Choose Life, choose buying a programme from a lad on the corner, choose walking down fletcher street seeing the preacher with saint or sinner banner, choose the superb club shop, choose getting in for £5 when your 19, choose a watered down pint of carlsberg, choose pie n peas and scraping a hole in the bottom of the tray, choose burning the roof of your mouth on a brew, choose changing ends at half time, choose Jonny Warbo,choose standing in your own s, choose a fantastic but dated scoreboard, choose beating Australia, choose watching Boyd bring the biff, choose Phil Blake's boot coming off, choose widnes on boxing day, choose Appo scoring going the full length, choose putting 50 on saints, choose last game against Wakefield, Choose WIlderspool.

Bang on the button there. It would be churlish to say the least that the HJ will not hold the richness of memories that Wilderspool does. 100 plus years compared to half a dozen.

I will contradict myself a touch though, the 1989 Lancashire Cup semi-final against Widnes was ridiculously packed. I have never been so scared and excited at the same time, in my life.

Safe capacity will never see us be that sardinetinesque ever again.

the only time i've experience that sort of scary capacity, was against the roos midweek team in 94, thats probably my first 'great' experience at wilderspool.

You could all be back again....... Saturday afternnon this weekend.

Warrington Wizards last home game of the season (except any play off game).

Wolves under 18's are also playing before that.

But be warned..... the old girl isn't quite as pretty as you might remember her! But she will happily share your memories......

Snap.

Was lucky enough to get a good 10 years in at Wilderspool, and I share and understand the nostalgia. But the single most significant factor in our being a top side now is the move to the HJ. Look back at the latter days of Wilderspool and there are some pretty dire memories amongst those brilliant ones.

Anyway...

New Zealand - Tonga
Darren Burns
Danny Nutley
The excitement of a TV cup game, where you could see Steve Rider and assembled guests through the window of Snookers.
Changing ends at half time.
Forster scoring from about 5 yards out in the corner, time after time after time.
Tearing London Broncos a new one 48-18 in the first game of the Langer-Nikau et al season - it was rammed that day.
The Wigan 35-24 and 47-38 games.
Kohe-Love's hat-trick versus Saints.
Scraping past Neil Turley-inspired Leigh in a Challenge Cup game after they'd beaten Salford in the previous round.
The World Club Challenge games.
Guisset on Brad Davis.

My favourite memory of Wilderspool was on Easter Monday 1962 after the game against Leigh watching Brian Bevan being carried round the ground after his last game for the club.

Brilliant memories. A few more of my own and again in no particular order;

* Mark Roberts having his head taken off every game.
* Changing ends at half time (in front of the Brian Bevan stand) and having to push and shove through the opposing fans who were trying to do the same.
* Sometimes walking across the pitch to change ends !!
* Running onto the pitch at the end of A team games to pat the players on the back. Proper shirts then....
* Steam coming out of the scrums.
* Hull fans bringing thousands and filling the railway end and often outnumbering the Wire fans.
* Hull & Wire fans being kept apart by police horses on the causeway after every game.
* Orangeboom lager (chk sp).
* The iron fence (pondlife corner) separating the home & away supporters. Sometimes it was open and for other games it most definately had to be shut.
* The small dugouts behind the sticks
* Walking through the ground a couple of days after the stand burnt down.
* Listening to the rumours about the above. Enough said.
* Playing at Wilderspool for my high school team and being 'substituted' after a head high tackle on a Beaumont lad (and we got beat 30 nil....)
* Being crammed at the back of the railway end to watch the Aussie game (19k crowd i remember)
* Being in awe of Les Boyd
* Watching Phil Blake chipping the ball over the full back, catching it and scoring numerous times.
* Watching Brian Bevan in a charity game I think.
* The bar at the back of the railway end.
* People walking around the pitch at half time holding out a bed sheet collecting coins that were being thrown from the stands (Health & Safety my ...)

I only had 4 or 5 before I began the post but they just kept coming. Happy days...

Because Wire didn't actually own Wilderspool, it was sold to the Council to allow us to pay a tax bill or similar - every time the Council are being criticised for budget cuts some joker writes to the Guardian asking Wire to "repay the £250k they were given without the people being asked".

