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Club Coach | 8119 | Batley Bulldogs |
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| Quote davids="davids"Hello fellow RL fans,
Wire fan here who spent a lot of time travelling around watching RL in the 90s, home and away.
I am researching/putting together a book of Memories of Wilderspool, but someone suggested I expand it (if I can) to cover some of the other grounds we all have fond memories of, that held such an important place in our communities, now unfortunately lost to the bulldozers and property developers.
I'd be particularly interested in hearing from fans of Leigh, Sheffield Eagles, Oldham, Halifax, Salford, Widnes, Wigan, Hull FC and Saints* as I have great memories of travelling to these grounds back then, but of course any contributions from fans of any team would be valued.
[i*Actually, not such 'great' memories as we always took a thrashing there[/i
Please message me or reply if you are interested in being interviewed (Skype/Zoom/email of course), or having some of your memories recorded for posterity.'"
I am a Salford fan and would be happy to share my memories of The Willows. Send me a PM if interested and we can arrange something.
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Club Captain | 268 | Warrington Wolves |
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| Thanks very much, check your DMs.
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International Chairman | 2281 | No Team Selected |
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| I remember going to watch Warrington in a cup game at Hunslet's old ground in the 70s. We went on the coach and gazed in awe at Elland Road, home of LUFC as we went past it.
Once in the ground I remember the greyhound track surrounding the pitch, the American Football style posts, the mechanically operated scoreboard for the dog racing and the fact that the terracing where I stood sloped back away from the pitch.
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Club Captain | 4321 | No Team Selected |
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| Quote JonnoTheGreat="JonnoTheGreat"I notice Runcorn got mentioned earlier in this thread. I watched a few of their games when they played at Canal Street in the late 80s which was then the home of Runcorn football club. The stadium got demolished around 2001/2002 ish years after the RL club had up sticks and moved out.
I can think of a few of the current grounds which need to join this list of 'lost stadiums of rugby league' though.'"
I watched a cup tie at Canal Street where Runcorn were within 4 points of Bradford with minutes to go. Keith Mumby scored a late try to give Northern a flattering scoreline in the end.
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| Quote TF and the wire="TF and the wire"I remember going to watch Warrington in a cup game at Hunslet's old ground in the 70s. We went on the coach and gazed in awe at Elland Road, home of LUFC as we went past it.
Once in the ground I remember the greyhound track surrounding the pitch, the American Football style posts, the mechanically operated scoreboard for the dog racing and the fact that the terracing where I stood sloped back away from the pitch.'"
I was there at the Greyhound Stadium with the NFL goal posts in '75. I think we played them in both cup runs of '74 and '75 at that ground. Rochdale's Athletic Ground was another that had an unusual feel for an RL stadium.
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Club Captain | 268 | Warrington Wolves |
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| One thing I do remember from my travels then (the only time I frequently travelled away) is that Warrington were very much disliked - most if it was good-natured banter, but there was a lot of hatred from some fans in places you would not really expect e.g Hull, Featherstone.
Was it my imagination and some fans are like that whoever is visiting? Why are Warrington hated even when they are mediocre?
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| Quote davids="davids"One thing I do remember from my travels then (the only time I frequently travelled away) is that Warrington were very much disliked - most if it was good-natured banter, but there was a lot of hatred from some fans in places you would not really expect e.g Hull, Featherstone.
Was it my imagination and some fans are like that whoever is visiting? Why are Warrington hated even when they are mediocre?'"
I assume that you're talking 70's to early 80's?
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Club Captain | 268 | Warrington Wolves |
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| Quote MorePlaymakersNeeded="MorePlaymakersNeeded"I assume that you're talking 70's to early 80's?'"
This was 90s mostly.
I understand why we are disliked now - rich owner, (some) arrogant fans.
I understand why we may have been disliked in the 80s - dirty team (Les Boyd, Alan Rathbone etc).
Never really knew why we were badly received in some places in the 90s though (apart from the obvious local rivals).
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International Chairman | 2281 | No Team Selected |
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| We had a considerable hooligan element in the 70's and 80's, but it had died out in the 90's. I suppose fans of other teams were sick of getting their stadiums and town centres damaged whenever we went there.
The worst violence I saw was at Wigan and Widnes. These two teams plus the Hull sides also had their share of nutters. A lot of these weren't interested in the actual game.
Someone mentioned Alan Rathbone. Before he turned professional I remember seeing him being questioned by police outside Wigan NW station after a game at Central Park, asking him about his bleeding knuckles. Used to go by the nickname of "action".
As for the arrogant Wire tag, it's just nice to have something to be arrogant about.
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International Star | 4470 | Wigan Warriors |
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| Quote TF and the wire="TF and the wire"As for the arrogant Wire tag, it's just nice to have something to be arrogant about.'"
??
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| Quote JonnoTheGreat="JonnoTheGreat"I notice Runcorn got mentioned earlier in this thread. I watched a few of their games when they played at Canal Street in the late 80s which was then the home of Runcorn football club. The stadium got demolished around 2001/2002 ish years after the RL club had up sticks and moved out.
[uI can think of a few of the current grounds which need to join this list of 'lost stadiums of rugby league' though.[/u'"
Can't think of any, now that the boulevard and fartown have gone.
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