: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:01 pm  

What about late 70`s early 80`s when we had a Police presence with the head honcho with 1 big Baseball bat..........Fred what was his name ...He took no nonsense.

: Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:20 pm  

It weren't me honest

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:46 am  

Thanks for all the memories being posted, I have had the privilige of witnessing many of the great moments that have been described. I would like to add a few more with a slight difference. For 28 years I lived opposite Hilton Park, so as well being the home of Leigh RLFC it was part of my childhood environment.

So starting first with the dirt carpark outside the training pitch, the fair and the circus used to come every year and I remember the circus being televised for Granada in the 1960's with me and a friend sitting on the front row.

Then there was the training pitch were we could sneek on and play rugby and cricket. But best of all I used to watch the great AJM train the Leigh team in the late 1960's, the players and AJM always had time for us kids watching. Also I remember many of the great Shaw Cup games mentioned in another thread that was played on the training pitch.

Another slightly different memory was watching the pop group Geordie under the Tommy Sale stand in the early 1970's. Their singer Brian Johnson went onto front AC/DC. Anybody else there? Who would have thought Leigh RLFC as a rock venue.

Many of the great playing moments have already been mentioned but three of mine are:

Watching David Eckersley playing full back and hardly ever missing a tackle despite his size. David is a player who doesn't often get mentioned on here but his record shows what a outstanding player he was.

Seeing Joe Walsh run 75 yards for a try. The whole stadium errupted with applause. Joe didn't do long distance.


Seeing a young coloured kid rip us apart in the the early eighties when we thought we had the best team. I always remember my friend saying " Who The f**k is that?" Well it was Ellery Hanley who went on to be one of GB's greatest ever players and ice skaters.

It sad to see HP go, but it's had it's day and I just hope that the youngsters today get the chance to see as many great matches, teams and players that I have seen. Oh and also as many of the fantastic characters that have made up the Leigh support over the years.

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:35 am  

Jasper C Debussy wrote:

Thanks for all the memories being posted, I have had the privilige of witnessing many of the great moments that have been described. I would like to add a few more with a slight difference. For 28 years I lived opposite Hilton Park, so as well being the home of Leigh RLFC it was part of my childhood environment.

So starting first with the dirt carpark outside the training pitch, the fair and the circus used to come every year and I remember the circus being televised for Granada in the 1960's with me and a friend sitting on the front row.

Then there was the training pitch were we could sneek on and play rugby and cricket. But best of all I used to watch the great AJM train the Leigh team in the late 1960's, the players and AJM always had time for us kids watching. Also I remember many of the great Shaw Cup games mentioned in another thread that was played on the training pitch.

Another slightly different memory was watching the pop group Geordie under the Tommy Sale stand in the early 1970's. Their singer Brian Johnson went onto front AC/DC. Anybody else there? Who would have thought Leigh RLFC as a rock venue.

Many of the great playing moments have already been mentioned but three of mine are:

Watching David Eckersley playing full back and hardly ever missing a tackle despite his size. David is a player who doesn't often get mentioned on here but his record shows what a outstanding player he was.

Seeing Joe Walsh run 75 yards for a try. The whole stadium errupted with applause. Joe didn't do long distance.


Seeing a young coloured kid rip us apart in the the early eighties when we thought we had the best team. I always remember my friend saying " Who The f**k is that?" Well it was Ellery Hanley who went on to be one of GB's greatest ever players and ice skaters.

It sad to see HP go, but it's had it's day and I just hope that the youngsters today get the chance to see as many great matches, teams and players that I have seen. Oh and also as many of the fantastic characters that have made up the Leigh support over the years.

very true about ajm, i remember we were playing cricket on the training pitch one summers evening, the club had just started pre season, and they ended up playing cricket against us kids!!

i actually bowled out ajm and brian highcock, they didn't half get the mick taken out of them by the other players



was there at the geordie gig too, a friday night it was, never knew until that night "piggy" wore a WIG!!!!

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:40 am  

Will always remember the "repent ye sins" guy on matchdays with his sandwich board, the stick he got back was unbelievable but generally good humoured.

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:33 am  

wasn't that rock gig around 1977?
there was quite a serious incident after it and a load of 'hells Angels' types were arrested and 4 or 5 convicted and recieved longish Gaol sentances.

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:43 am  

1977 is about right although it could have been 1976. I know we wern't quite old enough to drink, but managed to sneek a few pints.

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:42 pm  

FredParky wrote:

wasn't that rock gig around 1977?
there was quite a serious incident after it and a load of 'hells Angels' types were arrested and 4 or 5 convicted and recieved longish Gaol sentances.

summer of '76 iirc, on the training pitch, pretty sure it was a monday night

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:59 pm  

it was a Monday as it was my first night shift of theweek I'd just come back from doing my advanced motorcycle course and had the 'pleasure' of riding about 7 'hogs' (a pig on a hog not a pretty sight ) back to the 'nick' from the old railway line thats now the Atherleigh way and nursing a few bruises when we locked the 'hells angels' up. It would have been about 76 as I went on traffic in 77, innit funny how one event relates to others same but different memories of that event.

: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:09 pm  

Jasper C Debussy wrote:

Thanks for all the memories being posted, I have had the privilige of witnessing many of the great moments that have been described. I would like to add a few more with a slight difference. For 28 years I lived opposite Hilton Park, so as well being the home of Leigh RLFC it was part of my childhood environment.

So starting first with the dirt carpark outside the training pitch, the fair and the circus used to come every year and I remember the circus being televised for Granada in the 1960's with me and a friend sitting on the front row.

Then there was the training pitch were we could sneek on and play rugby and cricket. But best of all I used to watch the great AJM train the Leigh team in the late 1960's, the players and AJM always had time for us kids watching. Also I remember many of the great Shaw Cup games mentioned in another thread that was played on the training pitch.

Another slightly different memory was watching the pop group Geordie under the Tommy Sale stand in the early 1970's. Their singer Brian Johnson went onto front AC/DC. Anybody else there? Who would have thought Leigh RLFC as a rock venue.

Many of the great playing moments have already been mentioned but three of mine are:

Watching David Eckersley playing full back and hardly ever missing a tackle despite his size. David is a player who doesn't often get mentioned on here but his record shows what a outstanding player he was.
Seeing Joe Walsh run 75 yards for a try. The whole stadium errupted with applause. Joe didn't do long distance.


Seeing a young coloured kid rip us apart in the the early eighties when we thought we had the best team. I always remember my friend saying " Who The f**k is that?" Well it was Ellery Hanley who went on to be one of GB's greatest ever players and ice skaters.

It sad to see HP go, but it's had it's day and I just hope that the youngsters today get the chance to see as many great matches, teams and players that I have seen. Oh and also as many of the fantastic characters that have made up the Leigh support over the years.

And Mate!