Central Park Memories

[johnsons_babexx]

oh i miss central park. I have so so many memories. I met so many of my friends there and we had such a laugh. we used to stand on the dougie side and the sky camera man used to put the camera on us everytime wigan scored. Favourite memory was PJ scoring the last wigan try at CP, we were going mad and we got on tv.
I cant really remember my first game except being told we were going to a big park and living out of the area i didnt know wigan played at central park. It still didnt click when everyone was wearing the same shirt as my dad had. He still finds it funny and reminds me nowadays about it. It was only when we walked round on to hilton street and saw the ground and since that day 12years ago ive been hooked.

[Likely_Lad]

Can't remember all that much to be honest, just odd bits. I remember we always went really early so we could either sit on the wall or on the barrier things dotted about in the stands. We used to watch the academy lads before the match and then send my brother for chips, and I used to sit and moan about how long we had to wait before the match every week .

[Bring on the Warriors]

I don't really remeber much about central park as i was only young but i do remeber that I used to always sit on the wall in the same spot every week. The game that i remeber most was of course the last game ever there. I remeber crying when the players walked round at the end. There were 3 fellas stood in front of me all drunk crying their eyes out. I have never forgot that. Grown men crying over central park. I just shows how much the ground meant to everyone.

[luke_robinsons_angel]

I remember leaning on the wall in the corner between dougie and billy boston stand, and a huge lumbering saints player came hurtling towards us and the wall just managed to hold him back.

[mstiggy]

Oh so many memories, as a really young kid same experiences of the hen pen and jumpin the gap, first time went on the cop havin my school scarf nicked cos it was black and white and we was playin the all blacks but it was Nov and bloody cold so my mum made me wear it...

Too many matches to recall and so many fantastic players, the singing was fantastic in the glory days, the bars were better than the jjb, but the river caves....I still have the exit sign and brother has entrance (obtained at end of last match vs Stains)

Have got to say this year is the first time the atmosphere has got consistently anywhere near as good as CP, hopefully things will just get better from now on.

Mostly sad that my Dad missed all the glory days he died just as the run started and Abide with me at Cup Finals always brings back memories of him at Wembley and then CP when we brought back the cup next day.

It was great place and so many happy memories too

[Wigan Watcher]

Central park

Arriving into Wigan, parking at the top of scholes then the walk down the hill. Guessing how many spectators where on the ground by looking into the stadium half way down Scholes hill. The hotdog stalls with the smell of onions and the steam rising into the air, we are nearly there!

Queuing up to get in, watching the odd child being lifted over the clanging turnstiles and then we where in. The smell of wintergreen hit you taking your breath away, now lets get to our spot on the ground knowing the same old faces would be standing in their places. But first to the outside toilets, the smell of urine, quick hold your breath for a short while as the steam rose and then out to pick up your program at the little kiosk. Onwards we go under the Douglas stand, look to the left and you can briefly see the players warming up as we quickly go through the tunnel, were out the other end and onto the kop in our position ready to shout our heroes on. A quick look at the players “they look up for it today“.
“Look its someone’s birthday” we look towards the score board the odd letter missing or spelt wrong soon be kick off.

“Here they come” the opposition walk onto the field first, they stop what they are doing as they stand still to watch the Wigan players enter the field of play a comment is heard from the crowd “ These men are beaten already”

The coach, Keith Mills, Taffy and other backroom staff follow the players out of the tunnel across the pitch, their heavy bags weigh them down as they watch closely what the players are doing, they take their positions in the dugout. Keith starts to unpack the odd thing just in case.

The shaking of the hands in the middle and we are off, the mighty Wigan ply their trade like no other team in the land. It starts to rain but no one complains we just put our hoods up, or shrug our shoulders as if this will keep us dry. The team is winning the pitch is getting worse by the minute. Half time.

Even though its raining people are queuing up for a pint, if they hold their pint long enough it will fill up again with rain water. People have started to queue up for the toilets, the odd grounds men is replacing the divots made in the first half.

