I know that most threads are (quite rightly) to do with Wembley at the minute, but with all the talk of new stadia on other clubs' forums, it got me to thinking about cherished memories of Wilderspool. Teams like Saints, Salford, Wakey and Cas will eventually be saying goodbye to their crumbling old homes with the same “it may be a sh*te hole but it’s our sh*te hole” philosophy and the same was true of Wilderspool.

Below is a series of arbitrary memories that I have from Wilderspool over the 20 years I watched us play there and I hope that other people will post a few of their own to get the nostalgia flowing. In no particular order.................

Darren Burns kicking the ball dead into the crowd at the Fletch with a few minutes left of the Cas game in 2002 then jumping up and down and fist-pumping on the pitch in acknowledgement that we’d stayed up.

Walking down Fletcher Street before kick off and hearing the old corrugated metal back of the stand being banged by the fans inside –then you knew it was match day. Closely followed by the narrow, dingy walkway as soon as you got through the turnstiles and the view of the ground that made the hairs on the back of the neck stand up when you came out in the middle of the Fletch or under the scoreboard. To me, that never got boring. Ever.

Pondlife Corner and all who sailed in her.

Rick Thackray snapping his leg right in front of a very young me on the touchline under Snookers in the early-mid eighties. You could hear the snap and screaming!

Alfie Langer stealing the ball off Tommy Martyn behind the Saints try line and plonking it down for a try as Martyn tried to fend him off like a troublesome fly. Then the look on Martyn’s face when he looked at his hands where the ball had been half a second earlier and realised what had happened.

Beating Sheffield Eagles 36-18 in the last game of the 93-94 season to go top of the league and dreaming that we might stay there if Wigan and Bradford both lost later that weekend.

Playing Blackpool in a midweek cup game in about 1992 in what ended up being the lowest ever attendance for a Wire first team game at Wilderspool and there being 2 Blackpool fans in the Railway end.

Spending the entire half time interval trying to change ends once they shut the Snookers side down.

The scoreboard still listing our opponents as “Bradford N” right up to 2002 (only when we played Bradford, obviously).

The daft, low-budget game at half time where fans had to run round in circles with their foreheads on a broom until they were dizzy, then try and run up and kick a conversion. It was always funny.

Coming back from 12-32 down to beat the all-conquering Bradford 42-32 in 2000 after Brian McDermott got sent off for fighting and Lee Penny went round Stuart Spruce like he was in concrete wellies.

That dance troop from Watford that we used to have (the original Starlights??) who were all fit – especially “the twins” who did that cartwheel thing together (ooh, my giddy aunt!).

Playing Australia in 1990 and 1994 – FIGHT! I wasn’t old enough to remember ’78.

The last ever game when we wore two different strips in each half and Graham Appo went point crazy. A great but very sad day.

Never seeing the kick off to any game between 1983 and 1991 due to my old man and his mates always being in either the Golden Lion, Royal Oak or Causeway till five to three.

Rob Smyth scoring in the last minute against all-conquering Bradford in 2001 to win us the game 18-14 when we had about 10 players missing. It went wild! Then we played them again four weeks later and they stuck 84 points on us!

Beating St Helens quite often and with minimal fuss. Yes, that actually used to happen.

Goosebumps! Some crackers there mate. I would also add, THAT try by Henare as one of the great moments.

What a feeling that was.

1995 NZ V Tonga in the WC

Easter Monday V Wigan we were having a rubbish season Dorahay and Murphy were in charge i think and we thrashed the pies. I stood there in shock as the performance was nothing like we'd seen all season

Fletcher street singing "Shave your eyebrows off" to Mal Meninga against Australia dont know what year.

Middle of the Fletcher End every time. Me and my old man used to stand behind the pillar to left left of that walkway (and then complain we can't see the match because theres a f*cking pillar in the way) every week without fail. As I got older I'd sneak off to be with my friends, but I'd always walk into the ground up those stairs and into the middle of the terracing. Magical!



A beautiful moment. IMO one of Alfie's finest playing in the P&B. To this day whenever I'm playing and trap the defender in goal, I always look to do that one-on-one steal.



When did the Snookers side of the ground shut down? I can remember walking down that side on a few occasions, but I don't think we ever did it afterwards. When I was little I always used to try and see down the tunnel, but I was always too small to get a view of anything.



Unlike the uninteresting kick at goals we have now. Proper half time entertainment.



Never went to this game. I was 10 and so convinced we'd lose I didn't want to go. More fool me.



A day I'll never forget. A win on the final game at Wilderspool, and it confirmed us as top six play off hopefuls.



My favorite try at Wilderspool. It was in the dying moments and the crowd went wild. IIRC Paul Derbyshire took charge of that game after DVDV left. Probably one of few men to have a 100% coaching record with Warrington IIRC.

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1978 and beating the aussies, will never forget that night.

1985 and beating widnes in front of a full house, boyd's first game if memory serves me right.

Des Drummond and his ninety yarder against saints.

