Ainley Top

Wakefield and Castleford have been cheating the system for 20 odd years!

I thought that.

Aye, a local lad he scored a great try against the Australian tourists if i remember correctly.

A visit to the Thrum Hall area now would not be a nice experience sadly.

Thrum Hall, where to begin? It started for me by hearing the roar of the crowd from our house just a few streets below Thrum Hall. Then going with my sisters to reserve games progressing to 1st team matches when the games opened 20 minutes before the end of the game. As i got older us lads used to go up ,most of the time dolling in by climbing over the wall behind the main stand and dropping down into the alley below. As we grew up it was a case of going around town supping and calling at the shop on Gibbet Street where you could get a bottle wrapped up in a bag, summat to do with the licensing laws. Night games involved a walk up from King Cross through the tight streets and factory yards with the anticipation and excitement getting ever stronger as the crowds grew thicker and the floodlights started coming into view. After getting married and having a young 'un I took him up to his 1st reserve match at six weeks old and recall the turnstile chap having to open the large gate to let me in as i couldn't get the pram in! When the wife wasn't working in't Feathers at King Cross all of us went up and half time was spent in the Taverners with a pint of Websters Best while the lad tucked into a lovely bowl of stew, much needed considering the arctic weather we had up there half the time. As time went on after watching the lows of losing to Cawoods and the highs of running the Australian team very close and winning The League and cups, it was time for the lad to play there in various tournaments for King Cross arlfc. The final match against Leeds in February 1998 was a great occasion and one filled with so many memories of, in my biased eyes, the most atmospheric ground in Rugby League ever.

Given that I've been involved with RL for over 60 years i must be dillusional then. The only way Bradford are getting into SL is if the division is increased in size and it is obvious to anyone that the iconic ones will be moved up by hook or by crook. All for the good of the game don't you know?

I well remember going over 'tops to Watersheddings for a night match and the pitch black of the bleak moors was lit only by a never endline of red lights, tail lights of all the cars and coaches. Great away support for Fax in those days!

Fev fans fighting. Whodathowtit!

Fax were never recompensed though, were they?

An ACTUAL path to SL could perhaps be achieving more points in a season than the other teams in the division. Just a thought.

If Samoa is good enough for King Charles, it's good enough for me️

Everyone's known all season who will be in SL next year.

No it dosen't. It sounds like the poster wants bradford to get hammered which is a very reasonable wish to my way of thinking. A one point defeat for the iconic ones was, however, just as satisfying.

Open your eyes️

There's none so blind as those that will not see!

I wonder why?

A bit like sending a kid into a spice shop then, but with no brass?

Don't forget that it takes time for the critical mass to move the needle. That's why it's a 12 year deal.

I knew this was coming. I remember it well!

...but they have, quite clearly️

I said when York played at Fax how how good they looked, everything done at a fast pace. I seem to remember someone saying Fax won because York were so poor which wasn't the case at all. Some times you just have to give the opposition credit.

Only worzel has said that the system is designed for a closed shop? I don't think so.

I've just been on and it's fine. Have you got electricity?

Would all the Wakefield fans have applauded if 'havens late score was the match winner?

That may or may not be so, time will tell. Today though, i saw one of the worst ever teams I've seen in Dewsbury. They were downright awful.