taxi outside!

I'll add my bit as its nice to remember the good old days, and as one of the Griffin hate mob Im as much to blame as anyone.

Griffin when he arrived on trial was the surprise package of the season, he was obviously here to impress to get a deal in the big show and he proved he had the ability to do just that. He was eager for the ball, made hard yards and his impressive form if I remember rightly lead to a call up to the International squad, it might have been the train on squad or something but all the same people were taking note about this youngster bursting on the scene from down south. Wakefield had to pay good money to keep him and Griffin got the deal he wanted till 2006. However once the ink dried on the contract the performances began to spiral downwards. The youngster who was eager for the ball became one who wasnt interested anymore. His hard yards became soft inches, he wasnt alone in this, I'll agree with that, there were others who just wernt pulling their weight.

The defining moment in his career and for all this to escalate to where it has was Huddersfield away in 2006. Its a long time ago so Im trying to remember but Im sure we went 20-0 up at half time and were cruising and then second half was a shambles and we lost the game 26-20. After the game about 20 fans decided to protest and waited for the team outside the changing rooms. Some players hung their heads and ignored the chants and walked to the bus, some faced up to the 20 and apologised but one took exception. One decided he wasnt happy and got rather angry and offered to fight a fan. Griffin was quickly surrounded by staff and players and was moved onto the coach. That reaction was what sparked the flame, from then on Griffin was the scapegoat because of his actions. I think Tony Smith got the sack after that game and to be fair to him, he came over and was understanding of the fans fury but enough was enough.

After that Griffin got the abuse, every game home or away that 20 would hammer him, the 20 became 50, the 50 became god knows how many once all the youngsters grabbed onto the fan club. Griffin was booed every touch, I know, I was doing the booing !! We wanted him out, and would do anything we could to get him out. He reacted every time, with hand gestures etc... Soon after, he went to the Wakefield Express who printed that Griffin was getting picked on by the fans and he didnt know what he had done wrong. At the time, id just started writing the WTF Fanzine which I did alone but with the help of a few others (who will remain nameless) to tart it up and get it on the streets. Issue 1 went down well, but it was expected to go down well to get on the right side of many, I told everyone who knew me that Issue 2 would ruffle a few feathers and boy did I do that. I basically had a go at Griffin (for his actions at Huddersfield and games afterwards) and Solomona (for jumping ship when he was our hero). Everything I wrote was the truth, no lies but I went after Griffin in a big way. At Hull away I faced 6 Australian women outside the bar, who abused the living hell out of me, including one woman (Ben Jeffries wife) who went ballistic and her departing words were "See you in court, d******d". Id not even had a go at BJ, but the Aussies stuck together and they definitely made their mark on me. They were mad because of what Id wrote about Solomona and the picture I used of him with his young child. At the time I was new and naive and the child protection laws wernt that clear. With what I know now, I shouldnt have used it, I was wrong but at the time the picture suited the moment, if Id have blurred the child out, maybe the Aussies wouldnt have gone mad. Rumours were circulating that I was in bother, or people were trying to track me down. I was invited to a meeting with Steve Ferres and went along expecting to face the female Aussies. This time though it was mainly about Griffin. His wife had put a formal complaint about my piece in the fanzine about degrading her husband. Because I wasnt linked to the club they could do nothing (which is what I wanted) except ban me from selling it in the ground. I was told Griffin would go to court if I didnt apologise and cease publication. There was nothing in that magazine that I couldnt back up, I was happy to go to court as Id done no wrong in my eyes except slag someone off in the same way the football fanzines do on a monthly basis. The issue was cost, Id expect some hefty court fees and it really wasnt worth the hassle. I wanted to go head to head vs Griffin and his wife but I bottled it. I already knew I was a few hundred quid out of pocket by cancelling the fanzine even though the printer (a Wakey fan on here) did it at cost price. Could I really go back knowing this could escalate out of control ? Even though in my head I knew I was right, I had to apologise and thats what I did. The court action never came about but the hatred towards Griffin was still there.

