When Wigan dominated

[Trojan]

I've just watched a video of a Fev v Wigan game from March 1990.  Wigan won 26-20.  It brought back memories of the days when Wigan dominated the league.  The referee allowed two appalling high tackles, one by Gregory and the other by Goulding to go unpunished by even a penalty,  And they were disgracefully high.  Gregory had to jump up to make his.  But it also reminded me of two decisions that gave Wigan the game.  I was standing (unusually for me) at the Post Office Road end to the right of the goalposts.  Bobby Goulding was awarded a try after one of the clearest examples of a double movement I've ever seen.  In the second half, Chris Bibb got his hand on a ball that was on the line. He clearly got downward pressure, but the ref disallowed the try.

This sort of thing was common when you played Wigan.  They had some very good players.  But they were the beneficiaries of some very partial referees.  

As I've said before I worked in Wigan for many years.  And it's a fact that this dominance became counter productive.  My workmates would pick and choose there games, because the element of doubt had been removed from the outcome.  In other words their period of dominance was in the end counter productive.  

[doc]

To be fair, Gregory had to jump to tackle everybody.

[Gooleboy]

2 hours ago, Trojan said:

I've just watched a video of a Fev v Wigan game from March 1990.  Wigan won 26-20.  It brought back memories of the days when Wigan dominated the league.  The referee allowed two appalling high tackles, one by Gregory and the other by Goulding to go unpunished by even a penalty,  And they were disgracefully high.  Gregory had to jump up to make his.  But it also reminded me of two decisions that gave Wigan the game.  I was standing (unusually for me) at the Post Office Road end to the right of the goalposts.  Bobby Goulding was awarded a try after one of the clearest examples of a double movement I've ever seen.  In the second half, Chris Bibb got his hand on a ball that was on the line. He clearly got downward pressure, but the ref disallowed the try.

This sort of thing was common when you played Wigan.  They had some very good players.  But they were the beneficiaries of some very partial referees.  

As I've said before I worked in Wigan for many years.  And it's a fact that this dominance became counter productive.  My workmates would pick and choose there games, because the element of doubt had been removed from the outcome.  In other words their period of dominance was in the end counter productive.  

In the Clubhouse after the game, I heard Mark Preston tell Maurice Lindsay that Wigan got out of jail as Chris Bibb had definitely touched down under the posts.

[wiganermike]

It's often the way that the dominant/better teams of any given era get the rub of the green with decisions. It often seems as if referees are so convinced that these teams would not need to throw forward passes, tackle high, stand offside etc that they just assume they must have been playing within the rules and let things slide.

Watch any game from a previous era involving the best team of that era and you are likely to see forward passes, high tackles, knock ons etc. that you cannot believe were not picked up on. It still happens to this day and likely always will.

[fieldofclothofgold]

Great side ,but I thought it would never end . Those Wembley trips just became ho hum . I still enjoyed watching Messrs Hanley Offiah and co 

[Old Frightful]

Ooof!

A thread suggesting Wigan might have been a ref's favourites...I doubt we have enough time left of lockdown for this thread.

This ain't gonna end well.

[barnyia]

Let it go the game was thirty years ago

[Oxford]

5 minutes ago, barnyia said:

Let it go the game was thirty years ago

Aren't the Australians still talking about Ashes decisions from the 1950s.

In fact I'm sure there's an Aussie book that's only about wrong doings of the past. And they have the nerve to call us whinging Poms, the cheek!

[Trojan]

52 minutes ago, barnyia said:

Let it go the game was thirty years ago

As it happens Fev weren't relegated that year.  But this result could have seen that happen.  I suppose today both tries would have gone to the screen.  But there were touch judges, indeed first half one of the touch judges disallowed a Fev try that the ref had given.  That was at the railway end and I obviously couldn't see it.  But if a tj can disallow a try, surely he can give one.  It is 30 years ago, but I can still seen Goulding, grounded and held, with the ball underneath him, reach out and place it over the line, and I can still see Chris Bibb touch the ball down.  What baffles me is what possible reason the ref could have had for disallowing Bibb's score.  The ball was kicked by Alan Banks, Bibb was behind him when the ball was kicked, he got to the ball first, I personally saw him touch it down, and the ref gave a line dropouit  Apart from the fact that it was against Wigan what possible reason could he have had for disallowing the try?

[bobbruce]

2 hours ago, fieldofclothofgold said:

Great side ,but I thought it would never end . Those Wembley trips just became ho hum . I still enjoyed watching Messrs Hanley Offiah and co 

Not together though

[bobbruce]

29 minutes ago, Trojan said:

As it happens Fev weren't relegated that year.  But this result could have seen that happen.  I suppose today both tries would have gone to the screen.  But there were touch judges, indeed first half one of the touch judges disallowed a Fev try that the ref had given.  That was at the railway end and I obviously couldn't see it.  But if a tj can disallow a try, surely he can give one.  It is 30 years ago, but I can still seen Goulding, grounded and held, with the ball underneath him, reach out and place it over the line, and I can still see Chris Bibb touch the ball down.  What baffles me is what possible reason the ref could have had for disallowing Bibb's score.  The ball was kicked by Alan Banks, Bibb was behind him when the ball was kicked, he got to the ball first, I personally saw him touch it down, and the ref gave a line dropouit  Apart from the fact that it was against Wigan what possible reason could he have had for disallowing the try?

He’s given a knock on over the line if he’s awarded a drop out. 

