I've been having a mooch through my old fanzines and found this piece from just before the last game at Central Park and thought it might provoke a few memories on here so I thought I'd post it







Next wee sees the biggest game of the season. Not because of its importance in relation to the Super League but it’s the last ever game at Central Park (hold back those tears). We’re hoping that you’ve already been out and bought your Tesco’s carrier bags and hopefully a couple of sledgehammers to give the builders a head start. Will we be sad to see it go? Probably not. It’s a miserable ground in a miserable town with miserable people. Well, it’s in need of tearing down really. Progress is progress and whilst there’s plenty of Wigooners that’ll be shedding a tear or two once Saints fans get to see the JJB stadium it should help sway the supporter’s to favouring a new ground.



Central Park obviously holds many special memories for fans from all clubs, and as a tribute to the supposed home of rugby league we’d like to share our own special memories of games that have meant a lot to us as rugby league die-hards. In reverse order:



10.The semi-final that no one gave us a chance of winning

On the way to losing to the Pies 13-6 at Wembley we came up against Cup ‘Kings’ Widnes in a fantastic semi-final clash. A Widnes team boasting the likes of Alan Tait, Jonathan Davies, Emosi Koloto and possibly Martin Offiah (we can’t remember if he’d signed for Wigoon then) were red hot favourites for reaching Wembley, giving the watching public a showpiece final. Unfortunately for the Chemics, we hadn’t read the script. Up stepped Tea Ropati, George Mann and Jonathan Griffiths to put out the fire. A fantastic win. 19-2. The incident that stands out the most? Jonathan Davies missing a kick in front of the sticks, oh how we laughed.



9.The Championship decider

Except it wasn’t. In front of a packed house with the Championship on the line we slugged in out with the Pies in atrocious conditions, edging them in terms of game play, but only coming away with a draw. 8-8. The difference on the day being a good goalkicker and a great goalkicker. Not a great game to watch, but a cracking atmosphere and the tension was unbearable.



8.Goulding’s drop hits the post

Yet another draw this time round, and yet another game at Central Park that we should have won. With Eric Hughes at the helm of Saints, Wigan had beaten us in every game we’d played them. This was the one game in which they didn’t beat us during Eric’s reign. An incredibly tight Cup tie, it was nip and tuck all the way, with us being the better side. Could we end Wigoon’s amazing cup run? Nearly. Five minutes left and Blobbie puts up a drop goal, it’s going wide, but hang on it’s coming in, it’s, it’s, it’s…..off the post and Salford steal our glory the next year. Needless to say we were hammered in the replay.



7.My mate Wally Lewis?

The third test in 1986. Already 2-0 down in the series and Maurice Bumfluff plumps for the old guard in an attempt to crack the Aussies defence. Back out of the cupboard came Andy Gregory, Tony Myler and Harry Pinner to almost turn the tables on ‘The Invincibles’ Mark II. A great match that was undecided until late on, when our memorable moment happened. With the scores tight and it looking like we could pull off a shock win, Wally Lewis dummies his way through the defence right under the sticks to put the game out of reach. Under the sticks right in front of us. Hmm. We couldn’t refuse, “You bald *******,” we cry to which The Emperor of Lang Park gives us the V sign. Charming. Next time you see it, keep your eyes peeled for it.



6.A star is born

A year earlier and the second test against the Kiwis sees the Lions trying to level the series after a storming opening test at Headingly. It’s a game we don’t really remember, but we remember the master poacher (copyright Ray French), Garry Schofield making his presence known on the field with a sensational four tries. A unbelievable show of support play. See honorary Saint.



5.The prototype Ultimate Comeback

Boxing Day and our annual trek to Pieland. 22-6 down at half-time, it’s drubbing time. Except it wasn’t. A quite magnificent effort from all saw Saints pull back the deficit outscoring the Pies 26-0 in the second half. What more can you say? Unfortunately for us this match will always be remembered for two incidents. Adrian Shelford’s knees in Kevin McCormack’s back and more importantly the hamstring pull that effectively ended the career of one of our brightest young players. It still brings tears to the eyes now.



4.Barrie Lager’s tackle

We’ve mentioned this game in previous issues, but what a classic. Saints 14 Leigh 8. Not one point scored in the second half. Barrie Lager’s superheroic chasing down of the flying Leigh centre John Henderson that not only stopped him from scoring, but also got jarred the ball loose in the tackle for Vievers to recover. Our first trip to Wembley in years. The Lager tackle – a defining Saints moment.



