It was my sixth Wembley Final (aged 21). I'll never forgive Hepworth for that assault.(You could never call it a tackle)

I agree that 84 was a bitter disappointment - it's not that Widnes played particularly well, but they had 2 Joe Lydon long range tries and their first where Kieran O'Loughlin juggled with the ball in the build-up.

I remember sitting next to my dad in 84 aand he was mortified that Wigan were actually losing a Wembley final he attended. He'd been in 48, 51, 58, 59, 65, but not in 46, 61, 63, 66 and 70 because of work commitments. He really was amazed...!

That's why 85 was so sweet for so many of us - my first Wembley win despite having been watching Wigan for 20 years. I was deemed to be too young (aged 6 ) in 1965, although I got my first season ticket that year (cost 7 shillings and 6 pence - 37.5 pence in new money!)

Ashurst should have won the Lance Todd Trophy that year, the announcer was handed a slip of paper with no.11 on it, presuming it meant that number from the winning team (Castleford), he awarded it to Bill Kirkbride, when in fact it should have been the Wigan no.11, 'King' Bill Ashurst !!!!

born 49......would have been 20?, 21?

i wasnt from a rugby supporting family.........never had parents take me to games.
think i was 10 before i went to CP with my older cousin, so wembley wasnt an option until i was old enough to go with my mates.

ive made up for it by taking all my 5 from a young age....youngest daughter especially...from age 3, and still take her.

iirc when Tyrer went off didnt francis take over the kicking and miss a few penalties that Ashurst would have backheeled over ?
Billy wasnt rated as a kicker at that time........but us guys who had watched him at amateur level at school and with bridge knew he could kick, and had nerves of steel.

That's why 85 was so sweet for so many of us - my first Wembley win despite having been watching Wigan for 20 years. I was deemed to be too young (aged 6 ) in 1965, although I got my first season ticket that year (cost 7 shillings and 6 pence - 37.5 pence in new money!)'"

To this day my Dad still talks about the 1970 final and the Hepworth tackle. He tells me that Hepworth never played against Wigan again after that final. Not sure if that's correct though.

He's correct.

No you didn't








[size=50I know you've since acknowledged it was 1970, but it's not often I find an excuse to post that picture![/size

He never played for Cas v Wigan again. Then he moved to Leeds and conveniently managed to be injured for a year or so for the Wigan games.

However, he did play against Wigan at Headingley a couple of years later. Tyrer looked up, saw Hepworth and grubber kicked the ball towards him.
Just lets say that Tyres defence was that he mistook Hepworths head for the ball.

Got very vivid memories of the Tyrer incident, probably helped by a couple of iconic photos that must have been in the Evening Post or Wigan Observer. One of Hepworth literally taking off/jumping at Tyrer and his elbow smashing into his face/jaw. The other of Tyrer being helped off the pitch by 2 physios, his new Wembley shirt splattered in blood. I also remember an older fan turning round and saying: "Tyrer's bleeding like a bloody pig!"

For younger fans, Tyrer was one of Wigan's attacking lynchpins in those days - he used to come into the line at pace. Similar to Sam nowadays, although not quite as good! The backrow of Bill Ashurst , Dave Robinson and Dougie Laughton was easily the best in the country.

Wigan were definitely the outstanding team in 70/71 and went on an unbeaten run in the league - lost their first match of the season at the end of January approx ( 14-9 to Hull KR away!). They won the League Leaders Shield easily but lost 16-12 to Saints in the Championship Final to a hotly disputed late try. The Saints winger ( Bob Blackbrook iirc who later signed for Wigan as a forward!) was the proverbial "mile offside" from a kick but the try was awarded! No video ref in those days.....

It was Billy Benyon who was given that offside try. Blackwood did score but that was earlier in the game.

Benyon was in the Stork pub in Billinge a few months later and we asked him if he was offside.
He just laughed and said, "The ref said I wasn't"