Financially & rugby-wise redeveloping Wilderspool wouldn't have worked. All the people living around the area would need to have their houses bought out to allow for development, the pitch was too small meaning the complex would have to be bigger, road access & parking would be a major problem & accessability for people to use the stadium for more than just game days to make it viable (the multi-use of the HJ is a model other rugby & football clubs look to when developing their own new stadia). And again without the financial clout of Tesco, the HJ would not have been built.

Staying at or redveloping Wilderspool was simply not an option. Yes 100 years of history & memories are good & should be cherished, but we are in the business of building new memories and history at the HJ. You can't turn back the clock...

The best atmosphere I have experienced at a sporting event - ever!

Absolutely electric that evening - felt sorry for the many who were locked out

Too many to mention. Started going at about 11/12 with about 5 other lads from school. The night we played austalia another lad from school who was a saints fan decided to tag along. After that night, whenever wire and saints were both at home (no silly friday night games back then) the lad always came with us to watch the wire. When asked why, he said "being in the fletcher end is better than being anywhere else".

This is one of those threads that could (and should!) run and run. Here's my five pennorth....
* Going to watch a team games with my dad on a Friday night and just staring at the floodlights
* Going in with 15 mins to go when they opened the gates at the railway end
* Changing ends at half time and pretending that the opposing fans weren't even there (don't look them in the eye and they won't punch you!)
* Watching a charity game of football reffed by Alan Ball with Alan Ball senior playing for one of the teams
* Beating Oz in 1978
* Watching Phil Blake lose a boot and still ghost through the opposition.
* Seeing Cull's debut and telling anyone that would listen that I went to school with him (also Sean Mellor playing for Leigh and a guy called Paul Lowndes playing for Oldham)
* Throwing pennies into the charity blanket being carried round
* Having my car registration number called out over the tannoy for parking illegally!
* Cullen throwing an opposing player's boot into the crowd (poss a Wigan player?)
* Dessie punching Offiah behing the sticks at the Fletch & the ref not noticing
* Wondering how Phil Ford got all them strange lumps on his head
* Wondering how anyone could possibly watch a rugby match from down the touchline whilst standing in the Fletch (now stand in South Stand and wondering why people choose to go in West Stand!)
* Singing "Brian Johnson's Barmy Army" for the last 20 mins against Sheffield, on top of the world.
* Taking it in turns to bring the sweets that only got dished out when points were scored
* My lucky half time apple (not the same one every week)
* Meeting my dad in the Causeway for a pint after a night match, or going to the Saracen's Head with my mates instead

Jeez, I could go on and on, what fantastic memories.

That was a tremendous game and I think the only time I saw Wilderspool 'sold out'.

can i just stick in again and put another vote for the smell of wintergreen, i'm a big believer in smells provoking memories and attachment, walking past the changing room windows when switching ends is what i think of with wintergreen.

It's threads like this that makes me wish I got involved with supporting Warrington Wolves earlier than I did.

Ahmen to that kids today will never savour one of the finer moments of a game...
namely when there is a lull in play the ground goes relatively quiet......... and then there it goes the scented waft of some old chaps pipe tobbacco......

Ive never smoked but if I did I would have had a go of a pipe stuffed with clan aromatic tobbacco....

they should be an exception to the no smoking ban......

Relatively sure that will have been against Leyth - Mark Hilton's testimonial?

God I could write a book on this

Started going in the late 60's standing on The Fletch about 10 years old.

The Popular Side

The Railway End we called The Cow Filed. No roof, crappy crumbling terraces, and our under soil heating was straw we put on the pitch. They took the roof off the Popular side and put it on The Railway end.

Being in Wilderspool with 15,000 people in there in the early 1970's

Wintergreen

Mick Hennigan flying down the wing

Joe Price laying people out every week

Winning the league in 1973 I think parading the trophy in the last home game against Wigan

We have had the smell of pipe tobacco;
We have had the smell of wintergreen,
We have had the aroma of fried onions,,

No what we have not had a bad fart,
Think i use to call them a rugby trump......
picture the scene fletcher end 10 minutes into a game then BANG someone drops one (s.b.d.)usaually,
Then someone always asks that question"whos done that" you look round to see a great big bloke with a red face stood there with his shoulders jigging up and down with a greasey burger in one hand and a pint of bitter in the other looking all smug with himself...................rugby trumps not smelt one for ages..

