Quality thread this. Not a Wigan fan but my cousin is and when he was babysitting for me he used to take me along. My folks used to pay him a few quid and told him to keep me in the house, so they weren't best pleased one night when we ended up stood next to them at Central Park! Was a midweek game against Bradford that Wigan lost 9-0 I think, anyone have any details on that?

Also went to one of the homecomings with a rugby ball and got it signed by Jason Robinson and Billy McGinty, then went playing on the pitch and ran into one of the post-protectors and nearly put my shoulder out.



The WCC game against Brisbane, everyone thought they were super-human and loudest cheer of the night was when Langer dropped a ball in the warm-up! Great game though, I remember my Dad putting a pound on Andrew Farrar for 1st tryscorer, tight get.

Started following the Broncos after that game aswell.

As a Saints fan, remember Briers being bang on form with the boot in the 32-22 game, and also one Boxing Day friendly - coldest game I have ever experienced and Saints put out a virtual reserve side (a young Wellens played scrum-half and kicked a goal in the 1st half IIRC). We ended up leaving early in the second half after Connolly kicked through and scored in the corner. Probably the only game I wasn't stuck behind a bloody post in the Kop.

Couple of good Saints semi-final victories at Central Park aswell. Oh and who can forget Tommy God's try?

Brilliant atmosphere that day, stayed behind for a good couple of hours.

Good times, spent a lot of time in CP for a Saints fan and the JJB just doesn't compare for me.

I used to stand with the "zulus" as my Dad called them at the back of the Popular Stand and my favourite memory was when the game was close and it came down to a conversion or a penalty and [ieveryone[/i used to huddle together and hope for the best. Great atmosphere. Great place. Wish we'd never left. Absolutely loved the place and it will always be in my memory.

we also had to huddle together on the hullkr bus in the mid seventies second division game i think, we were ambushed on the way to to central park and had all the windows put through by iddiots,never actually got to see the game as coppers wouldnt let us in for our own safety.i seem to remember the crowd being around the 3,000 mark.no hard feelings though good luck for tonight just got 11/1 at the bookies for you to win gfinal.

I remember the last game at Central Park where I was only about 9 years old and Jason Robinson won Man of the Match. At the end of the game I was so desprate to get Robinsons autograph I jumped down the rows of seats and into the tunnel where stewards were trying to stop me from going but I managed to squeeze through a gap and get to Robinson where I asked him for his autograph and he said "anything for you, pal" and signed my programme

A great thread this to get in the mood for the trek to 'ull.

Some brief memories:

Pre match at Swinley Labour club.


Starting off stood on the pillars by the steps leading to the bar under the popular stand.


Growing tall enough to stand with my Dad on the half way line.


Cousin falling off aforementioned pillar and fracturing his skull.


26,000 on Boxing Day against Saints


A lock out mid week against Leeds (?) and the bridge and banking over the road being full of fans.


Not being able to see the first five minutes of game against Brisbane because of the smoke from the fireworks.

So, so many more homecomings etc.

Hi all,

I am a Wests Tigers fan on a VISA here in the UK and from Australia. I am having my dream year of working 5 days a week in Leeds and going to Rugby League matches all over the North of England every weekend.

I have always followed Wigan and just need some ideas on how i can best see the sight of where Central Park was. I am dissapointed that i will never see a game there but obviously there is nothing i could have done about that.

If anyone has any idea where i can stand? or look so i can best have a Central Park experience?

I am aware there is now a shopping centre there but i would like to know where exactly on this shopping centre i can stand so i can pretend i am Martin Offiah scoring awesome try lol.

Any Ideas?

JPB

Quote Jeffersonthetiger="Jeffersonthetiger"Hi all, I am a Wests Tigers fan on a VISA here in the UK and from Australia. I am having my dream year of working 5 days a week in Leeds and going to Rugby League matches all over the North of England every weekend. I have always followed Wigan and just need some ideas on how i can best see the sight of where Central Park was. I am dissapointed that i will never see a game there but obviously there is nothing i could have done about that. If anyone has any idea where i can stand? or look so i can best have a Central Park experience? I am aware there is now a shopping centre there but i would like to know where exactly on this shopping centre i can stand so i can pretend i am Martin Offiah scoring awesome try lol. Any Ideas? JPB'" It's a tesco supermarket. Dunno how to direct as such not knowing how your getting to Wigan but the road next to is still called Central Park Way. There is a statue to commemorate the old place but its pretty dire. Anyways you can stand in the car park and dream if you wish. Map: wikimapia.org/664811/Wigan-Tesco Read about the place: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... page_id=48 Coming up to 10 years since we left in September!

Quote Jeffersonthetiger="Jeffersonthetiger"Hi all, I am a Wests Tigers fan on a VISA here in the UK and from Australia. I am having my dream year of working 5 days a week in Leeds and going to Rugby League matches all over the North of England every weekend. I have always followed Wigan and just need some ideas on how i can best see the sight of where Central Park was. I am dissapointed that i will never see a game there but obviously there is nothing i could have done about that. If anyone has any idea where i can stand? or look so i can best have a Central Park experience? I am aware there is now a shopping centre there but i would like to know where exactly on this shopping centre i can stand so i can pretend i am Martin Offiah scoring awesome try lol. Any Ideas? JPB'" It's a tesco supermarket. Dunno how to direct as such not knowing how your getting to Wigan but the road next to is still called Central Park Way. There is a statue to commemorate the old place but its pretty dire. Anyways you can stand in the car park and dream if you wish. Map: wikimapia.org/664811/Wigan-Tesco Read about the place: wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... page_id=48 Coming up to 10 years since we left in September!

Might as well re-bump this back up for prosperity.

And posterity as well...

[size=150Sad to say, and it only seems like yesterday, but we are coming up to 10 years since we left the old ground.

To mark this I'd thought I'd do a top 10 best games of Central Park countdown.

So I'm asking you for suggestions of memorable matches at Central Park. Some may be obvious but manbe their are other not so obvious matches?

I've planned all year to do the top 10 countdown in around a potential break for the Cup Final which falls just before the anniversary but obviously I'm hoping to be busy with a big week of Cup Final build up then so bugger knows when it'll appear on the site if that happens. But it will at some point.[/size

Wigan Sevens Finals

* 1980: Wigan 15 Widnes 8
* 1981: Wakefield Trinity 28 Leeds 25
* 1982: Wigan 8 Leeds 14
* 1983: Widnes 46 Oldham 26
* 1984: Wigan 28 Blackpool Borough 18
* 1985: Swinton 24, Warrington 22
* 1986: Wigan 30 Leigh 16
* 1987: Wigan 20 Leigh 16

one of my favourites is the cas game we won 26 - 25

Botica v farrell in the kicking to win department

many derby games to mention as well