The fight against wigan well cullen battered goodway

John Bevan's many tries & Steve Hesford's goals

Yep, I think you're spot on with all that. I remember Mark "Mong" Gleeson made his debut in that match and played a blinder at hooker tackling the chemically-enhanced (allegedly) Bratfutt pack for 80 minutes despite being 11 stone wet through. Even Dave Alstead played well.

When Smyth went down the touchline for the winning try at the Railway End, you can see Pondlife Corner going absolutely crackers in the background on the Sky replay. I've still got that game on video somewhere. C'est magnifique!

God that felt good reading that.

Always went in the turnstyle just to the left of the old club shop, turn left the right up the stairs into the fletch turn right upto the top just by the white posts in the middle, and listening to the rip his spleen out man.

Alfie in the right hand corner (my right) stealing the ball off Tommy was a classic

The 17-17 all draw in which Briers missed god knows how many drop goal attemts to finally get one in the dying minutes.

I remember Guisset getting his nose splattered over his face and all the big hits he used to put in, both Fozzard with his armchair on his arm and Hilton crashing in. Foster and Penny playing forever, and Nat Wood. Mate it might have been a dump but god i miss that place over the HJ.

I'm getting all teary now

Where's the guy with all the pin badges that used to stand by the betting shop on Wilderspool Causeway ?

[url=http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=warrington&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Warrington,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&ei=gnJhTJbyNYaR4gbYn43xCQ&ved=0CCcQ8gEwAA&ll=53.382236,-2.589351&spn=0.000712,0.003433&z=19&layer=c&cbll=53.382205,-2.589484&panoid=UYP3GkmhFhzwnaihc7cvPA&cbp=12,70.45,,0,5.35This[/url

One of my funniest memories from wilderspool was a time when wolfie used to throw the rubber chicken into the crowd and one day it got stuck on the rafters. This was when I was about 8 so it was hilarious.

As much as I love the nostalgia of wilderspool my favourite wire memory was at the HJ with the first tackle of the match against leeds when joey debuted and chris lightbulb flattened rob burrows and the already electric crowd just went sick lol. Good memories from everywhere

I dont really have any specific game memories from wilderspool as i was still quite young,but i do remember many many good times there.

Running onto the pitch after the game to ask the players for their "tie ups" from their socks (more so in academy games) and getting Fozzies one week,that made my year!

Being on crutches in the fletcher end and struggling to stay on the terrace steps when i had a fair bit of trouble with my knees.

Standing by the bench at almost every home game and getting players to sign my shirt (i even had the physio tony rothwell sign it!) then taking it home to my gran to get her to stitch over the autographs so they wouldnt wash off! i still have that shirt and will wear it again at wembley this year!

The smell by the dugout, is it wintergreen or something they call it? wilderspool always had a "scent" if it wasnt that it was fag smoke and probably a little bit of wee!!

Walking back to the bus station after the game singing the whole way win or loose!

good times!

Paddling through the gents toilet - and on a cold day, the steaming wall.

Calling in at the sweet shop prior to the game.

Watching Wire play Cas in the Cup in 1973 (?) a mid-week, mid-day replay. A capacity crowd with people having half a day of work to attend.

"The end is nigh" bloke with his placard stood in Fletcher Street - I think he also turned up at Wembley in 1974.

Being crushed when walking down the narrow cindered path at the back of the main stand and seeing the players arrive/ leave.

The blue invalid cars that used to park on the pitch edge.

The bloke on the corner of Bridge Street selling the evening pink after a Saturday afternoon game.

Happy days.

funny how your eyes decieve you


=#FF0000funny how you've not read the aup

My first game in 1993 against Halifax when I was 10 and the floodlights failed, then stood around for 20 minutes waiting for them to be fixed.
In my early watching days seeing players like Davies, Bateman, Shelford, Harris, Forster
Being cheated out of the league in 1993
Jon Roper length of the field try against Saints with blood pouring from his nose
1994 against the Aussies
1995 - Tonga vs New Zealand, NZ came back to win by a point but a great game and atmosphere
Watching Toa in the Alliance in the winter of 1995 and thinking "this guy is bloody amazing"
Working the scoreboard for some alliance and academy games
Wire 35 Wigan 24 in 1997, have it on video shame I can't watch it
That 42 - 32 game against Bradford, also have that on tape.
From 2001 - Wire 47 Wigan 38, Sky decided to not come to us after all as we'd had a few loses in the weeks before but we still played on the Friday and had an awesome game, Sky ended up with a really dull game instead.
As some have mentioned beating Bradford with Paul Darbyshire in temporary charge, Stevo saying "The fans are going bananas" when Rob Smyth scored.
That Alfie ball steal
Darren Burns "ave it" in 2002
Jerome knocking Brad Davis into the next year, along with lots of others.
Wire 30 Saints 30 from 2003

anyone remember them blue n yellow smoke canisters the club had in front of the fletch for the game where we beat saints in 01?