[Tommygilf]

8 hours ago, wiganermike said:

It's often the way that the dominant/better teams of any given era get the rub of the green with decisions. It often seems as if referees are so convinced that these teams would not need to throw forward passes, tackle high, stand offside etc that they just assume they must have been playing within the rules and let things slide.

Watch any game from a previous era involving the best team of that era and you are likely to see forward passes, high tackles, knock ons etc. that you cannot believe were not picked up on. It still happens to this day and likely always will.

Absolutely 

[Scubby]

12 hours ago, Trojan said:

I've just watched a video of a Fev v Wigan game from March 1990.  Wigan won 26-20.  It brought back memories of the days when Wigan dominated the league.  The referee allowed two appalling high tackles, one by Gregory and the other by Goulding to go unpunished by even a penalty,  And they were disgracefully high.  Gregory had to jump up to make his.  But it also reminded me of two decisions that gave Wigan the game.  I was standing (unusually for me) at the Post Office Road end to the right of the goalposts.  Bobby Goulding was awarded a try after one of the clearest examples of a double movement I've ever seen.  In the second half, Chris Bibb got his hand on a ball that was on the line. He clearly got downward pressure, but the ref disallowed the try.

This sort of thing was common when you played Wigan.  They had some very good players.  But they were the beneficiaries of some very partial referees.  

As I've said before I worked in Wigan for many years.  And it's a fact that this dominance became counter productive.  My workmates would pick and choose there games, because the element of doubt had been removed from the outcome.  In other words their period of dominance was in the end counter productive.  

Here it is on local news. 

 

[del capo]

13 hours ago, doc said:

To be fair, Gregory had to jump to tackle everybody.

  Reputations  are sometimes not warranted. He could  both give it and take it  at a time when the game was far more . '  robust ' .

People are often surprised  by the fact that the little fella  was only ever sent off once  in his whole career and then  , if my fading memory is correct , got  either a not guilty or SOS  in front of BBC cameras at the tribunal at Chapeltown Road.

[JohnM]

That old war-wound playing you up again, Trojan? You really need to get your GP to prescribe something. 

[ivans82]

When one Team dominates a sport like Wigan did at the time it is always counter productive to the sport , Wigan had a conveyor belt of locally produced talent but also bought up most of the top players of their time ( as some posters have said Offiah and Hanley to name just 2 ) . Wigan therefore were never off the telly but the result was in nearly every case a foregone conclusion , which in itself turns the neutral off .Man Utd at the time were exactly the same in football lots of their own players , but bought up most top players who came on the market .

[meast]

13 hours ago, Trojan said:

I've just watched a video of a Fev v Wigan game from March 1990.  Wigan won 26-20.  It brought back memories of the days when Wigan dominated the league.  The referee allowed two appalling high tackles, one by Gregory and the other by Goulding to go unpunished by even a penalty,  And they were disgracefully high.  Gregory had to jump up to make his.  But it also reminded me of two decisions that gave Wigan the game.  I was standing (unusually for me) at the Post Office Road end to the right of the goalposts.  Bobby Goulding was awarded a try after one of the clearest examples of a double movement I've ever seen.  In the second half, Chris Bibb got his hand on a ball that was on the line. He clearly got downward pressure, but the ref disallowed the try.

This sort of thing was common when you played Wigan.  They had some very good players.  But they were the beneficiaries of some very partial referees.  

As I've said before I worked in Wigan for many years.  And it's a fact that this dominance became counter productive.  My workmates would pick and choose there games, because the element of doubt had been removed from the outcome.  In other words their period of dominance was in the end counter productive.  

I'm sure every team has suffered perceived injustices and also benefitted over the years?

 

[JohnM]

Yes indeed, refs do make mistakes. in addition, fans do see  errors that don't exist. As well as that , some fans conclude that refs are prejudiced against their team. Some even think that refs are under instruction from above to favour one team over  another. Fortunately, such fans do not post on here.

[Gerrumonside ref]

Andy Gregory was something to behold no doubt about that.

I was only young at the time, but I remember it being pointed out to me the fact that he could not only play, but referee a game all at the same.

Brilliant!

[17 stone giant]

15 hours ago, Trojan said:

This sort of thing was common when you played Wigan.  They had some very good players.  But they were the beneficiaries of some very partial referees.

I'm sure this part of RL history will be covered by the new museum in Wigan.

[Wigan Riversider]

16 hours ago, Trojan said:

In other words their period of dominance was in the end counter productive.  

Not for me. 

Loved every minute of it, particularly when we beat whinging, whining, Brisbane in their own backyard. 

If a game in 1990 bothers you now, it's best to get over it and move on IMHO. 

[Scubby]

54 minutes ago, 17 stone giant said:

I'm sure this part of RL history will be covered by the new museum in Wigan.

Will they be offering tickets where you can leave before the end? 

[Niels]

40 minutes ago, Wigan Riversider said:

Not for me. 

Loved every minute of it, particularly when we beat whinging, whining, Brisbane in their own backyard. 

If a game in 1990 bothers you now, it's best to get over it and move on IMHO. 

I did too. It was great having such an outstanding team who played the game properly. 

I saw them beat Leeds at Wembley in 1995. I was the only one supporting Wigan on our coach.

 

 

[Mumby Magic]

Remember Hanley getting sent iff at half time at Odsal by Whitfield. Anyone else remember?

[Wigan Riversider]

6 minutes ago, Mumby Magic said:

Remember Hanley getting sent iff at half time at Odsal by Whitfield. Anyone else remember?

I do indeed.