For the programme!



Yep - one thread fits all - first set of note by this weekend (for the league match) - then another for the Murrayfield weekend (for the cup game).

This is an easy one in the respect that there are countless memorable games against Wigan, but the stand-out thought for me was that in 2006 we played them in the league and cup in quick succession. In the cup, we were winning, but blew the game after Colum was sin-binned (ridiculously

), but we won the league game - and I think we'd all have taken that out of choice. But this year - well, TBH, although I would obviously like to be greedy and win both - if I had to choose one, it would be the cup game for sure. How things change eh?



So, it's over to you guys and gals to see what your outstanding memories are of games with Wigan - and remember, these can be personal memories as well as factual, as it's YOUR memories that we want to reflect.

Thanks all!

For me its got to be the 1988 game our 2nd game back in the old first division a great match against a star studded Wigan team and a 25 20 win
Trinity had the likes of Mark Graham Steve Ella John Glancy in the team and a young fullback called Julian Russell who scored a great try
At one point Trinity led 17 0 Wigan came back to 17 16 but we never lost the lead.
In the stand we had Michael Parkinson and Adam Faith

Didn't realise they came that close - I remember they fought back though!

Great game - beyond all our wildest dreams after just coming back into the top flight.

yep it went to 21 16 21 20 25 20

I have the highlights video from that season (poor quality..) and the team at the end of the season is totally different from the one that started the year. Its like two seasons in one! also Julian Russell used to be my team leader at work..remember it like it was yesterday..

or in 1993/94 when we played them away at Central Park on the Sunday with an under strength team and lost, we went back in the middle of the following week and against the odds Henry Paul mugged them along the late Dave Woods and Matt Fuller after which Wigan promptly signed Henry Paul for the following year.

Well the one that springs to mind is the 2005 game at the JJB towards the end of the season. We were going the right way for safety with victory the previous weekend (against Widnes?) and seemed like we'd probably be safe, but victory against Wigan would have made it almost definite. And win we did, with one of the best pieces of play from Sol in his time with us - his "hand of god" try with 5 or 6 defenders on him. It was far from his usual flashy moves but certainly effective and one I'm glad I witnessed. All the defenders dragging him down but he was just too strong, and out of nowhere pops his hand to put the ball over the line. Even better that there was controversy that went our way for once!

No memories earlier than that though sorry, it was my first season watching the Trin!

I'd love it to watch the TV coverage of our first game on satelite TV BSB wasnt? nobody had one of their dishes did they, so in reality they were virtually broadcasting to no-one. Anyway the orginal cheater Ellery Hanley got over the line in the corner and toddled off towards the posts thinking he was safe as houses that was untill Jason Timmins ran and dislodged the ball from him. The ref, Robin Whitfield?? was surrounded by wigan players and eventually gave the try!!!! dispite the fact Ellery never even put the ball down. There was no video ref in those days..

Lads queing up in the play offs to get in, when they did get in they where (was it?) 16-0 up. They where made to sit with the Wigan fans and didn't get to see us score a point!

Beating them 25 - 10 at Wembley in 1963. They were red hot favourites, nobody gave us a cat in hells chance of winning



I remember Wigan were 'all over us' for the first 20 minutes and then we completely outplayed them. Try scorers were Gert 'Oupa' Coetzer 2, Ian Brooke, Malcolm Sampson, and Harold 'fishcake' Poynton with a lengthy interception try. Neil Fox kicked 5 goals.

I have a photo of me sitting on the roof of the car in the car park afterwards wearing my bobble hat, scarf and rosette .... aahhhh those were the days!

And before you ask TRB, no you can't have the photo to put in the programme!!

One of the best tries i ever saw came at Craven Park by a certain Andy Wilson.. An absolute cracker and i do believe we won and Henry Paul was awesome!! Now i might be getting confused and putting 2 games into 1 as i was young but Willo's try was a full lengther weaving through all the team. What a player and charachter he was and i saw him on the Brennan Rooney walk with Barry Mcdermott and Steve Prescott at Hunslet. He still only looked 30! Good face cream...

I know Jason very well and to this day we still can't believe that try was given. Hanley dropped the ball, it bounced straight back up in to his hands and down he went for the ref to give the try, the ref was perfectly placed to see the incident too, it was daylight robbery. Had that try been disallowed I'm positive we'd have gone on towin the game. Thought it was the last 16 of the cup not a bskyb league game but I may be wrong. That season ason got a letter through for the GB train on squad but he was injured at the time, crying shame cos he had pace and great vision.

You are correct, we also had 2 tries dissallowed which on any other day would have been give, the game was on BBC 1st half highlights and 2nd half live, the day started off red hot and i went to the game in t shirt and shorts needles to say it rained 2nd half. Price and Bell where the 2 tries dissallowed if i remember rightly.

