posted Aug 26, 2008

For me it has to be 1980 with Hull KR beating Hull 10-5. I had rather a lot to drink that weekend but wasn't the Monday a Bank Holiday as I don't remember going back to work until the Tuesday, anyway my boss was a Hull fan and on the Tuesday he came over to me and said "Rovers were the best side and deserved to win" I replied "yes I agree" and with that he went absolutely ballistic insisting that Hull had complained to the RFL about Fred Lindop (the ref in the final) being biased as he was going out with a woman who lived in East Hull who was a Rovers fan and therefore the final was to be replayed. A colleague had to take him to one side to tell him he was making a fool of himself and was only trying to ease his disappointment over losing to the dreaded Hull KR, no wonder it took me years to get promotion. Another final I remember was the 1959 final when Hull were beaten by Wigan, the reason I remember it was that my mum and dad were Hull fans and the whole family went to the final, I was only a little boy, after the game we were walking around London past a hotel when a coach pulled up (the hotel was the Wigan team hotel) with the whole Wigan team on it plus trophy and my brother took a picture of me with the full Wigan team plus backroom staff & directors, the great Billy Boston had his arm round my shoulders, he obviously didn't realise I was a Hull KR fan and wasn't all that bothered about Hull losing and I was too frightened to tell him, I still have the photo amongst my treasured possessions.

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posted Aug 26, 2008

Greatest memory was from the Hull FC vs Saints semi final in 2005 which we (Hull) won. After the match I had to wait for the Ladies toilet until everyone had gone to change my 2 year old daughter's nappy. I was a bit flustered as there were half a dozen stewards waiting outside, I think they wanted to lock up! We walked out, with all the crowds gone and made our way to the car with the last stragglers, but I couldn't believe what happened outside. Both sides of the road we walked down were lined with Saints supporters who applauded the Hull fans as we walked by, shook our hands, and wished us all the best for the final. Brought a tear to my eye. That is what rugby league, and Challenge Cup matches in particular, are all about.

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posted Aug 27, 2008

I suppose my best memory of the Cup was the first game of Rugby League I ever watched,Hull against Wigan at the Boulevard sometime about 1958...Wigan brought trainloads of supporters over the Pennines ...the match was all ticket...
and a total sell out ...I think the score was 12:9 to Hull after Nan Halafihi had saved a certain try charging the great Billy Boston into touch inches short of the corner flag... he came from no where, like a bolt from the blue ...sadly that just about finished his career as it resulted in a dislocated shoulder

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posted Aug 27, 2008

Best memory is Saints 1996 win against Bradford. A roller coaster for me in more ways than one. Out coach had a blow out on the M40 about an hour away from Wembley. We were sat on the hard shoulder for almost two hours waiting for the breakdown guy to arrive. Eventually got going but missed all the build up - got to Wembley about 10 mins before kick off. Stuck up in the gods at the Saints end, 2 rows from the very back - had to crouch down to look underneath the old scoreboards they used to have so I could see the other end of the pitch. Then witnessed the most up and down game I've ever seen, going from highs to lows, then back again. First time had seen Saints win the Cup, me and my brother were in floods of tears at the end of the game. Amazing day.

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posted Aug 28, 2008

Ditto re Jim Mills in 75 and Widnes on 22nd July 2008. £1 to get in at Wembley and 15p for the programme.............happy days. only joy now is that i am only 4 stops on the tube!!!!

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posted Aug 28, 2008

Has to be the 1980 final (even though we lost). Remember the R*vers fans doing the conga up and down the train on the way home.

Also the 1982 final. I've got a photo on my desk at work of all my family dressed top to toe in black and white outside Wembley with the twin towers in the background.

Can't remember the finals from 1992 to 2004 as i went for the weekend every year and was pretty much hammered by kick off!!

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posted Aug 28, 2008

the best game i ever went to was the semi final between Saints and Wigan at 0ld trafford in i think 1990. Although we lost (saints that is) i remember how close we ran the 'Pie Men' in a game where we apparently never stood a chance. Les Quirke's try at the end of the first half had the Wiganers around us scared to death, A teeneage Gary Conolly mad the best try saving tackle i've ever seen on Joe Lydon, and Bernard Dwyer, one eye completely closed, bore the scars of battle at the end of a game snatched from us,with the aid ( not for the first time by a dodgy refereeing decision) by messrs Hanley and Goodway. It was a classic encounter, one i will never forget, and despite tasting defeat, made me proud to be a Saints supporter.

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posted Aug 28, 2008

1985 has to be up there with the best. Sterling vs Kenny, chain smoking John Ferguson, Henderson Gill's grin, Leuluai nearly pinching it at the end. Great atmosphere - both sets of fans knew they'd witnessed a true classic, remember swapping scarves with a young Hull fan afterwards. One of the few Rugby League games to be shown in '100 great sporting moments' on the beeb.

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posted Aug 29, 2008

Not the Challenge Cup final, but the Plate final in 1997 (I'm 20 and so wasn't born by 1980!)

Stanley Gene's hat-trick, culminating in his trade mark 'tipple tale' for the third try. I still have the photo of the team proudly showing their silverware in my room!

Rovers at Wembley, excellent!

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posted Aug 29, 2008

Reading all o these great memories of real RL supporters.I feel the need to sympathise in advance with the studio presenters and match commentators for this year’s Challenge Cup final.
Normally time is superbly filled with talk of the great tradition of the game and the great historical importance of the Challenge cup. The presenters won’t be able have any such conversations this year.
When the RFL made the ludicrous decision to award the little supported club the Celtic Crusaders a place in Super League they sent the clear message to all that tradition and the past histories of RL now mean nothing. They have cast aside clubs like Widnes, Halifax and Leigh that have the ability to bring a great crowd to Wembley - and create the atmosphere the stadium deserves- for a team that won’t even be able to fill the first 40 rows of 1 block. This is clearly the direction the RFL want to go in and my heart goes out to them having to fill in the time and having to present to a reduced audience as a result of all the traditionalist who are abstaining this year.

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