Grand final - thoughts/favourite moments

[Kittwazzer]

Dave. Amazing as it may seem to us owd uns, we now have an entire generation who have never been to Wembley.

Next year should sort it!

[waterside glens]

singing to the saints fans was fun


tomkins where ever you may be
we love all of your family
yous play at back
yous play up front
keiron cunningham's
a big fat c***

or for the leeds fans
cheat when your winning

[ancientnloyal]

First time i've really got onto this site since Saturday due to downtime and work!

Got on train at Horwich and it was already full of Wiganers! Mooched in Manchester Printworks for a drink then on Metro where Leyther Pie (it turned out to be) was cracking the jokes...

Had a pint of coke at Cricket ground then into stadium...

...then one of the greatest feeling's i've had in a looong loong time

[trotski_tgwu]

I think Blake's words are far more appropriate for a game who's roots are firmly Northern working class!

Abide With Me is traditional and whilst I like it at the Wembley Final, I have never understood why a funeral song was ever chosen in the first place!

I agree with you about this. I think Abide with Me is a most dour choice of song for the RL anthem.
The anthem should be an uplifting song for a celebration not a dirge

What about 500 Miles then Josie

[arthurb's first]

After reading all these posts, you have covered everything ,agree with all, a MAGIC TIME from leaving home ,park at TDG, outside ground, brilliant game superb atmosphere and the amount of cherry and white at lap of honour UNBELEIVABLE. ps does anyone know how many WIGAN FANS were there?

[Peter T]

This is my 1st post but I have been following the forum for a few years.

I just want to congratulate us the Wigan Warriors Fans, thought the noise was awesome on Saturday night and all season. .

The Game - For me, defence is the foundation to win matches and there were again a number of impressive defence moments, the 2 key ones in the 1st half from Sam on one side to Goulding on t'other. I dont think we have defended this well since the wonderful sides of the 80s & 90s. This allows us to produce the quality of the 2nd try - brilliant Rugby League.

My 1st game was Wembley 85. This has been the best possible way to celebrate 25 years watching Wigan RLFC

[FROM A TO B]

Best moment spotting when Stains did score, that only the end of the ground was up and cheering, compared to 3/4 of the stadium when we scored

[Leyther Pie]

First time i've really got onto this site since Saturday due to downtime and work!

Got on train at Horwich and it was already full of Wiganers! Mooched in Manchester Printworks for a drink then on Metro where Leyther Pie (it turned out to be) was cracking the jokes...

Had a pint of coke at Cricket ground then into stadium...

...then one of the greatest feeling's i've had in a looong loong time

Yeah sorry bout that My cousin was just as bad though. Nice to meet you (as brief as it was)

[TedMac]

Summary of the match for me and t'wife:

We sat somewhere up in the Gods, surrounded by Saints fans. No matter how much we'd analysed the teams, we just didn't know what was going to happen. The minutes ticked by. Three hefty Wigan lads with painted faces appeared. They had no doubts. Wigan would walk it.

And then the kick-off. From the first set of six we never looked back. Everything Madge and Shaun and the lads had worked for. Every painful hour of training. The Terry Newton factor. The sheer ruthless determination of seventeen Cherry and Whites, half of them Wigan-born and Wigan-bred.

James Graham stopped in his tracks (and didn't it get to him?). Puletua brought to his knees. A worried looking Cunningham trying everything and coming back with nothing.
It was all Saints could do to reach the half-way line.

And then we attacked. So fast. So organised. The look on Gleeson's face when he powered over. Man, that guy was fired up. More attacks followed and nearly came off. Then Saints got a penalty and Silly Eddie (H) tried to talk Saints into a comeback. We stifled them with ease and hit them with a stunning counter, so fast and synchronised they could only watch in disbelief. What a try that was!

The match went on. A try for us ; one for them. Half-time. The Scousers still believed that they could come back but it was never going to happen. If they held up our pack, our other weapons kicked in. Deacon, fit and revitalised. Thomas - all glaring aggression, lightning passes and wicked grins. Michael Mac was a pocket battleship. Carmont and Gleeson too strong, too tireless. Darrell solid as a rock. As if that wasn't enough, a yellow-booted menace scooted around the backline, creating mayhem wherever he went and outwitting two sixteen stoners to wrap up the match.

The clock ran down. The hooter finally went. Joy and exultation. Everything we've wanted for twelve long years. We're back - and watch out Saints, Leeds, Wire and the rest because we're going to get better.

I saw the interviews on the box later on and what struck me was that the lads just couldn't put their feelings into words. They couldn't say why they were so good. They just knew that they'd worked and bonded and worked and bonded to a level they hadn't reached before and it felt fantastic.

[gpartin]

Summary of the match for me and t'wife:

We sat somewhere up in the Gods, surrounded by Saints fans. No matter how much we'd analysed the teams, we just didn't know what was going to happen. The minutes ticked by. Three hefty Wigan lads with painted faces appeared. They had no doubts. Wigan would walk it.

And then the kick-off. From the first set of six we never looked back. Everything Madge and Shaun and the lads had worked for. Every painful hour of training. The Terry Newton factor. The sheer ruthless determination of seventeen Cherry and Whites, half of them Wigan-born and Wigan-bred.

James Graham stopped in his tracks (and didn't it get to him?). Puletua brought to his knees. A worried looking Cunningham trying everything and coming back with nothing.
It was all Saints could do to reach the half-way line.

And then we attacked. So fast. So organised. The look on Gleeson's face when he powered over. Man, that guy was fired up. More attacks followed and nearly came off. Then Saints got a penalty and Silly Eddie (H) tried to talk Saints into a comeback. We stifled them with ease and hit them with a stunning counter, so fast and synchronised they could only watch in disbelief. What a try that was!

The match went on. A try for us ; one for them. Half-time. The Scousers still believed that they could come back but it was never going to happen. If they held up our pack, our other weapons kicked in. Deacon, fit and revitalised. Thomas - all glaring aggression, lightning passes and wicked grins. Michael Mac was a pocket battleship. Carmont and Gleeson too strong, too tireless. Darrell solid as a rock. As if that wasn't enough, a yellow-booted menace scooted around the backline, creating mayhem wherever he went and outwitting two sixteen stoners to wrap up the match.

The clock ran down. The hooter finally went. Joy and exultation. Everything we've wanted for twelve long years. We're back - and watch out Saints, Leeds, Wire and the rest because we're going to get better.

I saw the interviews on the box later on and what struck me was that the lads just couldn't put their feelings into words. They couldn't say why they were so good. They just knew that they'd worked and bonded and worked and bonded to a level they hadn't reached before and it felt fantastic.

Great post. Sounds like you were in a similar place to me (North Stand 3rd tier Saints end) but there were a fair few wiganers and we didn't realise how many Saints fans there were around us til they scored.