Ah, thanks for the memory jog. I almost felt sorry for Bobbie but I got over it.

This explains a lot as to why you are so defensive of the coaching set up. That's not a put down by the way, I just mean it explains a lot.

As for the thread. I have been going since the challenge cup final of 78, and do have a memory of being picked up on to the pitch by David Ward at the end of the game. As for other memories, I can honestly say I rarely remember matches at all. Always being one to look to the future rather than the past. I remember the odd moments, such as what an other posted about Ford catching Offia. I also remember fondly the performance of Craig Izzard against Widnes at Headingley, or Sam Backo's kick and chase agains Hull in Yorkshire cup (I think). But I rarely ponder on past moments.

Yes i did.Was around the time i first started going on a regular basis.Still got a load somewhere signed by the players.

I think my best memory of Headingley pre SL was when we beat Wigan 33-28 in late 94.A real see-saw battle in front of a packed out 20k crowd,brilliant atmosphere.quality on display was high class with Hanley,Cummins,Schofield,Robinson,Offiah,Betts and Tuigamala all scoring points. Probably my last good memory of the Dougie Laughton era too as we went on to get a stuffing in the CC final in 95 and then went into decline.

Strangely 2 of my strongest memories are of games we didn't win.

1994 - 46 all draw with Sheffield...I'm still not convinced i've felt such frustration at a game in all my life. Even as a 13 year old, i spent a long time with my head in my hands!!

2003 - Losing 16-18 to Bradford. The game where for the first time i genuinely felt like we were ready to challenge with the exciting young team we had. Cracking game, great atmosphere and oh so close to a win.

Probably the most notable victory in my head is the challenge cup win over Wigan after Barrie Mac had been sent off early doors. I can still sense the deathly silence that greeted the red card, and the noise that greeted the final whistle.

My first Leeds game was actually an away fixture, CC tie at Wakefield, 81/82 season. Memorable only because I got jumped by 8 or 9 Wakey "fans" on the way back to the train station and got the crap kicked out of me. The chip in my front tooth continues to remind me of the experience.

All good fun.

So many. Weirdly most of them are when we weren't so good! Colin Maskill taking over the kickng duties and slotting them Sinny style, to be roundly booed by the South Stand when missing one. Supersub Paul Medley, ET (he just looked like a superhero!), Craig Izzard finally a Leeds prop that could break a tackle/offload, Creasser looking like a world beater til his shoulder always packed up and Gary Spencers mum telling an eleven yr old me off for shouting to get ET on!! Happy days...

Good thread this. I always enjoyed going to Headingley, my first regular trips coincided with Bradford Northern having a pack of nutcases who regularly pummelled the overpaid and overrated Leeds forwards. I often used to go to Headingley to support the opposition when Northern didn’t have a game too such was my dislike of Leeds back then. I remember some great days watching Leeds lose 0-38 to Widnes in the late 80s and a 0-17 reverse to a Geoff Bagnall inspired Wakey was a good un too. I was at the 26k crowd for the Widnes game in the cup mentioned earlier. That was the cup FFS and 26k there! Those were the days!

Despite my partisan roots I really loved the atmosphere, the “green green grass of headingley”, changing ends at half time, walking across the pitch at full time, that seems like another age. I used to enjoy the southstand or sitting on the wall in the paddock by the dugouts, especially if Peter Fox or Alex Murphy were coaching, it was like a pantomime. I remember when the electronic scoreboard was put in, that was hi tech! A big improvement on that Youngers sponsored one at the Eastern end that you could only read from directly in front!

Nowadays it’s lost some of its magic but I guess that’s just me getting on and the rose tinted specs coming out. Also the hatred of Leeds has totally gone. I must be going soft.

Some nice flashbacks there.I almost forgot about the changing ends at HT and walking over the pitch.It Just reminded me that we as kids used to play on the pitch with a mini rugby ball for ages after the game had finished and nobody really bothered.Cant see the kids of today being allowed to do that!

Does it really? Do explain, how seeing Andy Hay score a hat trick and Iestyn Harris destroying a woeful Huddersfield team in 1999 made me so apparently "defensive" of Brian McDermott in 2013.

I said it wasn't a put down and I meant. It just explained a lot.

You started watching in 1999, coincidentally a very good side, who the previous year played in the first Grand Final, and the year you went won the challenge cup final. A year later another challenge cup final, and just three years later challenging at the top, and another challenge cup final, the start of the dominant era.

You had none of the 80's and times of the 90's, waiting years and years for success. That's why I have no time for McDermott, as I don't want to go back to those days, I want the success to continue. So desperate, that my eyes are open in seeing how we are regressing.

Like I said nothing was a go at you, but you just can't have that same desperation. Consider yourself a lucky charm that the success came with you.

Oh and my favourite game, winding me dad up saying John Basnett will have a good game this weekend... Followed by a lecture about John Atkinson and Alan Smith.