There are various other incidents which Griffin was involved in which I wont bore everyone. I told everyone I knew about the meeting, so they were aware of the situation. Maybe my sad tale lead to their hatred towards Griffin escalating even more. Me, well after that meeting something got taken away from me. A lifelong fan, as supportive as anyone, not anymore. The games became a bore (mainly because they were boring anyway), for me it became an expensive trip to see my mates for a pint and a chat. Id drink in Cats bar and watch maybe ten minutes of the game. The away game trips dwindled from every game to once a month to never. The season ticket renewal letter arrived, I threw it in the bin. A reminder arrived, I threw that in the bin too. The e-mail reminders arrived, they went in the virtual bin. The trip to the club shop to buy the £150 season ticket, the home and away shirts for £100, the polo shirts and various other bits and pieces remained on the shelves. Id just lost all appetite for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. I wont go big headed, but I was a popular fan, every game Id stop and chat to many fans I knew including opposition fans who Id met over the years. But that popular fan became a nobody in a short time span, and the reason for this, the complaint from Griffin. Even living within walking distance of Headingley, I just couldnt be bothered to go to the playoff game last season, instead optin for the telly.

Ive seen him many times recently, he doesnt know who I am, maybe one day I'll sit down and have a chat. How he reacts I'll never know. He may kick the you know what out of me, if thats the case so be it, but I'll threaten the court action then and we will be level. But deep down, I dont want to speak to him. Im not scared, I'll stand by my words to anyone but when he hears the full story, the truth and the ending that the once die hard fan now just doesnt care about Wakefield, he will know he has won.

As for this incident, Ive heard things and the people involved were involved at Huddersfield so I'll back them up with what they said to him. Some people just wont forget things and thats totally their decision. But in terms of free speech and say what you want to people as much as Id love to say what you want, from first hand experience.... Just be carefull !!

Sorry poptart, I've had it all my life. Either Micky taking for being a ginner or wanting to scrap with me for being big, I've not had a fight since 1978 so I've turned a few cheeks in my time!

Powerful message Rich, how you going?

As Vasty has said we need to let all this teapot stuff go, it was a long time ago and the club is in a new, better era.

Let it go people!

Crikey, now there's a trip down memory lane. When I saw this thread, I wondered when you'd turn up .

Funny how some things feel like 100 years ago, when really they should feel like yesterday.

You made an interesting point about the Hudds game and Tony Smith. It wasn't just Griff who was gash at the time, they all were. Griff will have been popular on the team bus for sticking up for his mates, and becoming the fans' scapegoat, but the constant barracking that followed won't have helped his game. Once he'd sealed the deal with Hudds (it may even have been before the game you mentioned), that was that. It's not right, but he won't be the first player to behave like that, or the last. I may be wrong, but I think he was the same at Huddersfield after he'd sealed his move to Leeds. The Huddersfield fans can correct me on that one. It's a sign of the times, I'm afraid, and the exceptions prove the rule.

What he did with his career after he left us is his for him. I wouldn't want him back, simply because I think we've enough lads who are at least equally as good, and will hopefully have long careers ahead of them. And if we need better, then let's get someone better.

It was a good fanzine - shame we don't have the same sort of fan culture going on now. Other things, like the twitterers, take over, I suppose. But you became a dad for the first time shortly after that, IIRC, and if your experiences are any way close to mine, you'll see that that's the reason you give up on the other stuff that seemed like the world to you at the time. Let's be glad that as things stand, we can still come back to it.

Nice to read you again, mate. All the best.

I think people are merging two different things here: on the terraces and off them.

What is shouted from the terraces is all pantomime. We know that, the players know that, and it is all part of the game and players will enjoy it. All fans have to do is stay within the limits of human decency (no racist or homophobic stuff, or stuff directed at family or matters of a particular sensitivity) and I think everything is fine.

Once off the pitch though, the pantomime is over, and players are entitled to be treated with the respect a person can anticipate in normal dealings. "Good riddance" isn't the worst insult in the world, but not particularly polite either. So a not particularly polite response was made, maybe deservedly. Any fans who bear personal grudges for a player's performances need to have good hard looks at themselves. NB: that wasn't a crack at Roonaldo's post, which i have just read, as his issues with him are more personal than your average fan.