3.We’ve won a trophy

After what appeared to be aeons without any real success (well a year or so) we came up against media darlings, Leeds, and pulled off another against the odds wins. A great game not just because we won a trophy, but because of the high drama and the fact that it signalled the birth of Paul Loughlin, who turned in his first great performance in a Saints shirt. Oh, who can forget Slippery Morris as well?



2.The Day Wigoon Stood Still

Talk about a big game. They don’t come much bigger than this. Wigoon vs Manly. The re-birth of the World Club Challenge. 39,000 people stuffed into Cennie Park, Shaun Wane’s greatest ever game, Ronnie Gibbs and a terrible view of proceedings. 8-2, no tries and I suppose you wonder if they would have won if Kevin Ward had been playing, probably not.



1.Quirk’s in at the corner

If ever there was a defining Saints moment, this would be it. Another upset of Cup ‘Kings’ Widnes. Trailing with five minutes to go and Paul Groves dummies, gives it to Loughlin who sends Quirk in at the corner with, seemingly, the entire Widnes side on his back. Simply magnificent. Words cannot express the elation experienced by thousands of Saints fans on that day. It’s probably making your hairs stand on end right now.



So, that’s it. Our favourite Central Park memories, but we have left out one because eleven didn’t make sense. Any ideas? Brett Clark and Neil Holding playing the Pies off the park. Pat Jarvis’ debut. Giving the Pies a beating and then they switch the floodlights off. Let’s not forget the offside try either.



Goodbye to Central Park and here’s to taking the honours there for the last time ever next week.

And here's my match report from the game.





We’ve been given a reprieve. Or that was our feeling going into the last ever game at Tesco Park. Two days earlier, the Whinos had managed to squander a critical lead over the Bulls in the game of the season to hand us a second opportunity of securing that desired second place.



“Fastball down the middle of the plate. He swings and misses.” That was what it felt like. We were given another great chance to grab that second place and didn’t, again.



Okay it was never going to be easy, beating the Pies in their own backyard on such a momentous occasion for them, but we could have and should have.



It was always going to a Space situation (you and me versus the world – Pop Ed), but we came out all guns blazing, putting early pressure on the piemen and we were thinking that this is gonna be a classic. It was, but not for us. Kicking (once again) to Jason Robinson the one man team swerved through some non-existent tackling ten metres from his own line (what was Paul Newlove doing????) and sped along the sideline before passing inside for Denis Betts to go over from halfway. Who said Patch was rubbish? They hadn’t even been in the game, their fans had been silent and then all of a sudden Tesco Park erupted. Our biggest mistake, letting them get their hopes up. They never looked back.



We gave as good as we got though, with some determined running and handling in front of Wigoon’s sticks seeing ‘Big George’ get the ball out to an unmarked Scully. Great, back in it, we’re looking good, then Zzzzzzzzz. Farrell steps forward with a quick tap (was nobody watching at all? – an increasingly furious Ed). He sprints downfield, only for the man who best typified Saints on the day, Sonny Nickle, brought him down yards from the line. You know what happened next.



This was just unbelievable. Here we were having the better of the game, only to give away two ludicrous tries from deep inside Wigoon territory. To make matters worse it happened again, just four minutes later, when the unstoppable Jason Robinson went 70 yards (albeit amongst some woeful defence). 16-6 and they hadn’t even had the chance to apply any continued pressure on our line.



With half time approaching we needed a score and we got it. With the pies desperately defending their line, the ball found its way across the Wigoon line to Martyn who pulled off that pass, to send Sully in at the corner. What a pass and what a kick to follow. 16-12. Lucky to still be in it? Maybe, but we had showed some grit in coming back from some soul destroying scores.



Into the second half and our defence held firm. Wave after wave of Wigoon attack came and we held firm until Big Man stomped through the vermin’s front line to toss out a try scoring pass to The Beast. It was 16 all. Victory was a possibility. We weren’t dead yet. As had been the case all game, the Pies came back almost immediately and broke our hearts. It was over. There was to be no travesty. It was always going to be the Pies day and despite our efforts, the media got their way.



