: Tue Aug 08, 2006 5:22 pm  

Oops! Meant to highlight Wigan 11 Saints 53.

: Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:49 pm  

To many to mention..

From standing at the scoreboard end from the age of 3 to swaying on the Popular Side getting drenched in ale... (aged 4 )..

From beating Manly to Mission Impossible to being mascot on a title winning game..Central Park was the place to watch Rugby League

: Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:27 pm  

Watching Wigan lift their first Championship in years in 1986-87 season. They put on a Rugby League masterclass that day, winning 62-7 or there abouts.
Watching Martin Offiah score 10 tries against Leeds in 1992.

Possibly the first 2 things that pop into my head when Central Park is mentioned.

: Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:56 pm  

I remember many greta days there watching the Wire in the 70's.

Down on the special, going round the pubs in the town centre then down to CP, usually followed by some playful jossling with the locals.

I remember a cup quarter final where we were in the popular side, winning and the Kop had nearly emptied.

At the final whistle we were wondering where you lot were we all headed to the turnstile in the corner. Next minute we were charged by a few hundred Wiganers chucking bricks etc. after the initial surprise, they stopped dead when they realised we weren't running. then the tide turned and a thousand wire fans chased them back round the back of the stand.

The walk back to the station was horrendous. Packed like sardines, I saw someone booting Debenhams window till it cracked.

Once on the train we had to endure a hail of missiles as we headed out of pie-land.

happy days, a fantastic stadium with an atmos to match.

: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:39 pm  

I remember reading once long time ago that wigan was the most supported team in england ,no other sport matched it is this right?

: Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:38 am  

manly4ever wrote:

I remember reading once long time ago that wigan was the most supported team in england ,no other sport matched it is this right?

Highly unlikely!

: Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:35 pm  

1/ Manly - Say no more!
2/ Widnes 91 (& the rest of Mission Impossible)
3/ The first 1st division championship 87

Funnies

The shrubbery growing out of the steelwork holding the Kop up.

Scoreflash!!!!!!!!!!
Les Boyd taking a swing at Hampo and missing - hits himself & breaks his own nose
The guy with the Religious banners outside.
Old season tickets with the numbered vouchers & always arriving slightly nervous in case the voucher number on show had already been used!

My dad & uncle getting a "Freebie" off Trevor Stockley and being told to meet him in the players tunnel before the match after prematch players bar drinks. They get to the tunnel and Stockley pushes them out the tunnel to the tune of "Entry of the gladiators"

Going for a pee at the back of the KOP.

: Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:02 am  

I remember a Wigan fixture against Bradford in the eighties. I think it was in Feb and might have been a Challenge cup tie. I can't quite remember. It was frosty but Wigan had recently installed undersoil heating and so I was convinced the game would be on. I remember approaching Central Park at the kop end turnstiles and there wasn't a soul around. As I approached the ground the gates were open and so I walked onto the kop wondering what was going on. There was nobody on the ground! It was a weird experience. I must have been the only person in Wigan who hadn't heard that the game had been cancelled. Although the pitch was ok, the game had been cancelled because of safety on the terraces. Was I the only one who hadn't heard that it had been postponed?

The memorable games for me were:
1967 when we beat the Aussies. What an atmosphere.
1967 v Warrington in the Challenge cup 1st rd replay. It was played mid week in the afternoon before the lights were installed. The ground was packed and Ashton ran riot. To this day I don't know how 30,000 people managed to get off work/school. This was my first season watching Wigan and I was hooked for life.
1967 v Bradford Northern when the new lights failed.
1987 v Manly. THE best night ever at CP and one of the most exciting games of rugby I have ever seen, even though there were no tries scored.
1991 v Widnes to win the league. 30,000 with thousands locked out. Cracking atmosphere.
Last game at CP v Saints. A very emotional day. All those memories of the times my late dad had taken me to games as a boy (hen pen etc) came flooding back. Had to fight back the tears as I left the ground for the final time.
I do go to Tesco but can't help imagining where abouts on the ground I would be as I walk round.

My favourite memory of CP is described in Jason Robinson's book. He talks about the time in 1984, I think, after the Challenge cup final when Jason and Neil Cowie didn't get picked. In frustration Neil head butted the wall in the changing rooms. His head went through the studded wall and he got his ears stuck. I wish someone had taken a photograph.

: Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:03 pm  

playing in a schoolboys cup final in the late 60's and winning !!

: Mon Aug 14, 2006 8:27 am  

Looking forward to playing my first ever game at Central park, getting on the pitch and all i could smell was poop. (It turned out to be the poor drainage from the pitch)

That's my resounding memory as we got hammered every time we went there.