28 replies to this topic

[duffymoon]

This Friday April 20th will be the 20th anniversary of the last match played at Station Road.Hard to believe its been twenty years!

Edited by PaulT, 18 April 2012 - 04:13 PM.

[PaulT]

I was only 5 years old so I don't really have many memories of it.

It might be a good idea to use this thread - Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the last match at Station Road if people share their most fond memories of the ground.

Dave - I hope you don't mind if I change the name of the thread.

[juliancaine]

one of my fondest memories is standing next to my uncle bernard in his battery car wheelchair shouting out every time andy pucill got the ball "pass the ruddy ball" and watching paul topping taking an age over kicking goals, one of my dads favourite moments was when it was raining and we both went and stood under the ledge near the commentary box to keep dry and low and behold swinton scored a try and i jumped up in celebration forgeting the ledge was there hitting my head on the ledge rendering my dad and several others in fits of laughter, another memory i used to constantly get was just the smell of the heat rub/linament the players used to put on their legs every time subsequently i put it on my legs before a game it always reminded me of my early years watching swinton.

[mark richardson]

Beating Salford 45-3 was a high point.

Running Widnes and Leeds close in the cup inspired by Danny Wilson.
Derek Bate flying down the wing and seeing Tex Evans come through the alliance team to become a brief first team favourite.
Going to the match with my grandad and him leaving his gloves in the stand and going back to get them in the pitch black and being the only ones there.
Watching the great Martin Hodgson walk up Station Rd and being told stories about him.
Vigo dancing for the crowd when he scored.
Martin Lee and Les Holliday,"esther" Ranson,Joe Grima,Logan Edwards Shane Tupaea,Snapper Snape,all my favourite players.
Kevin Oloughlin,Kel Earl, John Clough Alan Grice being names from when I first started understanding what was going on!
The bomb scare against Huddersfield and us all being on the pitch.
Winning the second division title 84 85 season...........

[duffymoon]

Its a crying shame that there is nothing on The Gateways housing development to inform people of what was once there.I know that Councillor Derek Antrobus has mentioned on the Swinton People facebook page that something such as a plaque should be displayed commememorating our beloved Station Road.Perhaps us fans could start the ball rolling? maybe something the trust could promote.

[duffymoon]

In its heyday it boasted a capacity of 60,000, although with a record attendance of 44,621 for Wigan vs Warrington in the 1951 Challenge Cup semi-final this was never really tested. All in all 19 internationals (including 15 test matches), 5 Championship finals, 17 Lancashire Cup finals, 4 Premiership finals and 30 Rugby League Challenge Cup semi-finals were played at the ground. In addition two World Cup matches were played at Station Road

[jaluda]

scraping the snow of the pitch before Gt Britain V Australia in the 60s along with all the hay and the braziers.
Meeting Lionel Blair in the boardroom after Swinton V cas game LOL]
sponsoring man of match (Danny Wilson 5 drops ) V Hunslet in Challenge cup (Hunslet were 1st div)
Beating Wigan 8-2 in Challenge cup
plus many many more but saddest of all was doing my first 1st team touch line only to realise later that it was to be the last ever game at Station Road v Salford 1992. I still have the video and one of these days i will get it transferred to DVD

[Phil Loxton]

As a Fev fan I remember visiting Station Road on 2 occasions; We lost about 47-4 in the old top 16 play-offs; Swinton were awesome in those days; The other time I REMEMBER was a semi final challenge cup game with Widnes when Fev led 9-0 at half time...We lost 9-15; So all in all not very happy memories for me; But I wish it still existed;

[Spelly]

Any (and every) win against the Pinks!

Spelly.

[redditchbulldog]

I have 3 memories of station rd first time was in the 70's been taken to challenge cup semi final no idea who played , 2nd time was in 1977 when Swinton played Batley in 1st round of challenge cup and losing something like 13 nil ,been taken into the players bar and Batley players buying me beer and then given a lift on team coach to junction 17 on m62 and dropped off and trying to stagger back down bury new rd as i lived in prestwich at the time and getting a bollocking off my mum for been a bit enebriated and stopped from going to batley games for 4 weeks. The 3 rd time was seeing Bradford play warrington in the premiership final and standing at the end opposite the squash club and seeing bottles and bricks flying in the air as it all kicked off at that end.
Nearly forgot when i went to watch batley play at swinton i always stood just behind the dug out and an old chap was always stood there bollocking the ref and players.

[jaluda]

that was Eric

[Paul Davidson]

I have 3 memories of station rd first time was in the 70's been taken to challenge cup semi final no idea who played , 2nd time was in 1977 when Swinton played Batley in 1st round of challenge cup and losing something like 13 nil ,been taken into the players bar and Batley players buying me beer and then given a lift on team coach to junction 17 on m62 and dropped off and trying to stagger back down bury new rd as i lived in prestwich at the time and getting a bollocking off my mum for been a bit enebriated and stopped from going to batley games for 4 weeks. The 3 rd time was seeing Bradford play warrington in the premiership final and standing at the end opposite the squash club and seeing bottles and bricks flying in the air as it all kicked off at that end.

