: Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:49 pm  

andyed-wiganrl wrote:

How anyone can call central park a dump is beyond me- It would still be in the top 4 or 5 rl grounds if it was still here today- it was far better than half the grounds currently in super league!!!

Looking at those pictures still brings a lump to my throat- like remembering a person you have lost and knowing that you'll never see them again, remembering those memories which now seem so far away!!

Central park did not have the facilities of the JJB, but it had tradition and character and history- sadly the JJB will never match it!! Even given the great facilities at the JJB- if i had a stark choice to make- to watch them at the JJB or to stand on the popular side or in the kop at CP, CP would win hands down every time!!! Long Live Central Park - She'll never be forgotten!!

As an opposition fan I used to love the Wire's visit to CP whether it be on New Years Day or Easter Monday. The atmosphere used to be tremendous on the Kop amongst the Wire. I think the profile of our game now dictates that teams need newer stadia with better facilities. I still long for the Wire to still be at Wilderspool purely for the atmosphere and the intimidation that it used to offer visiting teams, just as Central Park used to do for Wigan. I think it's fair to say that teams that have moved to new stadiums have lost the atmosphere, to a certain extent, and that visiting teams find it much easier to play in welcoming arenas rather than old style tough rugby league grounds. If you look at Wigan's record at the JJB, or Warrington's at the HJ, the win percentage is down on the old homes even if, certainly in our case, the crowds are up. Today RL is all about money making for the clubs and I just hope it doesn't lose it's roots too much.

: Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:05 pm  

Loads and Loads.

Spent my formative years under the scoreboard wondering when we would ever beat Widnes.

Saw the Popular Stand catch fire from there when Queensland took the mickey in 83 and a year earlier remember Danny Campbell setting up Gilly for a try against Australia. We lost 13-9 but never realised that 25 years on we would still be waiting for a British club side to beat an Aussie tour team.

Clearing snow off the pitch in the old second division days.

3000 crowds for A team games mid 80's

Scoreflash.

Ronnie Braithwaite scoring at the Kop for some unknown reason.

Brett Kenny. Say no more - Trent Barrett mark I

Entry of the gladiators.

The bell before the final hooter. (If you never hear it you won't know what I mean)

Moving to the popular side and standing on the big step about 5 rows back.

The Colinfield car park.

River Caves.

The Riverside on a Friday night. (Patricia from Widnes was one to remember)

Steve O'neil and steve Rodgers breaking their legs in the same game. Colin Whitfield's reaction to O'neils injury - Baarrf.

Beating Leigh and Hull in the first two home games of Alex Murphy's reign.

Doug Stand's column in the programme.

Brian Batty on Rugby league - also in the programme.

George Fairburn. How he put up with the idiots around him I'll never know.

Graeme West scoring against Cas in 91 - and running riot against Featherstone in a 45-0 Friday night win nine years earlier.

Brett Kenny walking out by himself before the Kangaroo's game against Wigan in 1986.

The floodlights going out halfway through the Lancashire cup semi against Saints in the mid 80's. It was either Ian Roberts or Adrian shelfords's first game. Can't remember which.

37,000 against Manly, 30,00 v Australia, 29,000 on a Tuesday night V Widnes, 28,000, 26,000 against Saints. we'll never see the likes of that again I fear.

Brilliant place. Will never be forgotten.

: Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:25 am  

As many others have said there are far too many magic moments to mention.

For me the Fosters WCC in against Manly was the best atmosphere i ever experienced at CP.

Beating St Peters in the the Wigan Schools trophy in 89 was very nice considering they thrashed us in a curtain raiser earlier in the year at CP, Although they retained the mantle as English schools champions the same year

When the lights went out v Saints.....Lights come on Hanley scores...Wigan win........Fantastic.

Sunday afternoons in the late 80's going to the game as a young teen without adult supervision, it was three young lads watching the greatest team in the world, something that i will never forget..

CP.............

