The old grounds - Your memories

[Fevrover]

12 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Totally agree with all that, but may I say there is one of those 'spiritual homes' you have missed out and that is Barrow's  Craven Park loved going there and last went in '22, it still looked the same then as I remember in the 70's unless I am mistaken and was just being nostalgic.

Nice away day  Barra, shame they had to take the stands down behind both ends. 

[philipw]

1 hour ago, Andy JG said:

For about 10 years from the late 70s to late 80s I watched Leigh at home, and to begin with occasional trips watching them at St Helens, Warrington, Wigan... close enough to go by bus or dad to give me a lift and pick me up after.

In the early 80s I discovered Monk's Travel in Leigh organised coach travel to all away games, so this opened up a whole new world for a young Leigh fanatic..no longer limited to home games and occasional local aways.

I could get my mum to book me coach tickets at Monk's in Railway Road, and I was no longer following crackly lined radio  updates from Radio Manchester...I was at Thrum Hall, Odsal Stadium, The Willows, The Boulevard, Craven park, Derwent Park, and many others... 

Once I learned to drive, had a job and a car in 1985, I wouldn't limit myself to just Leigh games. I'd go and watch a match at Salford, Swinton, Dewsbury, Batley... I went to all grounds of the 30 teams who played in the league when i started watching plus most of the new teams in early 80s and thiose who changed grounds/names etc..

My favourite old stadium, apart from Hilton Park, was the Watersheddings.

When i first went, there were identical looking stands running both sides of the touchlines, but one of them was demolished , leaving just the main stand opposite which looked extremely old and about to fall down.

It always seemed cold, and the drive up had those snow warning signs by the road which came on if it was snowing somewhere locally.

But it had a great atmosphere I always thought and loved going there.  Particularly in the early/mid 80s when Oldham had a decent team with Kirwan, Flanagan, Foy, Goodway etc.. it was usually a very good game.

Also scene of one of my favourite matches of all time... the Oldham v Leigh abandoned game in January 1984.  The mass brawl onfield, the police man getting his helmet knocked off trying to stop it. Is was stood behind the posts in on the large covered terrace.

 

   

My old house is just out of shot to the left of that bottom photo-possibly even the next house on that terrace. It was great growing up there - I could see 3/4 of the pitch from my bedroom window, so would watch games from there and then my dad would take me in for the last twenty minutes when they opened the gates for people to leave

[Lionheart_merged]

In the 70’s my mates and I used to hire a minibus and driver to take us to Wigan away games.  We would have a crate of ale in the back and set off early to get a few beers before the game.  Our favourite trip was to Featherstone Supporters Club.  The guy on the door had a jaundiced face and sadly died after we had been going for a few years.  They sold tickets for a meat draw when you went in.  They also had entertainment on.  There were “ladies” shall we say who entertained the punters with a stroll around the stage area.  We once set out in the minibus to Fev and found out on route that the match was being cancelled due to fog but decided to carry on to the club anyway. They made us welcome at the club but not so much on the ground!  We once ended up in a pub close to the Boulevard before the match and ended up drinking with a Hull fan who was on leave from the army.  We were the only away fans and were surrounded by Hull fans singing Old Faithful so we joined in.  After the drinks we joined them on the way to the ground.  They took us in at the Threepenny Stand end and escorted us through the front of the stand to safety.  That was an experience!

[Gooleboy]

35 minutes ago, Lionheart_merged said:

In the 70’s my mates and I used to hire a minibus and driver to take us to Wigan away games.  We would have a crate of ale in the back and set off early to get a few beers before the game.  Our favourite trip was to Featherstone Supporters Club.  The guy on the door had a jaundiced face and sadly died after we had been going for a few years.  They sold tickets for a meat draw when you went in.  They also had entertainment on.  There were “ladies” shall we say who entertained the punters with a stroll around the stage area.  We once set out in the minibus to Fev and found out on route that the match was being cancelled due to fog but decided to carry on to the club anyway. They made us welcome at the club but not so much on the ground!  We once ended up in a pub close to the Boulevard before the match and ended up drinking with a Hull fan who was on leave from the army.  We were the only away fans and were surrounded by Hull fans singing Old Faithful so we joined in.  After the drinks we joined them on the way to the ground.  They took us in at the Threepenny Stand end and escorted us through the front of the stand to safety.  That was an experience!

The old Featherstone Rovers Social Club which was on the car park was renowned for its pre match adult entertainment in those days. I think we used to get a bigger crowd in there than at some of the games! It was eventually torched in the 80s when it was known as the Posh Penguin after the Rovers leased it out.

[The Art of Hand and Foot]

11 minutes ago, Gooleboy said:

The old Featherstone Rovers Social Club which was on the car park was renowned for its pre match adult entertainment in those days. I think we used to get a bigger crowd in there than at some of the games! It was eventually torched in the 80s when it was known as the Posh Penguin after the Rovers leased it out.

