It didn't look that bad a few weeks ago. Loved the old girl and the fact that Wigan and Saints fans hated it made me love it more. Close my eyes and can see Parry scooting from the scrum and putting Jon Bev in at the corner and Boydie tramplling over ther opposition like they weren't there. Ahhh, nostalgic me? never.

The old tea bar next to the exit at the Fletcher End was brilliant. The old girls in there only used to have an ordinary gas stove, but they never seemed to run out of meat and potato pies or mushy peas and a big old tea pot full of stewed tea. Ecstacy. Such a tea bar probably wouldn't be allowed today for health and safety or kitchen hygiene regulations or whatever other red tape nonsense they can think up.

I miss it so much. I miss the smell of pies and p1ss. I miss walking down Fletcher Street, through the turnstyles, up the rickety old steps and into the couldron that it could be at times. I loved the ability to just roam around the ground freely, chat with your mates, soak in the atmosphere. I loved the Greenall's advertising signs on the wall of the Bevan Stand. I loved the way the Fletcher End split into two. I loved the dugouts. And the Leigh Concrete sign. And 'The Gate'. I loved the sloping roofs that enhanced the atmosphere as well as looking my the roof on our house. When I was a kid, I used to get into trouble for pinging 'drop goals' over imaginary rugby posts onto the roof, just to pretend they hitting the roof of the Fletch.

I understand that to develop as a business and encourage new sponsors, new supporters, even new players, we must have better facilities and a better business model, but nothing the HJ can offer will beat standing at Wilderspool with my Grandad for me personally.

i always remember the friday night reserve games when we were still in school, we would run on after game and ask the players for there tie ups!
we would walk off with them as they gave them us and we would actually end up in the dressing room, to be greeted by the smell of "winter green" then we would get kicked out. priceless.

Yes it was a great RL Venue lets hope it is saved and put to good use.

Brought a tear to my eye that. I'll always remember going with my Grandad and Dad who are dearly departed. I also rememer the Saturday morning (Wolfpack?) kids training sessions with Kevin Ashcroft and being a ball boy when Chissy scored his 70 yarder.

Happy days.

Remember the friday night reserve matches, game then a few drinks in town then chips from kowloon

Must admit, my earliest memories of Wilderspool are not so much memories, more just an image in my mind of being very young and going to Friday night reserve games with my dad (now departed). He used to tell me that I never watched the game, I'd just stare at the floodlights and ask him for sweets... LoL

Then when I started going with my mates we'd turn up with about 15 mins to go after they'd opened the gates to let folk out. We only lived locally (Burgess Ave) so could hear when there was a match on and would abandon our footy game on the field at the back of our house......... Aaaah, jumpers for goalposts, etc., etc.

On of the first Wildespool games I took my daughter to was against Bradford in the season when they were all-conquering. Warrington were wayyyyy behind at half-time and came out in the second half and played the best 40 minutes rugby I ever remember. It was the Bradford fans who went home upset that day!! She still refers to it as "that game"

Assume you're on about the game when allan langer
took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and the punch up beetween brian mcdermott and
mark hilton was a big turning point, james lowes also
played against us that day ,bradford had been
unbeaten for ages.

Deffo in my top 5 games at wilderspool managed to get
hold of a vhs copy of the game bit rough for first ten
mins then settles down ,dumped it onto dvd since,still
put it on occasionally in the winter months.

look at this video heres some more memories.....www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVgLibkO3GM loved it im only young but even i got a vibe from it when everyone roared when the wires ran out and i had to stand on a crate to see over the sides haha

look at this video heres some more memories.....www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVgLibkO3GM loved it im only young but even i got a vibe from it when everyone roared when the wires ran out and i had to stand on a crate to see over the sides haha

Great memories but I always say we wouldn't be where we are today, with the some of the players we have today, if we hadn't moved to the HJ...

Do you remember that greasy, long haired chap who used to walk the touchline dispensing hot drinks from a tube connected to a NASA type back pack. Soup through one nozzle, coffee the other. He had filthy finger nails and poor customer relations skills. My dad often said, "do shat at school at you will end up like that".

.......and if you really upset him he would press both buttons for a shandy. mmmmmmm