8 replies to this topic

[John Drake]

How did you first discover RL and what was your first match?

[Pugwash]

I'd never been interested in rugby until I went to Hill Top Secondary school. My P.E. teacher was Graham Starkey and he played for Hornets. One day he came in and said if anyone wants to go to the Lancashire Cup Final to watch Hornets I'll give you a complementary ticket. My dad booked me on the old Ellen Smith's coach and I watched us get beat in the final. But I was hooked as far back as '67 I think.

[Pedro]

My Dad took me to my first match around the 1954-55 season. He has a lot to answer for!!! I am still waiting for them to win a trophy but one day maybe.

[arabella]

I played at school for a short time at the end of the 1970's.

I re-discovered the game, when I met boro hornet. Eventually getting him to take me to my first game: Oldham at home in the play - offs last year.

My first Hornet's game was Barrow at home last month.

[Shaw Lad]

My first game was January 27th 1962 Hornets v Oldham at the Athletics Ground. Oldham won 17 7.

[PooingDog]

I spent the first half of my childhood in and around Salford, I remember spending many a freezing cold afternoon sat outside the Weast pub waiting for my Dad and uncles to come out of the Willows (you'd be charged with child cruelty nowadays, but it was different times) "What score was it Dad? Did we win?". If he was feeling flush or in a good mood he'd pay me in, but I don't remember the first time or the first game I saw but it was Salford versus "somebody".

When I was ten my Mum pretty much dictated that we were moving to Rochdale to be closer to her side of the family and my Dad refused to watch Hornets unless we were playing Salford (later in life when he mellowed he became a spectator and then a begrudging fan), but from about aged 14 onwards my mates and I used to gain entry to the Athletics ground via one of several unorthodox routes. Come eighteen I went to Uni' and then worked in the south and abroad for a good number of years and didn't see much rugby for twenty odd years, until my wife and I moved to Rochdale. Rediscovered Hornets and never looked back.

[cumbriafan]

Have been a rugby fan since my Mum took me to see Swinton in the 1950's but my first Hornets game was away at Oldham (Easter 2005) but I had only gone to give some friends a lift whose regular driver was unavailable but got hooked and now do a 200 mile round trip to a home game since moving up to Cumbria 4 years ago.

[sardisjocks]

My 1st recollected memory of watching RL was the 1962 Cup Final on telly, although I did watch the previous final but can't remember much about it. Anyway the following week I went off with my dad, grandad and his brothers to watch the championship final at Bradford, same teams Wakefield and Huddersfield -opposite result. Anyway next season I talked my way into being brought to watch Hornets matches including some away ones (Blackpool stands out in my memory, can't remember if Brian Bevan played)

[DiddyDave]

Can`t really remember one particular match,but can clearly recall going to the Athletics Ground many times in the fifties with my dad and watching Hornets play. I think I was more interested in watching the trains go passed,but remember seeing the Kiwis once and wondered about their little "dance"! Went away from the game in the early sixties,but my good mate Philip Halstead got me back into the fold by persuading me to go to the 1965 Lancashire Cup Final at Knowsley Road when the boys lost to Warrington. I was really hooked this time and went to many games after that before emigrating to New Zealand in 1972. The most memorable game I can recall was when Hornets beat St.Helens one terrible night early in the season around 1970. It rained cats and dogs,but it brought the mighty Saints (Tommy Bishop and all) down to our level and though the score was close,14-10,or something,we thoroughly deserved the win. Bob Welding and Bill Sheffield,what a second row they were! A long time ago now,but still great memories.