Favourite Wigan Road (or not) trips

[josie andrews]

The Hull KR game of 2022 got home at just after 3 am,wife in work so she was impressed at all.

Special mention to the opening game at cas last season I don’t think I’ve ever seen rain like that my favourite pair of leather gloves filled with water and soaked down to my unmentionables horrid night,horrid ground

I had a £160 full length waterproof jacket & I can confirm it was totally waterproof.

I had the same problem with gloves, but I had my gloved hands in my pockets. The rain ran down the sleeves filled the gloves & the pockets! Saturated is an understatement that night!

This OP keeps bringing back memories of different games, & that’s saying something! I can’t remember last week at times never mind games from years ago.

I remember being at Bradford & for some reason we were stood in the side stand.
There was a gang of us used to go to games together young men & women, in one the guys transit van, all we needed was a cushion to sit on in the back.
Any road up, think it was the first time I saw a player sent off at half time going down the tunnel just below us.
The player was Ellery Hanley & the ref was John Holdsworth

Wasn't that Robin Whitfield? And Ellery reputedly told him he'd be refereeing in the second division the following week - and he was..?

You’re right, sorry, told you my memory was bad! When I was actually writing it I kept asking myself if Houldsworth was correct.
At that time they were my favourite two referees cos they stood no nonsense from any player

[the pieman]

i could put most Wembley trips in from the late 80s / early 90s, although not sure i can remember too much about them

Train from Wigan 6am. Pub outside London Euston by 9am (think it was the Cock Tavern and usually full of Wiganers at that point with many local rugby clubs doing the weekend), and then onto Wembley, fall down the grass bank (and repeat many times), watch game, train back and night in Wigan

v Halifax, our coach was running fine, but one of his mates had broken down so we stopped to help him. Followed him all way Wembley at about 40mph, Get to ground just about for kick off, should be upper tier standing, but no way they were letting us in there, so we all pushed through a gate lower seating and sat in the aisles or any free seats we could find (this wasnt alcohol related as i was only 15/16 and my parents were with us). Loads of fans let onto the dog track around the pitch to ease congestion, so god knows how it was so bad

[archiekeith]

Can't remember a final at Huddersfield staying in Wigan area Didn't alter my watch One hour did 90+ down motor way. Couldn't find parking spot missed game worst trip ever!

[the pieman]

Warrington away on New Years Day at Wilderspool. Watched the whole of the 1st half through holes in the back of the stand, as it sold out on the day

2nd half got lucky as somehow a turnstile door was found to be open, so the 100 or so of us who were watching through the stand managed to get in

St Helens away, i was driving but still at college so classed as concession. My mate walked up to the ground with 12 cans of skol in his hand, 1 junior please, what your date of birth, gave him correct date as he was over 18. Guy on the turnstile wasnt the brightest and couldnt work out that he was an adult, and let him in anyway

[Wintergreen]

1984 and 1985 trips to Wembley on the special trains stick out for me.

So many things going on.

[Fizz Bomb]

l remember going on my first trip to Wembley in 1958 by train from Wigan North West Station. We had to queue for what seemed like forever to just get into the station as there where that many people. When they had let enough people onto the platform to fill the train and it pulled in, it was an almighty free for all to get on and find a seat. As it was one of a number of "special charter trains" put on for the final we had to keep pulling into sidings to let the sceduled service through and clear upcoming stations. It took hours and hours to get there. It was the longest jouney in the world. We beat a very good Workington Town team 13--8 l think. Funny how l can remember the journey down but not much of the game. Still l suppose any travel on anything other than a Wigan Corporation bus was a novelty then, it certainly was for a 9 year old me.
Coach travel over that distance was a nightmare as well because both coaches and roads weren't built for200 mile jouneys so most people went by train, It was considerd reckless and foolhardy to venture as far as Leeds in those pre-motorway days. It wasn"t half exciting though, missionarys must have had a similar feeling entering a strange land and not understanding the language. Because travel was much harder accents seemed stronger because we didn't have a transient workforce diluting them.

[SteveT]

Mine was Catalan away, Wigan being well down at half time and turning it round second half with Lockers showboating with the pass behind his back to win it. Pre match entertainment of a group of lads in Speedos doing a dance show then being rained on by numerous inflatables from the back of the stand. The look on my lads face I’ll remember forever. April 2018

[widdenoldboy]

i could put most Wembley trips in from the late 80s / early 90s, although not sure i can remember too much about them

Train from Wigan 6am. Pub outside London Euston by 9am (think it was the Cock Tavern and usually full of Wiganers at that point with many local rugby clubs doing the weekend), and then onto Wembley, fall down the grass bank (and repeat many times), watch game, train back and night in Wigan

v Halifax, our coach was running fine, but one of his mates had broken down so we stopped to help him. Followed him all way Wembley at about 40mph, Get to ground just about for kick off, should be upper tier standing, but no way they were letting us in there, so we all pushed through a gate lower seating and sat in the aisles or any free seats we could find (this wasnt alcohol related as i was only 15/16 and my parents were with us). Loads of fans let onto the dog track around the pitch to ease congestion, so god knows how it was so bad

Thread has brought back so many memories!

I think it also was the Cock Tavern one year on entering the pub everyones (and I mean everyones) underwear was ripped off and thrown onto the ceiling fans, also vaguely remenber building a massive pile of bags and suitcases up to a balcony and folk climbing up it on Sunday morning.

Also a posh hotel on Southampton Row (Bonnington) allowing us to stay as residents into the early morning, one year the barman asked us to leave as he had to get the room ready for breakfast as it was gone 6 am.

[widdenoldboy]

Oldham away, it even snows in summer.

Coldest for me was Halifax away in a Challenge Cup quarter final, pitch was frozen like concrete.
Also, the quarter final games were always the hardest games in those cup runs.

[Stanfax]

Was that when it was snowing sideways, and Joe Lydon kicked the winning drop goal after we'd been behind all game?