Truly a great period in the club's history - it saw the average crowd in the 85/86 season at Wilderspool of 3,743 increase to the eye-watering figure of 5,225 average by the end of the decade.

Many great days just like the defeat to Hunslet that followed the great New Year's Day game with Wigan. It was such consistency of performance that saw the 3rd place finish of that season followed by 6th, 8th, 11th, 8th and 9th finishes in the following seasons. How anybody could suggest that finishing top of the table in 2016 and reaching both the season's finals might be considered successful against the beautiful rugby played in that period is beyond belief.

Funny how stark statistics sometimes play havoc compared with people's actually memories hey?

Happy days! Remember it so well, and have to say Boyd is still the best prop I have seen..

I think the thread was discussing excitement, passion and atmosphere rather than the success of being beaten finalists twice in a season.

2016 will fade from memory (if it hasn't already), whereas the WWIII era provides those who were there with special memories that are talked about 30 years later.

In relation to attendances - I bet we would like to see a 40% increase in average attendances within 4 seasons. I also bet most of here would settle for 10% of the Fletcher St atmosphere too.

I agree it is true we were inconsistent in the mid 80's. But I don't think we ever finished top in a season only to be relegated the next.

Anyhow each to their own, everyone is entitled to prefer one era over another.

loved the 80's...the biff...the atmosphere etc etc...BUT give me beating Wigan in the CC semi-final at Widnes ANY DAY with Matt King, Monas, Moz et al. NO COMPARISON. I loved Wilderspool...but don't miss it for one minute.

But that was at Widnes!

I'm talking about the rugby with that reference....that brand of fast, hard rugby...in the sunshine on a hard pitch.

The biff has been bored out of the game.

Every thing is relative.
We achieved against the odds many times vs Pies.
2016 will go down as one of the most disappointing seasons ever, finals or not....it was 2017 in a mask.
At least 2017 the team form position was where we were at...not cloaked by Sandow.

great days.imagine a game like that today..christ saint eddie would have kittens..noticed the play the ball was done with the foot not just slung behind them cos they cant be bothered bending there backs...

Some days there are games you never forget...this being one,
Maine Rd, Naughton Park cc s/f....and the 80 min barmy army chant at the jjb.

LOL. When biff erupts Eddie always says something like "this is the side of the game we don't want to see" when it's clear by the crowd roar he is in the minority (assuming he doesn't secretly like it).

A bit of biff gets the crowd going and adds to atmosphere.

Quote ="rubber duckie"Some days there are games you never forget...this being one, Maine Rd, Naughton Park cc s/f....and the 80 min barmy army chant at the jjb.'" Don't forget Wigan v Warrington - 1987 John Player Trophy Final at Burden Park. Supercharged atmosphere. Didn't The Old Ball Yachting Club make an appearance here? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mvNIpQZk-M

Quote ="rubber duckie"Some days there are games you never forget...this being one, Maine Rd, Naughton Park cc s/f....and the 80 min barmy army chant at the jjb.'" Don't forget Wigan v Warrington - 1987 John Player Trophy Final at Burden Park. Supercharged atmosphere. Didn't The Old Ball Yachting Club make an appearance here? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mvNIpQZk-M

Quote ="Wires71"Don't forget Wigan v Warrington - 1987 John Player Trophy Final at Burden Park. Supercharged atmosphere. Didn't The Old Ball Yachting Club make an appearance here? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mvNIpQZk-M'" That day doesn't make it into my most memorable...playing at Bolton was virtually a home tie for the Pies.

Quote ="Wires71"Don't forget Wigan v Warrington - 1987 John Player Trophy Final at Burden Park. Supercharged atmosphere. Didn't The Old Ball Yachting Club make an appearance here? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mvNIpQZk-M'" That day doesn't make it into my most memorable...playing at Bolton was virtually a home tie for the Pies.

https://youtu.be/KPEKBfQ_Asok Brendon had put the 2nd half up yesterday evening. An epic.

https://youtu.be/KPEKBfQ_Asok Brendon had put the 2nd half up yesterday evening. An epic.

Nostalgia allows you to be selective about special memories. The reason the WWIII game has gone down in to legend is because of Cullen smashing Goodway. If he hadn't done that, we'd have probably won the game but it would have been forgotten about just like the two times we beat Wigan that season.

The next generation of Wire fans will have their own memories of special games at Wilderspool with a legendary atmosphere:

New Year 1994 against Wigan, full house at Wilderspool, would have been a draw but we lost in the last minute because Cullen went in with his knees and gave Botica a penalty

'Champions for 24 hours' when we beat Sheffield Eagles in the last home game of 1994

Beating Wigan with Alex Murphy as our stand in coach in 1997, Nigel Vagana getting a hat-trick

Langer-inspired second half comeback against a previously unstoppable Bradford in 2000, another game with lots of brawls (also available on the filesharing site)

Home wins against Saints, Wigan and Bradford in a turbulent 2001, including Briers bombing Sullivan, Kidwell turning in to Mal Meninga for one day against Wigan and Rob Smyth scoring in the corner at the end against Bradford

Last game at Wilderspool, Appo's hat-trick against Wakefield in 2003

Andrew Johns debut against Leeds at the HJ in 2005

these are all memories of great atmospheres before we got to the TS era of having an actual winning team to follow.

.....and great memories too.
I was narrowing my thoughts just to Wigan, however I've many memories and remember how Wire often seem to beat Pies at Central Park on NY day.

Up until the later 80s, well into the Pies turning 100% pro, Wire had beaten them at Central park the same amount of times they had beaten us, i don't know the exact date...and no team has beaten them more times than Wire period...that may include cup and friendly fixtures.

Lancashire cup semi final under the lights v Widnes....Epic game with the great Greg Mackey pulling the strings.

I know we lost, but one of my most underlying memories of the past was the 1982 Challenge Cup game at Home v Hull. The stadium was packed out, the Wire nut cases were all assembled below the main stand as close to the away fans as they could get.

We had about 5 tries disallowed by the other Black and White that day. Cracking game of RL Football. Pitch invasion at the end.

Yes that game...5 tries disallowed. The worst call by Billy Thompson was saying Phil Ford had run out of the field while rounding to get nearer the sticks!!

Billy Thompson got a police escort off the pitch...they should have carried on to Arply Street Station!
But it was in 1983...it was the 82/83 season.

We were completely and utterly robbed that day.

No we weren't robbed...What happened that day was much worse than that. Even Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask when he was robbing people!!

LOL How old do you think I am. I was still young and impressionable in 97.



Winning team? Wire won a fair number of trophies in the mid 80's-mid 90s. Very successful in fact if we include being beaten finalists, which seems to be the yardstick now. I guess this period was when I was 11-23 years old though, I will concede that I was a devout Wire then.

Regal Trophy
Winners 90/1,
Beaten Finalists 86/7 94/5

Challenge Cup
Beaten Finalists 89/90

Premiership
Winners 85/86
Beaten Finalists 86/87

Lancs Cup
Winners 80/81, 82/83, 89/90
Beaten Finalists 85/86, 87/88


So not as if we were devoid of any success during that period, making 11 finals. It's the period 1995-2009 that was barren.

Any how which HWJ games stick in your memory?

.....winning £500+ when Dwyer scored the only try.
Springs to mind.

The game was shat though.

Johns debut sticks in my mind at the HJ