ChinaBull's post on the return to Odsal thread got me thinking - see below:



I remember the fog causing the game to be abandoned vs Wigan - was it 1990/91?

Bad fog too for the 1986 Kangaroos - if it'd been any other game it would've been postponed. I remember it peeing down that night too so you got soaked and saw bugger all - we lost 0-38.

There have been so many games when I've been soaked but one that sticks in the mind is a home game vs Leigh in 1989 - we won 6-0 in the dourest game ever. The rain was relentless, wind howling. It was like watching a game played at Cape Horn.

I also remember having a French themed picnic for the visit of Catalans one year in the mid 00s and getting burnt to a crisp and sozzled on French plonk. It was the game when Michael Platt took an eon to clear a ball from the in goal area and Justin Murphy scored.

Any other memories anyone would like to share?

wernt there just over 1000 there also wasnt it midweek game ... i remember this one because my grandad, who took me and my dad left at ht from the cold. win's a win

It was usually the ice which I remember most. Well, the ice and our, usually, 'not quite enough' measures to counter it.

When the ice was slight we did little, straw might have got the game on, but as it was just 'slight we wouldn't bother - match off.

When it was a bit harder then we put down straw, when perhaps a proper cover might have saved the game - match off.

When it was severe we'd put down a cover when a stack of braziers might have had a chance - match off

When it was so bad that it was totally impossible to save the game we'd use straw, covers AND braziers on the pitch - errm still match off!

game on .... i was always prepared... multitude of layers with northern traditional on top, huge thermos of bovril, twixs and marathons, scarves bobble hats (ofc in rab colours) ... but sitting in the main stand (opp pop side) i could never quite get rid of the leg jiggle brought on from lack of heat. pre SL and summer rugger, last home fixtures in april or a home premiership tie (brit weather permtting) it was glorious. we just burned in that stand lol

Wasn’t that a cup game? I watched that on tele on holiday in Portugal. McNamara got array with Tanya Arnold on the bbc when she interviewed him after.

Wrong thread but I also remember another game (think it was against Catalans) at odsal where they kicked off, it bounced in our in goal area and looked to be going dead. Rikki Sheriffe jumped from the field of play to palm it forward back into the ingoal area where the opposition centre dived on it to score.

Back on topic I once got sun stroke after knocking a few back before a cup game against Hull in the mid noughties. I ended up laid in bed shivering afterwards.

Remember as a young lad wondering why I had to wear so many clothes before my first match - Mum knows best!

Also the second foggy Wigan game in Super League. They score in front of the hospitality stand, no reaction from the Wigan fans at the Rooley Lane end until someone shouted "You've scored".

once summer rugby started, me and a mate (plus a.n.others) would drive up from sheffield then later from london to arrive about 2/3 hours before ko. usually first in and would lay out on the rooley end, and taking in a 'beverage', wait for the curtain-raiser. once the 'main event' was upon us, would move round to the pop side. odsal certainly is a villain when it wants to be but when the weather is right its glorious

I got to experience Odsals micro climate in one of the first games I went to at Odsal.

Think it was around 1998? We played Leeds and we were in our black away strip. We had every weather imaginable. Glorious sun shine. Rain. Hail. Snow. Wind. All in 80 minutes.

Another one was I think we played Salford in the middle 8s and we were enjoying a superb win in glorious sunshine. Everyone in shorts and t-shirt and then a big dark cloud started to form right over Odsal. You could hear everyone laughing in the stadium wondering if the full-time hooter would go before the heavens opened. Think we were 2 minutes off the final whistle when they did. Drenched doesn't do it justice. Doesn't feel as bad when you win though.

Haha! Exactly! I remember playing Hull on a Saturday afternoon cup game, and the sun was shining when we came into Odsal; then it snowed the entire first half. The Sun came out again at halftime and then when the players came back out it started snowing again.

I also remember the Wigan game where we couldn't see the other end of the pitch for the fog. When we scored we only knew as the ripple of cheers came around the stadium from the people who could see it.

Yes, I remember getting home absolutely soaked and dripping wet - but didn't care a jot because we totally battered Salford that day

One I do remember was a New Years Day fixture against Castleford, must have been around 1974 or 1975. Most of the game was played in a blizzard and in the teeth of a freezing wind. To add to the sense of misery We (Northern) got absolutely smashed by that all-conquering team - the score of 0-33 sticks in the mind....

The Ricki ricket was against Warrington in the cup.

The Saints game in 2003 when we lost 35 nil was even worse started absolutely hammering it down about 15 minutes before kick off. Rained full game and stopped just as hooter sounded.

Yes that's it. Best cock up I've ever seen -probably.

Yes it was a Regal Trophy/JPS Cup game IIRC. There weren't many there.

My abiding memory of Odsal rain is when I was stood behind the posts for the game against Cronulla in the 1997 World Club Championship. It absolutely hammered it down for 80 minutes and I haven't been more soaked outside a swimming pool. In fact to this day I leave wet footprints as my body is still trying to expel the Odsal deluge.

I remember the first home league game of super league 1, March 1996 vs cas. Standing on the terrace for the first league game of “summer rugby” at Odsal....and it snowed (sleet mainly) but I remember the laughs and comments around us on the terrace about that being about right for summer rugby at odsal!

Was this the game where it chucked it down so hard, we all got soaked, and on the final try instead of playing the usual bully bully they played singing in the rain? It may be a different match but I remember that distinctly and the laughter from the terraces. I suppose if we were losing it wouldn’t have gone down as well

Odsal really does have its own micro climate. It’s been sunny outside on Rooley lane, I’ve pushed through the turnstiles and it’s been raining.

I’ve seen games that were played in scorching heat with stewards fainting due to the heat and then playing games in a blizzard.

Another fun memory was thick fog. I can’t remember who we were playing but they were camped up on our line under the coral stand. We couldn’t see a thing but someone must have thrown a ball out wide which was picked off. No reaction from the crowd until 26 players burst out of the fog running towards the other side of the pitch.

Remembering one June or July years back when on a Wednesday there was a Yorks v Lancs type "Origin" match at Headingly it was played in one of balmy sunny evenings. Two days later at Odsal on Friday evening the weather changed from warm and sunny to cold windy and it also hailed for a while.
Also when we played the Broncos at Griffin Park? It was a lovely day till just before K O when the clouds rolled in and torrential rain hammered down throughout the match and by the time we got on the Coach going back it was just as sunny with blue sky and only the odd wispy cloud. Those who went to the usual place behind the posts were sodden through, I for some reason that day went into the covered stand!

I think that, for supporters of a certain age, losing to Cas on new year's day was pretty much an annual ritual if I'm honest.