There is a book 'Mud, blood and glory' or something, chronicling the 90/91 season and not all the players were FT pro's that year, but i remember quotes from some of the players along the lines of 'can't wait for next season when we'll all be FT pro's'
Think it also mentioned Leeds turning FT pro in the summer of 1991 as well.

The last few pages showed the players 'real' jobs and I seem to remember Andy Gregory being a sheet metal worker and Hampson being a farmer or something. Can't remember the rest. The overseas players tended to be all FT pro.

Yes i remember this game i had it on video Edwards and Gregory didnt play and Offiah was running rings around Wigan that day the knock on was the most blatent i had seen as i was sat on the wall near by the capacity that day was 16,800 but they let in 17,300 just after the hillsborough disaster the day before.

I thought farmer as i seem to recall a picture of him holding to buckets as if he'd just been 'mucking out' but it may have been 2 barrels. Was years ago.

99% certain he was a drayman - lugging all those barrels around was just as good if not better than weight sessions in a gym!

Hampson was a drayman for Burtonwood brewery.

Andy Farrell was still an apprentice joiner with Wigan council when he played in his first Challenge Cup final v Widnes in 1993

He obviously never saw/heard of Billy Boston !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not sure but I seem to remember this game being televised live by ITV/GRANADA. I don't know if I still have a copy but recall the camera being straight on a few of us for one of the tries in the corner.

Yes, it was definitely televised live by ITV - they did do occasional matches back then. Forgotten the name of the commentator ( Elton Welsby?), but Rob MaCaffrey use to introduce and anchor the programme. Both now football commentators/reporters

Also remember a last minute win against Widnes away in Feb 1990 when Bobby Goulding scored a difficult last minute penalty to win the game by one point and in April 91 they televised the last game of the Mission Impossible season against Leeds away which Wigan won. Dennis Betts scored the crucial final try to seal the Championship. Elllery Hanley made a great break late on but pulled his hamstring - he was still unfit 2 weeks later but played in the tense Cup final win against Saints. Had a fitness test/stroll 30 minutes before kick off on the pitch!

Younger fans may not know that Wigan played 4 games in 6 days that week : Sunday against Cas, Tuesday against Widnes, Thursday against Bradford and then Saturday against Leeds. Won 3 and drew against Bradford - came back from 18 -2 down to draw!

Have most of these videos still in a cupboard somewhere!

Just remembered Graeme West "came out of retirement" to play in the Cas game and I think Andy Goodway played in the centre or even wing for part of the game! Great games, great players and great memories!

Westy scored a try in that Cas game. The applause was unreal.

First post on this forum so here goes.

I was at Naughton Park for this game. I was a very young and loud twenty at the time.

The knock on was by Mike O'Neill. This was before video refs and the "tackler knocked the ball out" rule. The ref (John Holdsworth?) and his officials were wrong. It was a knock on. Wigan would have been 12 - 6 up at half time. It may have made a difference (in truth probably not as Widnes were stronger ON THE DAY than Wigan).

Mark Preston could not be blamed for Offiah's tries. Preston, when given the ball, could beat his winger on half a sixpence.

With regard to the win at Naughton Park on Granada in 1990. The Bobby Goulding penalty came from a set of six following an error by Chariots from a Wigan kick off. His error was straight from the kick off following a Widnes try. I take credit for this error as I shouted "knock on" as the ball bounced in front of Martin from the kick off. He duly obliged. The penalty was given a few tackles later (can't remember against whom - maybe "Mary Ellen Currier"icon_wink.gif.

In 1991, the "Mission Impossible" season, I was at all of the games in that final week. We were on our last legs and Westy did make a scoring appearance in the Sunday evening Cas game. The thing that stood out to me (and a few other Wigan fans on the Kop) that evening was Cas "held down" throughout the game but the first penalty given for holding down was against Wigan after about 60 mins. How Gerry Kershaw was jovially ribbed for the rest of the game.

Tuesday night there was 29,000+ for the Wigan v Widnes game - a title decider. I can just about remember we won relatively comfortably.

Thursday night was a draw (18 - 1icon_cool.gif against Bradford. Rearranged from earlier in the season when the undersoil heating had not been switched on. Incredible comeback from 18-2.

Saturday afternoon (despite a request to RFL to have the game put back) saw an excellent win (all hail Andy Goodway I think) away at Leeds. I know I was knackered - God only knows how the players felt.

If we start talking about the 1991 final in future threads I will pass on my memories of that day. For me it was very long but extremely enjoyable.

I remember West playing in a game v Cas when he was retired, was this the same year because I thought it was later and I'm pretty sure it was at Wheldon rd and not Central Park? If I remember rightly it was a late kick off and the weather was terrible so we were huddled together with Cas fans in the stand opposite where the players come out.

From memory, I think it was Widnes and I'm pretty sure Bobbie Goulding was playing one of his first games for the Wigan 'A' team

Cheers mon