Was a very good WIGAN win that day always liked going to burnden park the two times we went oh happy days just hope they mite be just round the corner.

My favourite was the Challenge Cup 1st round 28 - 4 win in the snow at Castleford in 1991. The rugby played that night under those conditions and the provocation was unbelievable.

If you think the referees have it in for us now, and don't protect players, then you should have been there that night.

We once played Swinton I think at Burnden, We punted to touch and the ball was spiked on top of one of the anti invasion spikes around the pitch. Never seen that again! Posts were borrowed from my school when we payed at Burnden.

But... hang on ... wasn't Gene Miles and over-the-hill, 32-year-old Aussie who'd already been semi-retired to the second row in the NRL and came over here on short-term contract, probably for the money?



Thought I'd ask the question as the Stains & Dire fans seem to have missed this thread so far.

type in Henderson Gill Try - 1992 Challenge Cup Semi Final on youyube

just to narrow it down a bit, what with all the other Henderson Gill tries on there

Some good stuff on YT. Regarding Burnden Park - We also played a John Player final there against Warrington as well as a CC semi against Salford and and a JPS semi against Leeds (1987, lost) so we played there quite a few times. If I remember correctly the punctured ball was against Batley in the challenge cup first round in 1985 - Brett Kenny scored the first I think.
Some idiot called Wiganer1983 keeps posting vids from the like of Halifax away CC 1993 and Hull away in 1994

. Anyone wanting to see Phil Clarke at his best should have a look at the Halifax game in particular.
Just noticed the battle of Wilderspool New years day 1988 as well. Happy days. Also - Which game was Andy Farrell's 'big fat Garry schofield' comment after? Honestly can't remember that one!

What year did Ellery get sent off on his way to the changing rooms at Odsal? I was really young but was it Whitfield refereeing and were the changing rooms at the otherside to where they are now?

It was the second game of 2002 - London 6 Wigan 32. We'd started the season at home to Bradford (Grand Final Repeat) and played abysmal losing 18-4. So Garry Schofield laid into Faz on the Super League show and he responded with a hatrick at London and not long after the Cup Final triumph at Murrayfield.

Nice one - I remember the game, but not the post match interview. Tell your 'mate' to keep the older videos coming by the way. Great memories.

Got the game on DVD. Great performance.

Offiah's 5th is one of the best tries I've ever seen live.

great game was stood in the burnden terrace.one of my fab games watching wigan.

the 1988 semi final was at burnden park and just to see how times have change bolton had a home game on the date of the semi but switch to friday night.so the semi could take place on the saturday by the end of the game the pitch cut up and looked like mudbath

i think wigan also played 2 regal finals at burnden in the late 80s

not too sure about that, remember playing Cas in the Regal Final at Headingley, first and only time I ever went in the South Stand and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. Only remember going to Burnden Park twice and pretty sure they were both Challenge Cup games.

Wigan Matches at Burnden Park

Wigan 46 Batley 8 - 1985 Challenge Cup R1 (Wigan home match switched)
Wigan 18 Warrington 4 - 1987 John Player Final
Leeds 19 Wigan 6 - 1988 John Player Semi Final
Wigan 34 Salford 4 - 1988 Challenge Cup Semi Final
Wigan 12 Widnes 6 - 1989 John Player Final
Wigan 30 Oldham 16 - 1991 Challenge Cup Semi Final
Wigan 71 Bradford 10 - 1992 Challenge Cup Semi Final

went to all the challenge cup ones (including the Batley one when I was 5) according to my dad just now but none of the JP ones. All that money wasted on matches I can't even remember, at the first one apparently I was obsessed with the fact the ref had a pen down his sock

I remember the JohnPlayer final. It was the day after Jonathan Davies saw the light and turned to RL. It was an immense game. Must have scared the life out of him. The Bradford semi was also on an episode of Up and Under (for those old enough to remember).

I must have been at the '89 JP final as I definately remember seeing us win a trophy there although I thought it was the Regal Trophy a bit later. I remember being right at the back of the terrace hanging onto a pole or something to see. It was under the commentary gantry and Alex Murphy was climbing a ladder to ge up there. All the Wigan fans were singing "Murphy's on the dole". Presumably he'd just been sacked.

Why was the '85 game against Batley switched to Burnden Park?

We were in the middle of a freeze and CP did not have undersoil heating. John Ferguson was due to go home soon and Wigan wanted too get the game played a.s.a.p. to avoid fixture congestion.

The Bradford one was a complete mismatch - probably the 1st time in a semi that a team has been completely blown away. What was impressive though was how we backed up to win at HKR 17-2 just 4 days later - that was a tough one in those days.

It's hard to say which performance was our 'best' ever, but 2 spring to mind, the 1950 Championship Final v Huddersfield (who had an outstanding team at the time), were we had 8 'star' players missing due to commitments on the Lions tour, a 20-2 victory was hailed at the time as Wigan's finest hour, and of course the WCC in Brisbane 1994, described by many as 'one of the most outstanding achievments in the history of the British game'.

Yet you will still get plums arguing otherwise because according to them, nothing that Wigan did between 1985 and 1995 actually counts because it 'wasn't a level playing field yadda yadda yadda.'
Some of the rugby played in those videos was superb and brings back great memories about what a good side Wigan put together back then.

Recently put that game on DVD and what a awesome match, remember Offiah going round the Bradford winger Cordle and he was not too pleased about it.

Happy Days At Burnden Park

Gerald Cordle



Sorry if it's already been mentioned but didn't Nobby play for Bradford that day too? God I felt sorry for them.

As I came home happy from another Semi Final win at Burnden (against Salford), I found my mother stood on the doorstep waiting for me arms crossed with a stern look on her face.

Aparently after one of Wigans tries the BBC camera panned into the crowd and showed me quite clearly giving the 'v' signs to the Salford fans, who had been goading us. (Man U firm causing trouble).

She gave me such a bollocking!!!


I was 17 at the time!!!!!!