years ago when I introduced my elder lad to him, describing Kel as "the greatest signing Saints ever made'". My brother took more interest in retrieving matchboxes from the Edington Stand than in the games at that time but there was plenty of room for him to do so!

I saw some dross through the '70s and '80s, enlivened by occasional flashes of brilliance and the even rarer decent win against Wigan. Eric 'Dark Days' Hughes depressed me in the early '90s but then came the finest Saints teams of my life. The initial SL season saw some great matches at KR. Huntey, Sully, Bobbie, a young KC and the unforgiveably uncapped maestro Tommy. Worrying if we were going to beat Wire in the last game of the season to win SL - how could I worry; it was Wire! We ended up drubbing them 66-14 and it was the beginning of a new era.

Some great matches since then. Wide to West obviously, the 19-0 victory against the old enemy with Tommy's amazing pass to Shiels (not Scully, as Waldorf and Statler thought) and KC's brilliant chase back to tackle Mark Smith when said elder son was the mascot, 75-0 (nuff said) and even KC's last gasp try against Cas to get us second place this season (how important might that prove?).

I'll miss the old place despite it's many faults. It might be a ramshackle dump but it's our ramshackle dump and it's heavy with history and memories, good and bad. I'm sure I'll shed a tear on Friday, but hopefully after one final victory.

Cheers Dad, and thanks for passing on your fanaticism for our hometown club.

Dave I'm so glad you've posted this!

This is one of those games that just sticks in your mind, and you think only you remember it! It was 2000-2001ish, and I remember Paul 'Les' Davidson playing for Halifax really trying to dish it out, and taking great pleasure in the fact that his side were rubbing it in the faces of his 'beloved' Saints speccies who were really giving him some grief.

Cue us scoring late on, pandemonium on the terraces, and Davidson heads straight down the tunnel without shaking hands, leaving his forearm protector behind him on the pitch, it having been unceremoniously ripped off!

That's Knowsley Road for you. The most mundane of nights can become magical in a heartbeat. God I'll miss the place.

Does anyone else have any strange nondescript games that inexplicably stick in their mind?

I did indeed, and I knew about five years beforehand that we would lose it. That's the City way!

As it happened, it was against Southampton in a meaningless end of season game and nobody was scarred for life by losing.

The occasion was fantastic though and it just won't be the same tomorrow. The reason being that there is now a possibility of another game on it afterwards. Not certain but highly likely.

The end of Central Park was a proper occasion. Like the 'end' of Wilderspool, this is now degenerating into a farce where the last advertised game is anything but.

I might buy a ticket (Revenue is everything) but I might bunk in over the alloties as I did 30 odd yesr ago. Just once more for old times sakes. Probably have an ambo on standby just in case it all goes wrong.

Around 1993 or somewhere like that I kept hounding my father to take me too Knowsley Road and being a Wiganer he refused point blank. The thought of his only son supporting Saints was too much to handle let alone taking me there aswell. However, a couple of years later a family moved in next door to me and after my parents got to know them they finally let me go with them in 1994. The couple next door had a son who I got to know very well and we still go every home game together 16 years on. Knowsley Road will allways have fond memories for us both. We have laughed together there, had arguements there,tears of joy, met our current girlfriends there and most of all had the pleasure of seeing some of the greatest players ever to grace the turf at Knowsley Road. I for one will allways have fond memories of KR met some great friends there and as I said before my current Girlfriend. Soon to be fiance if she accepts my purposal tommorrow fingers crossed!

My favourite games include:

Saints beating Wigan in the Challenge Cup 97.
Saints beating Wigan 75-0 in 2005
Clinching our first Super League Trophy by beating Warrington in 1996
Chris Joynt's injury time winner against Bradford in 2000
The 21 all Boxing day game in 2004 against Wigan

Despite having all them moments of joy at seeing Saints win those games I have taken greater delight at watching Keiron Cunningham's whole career seeing him develop from a boy into a man. It has been a privelage watching Cunningham who I reguard has a hero of man asmuch today as I did as a teenager and I for one will not only miss Knowsley Road but Cunningham asmuch.

Jesus mate, thas how i remember my days at the boulevard, all my memories are of my dad, he was a fisherman and when he said i could go with him to rugby when he came home, thought it was great, and like your old man, a few heart attacks later (and a quad by-pass in between) its not been easy, I wish your dad could be with you to share the last game before your great old ground goes, as thats a memory i can look back on, all the best for the game mate, and sincerely hope your dad gets to see the entertainers at their new ground.
best wishes