1999 was the first time I got to Headingley as a 12 year old. Before that I remember watching the 94 & 95 CC Finals defeats, Wigan putting 60 plus on us in a Premiership final. The woeful 1996 season, Bradford knocking us out at the semis in 96 & 97 and Murray's term being bookended with disappointing defeats at home against Cas in knockout rugby. I also had two more CC final defeats to watch. Three playoff campaigns (2000-2002) where we were a clear level behind Saints, Bradford, Wigan at the time and dispatched without ever truly looking like contenders.. Saw us become the first team in 2003 to finish in the top 2 in SL playoffs and NOT make the GF and also consecutive CC semi defeats to Saints in '01 & '02.

Even after the 2004 success I witness double final defeats in 2005 and poor exits from both competitions in 2006.

Whilst I might've seen a few good moments, up until 2007 I'd mostly seen disappointments too.

Even after 2007 we've kept a nice stock of defeat and dissapointment with plenty of WCC and CC final defeats to counteract the grand final success. We can't just win most of the finals we play in like wigan, or saints up until october 2007, we have to lose plenty as well.

No doubt we'll get another healthy dose of CC final defeat over the next 5 years, just to keep us ticking over.

Last 8 CC finals: LLWLLLLLL

Apart from 99 they've all merged into one for me.

Remember seeing Izzard's debut against I think Salford, it was Gary Divorty's debut also, and they came off the bench before half-time and Izzard dropped a pass, missed a tackle and gave away a try. All the talk at half-time was what a lemon we'd got again, and then...

Favourite Headingley games from that era were the Widnes punch-up game (it's on YouTube), a game against the all-conquering Wigan side that we actually WON with David Creasser and Mark Wilson(!) outstanding leading to another feeling of hope that finally, FINALLY we might be turning into a team that wins things. We weren't. Schoey's debut in an Auckland tour match that would have finished 2-a-side if it was played today. 50-14 with 12 men vs Saints. 5-0 in a cup replay vs Widnes on a Wednesday night.

Among the worst would be an absolute hammering against Warrington that finally saw the end of Peter Fox, and a very similar performance from a much better squad against Wigan last year.

The Widnes game you are referring to is one of my favourite memories. Joe Grima had had basically mullered our soft c*** forwards for the previous two seasons and finally, along comes Craig Izzard to provide a healthy dose of his own medicine.

The interesting thing about Izzard is that he wasn't that highly respected in the ARL, possibly because he was over shadowed by his brother. For us, he was a revelation.

That entire Widnes pack beat Leeds by looking at them. Sorensen, Koloto, Mckenzie and Eyres (who turned into another waste of time when he signed for us)

I started going to watch Leeds in 1982. I think a lot of my memories have already been mentioned, but a few others include :

ET's "chip" that didn't quite come off against Widnes
Going 10 nil up against the Aussies, I think in 1990 ?, was so exciting. But losing 22-10 in the end.
Going back to the cup game against Widnes when there was 26k there and being mesmerised, for some reason, by a massive Skull and Crossbones flag the Widnes fans had.
Schoey's 4 tries versus Wigan.
Carl Gibson's side step, Roy Powell swallowing his tongue (what a true gentleman he was by the way), David Ward and "The Wall" from a tap penalty, and finally the 50-14 victory versus St Helens after losing David Cruickshank to an early sending off, John Bentley and Phil Ford were on fire !!!

Does anyone remember Schoey's trick of kicking the ball straight back into his hands?

I don't know how many times he actually did this but we used to do it all the time in practice.

The A-team games on a Friday night still remain a highlight for me. We used to get free fun of the Stadium in those days. Starting off in the Southstand before ending up sitting in the posh seats in the North Stand

I'm sure I attended a mid week game vs Cas that ended 8-4 I think to Leeds, with no tries?
Loved the cup game vs Barrow when they scored first, and the scorer milked the applause from south stand. Leeds won easy I recall. Big score I think.
Remember Jim Fallon scoring in the corner during a rare Leeds win over Wigan
Most surreal game was the big score draw vs Hudds. 46-46 or something stupid
70-0 vs Saints was hell of a night.

Always remember Kevin Iro handing off Jonathan Davies as he ran down the middle of the pitch , jiffy trying to keep up has he got repeatedly got pushed away , managed to get IRO Shirt last game of the season at halifax away when we survived relegaton all the fans ran out the pitch and the leeds players gave there shirts away to us ,

Other favourite moment paul sterling try full length of the south stand against ADelaide , big crowd and atmosphere and a glorious sumers evening

Standing in the freezing cold waiting for Bridgend to turn up for a challenge cup game.

Signing anyone from Bradford, Wigan or Widnes and generally being disappointed by the time their careers finished

The songs. "Green green grass of Headingley" and "You are my sunshine" and "Keep right on" and "What a referee" as well as just "Marching on together" and various Vieira knock-offs. And no fecking band.