1st game i ever watched

[Briga]

I can't remember who we played, I was about 7 or 8 so it would have been roughly 1968/9 and I can vivdly recall the atmosphere, and the fact that I was overawed by the simple thing of a little girl among thousands of men! At half time my dad moved and we were stood next to loads of mixed people and the women were making a fuss of me, one old lady asked me if I was enjoying myself and if I wanted to come back and when I said yes she gave me a scarf and one of those wooden rattles (I still don't know what happened to that, I treasured it) Once I had the rattle it didn't take me long to figure out when to use it!
I remember interminable bus and train rides with my mum following the away games, and how I found out I was travel sick on very long journeys when we went to Wembley on the coach in the blazing sun.
I have some great photos of mum in London on the various Wembley days, and can still laugh at her getting dive bombed by the pigeons in Trafalgar Square.
I grew up looking at photos of various Widnes moments, some of them from the dark days between wars, so it seems to have always been in our family.
My Dad got his nickname during the 30's when he played an Aussie team, I can't remember the details of precisely how he came by it, but he didn't play for Widnes.
It's great to have such fantastic memories.

[Roy]

Widnes V Liverpool City.  It was a midweek match and I remember going into primary school the next day and a few of us were talking about it.  Not sure what year it was, maybe someone could tell me.  It was between 1964-1968 because that was when I was at Moorfied school.  I seem to think that Bobby Goulding's dad might have played for Liverpool City that night. 

[Isa Drennan]

Wembley 1964, was first for Isa, though don't remember hardly anything about the day.

[Peter]

It was about 1937, and I sat in the Stand with my grandfather. [There was only one stand then]. I can't remember who was playing but I was only three.
I do remember the first season after the war when I had a season ticket which I saved up for -- a whole 4/-. Joe Burke was full back, Dagnall on the right wing, Ally Naughton and Colin Hutton were the centres, and I think Gus Malone was on the left wing. Tommy McCue at Scrum Half and I think it was Chuck Reynolds at stand off. Dipper Jones was hooker, and Bob Roberts was in the second row. I can't remember the rest, but I do know we won the Lancashire cup, and Ally Naughton and 6 other ex St Maries players brought it round to St Maries and we all went out to see it and hold it.

[A. N. Other]

It was about 1937, and I sat in the Stand with my grandfather. [There was only one stand then]. I can't remember who was playing but I was only three.
I do remember the first season after the war when I had a season ticket which I saved up for -- a whole 4/-. Joe Burke was full back, Dagnall on the right wing, Ally Naughton and Colin Hutton were the centres, and I think Gus Malone was on the left wing. Tommy McCue at Scrum Half and I think it was Chuck Reynolds at stand off. Dipper Jones was hooker, and Bob Roberts was in the second row. I can't remember the rest, but I do know we won the Lancashire cup, and Ally Naughton and 6 other ex St Maries players brought it round to St Maries and we all went out to see it and hold it.

The stats thread posted elsewhere shows Jimmy Dipper Jones playing only 13 games.  I'm just about certain he played a lot, lot more.  Am I wrong or are the stats off in this instance?

[prehensile]

Must be a misprint - even allowing for the gap in the war years, he played at least 10 seasons as a regular first-teamer.

[geoffw]

I cannot remember my first game. My dad told me he took me to an old A team game when I was about 5 in 1955 but I played on terraces with a little girl so he says! So I seem to remember 1958 as when I started to watch regularly but no memories until about 1960 really. Pimblett at full back , Brian Winstanley, Major at loose forward, Billy Thompson at centre. Our star was Frank Myler. In those days most teams had at least one star. Other players I recall were  the Bate brothers and Kemel .

[Sandgroper]

First 'real' game was in 1951 (I was 11) my dad took me to Wilderspool to see them play the Kiwis.  You had to be there before 2.00 cos they locked the gates then! What a game!  Brian Bevan in his prime scored after receiving standing still on their 25 line - went through the whole Kiwi team without a hand laid on him.  Bruce Robertson played for NZ (the Black Flash!).  After that there was (and is) only one game for me!

We used to watch Widnes and Wire at home (though we were Widnes supporters) as away travel was difficult without a car. In those days they reckoned that Bev put 2000 on any gate - he really was a marvel.

[Mr Widnes]

1979 v Wakefield in the Challenge Cup Final.

In my mummy's tummy.