One memory, as an Oldham supporter,  I have of the social club is my mate asking for two pints of bitter and the lady behind the bar said nope and just stood there looking at us. My mate asked why not and she replied not till you say it properly.  So he said two pints of bitter please. She said nope still not saying it right. Then my mate said tooooow pints of bitter please. She said that's better, I'll make a Yorkshire man out of you yet.

[johnh1]

Not an old ground, but loved it at Odsal when the players walked down the slope between the spectators. Even better when someone was sent off and had to walk back up the hill to the dressing rooms.

[HolmeKnight]

As a York fan I once went to Alt Park, Huyton in the early eighties.  I had heard stories about it, so part of the attraction was the novelty value, but this paled into insignificance compared to the reality.

On arrival I was advised to park my car in the compound to ensure it still had wheels after the match.  To the right on entering the ground there was a low grassy mound running the length of the touchline. This proved to be about the only sensible place to watch the match.  The posts at the far end were covered in graffiti and the area behind was just a mess of wasteland covered in debris, brambles and undergrowth.

The opposite site was supposed to house the (main) stand but this was completely derelict, basically a pile of loose bricks.  The club was running a "Buy a brick for Huyton" sponsorship scheme to try and rebuild the stand.

Behind the near posts was the "clubhouse", a single storey flat-roofed building with bars on all the windows. The "public address system" was a single amplifier placed on a chair on the path which doubled as the players' entrance.  It could only be heard within about 30 yards.

Huyton usually got thrashed every match but on this occasion they gave a good account of themselves and only lost something like 6-8. I remember at half-time there was an announcement that one of their juniors had won first prize in a goal-kicking competition. It went on to say that Geoff Fletcher (coach) had won first, second and third prizes in an ######-kicking competition!

In nearly sixty years of visiting rugby league and football grounds, this remains my strangest experience. Fortunately, my car was still intact after the match and I was able to escape back over the Pennines to relative civilisation.  Needless to say, the club folded soon after.   

[M j M]

3 hours ago, Fevrover said:

Nice away day  Barra, shame they had to take the stands down behind both ends. 

When did that happen out of interest? I've not been in decades but it was renowned when I was younger as one of the few RL grounds with cover on all four sides.

[Hopping Mad]

1 hour ago, HolmeKnight said:

As a York fan I once went to Alt Park, Huyton in the early eighties.  I had heard stories about it, so part of the attraction was the novelty value, but this paled into insignificance compared to the reality.

On arrival I was advised to park my car in the compound to ensure it still had wheels after the match.  To the right on entering the ground there was a low grassy mound running the length of the touchline. This proved to be about the only sensible place to watch the match.  The posts at the far end were covered in graffiti and the area behind was just a mess of wasteland covered in debris, brambles and undergrowth.

The opposite site was supposed to house the (main) stand but this was completely derelict, basically a pile of loose bricks.  The club was running a "Buy a brick for Huyton" sponsorship scheme to try and rebuild the stand.

Behind the near posts was the "clubhouse", a single storey flat-roofed building with bars on all the windows. The "public address system" was a single amplifier placed on a chair on the path which doubled as the players' entrance.  It could only be heard within about 30 yards.

Huyton usually got thrashed every match but on this occasion they gave a good account of themselves and only lost something like 6-8. I remember at half-time there was an announcement that one of their juniors had won first prize in a goal-kicking competition. It went on to say that Geoff Fletcher (coach) had won first, second and third prizes in an ######-kicking competition!

In nearly sixty years of visiting rugby league and football grounds, this remains my strangest experience. Fortunately, my car was still intact after the match and I was able to escape back over the Pennines to relative civilisation.  Needless to say, the club folded soon after.   

Huyton didn't fold. They relocated, and became Runcorn Highfield.

After Huyton's departure, Knowsley United FC moved into Alt Park - and transformed the ground. By the time Knowsley were playing in the Northern Premier League, Alt Park was really quite tidy.

Edited November 17, 2024 by Hopping Mad

[Blind side johnny]

4 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Totally agree with all that, but may I say there is one of those 'spiritual homes' you have missed out and that is Barrow's  Craven Park loved going there and last went in '22, it still looked the same then as I remember in the 70's unless I am mistaken and was just being nostalgic.

The old gents in the middle of the long terraced stand was something amazing. You could use the facilities whilst still watching the match. It is now no longer there - probably just as well.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

4 hours ago, Lionheart_merged said:

We once set out in the minibus to Fev and found out on route that the match was being cancelled due to fog but decided to carry on to the club anyway. 

Travelled to Hull in what eventually turned into a blizzard for a night game, made the outskirts of Hull and it came on the radio that the match was off, eventually got home at 4am.  Another episode in the snow came on my way to Bridgend.  Made it to Hereford but then moved about 2 miles in 4 hours, that bad they were putting people in hostels for the night.  Made it out of Hereford but by then all the advice we were getting was to turn back.  So left Widnes at 9am, arrived back home at 8pm in which I'd got out of the car once at a service station on the way home.  The game actually took place.