Why Wigoon Won: Breakaway rugby punished our lack of scrambling defence. It was like late 80s, early 90s Wigoon when they did.

Why Saints lost: No goalkicker, tired players, no full back, one half back all amounted to just too much for us to overcome.

Turning points:

1.Farrell’s quick tap that created a try that should never have been.

2.The disallowed Wigoon try that would have killed us off earlier.

3.Simon ‘Wiggy’ Haughton’s traditional burst through weak Saints tackling to give Paul ‘one try’ Johnson to winning score.

4.Tommy God’s try. Denying the pies of being the last team to score on the ground.

Quotable: “Central Park, it says D5 here.” Two hardcore Wigoon fans get to grips with a Wigan A-Z map.



We gave them the game. Simple as that. They had very little to offer. We missed Long (although Martyn tried in vain) for his running and kicking, Sculthorpe isn’t a stand off, Atcheson would have saved at least two of those tries and we just looked dead on our feet twenty minutes from the end. The Pies tired later, but we just ran out of juice. The only redeeming feature of the game, was the extraordinary support given by our fans. From one hour before kick-off to after the game, the tunes came out thick and fast, even when the vermin scored. A tremendous effort. Here’s to some more on the way to Old Trafford.



Making their mark in history were: Tommy Martyn (how he gave his all) worked his magic on his own, Sonny Nickle (if any player epitomises the Saints spirit this is him) never said die once, Fereti Tuilagi (another player with the biggest of Saints hearts) threw himself at the Pies.



That was it. The last ever game at Tesco Park. Are we being disrespectful to all the great feats of human endurance witnessed on the cabbage patch known as the pitch? Possibly, but we’re not Piemen and never will be. For those who have gone for years and years you have our best wishes. For those who turned up, just because it was the last day can wallow in nostalgia, whilst the die-hards carry on their quest to try and finish ahead of Saints in Super League in Whelan Park. They’ll soon forget this and have new memories to savour. Those who seldom go can remember the old days because that’s all they deserve, the memories.

Also about the same game:

being on the Beeb when we beat Widnes there CCSF 96

....and now he pretends to be oh so respectable.

Until this day still remains my all time fav game.





5.The prototype Ultimate Comeback

[iBoxing Day and our annual trek to Pieland. 22-6 down at half-time, it’s drubbing time. Except it wasn’t. A quite magnificent effort from all saw Saints pull back the deficit outscoring the Pies 26-0 in the second half. What more can you say? Unfortunately for us this match will always be remembered for two incidents. Adrian Shelford’s knees in Kevin McCormack’s back and more importantly the hamstring pull that effectively ended the career of one of our brightest young players. It still brings tears to the eyes now. [/i

I think I might go and watch the DVD of that match this afternoon. Nothing betterthan a proper Boxing Day derby that really meant something.

Wigan at their benevolent best. They all went on the traditional fancy dress Boxing day night out.



Trouble is they went at half time.



Was Murphy Saints coach that day?

Certainly was, I've put the highlights on Youtube if you fancy a gander

my last mem would be the last try....just love having that over them St. Tommy what a guy







Cant remember why i was their but i was their for when henrey paul made his debut, came on got the ball chiped it caught it ran in to score...great try

That was one of my most embarrassing moments as a Saints fan. We were, unsurprisingly, under the stewardship of Eric Hughes and Wigoon dropped out to about 40m+ and the players just stood around waiting for somebody to pick up the ball. Henry Paul raced from the goal line drop out and picked up the ball, untouched, to race the rest of the way for a try. Hideously embarrassing and one of the iconic moments of Eric Hughes' reign.



People keep talking about how Hughes built up the side to take Super League I and that's a load of crap. He was backed by the board to bring players in, however he was tactically inept. The drop out was typical of Saints slack attitude under Hughes. Defensively we dropped off the pace to become as weak as we were in the final Murphy days. You could tell the difference between Hughes and McClennan. Under the latter, whenever there was a situation like a restart or penalty you could guarantee that the players would be alert to what's going on i.e. if there was a kick for goal the players would line up in a proper formation prepared for incidents like the ball bouncing off the posts. We never had that under Hughes and the drop out was one of the nails in the coffin for Hughes. We lacked a professional approach which McRae addressed in Super League I and got the best out the players, particularly in defence.

Gus O'Donnell.