For me, the play off game. Late getting in due to Wigan turnstile incompetence, and then BJ strolling thro' to touch down in front of us, every Wigan fan head-in-hands 'cos they knew they were out, and then Smithy taking it back for something I still don't get to deny us a semi spot. (And maybe a caning

)

Ok then i'll ask, can you supply the photo of you "Car walking" Ta.

Yeah, this is my main memory of Wigan as well.

Lived in Manchester at the time (uni) and my mate came up to meet me for a few beers before we set off to Wigan.

A few beers turned into a few more and when we got to the train station, we'd missed the last train that would get us to Wigan on time.

Thinking that it can't be that far from Manchester to Wigan (Wakefield to Leeds surely?) we hopped in a taxi and asked for the JJB, our first concern being the driver having no idea where this was!

Eventually we arrived (£50 later) and sprinted over to the turnstiles where a large amount of wakey fans were stood. The queue seemed to be motionless and kick off was arriving, so i got the radio on my phone and started to commentate the game for the fans stood outside.

Didn't get in till we were 16-0 up and didnt see us score a point, but commentating to a large group of wakefield fans was certainly enjoyable.

Also remember the end of that game when the wakey fans ran to the edge of the pitch as the players clapped us and seeing the look on the players faces...they were as gutted as we were!

I have memories of going to Central Park pre-season to see the Wigan Sevens competition (not sure which year though)
We spotted a young ginger kid playing for Wigan who looked like he might be a good prospect. That kid was of course Kris Radlinski and went on to be slightly more than a good prospect.

Also did we not play Wigan the first game after Martin Offiah signed for them for some record fee (£440,000 springs to mind)?

My favourite Wigan memory is Nigel Wright's return to BV after his sale to Wigan. He got sent off after about 20 mins (I think) and I have never heard such abuse for a player in all my years going to watch Wakefield.

He looked mortified walking down the tunnel.

Not even sure why he was sent off but I do remember BV being packed, Not even sure if we won or not but I think we did.

No your getting your games mixed up!! The Ellery Hanley no try was in a league game at Belle Vue, I think it was a sunday night too for BSB. The cup game was a different occasion..

remember the price being put a quid so we could buy nigel back , never happened though

.

my main memory was losing on a wednesday night down at belle vue and all the decisions went the goons way however in the 2nd half we turned it around we were losing about 14-2 or 12-0 we scored (Gary price if memory serves me right ) he carried the likes of platt , edwards and betts over the try line with him as he collected the ball about 15 metres out .
then with minutes left on the clock a high bomb caused mayhem on the wigan goal line and ged bryne appeared to score . i say appeared because im still to this day unsure if it was a try but i do recall it was the first time id experience the wakey crowd giving the score . if it had been turned down i think the ref would off need more than a escort .


however does any one remember the hanley try that never was

he crossed over the try line at chav corner and showboated to the posts only to be clobbered by (Eden me thinks) and had the ball clearly ripped . the ref probably holdsworth

gave it as a try even though ellery got up looking sheepish and the ball was rolling towards the players entrance.

most recently you could mention moore , but seeing as hanley is legend at the goons my most recent memory of anything wigan was the camp judge calling ellery mr potato head on that skating show

Yes you are correct about the debut of Martin Offiah.

David Myres was the incumbent winger at the time. A good one, and a crowd favourite who scored tries a plenty, (I think he died last year in an accident). Offiah came on as a sub in the second half to some booing as I remember it. Was a close game at the time with Wakefield still in with a chance. Up pops Offiah and I think he scored the crucial try to ease them in to a more comfortable lead and the game. There are some try clips of him on YouTube paying for Widnes. Some you would not believe if someone described them to you. He was a RL freak (in the nicest sense of the word).

Topically talking of crowd figures. That Wigan game where Jullian Russell scored the winning try. I was behind the sticks at the time and it was the most packed I have ever known BV to be. Crowd was officially 8500 I think but honestly they must have been 15000 in. I think I have it on Video.

it was the first game on bsb was it not?

Don't think man - check!



That would be a classic game for some of us (

) to watch again!

was the Offiah debut game not also one of Geoff Bagnalls first games for us. Either way. Geoff played one of if not his first at Central Park. I can't remember much about the game to be honest except for 2 things. Firstly an old 'ecentric' Trinity supporting couple kept chearing for that Aussie bagman! We couldn't stop laughing. Secondly it was the first game that I took my new 'posh' southern girlfriend to to meet my rugby mates. Fortunately for me she didn't embarras herself in front of my mates and nie on 20 years on she takes our boys to B.V .and away games when I'm working.

Good memories!

Yes!

See my posts above, it was Jason Timmins who got the ball free..and it could have been John Holdsworth the ref..