graham steadman cacking himself everytime jiffy put an up n under on top of him. don't think he caught one all afternoon. the noise from the fletch when one went up, knowing what was gonna happen was immense

Serving pints in the little kiosk and not been the best at maths undercharging most of you lot.The tills didnt add up the price as typed the cost in so most of time i just made it up.It had taken me afew games to figure the prices out.15 mins after half time when we shut going to sit in stands to watch the rest of the game.Then heading down to the smallest bar you will ever see, i cant remember the name of it to carry on serving the beer.
The wintergreen smell.
Going to watch the Aus game with my grandad in 1990.

Listening to the noise walking down Fletcher Street.
Shuffling through the tunnel from the turnstiles trying desperately not to think of anything remotely claustrophobic.
The momentary sense as you walked up the steps and looked at the stadium in all it's glory of anticipation for the match to come. The feeling replaced rapidly by one of being "home".
Squeezing through the crowd in the Fletcher Street End wondering where to take your chance to stand.
Cursing those who squoze past you having chosen your spec.
Trying to hear the team announcement before the players came out - usually accompanied by "Why is he playing Rocky Turner?"
The steam off Ocker's mug of tea as he appeared just before the players came out of the tunnel.
The roar at kick off.
Straining for half the first half to see if the gate was open allowing ends to be changed or hearing the dreaded announcement "There will be no changing ends on police advice".
When Hull were in town everyone ignoring the no changing ends & walking over the pitch anyway.
Trying to pick your moment to leave early to change ends & get a decent spec for the 2nd half or leave late & risk seeing little of the 2nd.
Being carried along with everyone else moving at half time.
Wintergreen & straining to hear any sounds of half time tactics from the changing rooms.
Trying to be in place before the 2nd half kicked off having lost half of mates in the scrum at half time to change ends.
Wondering if the scoreboard clock was actually working.
The sense of elation or disappointment at full time.
Walking out of the ground with sadness that you wouldn't be back for 2 weeks. At the end of the season wondering what you would do with yourself for the summer & working out how long until the pre-season friendlies would start.
The echoes of the fans leaving the ground and giving the tin sheds one last bang as they walked out.
The queues for the chippy & the long walk home.
Tea in the oven with mum knowing there would be no conversation until voice was back or next morning depending on result.

Specific matches, players & incidents yes - but a sense of the feeling of going to any match at Wilderspool.

I'm from the same generation as Wirral Wire, hence the early-mid 70's i recall most fondly(i'm sure my dads generation would go on about the 50's, but there you go!)

Late 60's losing at home to Salford 50-0 then beating Blackpool Borough same score
John Bevans debut.He scored then got stretchered off.
Derek Whitehead sidetepping half the Dewsbury team then passing to Dennis Curling who went in under the sticks.
Cas Relay 72, played on a Wednesday afternoon due to power cuts
Fev beating us in 73 QF, all their village turned up.
Murphys testimonial week after the cup final, Brian Bevan scored
Charity football that got abandoned mid 70's when thje crowd mobbed Rod Stewart
The bloke with the religious banner outside the ground
The old wooden stand, stank of fags. Wonder how itgot burnt down!

I remember both of these games.

Actually ended up in the changing rooms after the Murphy testimonial sat between Murph and Brian Bevan - No idea how I got in there but I got a programme signed by both of them, I have hunted high and low to find it without success

It was weird to see Wilderspool with footie posts for the Rod Stewart game

I also remember it costing 20p to get in as a lad

Best thread in ages

Off the top of my head.

Nigel Vagana hat-trick against Wigan my first ever game and with Cullen as stand in coach

Watching Kevin Walters in his first game warm up thinking he doesnt look ar$ed

Blowing a massive half time lead against Hudds

Giving the mightly Paul's brothers Bradford a first defeat of the season and the Penny side step

The result which meant we stayed up announced over the tannoy

A home and away season ticket for like £20

Playing Wigan in a really early kick off

Pan face pointing to where his wife was

Briers at fullback

Being under dogs and looking forward to taking on the "big" teams

The sound of the back of the Fletch being hit

Another great night game - I was just looking at my programme from that game last weekend. There was some class in that Aussie midweek team, a young Brad Fittler played that night!