: Sat Sep 29, 2007 1:43 am  

My Mum and Dads biggest experience of CP was the almost 50,000 crowd in the late 50's against St Helens.

Neither are/were tall people. But they said their feet never touched the floor for at least 200 yards outside the ground after the match, it was so crowded.

: Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:44 am  

Quality thread this. Not a Wigan fan but my cousin is and when he was babysitting for me he used to take me along. My folks used to pay him a few quid and told him to keep me in the house, so they weren't best pleased one night when we ended up stood next to them at Central Park! Was a midweek game against Bradford that Wigan lost 9-0 I think, anyone have any details on that?

Also went to one of the homecomings with a rugby ball and got it signed by Jason Robinson and Billy McGinty, then went playing on the pitch and ran into one of the post-protectors and nearly put my shoulder out.

The WCC game against Brisbane, everyone thought they were super-human and loudest cheer of the night was when Langer dropped a ball in the warm-up! Great game though, I remember my Dad putting a pound on Andrew Farrar for 1st tryscorer, tight get. Started following the Broncos after that game aswell.

As a Saints fan, remember Briers being bang on form with the boot in the 32-22 game, and also one Boxing Day friendly - coldest game I have ever experienced and Saints put out a virtual reserve side (a young Wellens played scrum-half and kicked a goal in the 1st half IIRC). We ended up leaving early in the second half after Connolly kicked through and scored in the corner. Probably the only game I wasn't stuck behind a bloody post in the Kop.

Couple of good Saints semi-final victories at Central Park aswell. Oh and who can forget Tommy God's try? Brilliant atmosphere that day, stayed behind for a good couple of hours.

Good times, spent a lot of time in CP for a Saints fan and the JJB just doesn't compare for me.

: Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:32 am  

I used to stand with the "zulus" as my Dad called them at the back of the Popular Stand and my favourite memory was when the game was close and it came down to a conversion or a penalty and everyone used to huddle together and hope for the best. Great atmosphere. Great place. Wish we'd never left. Absolutely loved the place and it will always be in my memory.

: Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:46 am  

we also had to huddle together on the hullkr bus in the mid seventies second division game i think, we were ambushed on the way to to central park and had all the windows put through by iddiots,never actually got to see the game as coppers wouldnt let us in for our own safety.i seem to remember the crowd being around the 3,000 mark.no hard feelings though good luck for tonight just got 11/1 at the bookies for you to win gfinal.

: Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:56 am  

I remember the last game at Central Park where I was only about 9 years old and Jason Robinson won Man of the Match. At the end of the game I was so desprate to get Robinsons autograph I jumped down the rows of seats and into the tunnel where stewards were trying to stop me from going but I managed to squeeze through a gap and get to Robinson where I asked him for his autograph and he said "anything for you, pal" and signed my programme

: Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:07 pm  

A great thread this to get in the mood for the trek to 'ull.

Some brief memories: Pre match at Swinley Labour club.
Starting off stood on the pillars by the steps leading to the bar under the popular stand.
Growing tall enough to stand with my Dad on the half way line.
Cousin falling off aforementioned pillar and fracturing his skull.
26,000 on Boxing Day against Saints
A lock out mid week against Leeds (?) and the bridge and banking over the road being full of fans.
Not being able to see the first five minutes of game against Brisbane because of the smoke from the fireworks.

So, so many more homecomings etc.

The real Wigan RLFC!! : Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:11 am  

Hi all,

I am a Wests Tigers fan on a VISA here in the UK and from Australia. I am having my dream year of working 5 days a week in Leeds and going to Rugby League matches all over the North of England every weekend.

I have always followed Wigan and just need some ideas on how i can best see the sight of where Central Park was. I am dissapointed that i will never see a game there but obviously there is nothing i could have done about that.

If anyone has any idea where i can stand? or look so i can best have a Central Park experience?

I am aware there is now a shopping centre there but i would like to know where exactly on this shopping centre i can stand so i can pretend i am Martin Offiah scoring awesome try lol.

Any Ideas?

JPB