Tyrone Shoelaces

Nice version but the Brenda Holloway original takes some beating.

We've had some great players at Hornets over the years but If I had to pick one above all the other it would be Frank Myler. RIP Frank.

Thanks for that Pedro. Obviously my grey cells are diminishing ! Regarding George Parkinson, he was an experienced and very tough character who came to Hornets towards the end of his career. I remember him keeping Alex Murphy very, very quiet one night when Murphy was playing for Leigh. He gave Alex a " quietener " early on and he was a bit off the pace after that.

My first ever game. I'd recently broken my leg playing football and watching soccer was just too frustrating as I was dying to start playing again. A pal of mine had been nagging me about watching Hornets but I kept laughing him off. Anyway he persisted and I went to the Leigh game. One game and I was hooked. it was a sunny evening and the ground looked a picture, the 'nets played really well. Even though I started playing football again after that I was a Hornets and rugby league fan. We battered Leigh that night, Toga was unstoppable. That was a really aggressive pack, I reckon not many teams fancied playing us. I think that game was in late 1966 because I broke my leg in August just after the football World Cup.

I was due an appointment for root canal work today. My dentist phoned me on Monday to tell me it was emergencies only now. It's extractions or painkillers and anti-biotics. No treatment that could possibly cause an aerosol.

I remember the 13-2 win over Saints very well, we scored two great long distance tries down the main stand side. I think Norman Brelsford and David Taylor scored them. Now that was a great win, nobody gave us a prayer and we won very convincingly. Regarding the Dewsbury game I recall they got really frustrated with the resistance Hornets put up and their prop Harry Beverley ended up getting the early bath.

No that was another game. I was stood in that large stand behind the goals at the other end to the double decker stand. It was really foggy that day and we could only see to just beyond the half way line. Play was out of sight in our half when I heard a loud roar. A second or two later Whitehead came sprinting out of the fog and straight towards us. He was quick for a prop and gobbled up the ground for a great try.

Yes you're right, the weather was atrocious. I think it may have been New Year. I was stood upstairs in that double decker stand behind the goals. Visibility wasn't great so I'd no idea what the sending offs were all about but given Hodky was one and Peter Clarke the other I wasn't exactly surprised. Hornets defence was terrific that day but Oldham helped by coming down the middle all the time. Having said that it wasn't a day for throwing the ball about.

A pal of mine went to that game. He reckoned the drop goal went over ! They played again on the following Thursday I think. There was about 18,000 on the old Athletic Grounds. That Wakefield team was one of the best teams I ever saw. They ran out like 13 giants, we were 13 blokes. We got battered. I recall one of their tries . It started on the 25 on their right wing, went through about 10 pairs of hands, and ended with them scoring in the left corner with a two man overlap. They had to play two games in midweek, the last one being on a Thursday. We played them on the following Saturday. Wakefield offered Hornets board money to move the game from the Saturday to another day and the Hornets directors accepted that. When the players got to hear about it they threatened to go on strike unless it was played on the Saturday !

I was playing football that day and when I looked at the scores in the Football Pink I couldn't believe my eyes. Leigh were a real top side in those days. Wasn't it 13-3 ?

Hodky was a top player. He'd be one of the props in my all time best 13. I remember him scoring a try against St Helens. Saints had been having a wage dispute and had only started training as a squad the week before the season started. Late in the game Hornets were just winning and got a play the ball just inside the Saints 25. We took it too quickly to Hodky who promptly dropped the ball. Thinking quickly he kicked the ball onwards and set off after it. All the Saints players just stood there appealing for a knock on. The ref, to everybodies amazement, said play on. This was right by me on the Railway side, scoreboard end. Hodky caught up with ball after it had rolled about 3 inches out of play over the dead ball line and touched it down. To everybodies surprise and the disbelief of the Saints players the ref gave a try !

Beating the mighty Leeds in the same era at the old Athletic Grounds. Billy Holiday's long distance drop goal that clinched it. It seems to get further and further away from the goals as the years go by. Beating the old enemy when we had two players sent off in the first half at Watersheddings comes to mind. 11 played 13 for more than 40 minutes we tackled them to a standstill. In fact I've more happy memories at Watersheddings than I have from the Athletic Grounds when we played Oldham. Playing the "A " team against Stevo's all conquering Dewsbury team because of a glut of injuries and beating them. Of course Hornets being Hornets all the " A " team lads were dropped for the next game and we got hammered. So many great memories especially from the Myler, Coslett era when we had a team that could beat anybody on their day.

Can somebody tell me - have we still got a Home Secretary ? I know we used to have one because she got to become Prime Minster. Did we bother replacing her ?

Yes the warm weather effect appears to be a myth. It's quite warm in Spain but it's really serious over there.

I can't see us playing again until what would have been the end of the season. August or September at the earliest.