Ahh, the memories.

My dad persuading me to watch my first ever game, by telling me about the superhero that was lining up for Saints... one Mal Meninga.

Dad: "He's bigger than our house"
Me (wide eyed): "Bigger than our house??"
Dad: "Aye. And he's faster than a train"
Me (wider eyed):"Faster than a train?"
Dad: "Aye".
Me: "But Dad... if he's bigger than our house, and faster than a train, how does anyone stop him?"
Dad: "They don't, lad."

Him sneaking me into the old bar (now the changing rooms!) and passing me down half a Stones while he introduced me to his rugby mates. I might have only have been ten, but I was a man for half an hour.

First walking onto KR, seeing the floodlight pitch and believing it was every bit as impressive as Wembley could ever be.

Sitting on the wall for that first game, in bitter cold, completely taken in by the occasion - then jumping onto the pitch at full time to run to congratulate my new heros, legs so numb with cold that running was near impossible. Then, the ultimate prize, a pair of tie ups (I forget the player, I was still learning the names!) still reeking of wintergreen.

My dad's face as a I ran back to the wall waving the tie ups aloft - he was calling me allsorts for running on and not telling him, but you could see he was glowing with pride. His son was a Saint.

I'm lucky enough that my dad is still here, but he won't always be, and KR and the memories of it will always be intrinsically linked with him.

top idea digger! i'm sure i can get my ugly mug on the telly one last time at K.R by attempting to lift one of the players like i did in '89' at central perk after THAT try by quirky

Very moving mate and I could not have put it better.

You guys are lucky, we never got the chance to say goodbye to Fartown , they just locked the gates after a game one day and that was it , no one knew at the time it would be the last game either ..... i wish we got the chance !

Great thread this one fellas.

great thread,would make us feel a tad guilty should we end it with a win,but as long as we can join in your pitch invasion?



oh saddened,sorry to hear about your dad, best wishes to you and him.

?

I heard that too

My memories, off the top of my head.

Jarrod McCracken, hards as nails.
John Harrison's headers.
The roof ripping off in the biggest hailstones I've seen.
Losing 5-4 to Wigan, but really appreciating a good hard game of rugby.
Getting soaked to the bone when we won 19 nil (Paul Hardcastle) with Tommy's remarkable pass.
Derek McVey, well we fecking showed them.
Paul Loughlin bursting his ball bag.
Hunte butting Offiah (rumours of Martin trying it on with his Mrs) and the ball boy giving him the two finger salute.
Fogarty fighting with Skerett and probably Cowie too.
Jason Robinson scoring a try by playing the ball to himself (when you couldn't tap it anymore with no markers)
Scoring tries from the kick off (David Lyon and Steve Prescott)
Needing Newlove to score a try against Wire in the final game of 1996 to win £1,000 in fantasy rugby in the Wigan Evening Post.
Games live on ITV on a Saturday afternoon.
Wonderfuel gas sign.
Ripping my jeans on a long screw under that sign.
Buying a pint in the ground.
Beating the pies with 12 men in the challenge cup.
Wide to west and my mrs missing it (been on a course in Newcastle), and my cousin leaving early for night shift and seeing the commotion in the black bull.
Never catching the ball with a kick to the corner, but having my fingers knocked back twice.
The benches being on the other side of the pitch.
McClennan throwing good ale away.
The Coors shirt and 41-6. (41 is a lottery number of mine)
Walking across the pitch at half time of a reserve game.
Taking my children for the first time.
My son telling me after the wire play off game that the last game will be Huddersfield.
Running up Dunriding Lane to catch the 320 to Blackbrook after a match on Sunday (normally missing the end of the match), then giving your mates V as they'd missed the bus but saw an extra minute or two of the game.
Winter rugby!

Its just a pity I've no idea when my first game was.

Very good. In my favour she was still Fred back then.

Now THAT is post of the year.

My thoughts are with your dad & family. The year we played Hull in the Grand Final my dad had had 3 heart attacks and by the time of the final he was unrecognisable as the person we knew, we really thought it would be the last time he would get to see Saints in a major final, if any game at all. Thankfully he has gone on to make a good recovery and was able to join me at the Cas game so we got to share one last memory of the old girl.

Win or lose on friday rest assured you'll get to create a whole new set of memories at the new place with your son.