aye I was there that day - I remember walking back to the bus and thinking "that'll do, we're safe"! but remember looking at my watching and saying to my mate "only 5 to go"! 2 minutes later the hooter went!!
The day after the game, Fev was buzzing about the missing 3 minutes. Depending on who you talk to, different tales will be told about that particular "conspiracy theory"! It's still talked about today.

That was 1986.

Shoot forrad to around 1991. Fev v Bradford last match of the season. On 'scrumdown Itv. Bradford played like they wanted the season to end. Fev played like their lives depended on it! Result - fev stayed up. Lots of accusations about a 'done deal' from the relegated team but no gossip around fev, no tales from ex-committee men, no revelations through the passage of time that would almost certainly eventually accompany a dodgy result.

Last Sunday then. Fev have been playing crapola. They beat Widnes with the last play of the game almost in a game Widnes should have put to bed. Fev wen't onto lose their last 3 games in gatuitous fashion, the last against a Batley side up against relegation fighting to the end and with a winger playing possibly his best ever performance in a batley shirt.
Fev were crapola. Batley weren't. Again, no rumour, no gossip and no hint of a dodgy one! I was there. What I saw was consistent of recent performances from BOTH sides.

Sorry to deflate the bubble owd cock.

The 1986 game however.....................

Kind words from Phil Kinsella on Radio Manchester this afternoon.''Get down to the Stobart Stadium on Friday night for Widnes v Featherstone,it promises to be a cracker''.Thanks Phil.Can't wait for it.May the best team win.

It really is going to be an 'anything can happen' sort of game. Fev have been as inconsistent as us this year. If both teams turn up then it really is going to be a cracker. If one of us has an off day, could be a bit one sided and if both have an off day we could be in for some comedy rugby league with a 'who is worst' competition. I actually think the play off scenario will bring the best out of both teams and it's going to be a close run cracker.

Just a question for Fev Fans - do your 'good days' co-incide with Harris playing? Or doesn't that really matter? Our good days tend to rely on Morrison and Fletcher being fully fit and charged up and setting a platform for Webster and Thackerey to do their stuff.

I'm sure we'll start favourites purely on home advantage, but I think this is going to be a rip-roaring night of 'proper' RL. Too close to call for mine.

Broadly, yes. Though personally I would say its more a case of our bad days, and trust me they are truly indescribably horrible, coinciding with his absence.

read the whole thread idiotboy, it seems from your fans arrogance we are the ones who are wasting our time travelling

I've read the whole thread Dr Knobrot... there is nothing from our fans to suggest arrogance.. relief at a home tie (which is fair enough) and repeated mentions of how difficult a game it is? The gobby stuff is coming from the Fax fans.
It was just a little dig at your mans comments, nothing more. Go and do some colouring in and relax little man!

Rovers - go see the nurse and get some more medication!!

Are you making one Friday or are you having your hair done or off to a gerbil festival or summat you orange ovoid oaf!

No arrogance from myself.I said ,in agreement with Phil Kinsella,''it's going to be a cracker'' meaning a great game but not sure who will win it.If I was arrogant I would have said ''it's going to be a cracker but we will win easily'' but then the game wouldn't really be a cracker if one team won easly.

I'm not so sure it will be a good game. But if we win, then who cares. I fancy us more this week than I did against Haven, anyway.

TBF, if telephones had reached Yorkshire in 1986, you would have been able to find out that York were losing anyway and it was irrelevant whether you got the point or not.

Feeling much more confident about Friday than I was ahead of the Haven game last week, but still - Harris didn't play in either of the league games against us and I do think we were able to keep a closer eye on Andy Kain as a result. And the first half against Fev in June was maybe the best display by us all year.

The Widnes fans have been quite harsh with alot of the players and performances this season, I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised if we achieve anything int heplay-offs, however our initial thought was that we'd have to play 3 away games and win if we wanted to reach the final, the fact that results have given us 2 home games obvioulsy improves our chances, like it would with any side. Our better performances have been at home this year, fact.

Friday's game will be a very good game, one which I think will be very close and if we play like we did on Thursday I don't think we'll win.

Key will be getting as many of the players back who missed last week, all big players for us this year.

We need at least two, probably three, of those missing players back on Friday. Morrison and Duffy in particular. It would be great to get either Toa or Gaskell back as well, but I believe it is likely that they'll both miss this game too.

Hopefully home advantage will see us right, but I've no doubt this game will be a tough one. I'm not just saying that, I mean it! At the end of the day it makes the whole thing more exciting, and I'm really looking forward to Friday now as a result.

What gobby stuff?

On your board, your fans are saying that you will be playing Halifax at Halifax next week for a place in the final......

Not seen much in the way of people counting their chickens over Friday night. Pretty much all of our fans are feeling wary of Featherstone as the opposition due to us not being a country mile ahead of them.

Only one, to be fair, but nevertheless a Halifax fan.



I don't see any of that at all from Widnes fans. Only that they think they can win, but using words like [i'hopefully'[/i and saying it will be [i'tough'[/i.

Positive stuff, but not arrogant.

We think, if we beat Fev on Friday, going on form and home advantage, we are likely to be playing Fax in the Semi-Final. You might not like that, but I think most fans of every Championship club would probably take the same view. You lost the tag of favourites a couple of months ago.

It seems to me that other fans of Championship clubs expect us to be arrogant, so they see it no matter what we actually say, hence we get numpties like '[irovers'[/i coming on here talking sh/te.

Going on 'form' Barrow lost to Halifax in all 3 games this year, lost their last two league games and have got rid of their coach (again). I think there's two hard to predict games this week...

Halifax have had a slump since then.

Going on current form and home advantage, I'd definitely say that Barrow would be most peoples favourite to win that game. That doesn't mean that Halifax aren't capable of beating Barrow. They've already, as you say, proved otherwise.

I personally think Halifax will win on Thursday up at Barrow, by quite a few.

Tough trip to Barra for us if thats the case and a ground in which we rarely win at.

I'd like that to happen, because I'd love to face Halifax in the final. However, as VM has said, it would mean a hard trip to Barrow for us at a ground we haven't won at yet.

I think Barrow will beat them anyway.

But haven't we both times faced Barrow at their place when we have been understrength.. This time we would hopefully be going up there close to full strength.

If............ if we beat Fev

Would we?

Hopefully Morrison and Fletcher would both be back fully fit by then and Varks could have shaken off his niggle. I've heard Duffy is close to being fit which would leave Toa and Deano out. But not bad considering.

So it's unlikely we'll have a fully fit team then, IET?

To be fair, just having Morrison and Duffy back would give us a chance. But I just cannot see us winning up there without the other three as well.

Ah well, Fev first and, if we win that one, we'll see.

If Toa and Gaskell dont make it back i would move Varkulis to centre with Dodd on the wing and give Yates a full game at FB.