I also think I was at this game, was one of the Huddersfield players a coloured guy? I recall someone like the late Roy Powell playing.

think it was on "R.L action" on itv,but only in yorkshire areas but on a clear night you could just pick it up with careful tuning was late on sundays,used to spend ages getting a picture then fall asleep as they kicked off!!!!!top game though

I think you are correct with RL Action, was at the game also, and it was sureal watching all the players being sent off.

It was before we had a video in our house so no footage available,

They dont have games like that anymore

In those days it was still shown on Granada, on monday nights. Alex Murphy's dressing room tirade after the Hull KR home game was another game shown in RL action's monday night slot a couple of years after the Huddersfield game. It was only a few years later that Granada binned it and Yorkshire TV took it over to show on sundays. This game was definitely televised and caused quite a stir at the time with fights literally breaking out all over the pitch at one point in the second half.

I had this on video and we played it on the team bus a while ago (late 80's early 90's) to one of the away games, The lads were in stitches laughing at Swazza (turned into a real tough nut) who was playing on the wing and caught a smack on the ear, he was stood rubbing it for about 10 mins after. They gave him some stick about it.

The game finished with 10 a side largely due to the wigan team targeting the Huddersfield loose Forward, tall lad called Tony Johnson (had a stormer!!!), they were trying to take his head off at every opportunity.

Never seen a game like it since and probably never will even at amatuer level, think Wigan tried to sign Jimmy Johnson a few weeks after.

Will have to get a copy of it cos it's a fantastic, action packed game, well worth another watch.

I was there. Happy days.

Go on a certain site and have a look at "Part 6. Fartown Vs Wigan (1981)"

Jimmy Birts was the fullback that Maurice Bamford signed from his previous club Halifax to replace George Fairburn, for about £20000

He was utter utter garbage for Wigan

really really bad

Legendarily bad.

That's definitely my memory of it. I recall the players being caked in mud as the pitch was like a ploughed field, and the 'stadium' - even now I laugh when I used that word - was half-dereclict. It looked like a screne from amateur RL, the attendance was dreadful and the performance from both teams was pathetic.

I remember thinking at the time that we were about as far from what I remembed in my schoolboy days - Boston, Ashton, massive crowds at massive fixtures - as it was possible to be.

I was thoroughly depressed on my way home. I didn't know if the club had any future at all. My old dad could barely speak. He reckoned the game was up for Wigan as well.

i've just watched all 8 clips on the sharing site we can't mention and what a superb game that must have been to see live, i wonder if nathan browns 'enforcers' would stand up to the wigan pack that day?

No disrespect, mate, but that Wigan pack wouldn't have stood up to anyone. Huddersfield were total crap back then, and, with the exeception of George Fairbairn, so were Wigan.

The fact that they could fight was an improvement on the team that got relegated the year before, but they wouldn't have lasted two minutes against the Wigan pack of today.