Cracking post Saddened, brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye, especially as my old man died last year and didn't get to see the end of KR.

Will miss the old ground but like many things, remember the good times there.

Never mind a pitch invasion - What we need is a good old fashioned sit in - a -sing-a-thon at the end. We shall not be moved.........

I always new you were a pig.

That almost exactly fits my experience, having gone with my Dad for years. Unfortunately he too passed on a few years ago. I'll be thinking of him a bit more than usual on Friday night.

what will happen to the stadium, will it get knocked down or be used for reserves and acadamy games

New homes going on it.

Great post.

Similar, the family friend who introduced me to St Helens will not be able to make it. If it wasn't for him, I would probably have become a Goon. He got a bout of stomach cancer around the same time as Prekky. He is now too weak to make Knowsley Road. I still visit him once every month to chat rugby and keep him up to tabs with Saints.

He introduced me not long after my parents divorce, he had no business to if he didn't want, but saw a kid who needed to get away and just started taking me. Then Monday morning when he would come to do the books on my grand parents farm, we would plan the next week. It became a trend until I moved south and could only go every so often.

Then my dad and step mum had the worlds messiest divorce. I started getting the train to Knowlsey Road on my own, and going standing with Critch. At that point, I got back into going every week, getting the train up on a Friday night after school to then going across to my dads or my nans for the night, before getting back to play cricket the next day.

Friday, I will be thinking of all the fleeting acquaintances, all the great friends I now have, those who I knew who are no longer with us.

Good god, I'm going to miss it.

I will be there. Would have loved to be watching the wire, but as a true rugby fan I feel it is right to go and say goodbye to a true old fashioned stadium ( that unfortunately some kids will never experience)

Fantastic post, really puts everything into perspective. Hope your dad gets well soon.

Friday night will be a sad night for true rugby league grounds. Since becoming hooked on the great game afew years ago, Knowsley Road is a ground I like to visit when ever possible.

Seen some good games there and some good moments. Watched my 1st international there and will be there on friday.

Ahh, the memories.

My dad persuading me to watch my first ever game, by telling me about the superhero that was lining up for Saints... one Mal Meninga.

Dad: "He's bigger than our house"
Me (wide eyed): "Bigger than our house??"
Dad: "Aye. And he's faster than a train"
Me (wider eyed):"Faster than a train?"
Dad: "Aye".
Me: "But Dad... if he's bigger than our house, and faster than a train, how does anyone stop him?"
Dad: "They don't, lad."

Him sneaking me into the old bar (now the changing rooms!) and passing me down half a Stones while he introduced me to his rugby mates. I might have only have been ten, but I was a man for half an hour.

First walking onto KR, seeing the floodlight pitch and believing it was every bit as impressive as Wembley could ever be.

Sitting on the wall for that first game, in bitter cold, completely taken in by the occasion - then jumping onto the pitch at full time to run to congratulate my new heros, legs so numb with cold that running was near impossible. Then, the ultimate prize, a pair of tie ups (I forget the player, I was still learning the names!) still reeking of wintergreen.

My dad's face as a I ran back to the wall waving the tie ups aloft - he was calling me allsorts for running on and not telling him, but you could see he was glowing with pride. His son was a Saint.

I'm lucky enough that my dad is still here, but he won't always be, and KR and the memories of it will always be intrinsically linked with him.

top idea digger! i'm sure i can get my ugly mug on the telly one last time at K.R by attempting to lift one of the players like i did in '89' at central perk after THAT try by quirky

Very moving mate and I could not have put it better.

You guys are lucky, we never got the chance to say goodbye to Fartown , they just locked the gates after a game one day and that was it , no one knew at the time it would be the last game either ..... i wish we got the chance !

Great thread this one fellas.

great thread,would make us feel a tad guilty should we end it with a win,but as long as we can join in your pitch invasion?



oh saddened,sorry to hear about your dad, best wishes to you and him.

?

I heard that too

My memories, off the top of my head.

Jarrod McCracken, hards as nails.
John Harrison's headers.
The roof ripping off in the biggest hailstones I've seen.
Losing 5-4 to Wigan, but really appreciating a good hard game of rugby.
Getting soaked to the bone when we won 19 nil (Paul Hardcastle) with Tommy's remarkable pass.
Derek McVey, well we fecking showed them.
Paul Loughlin bursting his ball bag.
Hunte butting Offiah (rumours of Martin trying it on with his Mrs) and the ball boy giving him the two finger salute.
Fogarty fighting with Skerett and probably Cowie too.
Jason Robinson scoring a try by playing the ball to himself (when you couldn't tap it anymore with no markers)
Scoring tries from the kick off (David Lyon and Steve Prescott)
Needing Newlove to score a try against Wire in the final game of 1996 to win £1,000 in fantasy rugby in the Wigan Evening Post.
Games live on ITV on a Saturday afternoon.
Wonderfuel gas sign.
Ripping my jeans on a long screw under that sign.
Buying a pint in the ground.
Beating the pies with 12 men in the challenge cup.
Wide to west and my mrs missing it (been on a course in Newcastle), and my cousin leaving early for night shift and seeing the commotion in the black bull.
Never catching the ball with a kick to the corner, but having my fingers knocked back twice.
The benches being on the other side of the pitch.
McClennan throwing good ale away.
The Coors shirt and 41-6. (41 is a lottery number of mine)
Walking across the pitch at half time of a reserve game.
Taking my children for the first time.
My son telling me after the wire play off game that the last game will be Huddersfield.
Running up Dunriding Lane to catch the 320 to Blackbrook after a match on Sunday (normally missing the end of the match), then giving your mates V as they'd missed the bus but saw an extra minute or two of the game.
Winter rugby!

Its just a pity I've no idea when my first game was.

Very good. In my favour she was still Fred back then.

Now THAT is post of the year.

My thoughts are with your dad & family. The year we played Hull in the Grand Final my dad had had 3 heart attacks and by the time of the final he was unrecognisable as the person we knew, we really thought it would be the last time he would get to see Saints in a major final, if any game at all. Thankfully he has gone on to make a good recovery and was able to join me at the Cas game so we got to share one last memory of the old girl.

Win or lose on friday rest assured you'll get to create a whole new set of memories at the new place with your son.

The smell of the fags
The reek of the loos
The life etched in faces
That hoped not to lose

Proud amongst my kids
Cheering with my mates
Standing with Grandad and Dad,
Now outside other Gates

Sitting on the wall,
Leaning in the Edington
Queuing for drinks
And always getting rained on

Memories of Pimblett and Pinner
Joynty and co
Beating the Pies
But not the Kangaroos

Goodbye KR!
Thanks for every memory!
When the last brick has gone,
You'll live on as a part of me.

Superb