Right, I wasn't born when Jimmy Birts played for us and he keeps getting mentioned with some posters naming themselves after him.

Who was he, what was he like and why the 'cult' following?

I was there too. It definitely ended as 10-a-side. I have memories of the old Fartown ground being like a timber yard ready to go up in smoke.

Didn't realise Nicky Kiss was about in 1981! Remember him from my first visit to Wembley as an 11 year old in '88, and I seem to remember him looking relatively youthful!

Henderson Gill was signed soon after as well?! Another from that Cup Final, along with the likes of Brian Case, Adrian Shelford, Shaun Edwards (who was surely a relative rookie then?!) Ged Byrne etc...(although did Ged actually make the '88 final 15?)

Ahh, memories!!

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?