I was just talking to a lady friend (yes I do have one or two) about the nature of sports and I was reflecting with her about this one. So the thread is about reasons you became a die hard widnes fan. We've all got them, memories which bring us back to those earliest times and make us smile. Most of us have more than one.

Anyway I've been a fan longer than I can remember, seriously, some of my earliest memories are watching widnes, swinging on the terraces at half time whilst my Dad tutted that I was fidgeting again. I miss that bloke even if he was a stubborn old get. He got me in to Widnes Rugby. He couldn't have chosen something more sensible for my heart!

But the day which set it all up is the day Widnes came to train on the ICI Rec field in '89 or '90. Our best side and they came to our field. So all the kids in the neighbourhood ran outside and they allowed us to train with them a bit. Whether it was just picking up the equipment or passing the balls back it didn't matter, we were training with our heroes Offiah and Devereux and King Kurt. Anyway as training was winding down we all ran back to our houses and got our autograph books and in one foul swoop I had almost every single member of the team on the book.

Christ knows where that got to, I suspect my Mum ditched it thinking it was more of my junk. But the memory is more important than a book anyway.

i also have vague memories of mid week, evening kick offs (i think it was probably back in the days when there were 400 different knock out tournaments) being taken along by my dad and not really being interested but being cold and getting told off for arsing about and not watching the game

I have no idea when this was, i was definately very small, maybe 5-6 at most.
then i was allowed to go with my mates when i got a bit older (maybe 11) in the cow sheds sort of tagging along with all the boozed up older lads who had done a pre match session in the albion or some such

carried on in this way right through the dark days of 1994-1999ish.
I also remember, we were allowed out of class for an hour to see off the team as they made their way to wembley in 93. I was only in primary school at St Bedes, we all lined up outside the school on the birchfield road side, waving our scarfs and flags as the team bus passsed. Some of them came along to the school a week or so later to thank us


i also have clear memories of watching that final at my aunties house with the whole family, then waiting for my dad to come home (i wasnt allowed to go with The Men on the coach, too much boozing and swearing for my innocent young mind apparently). Ahhhh memories.

My first match was a derby game.
I was all set to support the Dires living in Warrington at the time and my dad just simply said don't do that! When I asked him why he just said that I came from Widnes (exiled at about 3 I think) and that was enough. We won convincingly.

I think what made me a diehard was being a Widnes fan in a school of all Wire fans!! I remember les Boyd and DES Drummond coming to my primary school an booing under my breath! (to be fair I was outnumbered and they were massive by comparison).

Chicken!

The cowshed many moons back now, I think 88 was my first game but I dont remember much of it to be honest, I used to walk across the ICI rec with my dad and i was a right little bugger always running on the pitch at the end to grab the tie ups. They seem giants when your about 6 years old (or littlerich size), i remember the early 90's pretty well and David Hulme was my favourite player, him and china used to go out to warm up for a lap around the pitch early and always had time for the fans. Wembley 93 was amazing even though we got beat and the rest is a blur to be honest. So many ups and downs but I was lucky to be born into an era when we kicked ass and won loads, my grandad played for Widnes and Oldham and my dad was a regular at the games through the 70's, 80's and 90's. I will never forget Naughton Park, such a magical place and I have been a die hard ever since I went that first time.

It's in the blood.

Widnes til i die!

I live in Chester so therefore was not brought with RL, it was just another sport that I knew nothing about.
I was brought up with football regularly watching Chester until I was old enough to go to my see the club I really supported,Derby County.

I was a single lad living with my parents so had plenty of money so travelling to Derby or where they were playing was no problem. In the late 80's I started to get disillusioned with the money involved and superstar status of footballers so I was attending matches less & less, spending more time in my local.

It just so happened that the RU world cup was held in the UK (1991) at this time, which was a completely new sport to me, I watched most of the games in my local where I was spending most of my time. Well me & my mates loved it but decided that we should go & see the other code also.

First game Pies v Leeds on a Friday or Saturday night, what a game RU was a thing of the past.

On the Sunday we went to see Sts v KR IIRC, 3pm KO, Widnes played that Sunday night (can't remember who against can anyone help?) so we decided to go to this match also, this was the best match of the weekend & being from Cheshire it was Widnes or Dire, I have never regretted choosing the Chemics.

I love our sport & am Widnes til I die no matter in which league we play.