Wigan Album

I expect to see the same in April 2013 an half empty stadium

Yet another brain dead Thugby comment! Just think (I know it's hard) there will be more than 1.5 Billion watching the FA Cup Semi around the world.

i am a wigan rugby surporter come on give latics a bit of credit when was last time wigan rugby went wembley

it`s not about rugby or football it`s about WIGAN BE PROUD!

2011 Leslie. I am a rugby fan but i also want the Latics to do well AND stay in the premier league. They did a brilliant job at Everton, let,s hope they continue with that form for the rest of the season

OK, I can make out who I think must be Micky Worswick (11), Billy Sutherland (3), John Rogers (Latics goal scorer), the late great Ian Gillibrand (6), Paul Clements (7), Johnny King (midfield ahem enforcer!), can't make out number 4 but is probably Mike Taylor

Northern Premiere League days. A group of us Wigan Rugby fans went to Wembley to see Latics play Scarborough and very disappointed Latics didn't play as well as they did in the previous rounds against Morcambe, Port Vale and was it Stafford Rangers? (memory isn't all that is should be). Went to all those games, even the replayed semi final against Stafford Rangers(?) at Ewood Park. Didn't they draw at Morcambe and win the replay? Although dedicated Wigan RL fans and my wife and I lived in Beech Hill at this time and walked to Springfield Park regularly. Latics had a cracking team in the early 70s. Also went to City in the FA Cup ealier in the decade in the snow. Very unlucky to loose. Keepers misguided clearance gave Colin Bell the opportunity and he took it. Great days they were

Programme available on e bay.

Hi JohnAlan. (memory isn't all that is should be).

One of the contributing factors why Latics didn't play very well at Wembley was that they had played over sixty odd games that season. Although they did play Morecambe in the quarter final and Stafford Rangers in the semi final, both went to replays. It was Morecambe at Ewood (2nd replay) and the first Stafford game was at Port Vale (Port Vale were and still are a League club and provide a neutral ground that was only about 10 miles from Stafford!), with the replay at Boundary Park, Oldham. Although I didn't go to the first games (I was playing Amateur League. Does that make me a JCL or bandwagon jumper?) I went with a 'group of us Latics fans' for the replays and Wembley.

I also went to the City game 02/01/71 but don't recall any snow. However, it was bitterly cold. Apparently, a split boot caused Dennis Reeves to miss hit a goal kick that went to the late Neil Young who slipped Alan Turner, put through to Mike Summerbee, beat Doug Coutts and put through Colin Bell to score. There's a link to footage of the goal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFeFlN71RaY

We did appear on 'Match of the Day' that night and had chances to win, including one from Geoff Davies that Joe Corrigan saved with his feet! At the time, City were the holders of the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Ticsmon,thanks for reminding me of the facts. I thought there was snow on the ground outside the stadium at the City game but again it was over 40 years ago! My future wife also went to the match and use Nobby Stiles toilet on the way to the ground. Billy Sutherland had a great left foot and didn't Davies head just over the bar as well? Probably got the programme in the loft along with the Wembley prog along with all my many Wigan RL progs.
Didn't Scarborough play a similar number of games? Were they in the NPL? I can't remember. I know that if Latics played to their form they would have won easily. I certainly remember going to Christie Park and also Boundary Park now you have refreshed my memory.

Memory Lane continued…

…and didn't Davies head just over the bar as well? I commented that ‘We did appear on 'Match of the Day' that night and had chances to win’. One of those chances was a downward header that Joe Corrigan saved against his left hand post.

Didn't Scarborough play a similar number of games? Yes, but Latics fixtures were more congested as the season came to a close. E.g. because of the replays and 2nd replays we played three more in the FA Trophy (they didn’t have any replays).

Were they in the NPL? Yes

rugby fan you know all about half empty stadiums

Did I ever tell you I broke my leg at Wembley ?