The teams came out, the canisters released, for about 5 minutes, no one in the fletch could see the pitch, or breath very well as it all blew in on us.

Remember them well.

SL1 1996, we had a bit of a role on going into june, bullmania had a exploded, and they'd beat wigan despite being a man down, they came to wilderspool (sans grass) on a sticking ing hot day, and two of the best fights ever kicked off simoutaneously, mark forster(currently wearing his fetching blue scrum hat) and sonny nickle, and on the other side of the pitch, THAT henare encounter, where he whaled on glenn tomlinson for no reason whatsoever, and ended up grabbing the touchies leg in the melee.

Later on mark forster got thrown into the camera at pondlife corner by (hey) macnamara and jon scales, i think it was.

But best of all from that match, one of the bradford photographers infront of the fletch kept getting belted by water balloons.

Monsieur Invisible, I salute you for a fine start to a super thread.

The buses that used to be waiting right outside the ground.

The trolley they used to wheel round the pitch selling (only) mars bars and bovril and being shouted at several times a lap, "how strong's your juice?"

I can even still picture the paper cups with the stripes that they used to sell beer in when you got to the top of the stairs when you 'transferred' to the main stand. (The one that nobody definitely set fire to; it was a complete accident.)

The scoreboard spelling Sheffield incorrectly.

Neil Harmon warming up on the touchline and colliding with a touch judge. The official was fine whilst Harmon had to receive treatment.

And lastly, and I can't believe it hasn't been mentioned yet, the team emerging from the tunnel to 'The March of the Gladiators'.

[iIf anyone wants to view the infamous Cullen and Goodway incident, go to the most commonly used video clip website and search for Warrington v Wigan World War 3.[/i

Sorry about that was just trying to enlighten those fans who never had the chance to watch the wire at wilderspool, and who missed out on the delights of Boyd and co in the days when rugby league was an all out western brawl

Warrington 15,Australia 12. Mike Nicholas saying to himself "right nicko,it's them or you."


The old guy in fletcher street on matchdays with his "you are all sinners/doomed/end of the world is nigh" placards.


Warrington 0,Workington Town 1.

It was almost like old times on Sunday at Widnes with the 'end of the world etc' placards outside the North Stand. I hadn't seen them for years. All that was missing was the bowler hat.

Arriving at a game against Leeds to find out it had been called off due to a waterlogged pitch,imagine if there was internet then Jeez the moaning would have been unbearable...
Dessie laying out Offiah under the sticks in front of the Fletch.
Holding a cup of Bovril instead of a Pint.
Johnny Warbo.
The smell of Wintergreen coming from the dressing room.
Going into the touchdown club after the game (i loved it in there)
Just seeing Jiffy Davies play for us was awesome.
The orginal starlights with the twins...






The Brawl V Australia was brutal even a couple of stewards had to come onto help stop it...


Going into the ground 1 and a half hours before kick off as a kid..Then when old enough to drink entering the ground as the ball was being placed on the kick off tee...
Jon Roper and Richard Henare's tries v Saints..

I could go on forever here listing memories...Very happy days...I fell in love with my team at Wilderspool in 1990 i've never looked back since..My loyalty is now being rewarded and it feels good...

Great Thread. Same memories as a lot of others on here, the Bradford comebacks, Langers ball steal from Martyn etc

The general feel/smell/ atmosphere of the place is what the HJ can never replace. Games against Wigan, Widnes and Saints, the atmosphere was always something else

Always hating it if I arrived late as it was impossible to get to your spec wading through and annoying fellow Fletcher Enders( I stood in the middle of Fletch near the white railings at the back), and the same went if you needed a slash during the game



The 17-17 draw against Wigan when we should of won it the amount of possesion we had

THe 30-30 v Saints. 2003ish Also the 25-24 loss against Saints(circa 97??) I'll always remember, brilliant game

The general anticipation of Widnes' return to Superleague(2002), remember it kicking off in town outside Weatherspoons and all along Bridge Foot/Wilderspool Causeway

One that sticks in my mind is when Bobby Goulding

was playing for Salford( I think) and was giving the Wire fans the finger back after the Fletch dished out the usual stick to him. Forster ran over to him and started pointing at the scoreboard laughing his head off( Wire were winning comfortably at the time). Goulding didnt know where to look



The Huddersfield "Sit In". Not a highlight as such, but certainly sticks in the memory. Deakin running out to try and appease those who were "sitting in". Didnt agree with the protest(though stayed to see what was going on

) but that was an horrendous result. 44 past us that day I think

The worst game Ive ever watched in my life, Salford beating us 22-2 towards the back end of 2002

The 300 "last ever" games at Wilderspool

Danny Farrar being the hardest player ever

Johnny Warbo

Just the general banter/stick/abuse dished out to opposing players from the Fletcher End and POndlife

£10 Wolfpacks

I'm not a Wire fan but my abiding memory of visits to Wilderspool is walking down the main stand side terrace and getting the strong whiff of Wintergreen