Maybe Griffin's problem from Sunday is that he also got confused as to when the pantomime began or ended, and he may or may not pay for that. But that is the top and bottom of it, for me.

Ripple effect....

I remember after the Wigan cup game at home.. Steve Ferres first game in is second spell...

I had brought with me, a wealthy businessman who paid a significant amount for sponsorship hospitality and he was interested in more spend. We were invited to the after match presentation in the bar.. where a few fans started to kick off with abuse at Ferres and the players... I was stood near to Semi Tadulala, who looked as if he was prepared to rip off the head of one of the protagonists.

I never saw the businessman again and he was one of my best clients, and he spent no more money at Belle Vue.

Yeah well remembered fella - all around the same time as the Webcats were going as well. Had some good games over with the Wire lot and that tournament in East Ardsley or somewhere. That fanzine was quality too, think I've still got it with the few programmes I got from that year.

Who cares about Griffin?

He's irrelevant to the current game and has been for a long time. Amazed he has generated so many pages.

It's not hard to work out his character. Just read the newspapers it's all there.

In summary; a poor mans korkidas.

Very interesting post Roonaldo6. Do you think, irrespective of the whole Griffin / fanzine debacle that you would've lost your passion for supporting WTW anyway? Got a fair few mates who used watch Cas with myself week in , week out, now they just don't, gradually the flame flickered out. Either that or I am just dross company!

Great comparison there. Korkidas got away with being poor because he always "tried" when on the field, yet, arguably, Griffin is a better player.

I am biased though, always thought Korkidas was way over rated by supporters.

Some players get a free ride, others don't.

All seems a very long time ago. I'd rather we concentrated on what we have than what we had.

Trying certainly has a lot to do with it, last year at times Fox and Cockayne were equally error prone (particularly early in the season), but because Cockayne is seen as such a tryer he got more of any slack.
As far as Griffin is conserned, i've had my say and i'll leave it at that.
Lets concentrate on the lads in the rw and b and just think a bit more about what we say, when we say it and any possible repercussions (hard i know in the heat of battle and with certain individuals.)

I'd love to give you the correct answer but Im not sure to be honest as things may have changed. I'll give you an honest answer and that was after the meeting I walked away feeling a little let down. Ferres agreed with Griffins attitude but didnt want the hassle of this hanging over the club all for something that they hadnt done. I didnt want the clubs support but I felt the way they moved the goalposts in terms of cancelling the fanzine and stopping me selling it in the ground was a bit of a stab in the back.

The game itself has declined over the years. Many supporters will argue that the product has got better but in reality it hasnt. Ticket prices have gone up to at least £20 a pop, fuel has increased so travel to games has become more expensive. I'll give Wakefield their dues for putting on other entertainment etc.. to attract the fans and the crowds have increased since the new regime took over but at the time of my support on the field it was dire. Then with the whole no relegation saga, the usual heated derbies between Wakefield vs Castleford which will stay in my memories forver as some of the best games ever encountered for the tension and well the results, became just another game. Another 2 points, it didnt matter who won in reality anymore than it did if we played London at home. Neither team were going to get relegated and it just wasnt the same anymore.

I was in a pub last month, watching the football minding my own business. The new season was about to start and somebody asked another guy if he was going to the game, his answer... "Why should I pay £20 or even £50 for me and the family to go watch a game freezing my nads off etc... when I can sit in the luxury of my own home, crack open a can and spark a fag without a care in the world, while watching the game on my 50 inch HD telly !!".

Every other week, Ive got somebody asking me if Im coming back, my best mate asks me all the time, offering me a free spare ticket, Ive never once taken him up on the opportunity. I dont know why, but ultimately I just dont have the passion anymore that was once fuelled travelling round the grounds as an 18 year old watching Wakefield dominate Division 1, the Fev game, the promo and all the highs and lows that SL battles brought. Ive had fun times, Ive had bad times, but ultimately they are just a distant memory.

The whole Griffin saga was probably just the cap on the candle that ended the flame.