[rs]

Jones played 323 games between 1931 and 1948  11 tries and 1 goal

[rs]

Widnes V Liverpool City.  It was a midweek match and I remember going into primary school the next day and a few of us were talking about it.  Not sure what year it was, maybe someone could tell me.  It was between 1964-1968 because that was when I was at Moorfied school.  I seem to think that Bobby Goulding's dad might have played for Liverpool City that night. 

We played them mid week on the 31.3.65 losing 10-14 with Aspey and Gaydon scoring tries.   6.30 KO

We played them mid week on the 22.3.66 with a 13 - 9 win with Ged Lowe scoring the lone try. 7.30KO

We played at Saints at home to open our floodlights in early 65/6 season so I wonder if it was more likely to be 66.

66/7 we played them on boxing day so thats out

67/8  was easter Monday at 3pm

68/9 they became Huyton and incidently played a fair number of "home" games at Widnes as they did against Roose in the cup in 62/3 presumably because we had the chemical to beat the big freeze.

Goulding does not appear in any of the programmes for Liverpool. I remember seeing Bo Goulding playing for Huyton in about 77 and he may have played beyond that so I suspect you may be mistaken.

[rs]

It was about 1937, and I sat in the Stand with my grandfather. [There was only one stand then]. I can't remember who was playing but I was only three.
I do remember the first season after the war when I had a season ticket which I saved up for -- a whole 4/-. Joe Burke was full back, Dagnall on the right wing, Ally Naughton and Colin Hutton were the centres, and I think Gus Malone was on the left wing. Tommy McCue at Scrum Half and I think it was Chuck Reynolds at stand off. Dipper Jones was hooker, and Bob Roberts was in the second row. I can't remember the rest, but I do know we won the Lancashire cup, and Ally Naughton and 6 other ex St Maries players brought it round to St Maries and we all went out to see it and hold it.

Great memories and pretty much bang on the mark....

Burke was indeed regular fullback

Dagnall only played 5 or so games that year on the wing and about 30 in the centres. The most regular wingers were Roberts and Reynolds. Strange season as we actually played lots of players on the wing in very rough order of appearances.......Malone, Rutledge, Snee, Aaron, cooper and Flannagan.

Main centres were Dagnall, Hutton, Reynolds and Harper.

7 was mainly McCue but about 7 other players had the odd game each.
6 was mainly Reynolds with Hunt ending the season with the last 10 games.

Main props were Ally Higgins, McDowell, Bill and Hirons

2nd rows Higgins, Roberts, Rowbottom (who still attends games), Warburton, McDowell, Hynan, P Roberts, Fred Higgins.

LF usually Millington but also Fred Higgins, P Roberst, Wartburton and Greenwood.

[rs]

First 'real' game was in 1951 (I was 11) my dad took me to Wilderspool to see them play the Kiwis.  You had to be there before 2.00 cos they locked the gates then! What a game!  Brian Bevan in his prime scored after receiving standing still on their 25 line - went through the whole Kiwi team without a hand laid on him.  Bruce Robertson played for NZ (the Black Flash!). 

NZ 19 - Wire 13 (nothing changes in life Wire lose again!)

[rs]

late 40s, touring side, I've been under the impression it was the Aussies but their fullback was Clive Churchill I and read somewhere a while ago that he was a kiwi. One for researchers I think!

Playing for us at the time was a certain Colin Hutton at fullback, some other names of the period I remember are Tich Anderson, Charlie Reynolds, the Naughton brothers, Fred Higgins, Frank Bradley,Freddie Leigh. I don't know whether Jackie Hayes was on
by then but those are a few names I remember, I was only a nipper at the time!!  Can't remember what I did yesterday though!
Maybe someone out there can shed a bit more light.

From that point on Churchill's career took-off. During the 1948 season he was selected in the Australian team for the 2nd Test against the touring NZ Kiwis, despite not yet having played for NSW. His dramatic rise was complete when he gained selection in the 1948 Kangaroos and played in all five tests on tour.



Widnes team Hutton Kenny Hughes Bradley Jolley Twiigg Anderson Leigh Hayes Ally Naughton Fred Higgins Whittaker Chuck Reynolds.

tries Jolley and Whittaker Goal Bradley

[rs]

First game i ever remember watchin was Widnes v wigan in the Lacashire cup Offiah  V Lydon about 86 i think? There was a massive crowd there i was hooked from there on.

90/1 won 24-22 and Offiah scored. Didn't paly them at home before that in the LC with Offiah on our books.