Tattersfieldtreiziste

I'd guess around 500, maybe Barnyia can give a better indication??

....will be back in February. See you then

Usually our trips to Southern France are in the summer and are timed to coincide with Catalans home games, but we have just spent a week there in November, and went to see Lezignan Corbieres play St Gaudens. it was brilliant value for 10 euros! There was a real community feel in a tidy historic stadium with the rebuilt modern wooden ncovered stand. And the game had everything...a bad start by the home team 0-12 down after ten minutes and looking incapable of scoring, but somehow 12-12 at half time. Then what a revelation in the second half, not just a string of tries, but tactical penalty taking and a drop goal to protect the marhgin they had built. there were a couple of pantomime villains on the other team; one a player not happy with being sin binned, the other a trainer. They have a nice bar area and the whole atmosphere is reminiscent of RL towns up North, Lezignan having a population of 11,000, with the X111 set up a real community focus with teams at u-19, u-15 and u-13. Well worth savouring.

For me it is, was and always will be Tattersfield. I first went in 1978, and loved it's ramshackle soul. I used to think the 'tatters' was a reference to it's crumbling infrastructure; the wooden main stand, and the rusting covered stand on the other side where I stood. A wonderful old lass would make tea in a big urn there and on many occasions that cup of tea was the match highlight. None of my mates wanted to go, they were round ball only. But I didn't care, this was where I went religiously on a Sunday. And yes that included the 'Bloody Sunday' games where the TV cameras incongruously recorded the misery and eventually triumph over rivals Huyton in front of barely 200 of us. But things did improve, I remember a cup game where a call was put out for supporters to turn up with a shovel to clear the pitch. Maybe my efforts helped us win that day? Things improved. Crowds grew. And the old ground was spruced up as the Dons made it into the 'Big League'. And where once I had been in a crowd of 98, there were 7,000 for the visit of mighty Leeds. I had never seen so many Blue and Yellow scarves and hats, (probably because Leeds had the same colours). But then came the collapse, the possible merger with the upstarts from Sheffield and it looked like it was all over. And this was the case for Tattersfield, but the mighty Dons are now getting back to where they should be. But how I wish they still had that scruffy little place of their own

This is so positive for someone like myself who was born in the holy city of Doncaster and first came across Rugby League with the Dons. There is a lot of latent potential support there, with the game very much rooted to the North of Donny and it so good to see positive relationships, and growth over the years rather than the boom bust when they were in the Big League (for one miserable season). A few more years consistently building in the Championship, crowds of 2,000 then 3-4,000. Derby games with Trinity, Fev and those newcomers in Sheffield, could be great days ahead. Hopefully will see a few games this season.......

hi Ron, i agree with you. I used to love the feeling of space at Coventry Bears matches. We were in the non-Wigan end quite high up and those steps were really big, i'd say twice normal height. And to then sit with your knees up to your chin with barely a wafer between you and the next person! But really scarey was the [lack of] space behind the try line. No chance of a cheeky grubber or the drama of tackling the defender behind the line. And even sprinting over for a try could easily see an encounter with a brick wall. The stadium is a tired old lady, basking in its former glories while being milked for revenue by the Glaziers. Elland Road is no better, nor Hillsborough, both well past their sell-by dates. And St James Park is now in an area from where semi-pro game has sadly retreated. My choice going forward is to imagine the M62 went as far as originally intended, and where Everton are having their new place built in the former Liverpool Docks. I did enjoy yesterday despite Catalans losing, a definite sense of occasion, and a good sized and good natured crowd.

very, very sad news about Newcastle. Always liked their noisy fans when they came down to Coventry Bears, and i also like[d] the 'el classico' fixtures v Skolars. Thunder were [cant believe the past tense] a club we looked at as a beacon of steady growth and expansion with proper roots. Ironies abound with the loss of the Sycamore tree up there. And to me the really hard thing to take is that Thunder could prosper, grow and challenge for less money than a top player at Newcastle United's monthly wage. It might sound like 'prostitution' to some but have overseas investors been considered by any club, or even strategically at governing body level?

Fingers crosed Catalans will be there. And so too will me, wife and 2 x adult offspring. My birthday is October 9th so this will hopefully be a double celebration. it will be good to put behind the defeat two years ago, which somehow seemed a game too far. Also, we were at Catalans' potentially lowest point, battling to keep their SL status at Leigh Sports Village in the game nobody wanted to be in. At this game, Sam Tomkins was sat behind us, and it became obvious a little later that he was 'a twinkle in Steve Mc Namara's eye' as the project to take the Dragons to the next level unfolded. And i must admit i have a liking for Hull KR, my mother's side of the family being from the East Riding.

This is very sad. For their fans, players and those who have given money and time to keep the club going. As a Cov Bears fan, there was always something special about games between the two sides. Yet another name for the list of former/defunct RL sides. I am a devout expansionist, but now believe that expansion without direction, strategy and funding from the top is unsustainable. League 1 is shrinking alarmingly and looking very fragile now.

Done from me too. always good to help and to get fresh perspectives. The prospect of having a real conversation in a focus group with some of those on here is a bit frightening!

Well, surprisingly in all my life i have never been happier than at Tattersfield. Broken down, semi derelict but defiant, and when we beat Huyton in front of the cameras that was our Wembley. And wasn't the little stadium a treat when the Dons entertained Leeds in the 'Big League', i had never seen so many blue and yellow scarves, but then remembered that's Leeds colours too! I only went to Central Park once, and that was for the Manly game, and can certainly vouch for the game and attendance but dont remember the stadium.