The players are straggling back out onto the now brown looking pitch, the odd player has changed his shirt because of the mud and we are off again.

The rain is getting harder now more people are squashing under the stands, the hen pen is only half full because of the conditions it looks pretty empty under the score board. The game continues the players are looking tired and cold, we have won the game with only minutes to go. We slowly make our way out of the Kop stand trying to watch the game and walk at the same time, lets get through the tunnel of the Douglas stand before the crush comes. Half way through something happens on the pitch, we can’t see it. We rush to the scoreboard end but we missed it, the ref calls full time and everyone picks the pace up to leave the ground, the big gates are now open with only a small queue going across the narrow Douglas bridge back up Scholes hill.

The players have done the business we are top of the table yet again, who do we play next week?

Come on lets get home for our Sunday tea , work tomorrow.

[Bear]

im a 14 year old and i remember The Wigan fans Throwing a Inflatable Shark up and down agaiinst Hull

[primrose-n-blue]

I miss watching Warrington beat you almost every New Years Day at Central Park.
:sigh: happy days

[GeoffN]

Wigan Watcher posted:
Central park

Arriving into Wigan, parking at the top of scholes then the walk down the hill. Guessing how many spectators where on the ground by looking into the stadium half way down Scholes hill. The hotdog stalls with the smell of onions and the steam rising into the air, we are nearly there!

Queuing up to get in, watching the odd child being lifted over the clanging turnstiles and then we where in. The smell of wintergreen hit you taking your breath away, now lets get to our spot on the ground knowing the same old faces would be standing in their places. But first to the outside toilets, the smell of urine, quick hold your breath for a short while as the steam rose and then out to pick up your program at the little kiosk. Onwards we go under the Douglas stand, look to the left and you can briefly see the players warming up as we quickly go through the tunnel, were out the other end and onto the kop in our position ready to shout our heroes on. A quick look at the players “they look up for it today“.
“Look its someone’s birthday” we look towards the score board the odd letter missing or spelt wrong soon be kick off.

“Here they come” the opposition walk onto the field first, they stop what they are doing as they stand still to watch the Wigan players enter the field of play a comment is heard from the crowd “ These men are beaten already”

The coach, Keith Mills, Taffy and other backroom staff follow the players out of the tunnel across the pitch, their heavy bags weigh them down as they watch closely what the players are doing, they take their positions in the dugout. Keith starts to unpack the odd thing just in case.

The shaking of the hands in the middle and we are off, the mighty Wigan ply their trade like no other team in the land. It starts to rain but no one complains we just put our hoods up, or shrug our shoulders as if this will keep us dry. The team is winning the pitch is getting worse by the minute. Half time.

Even though its raining people are queuing up for a pint, if they hold their pint long enough it will fill up again with rain water. People have started to queue up for the toilets, the odd grounds men is replacing the divots made in the first half.

The players are straggling back out onto the now brown looking pitch, the odd player has changed his shirt because of the mud and we are off again.

The rain is getting harder now more people are squashing under the stands, the hen pen is only half full because of the conditions it looks pretty empty under the score board. The game continues the players are looking tired and cold, we have won the game with only minutes to go. We slowly make our way out of the Kop stand trying to watch the game and walk at the same time, lets get through the tunnel of the Douglas stand before the crush comes. Half way through something happens on the pitch, we can’t see it. We rush to the scoreboard end but we missed it, the ref calls full time and everyone picks the pace up to leave the ground, the big gates are now open with only a small queue going across the narrow Douglas bridge back up Scholes hill.

The players have done the business we are top of the table yet again, who do we play next week?

Come on lets get home for our Sunday tea , work tomorrow.

Brilliant! Felt like I was there again!

[Bear]

primrose-n-blue posted:
I miss watching Warrington beat you almost every New Years Day at Central Park.
:sigh: happy days

ARE YOU JOKING PAL?