Nearly forgot when i went to watch batley play at swinton i always stood just behind the dug out and an old chap was always stood there bollocking the ref and players.

That'd be "Mad Eric" then! Absolute class!

When I win the Euromillions I'm going to buy up each and every one of those houses they put on the hallowed ground and put a huge pitch, big floodlight columns, creaking stands and a supporters' club bar/shop. I'll also recreate the cinder covered car park on Pendlebury Road where I remember slipping and sliding around during colts training sessions, with steam coming off our heads on the cold, wet winter nights! Brilliant times!

I remember coming in through the clanging turnstiles from Station Road near the Folly, walking up the steps and emerging into the corner of one of the most fantastic grounds in the sporting world.
What a panorama that was! I don't even have any photos of the ground to remind me.

[Blue Monkey]

This Friday April 20th will be the 20th anniversary of the last match played at Station Road. Hard to believe it's been twenty years!

Had a look at a calendar for 1992 and the 20th was a Monday. Looks like it must have been Easter Monday then.

[LOYALION]

So many memories. Watching the games as a youngster with the freebiers I got off Don Preston at school. Danny Wilson cadging fags off me in the bar. Telling Malcolm White to shove his umbrella up his ###### when we all had to watch from Townsend Road for some reason. Gary Ainsworth coming out last AGAIN always pulling his shorts up. But the worst by far was having to read the message when the alarms rang at the Fire Station and seeing it was Station Road, and having to vainly try to put the fire out although you couldn't get anywhere near it because it was too hot. Sad, sad time!

[Blue Monkey]

So many fond memories of Station Road to select from.

Probably the best was the 1964 1st round CC replay against Wigan which set the club record attendance of 26,891 (probably more like 30,000 because quite a lot climbed over here and there to get in before the kick off - there had been about 31,000 at Central Park at the 15-15 draw days before).
When you got a huge crowd at Station Road it really was a sight to behold. I was there for a few occasions when this happened, such as two Test matches against Australia in 1959 and 1963 when the attendances were well over the 30,000 mark. I can still "see" it now, the brass band playing near the tunnel, the flags on the old scoreboard and a sea of faces on the terraces especially at the Pendlebury Road end.

[juliancaine]

That'd be "Mad Eric" then! Absolute class!

When I win the Euromillions I'm going to buy up each and every one of those houses they put on the hallowed ground and put a huge pitch, big floodlight columns, creaking stands and a supporters' club bar/shop. I'll also recreate the cinder covered car park on Pendlebury Road where I remember slipping and sliding around during colts training sessions, with steam coming off our heads on the cold, wet winter nights! Brilliant times!

I remember coming in through the clanging turnstiles from Station Road near the Folly, walking up the steps and emerging into the corner of one of the most fantastic grounds in the sporting world.
What a panorama that was! I don't even have any photos of the ground to remind me.

hope these pics help remind you and other's what a great ground station road was. got some more pics i'll post em when i get a chance.

Edited by juliancaine, 20 April 2012 - 06:37 AM.

[LiondressedasRam]

Thanks for the pics...Fond memories.

My most memorable games, for no particular reason than they've stuck in my mind...

Terry Holmes debut for Bradford - Dec 85 Lions 8-0 Northern

Wakefield - 1st game of final season, 18-9 (?) victory - was that the last victory we ever achieved at Station Road?

Whitehaven in the Premiership semi - came from behind to win 12-6 and go to Old Trafford

PNG Tour Game - when it felt we'd hit the big time and tour games mattered - think we were the only club side to beat them

Of course - the final game, which was on my Dad's 50th birthday, though no one knew the significance of it then.

So many other games that I know I enjoyed but don't remember in detail.

Edited by LiondressedasRam, 19 April 2012 - 05:11 PM.

[Tess]

Great thread. Great to read the memories. I remember the Danny Wilson days. Paul Topping, Derek Bate , Mark Villar etc. I remember Green Vigo and Danny Wilson 'gatecrashing' my 21st party at Station Rd. The Floodlit Trophy which was televised. Jef Whitesides tragic accident.
The Leigh match in the snow. swintons 40+ win over Salford. I could go on .... So many great memories. Wish we still played there now.

[Jonty]

Julian. Cheers for posting the photos.

My favourite Station Rd. photo is the colour one of the 1963 Kangaroos doing their pre-match "war dance" in front of a packed stadium. How there was capacity for another 20,000 in there is beyond me. Blue Monkey - seem to remember you saying you were at that game?

Can anyone tell me who Swinton played on the weekend of 26/27 February 1977 please? I was in Pendlebury Childrens Hospital that weekend and would be interested to know if there was a game on up the road.

I wonder if there's anyone still alive that went to Chorley Road? I know there were at least three when it was the "Five Cups" anniversary in 2008.

[juliancaine]

as promised some more pics of the hallowed ground for movie clips try http://www.britishpa...h/query/swinton click on full screen and enjoy it.

Edited by juliancaine, 20 April 2012 - 07:16 AM.