[iAs you may be aware Sunday 11th September marks The Last EVER game to played at our Historic old ground, For 110 years it has been the heart of Salford. For many of the Salford Supporters we are finding the fact its coming to an end pretty hard to take but we have took warmth and enjoyment form hearing about many peoples memories of the old girl. So what's your outstanding memory, Is it a particular Match, Player performance, Chant, Banter , Viewpoint or just let us know what you think about the future after The Willows. So lets get the ball rolling and could we please stick to memories and not personal insults or sweeping generalisation about the odd numpty!

[/i

The Willows
1901-2011

Beating Salford to stay up 32 - 24 in 2001.

Great day, really enjoyed it.

I will miss the Willows, nice little ground.

Watching a dreadful match there in 2007 enlivened only by the appearance at half time of [iIgnito[/i, the barmiest (and probably the campest) mascot ever to don a latex costume

One of the 7 games between Leigh and Salford in 2003, was either late in the regular season or in the actual play offs - think Salford won reasonably comfortably but I remember Leigh having a man sent off and then two Leigh players and a Salford player going in to the sin bin after a mass brawl, at which point Leigh score a corker of a 'passing' try where every player must have touched the ball twice. "We only need ten men!"

Although I've never seen Leigh win there in what is probably 4/5 visits, I've been on plenty of other occasions as a neutral (at least 3-4 times a season) and enjoy the experience of actually being able to switch your viewing point during the game etc, and the walk up someone's front path to end up behind the main stand! A dying breed of RL ground that I'd take any day of the week over some of the new ones!

The guy on the PA - Can the car driver of ******** please return to your car as your window is down. Remember this is Salford.

Can't say I have too many memories from on the pitch at the willows because when we've won there we've generally won comfortably but it was always a great ground to go to. The terrace was always packed out with a cracking atmosphere and at least you had a bloody roof!

I shall definetly miss the routine of getting the train from Wigan to Manc Vic, having a few beers in the city centre, before getting on the tram to Weaste. They were always enjoyable days and cheap ones as well! Sadly the new place is not so easily accessable by public transport?

Obviously the 1996 cup exit was a big negative memory. Another dire game there was another cup tie in 2006 that was 0-0 at half time before Wigan lost 16-4. It did prove to be [url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_images/missing.jpg=#FF0000Dennis Moran[/url's last Wigan appearance though so it wasn't all bad!

My first ever Wigan game was at the Willows. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1292 Always enjoyed the trips there, as Bilko said, easy to get to and cheap too. Will be missed.

My first ever Wigan game was at the Willows. wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... ge_id=1292 Always enjoyed the trips there, as Bilko said, easy to get to and cheap too. Will be missed.

After a small amount of investigation work, it turns out I went to that game

Same game as a Leigh fan was that one, think Paul Rowley got sent off for chinning Littler while the ref was telling him not to at that game.

As a neutral I called in on my way home from work to watch a relegation game between Salford and Wakey and the shed fans welcomed a fellow Lancastrian like I was one of their own. Good fun in the shed that day.

Rowley was sent off for cleaning out Gavin Clinch with a high tackle and then Ricky Bibey was sent off less than 60 seconds later for a trip on Cliff Beverley, so it must have been one yellow card each for the brawl.

Yes, [url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/archive/2003/09/22/Lancashire+Archive/5881093.Two_off_as_Leigh_see_Red_against_Salford/I cheated[/url.

I was standing next to by then retired referee Peter Massey (a Salford man) during a Lancs Cup tie in September '87. After Salford scored the first of their many tries, he turned to me and said 'you won't win, this one (meaning the ref)'s a homer'. Always was a nice ground, pity old age and planning laws caught up with it.

I vaguely remember that trip being the most blatant red card in RL history.

I've only been there twice.

The first time we beat Salford in a humdinger of a game on a Wednesday night in around 94-95 I think.

The second time was a month ago when we beat Swinton there in another cracking game in front of the SKY cameras, plus it was my 30th birthday that week so it was a cracking present.

I'll always have fond memories of the place.

Walking down the alleyway at the side of the ground attempting to dodge all the dog in the darkness.

Watching games on TV when I was a nipper (and far too young to attend RL games according to my family), I'm guessing these must have been grandstand second half coverage days, and running out of my Grandma's house on Gore Ave to watch the conversions go over the sticks between the gap in the north and east stands. One of my earliest RL memories that is.

6th May 2009 Salford 18 Quins 48. We had about 5 verbal young lads stood behind us and once we were well ahead one said "So what do you think of Salford then, not team because we are sh*t but place" to which I replied in my best Surrey accent "I have to say it rather reminds me of the set of Shameless". He cracked up and said lets go down Jockey after and get a pint with Frank and and E of Karen.

Last time I managed to work out where the new place is on google maps, it looked like it'd be about half an hour walk from Patricroft (10 mins from Manc Victoria) rail station fella. Of course, I could have looked in completely the wrong place, too

Thanks to your Gran for letting us park outside her house all these years. And the residents of Gore Crescent.



Too many to mention, but some that spring to mind:
- The 1996 CC game (I get reminded of this every time I go to our club sec's house, he puts the video on).
- Shaun Edwards booting a ball in frustration after conceding a try, straight into my hands from about 10 yards away.
- in 2006 (I think) the Shed chanting "going down, going down, going down" and Wigan replying "so are we, so are we, so are we".
- Brian Carney sprinting out from beneath the sticks to charge down a conversion RU-style in a pre-season game.
- Coley putting in some huge hits against Wigan - I recall he destroyed Moran(?) one game.

Unlike Bilko I recall many games at the Willows being tough going, and while it's true I only saw us lose there once or twice, there weren't many easy wins.

lol, that's brought back some memories and a half that has ... We used to stay there at weekends and Dad would come pick us up on a Sunday, if there was a home game on that Sunday we had to put traffic cones out so he had somewhere to park when he came to collect us

Never forget Saints getting knocked out the Cup there in 1988.We were absolutley gob-smacked at the end.Saints were on a 3 month unbeaten run and cup favourites but turned in a terrible display culminating with Tony Burke throwing a looping panic pass right across his own posts which Salford gleefully snapped up to finish the game late on.Think Kevin Ashcroft was Salford coach at the time getting one over his old mate Alex Murphy.

Forgotten about that hahahah, absolutely crazy. It was the same game that Davico lasted about 3 minutes I think.

Not a happy hunting ground for us but three memories:

1 - Sneaking a win there in Widnes' first SL season under the floodlights and on SKY in 2002.

2 - Losing 13-12, I think it was, in 04/05.

3 - Watching a miserable game, the first of the season, perhaps the beginning of the end for Widnes!

nb, I Wasn't there, but remember hearing about an underdog draw for Widnes in the Championship in 2008 in front of a big crowd. Think it may be on that video sharing site.

For me my greatest ever memory was lifting the 1995 Championship at The Willows against Keighley, The team of Blakeley, Pannapa, Lee, Hampson,Eccles,Sini,Rogers and Mcavoy are one of my all time favourites. Another sweet victory was this one www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... uence.html

For me my greatest ever memory was lifting the 1995 Championship at The Willows against Keighley, The team of Blakeley, Pannapa, Lee, Hampson,Eccles,Sini,Rogers and Mcavoy are one of my all time favourites. Another sweet victory was this one www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyl ... uence.html

Going there for the first time as a kid, back in the days of Keith Fielding, and standing at the top of the terrace behind the sticks and thinking that the stand was massive!! Now, I stand there, look to my left, and wonder why people are drinking and standing on a pub roof.

the day will be known as 9/11