[Fevrover]

1 hour ago, M j M said:

When did that happen out of interest? I've not been in decades but it was renowned when I was younger as one of the few RL grounds with cover on all four sides.

At a guess 4 years ? Don't know for definite. 

[wasginger]

12 hours ago, Griff said:

And did you win five bob?

No 

[Jimmy DoNut]

23 hours ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Went to Watersheddings many times but the memory that stands out was a CCQF in 1975.  Ground was rammed that day.

Must be a Widnes fan then Jill   We nearly beat the Cup Kings that day too , a Mick Adams chip kick bounced off the crossbar straight into a Widnes player's hands. 

[Wilderspoolmemories]

15 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Totally agree with all that, but may I say there is one of those 'spiritual homes' you have missed out and that is Barrow's  Craven Park loved going there and last went in '22, it still looked the same then as I remember in the 70's unless I am mistaken and was just being nostalgic.

I purposely went for a walk to Barrow RLFC a few weeks  back  while working in Barrow, having not been there since 2002 when Warrington played them in the challenge cup. 

One thing I noticed was that the covered terracing at both ends of the ground had gone, whether this is something to do with the summer era I don't know.  I stood there on the terraces for a while, the ground was open but no one was about. I could in my head see the first time I went there in 1981 as a 12 year old. Warrington were Lancashire cup holders having beaten Wigan in 1980 at St. Helens.  Surely that day was a formality? No, we lost 15-7 as former Warrington player Dave Chisnall had a blinder for Barrow! Strangely enough we won the cup again 12 months later by beating saints 16-0 at Wigan, by which time St. Helens man Chisnall was back in the Warrington team, and had another blinder V. his home town team in the final, as did Ken Kelly.

Edited November 18, 2024 by Wilderspoolmemories

[Ainley Top]

On 16/11/2024 at 22:24, Snowys Backside said:

Follow the sleet more like !

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!

Edited November 18, 2024 by Ainley Top

[Hopping Mad]

10 hours ago, Wilderspoolmemories said:

I purposely went for a walk to Barrow RLFC a few weeks  back  while working in Barrow, having not been there since 2002 when Warrington played them in the challenge cup. 

One thing I noticed was that the covered terracing at both ends of the ground had gone, whether this is something to do with the summer era I don't know.  I stood there on the terraces for a while, the ground was open but no one was about. I could in my head see the first time I went there in 1981 as a 12 year old. Warrington were Lancashire cup holders having beaten Wigan in 1980 at St. Helens.  Surely that day was a formality? No, we lost 15-7 as former Warrington player Dave Chisnall had a blinder for Barrow! Strangely enough we won the cup again 12 months later by beating saints 16-0 at Wigan, by which time St. Helens man Chisnall was back in the Warrington team, and had another blinder V. his home town team in the final, as did Ken Kelly.

The end covers at Barrow were unsafe, I was told, and had to be removed.

[Tattersfieldtreiziste]

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

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

1 hour ago, Tattersfieldtreiziste said:

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

Only made it to Tattersfield once. It was a televised game on a Friday evening. Doncaster won.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

1 hour ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Only made it to Tattersfield once. It was a televised game on a Friday evening. Doncaster won.

I remember the game when the Fulham travelling supporters drank Donny dry. This was followed by Mrs Margaret Snares' tone poem, 'A farewell to Doncaster' - '**** you, Doncaster, hope we never come back here again'. However we did.

[Snowys Backside]

3 hours ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Only made it to Tattersfield once. It was a televised game on a Friday evening. Doncaster won.

Yes, me too when Leigh ran away with the second Division in the mid 80's (85-86). Leigh brought a big following and Donny gave us 2 very good games that season. It was the season Kevin Parkhouse (A huge prop) scored tries for fun. I was like a potato field then too as was Lawkholme lane that season when played in 6 inch of snow !!

I have a soft spot for Doncaster. I remember 1 away game when they played at some greyhound stadium and we arrived far too early. We was tipped off that a local pub near the ground but would be full of Donny fans even though closed at 10-30am. We went round the back and low and behold, the pub was packed. A couple of friendly boos followed by some handshakes resulted in us having having a great time, playing table bowls and pool with the locals.

Made some good friends who joined us for many years when Donny played us at Hilton Park for a few beers and a chinwag.

Happy days.

[Ainley Top]

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. 

[sentoffagain2]

     They used Thrum Hall for the outside ground scenes in This Sporting Life.Wakefield a bit too cramped.I was putting a greyhound into the traps one night and about 40 yards away i could see the players training on the Thrum Hall pitch.

[Snowys Backside]

21 minutes ago, Ainley Top said:

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. 

Enjoyed Thrum Hall, both as a Fan and as a player, although it has some slope on it !!

Remember playing a game in the early 90's marking a cracking player at Centre (Richard Smith ?) He knew how to run downhill !!  !!

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Memories of Thrum Hall's set me thinking. Could the problem with the new grounds be not so much the ground itself, but the surroundings? Think of the difference between (say) Hilton Park and the LSV or Central Park and the Brick (I think that's right, tend to lose track of all the name changes).