81/2 season part 1 : Wed Jan 02, 2019 9:07 pm
With Geoff Clarkson and Tommy Martyn senior back for their second spells at the club, what about this team as the best in Leigh RLFC’s history? - 1. Mick Hogan, 2 Des Drummond, 3 Terry Bilsbury, 4 Steve Donlan, 5 Phil Fox, 6 John Woods, 7 Kenny Green, 8 Alf Wilkinson, 9 Ray Tabern 10 Tony Cooke, 11 Tommy Martyn, 12 Ian Potter, 13 Mick McTigue. Subs:-14 Steve Tomlinson, 15 Eric Chisnall, 16 Derek Pyke, 17 Geoff Clarkson.As for the season it met the highest of my expectations. The Lancashire Cup saw comfortable home wins ove both Cumbrian clubs, before anther home game with Saints saw almost 8,000 saw an emphatic 20-6 victory, wit4 goals and a try by Woody. This meant a first Lancashire Cup final since 1970, against Widnes at Wigan, who had also started the season well winning their first 7 games. However, the weather was foul, reminding me of that last final at a Swinton 11 years ago. However, this time we took an early lead through an individual try by Terry Bilsbury and a 5-0 half time lead. A superb tackling performance by the pack led by M.O.M.Ray a Tabern ensured a tense 8-3 win. In the league, there was a mixed start, with wins over Barrow and Bradford followed by a narrow loss at Saints followed by a draw at home to Hull. Then after the final, a return to Central Park and a dramatic late try by Tommy Martyn saw a 9-5 win over Wigan followed by a John Woods inspired victory over Leeds 12 -5 with 3 goals and a try.win over Leeds at home 12-5 and the 6 more goals and a try in beating Castleford 18-15. All these tough matches then seemed to catch up with the team as the league leaders Widnes got revenge 26-12, followed by a narrow defeat at Hull KR 18-15.
Then from 8 November 1981 to 27 February 1982, came a magical run of 14 successive wins (12 league and 2 cup) that I consider to be the best rugby Leigh have ever played as everyone of these victories were against 1st division sides, and Insaw every match!! The run started with a comfortable 24-12 win over Fev., despite the loss of Woods and Drummond to international duty, followed by a nervy 20-17 victory at Cas 29-17 thanks to 2 late penalties by Woody. A scrappy home win over bottom team Whitehaven (2 Dessy tries and a Woody special), was followed by a titanic effort at Wakefield where despite Tommy Martyn being sent off, the rest of the pack put in a heroic effort to win 18-12.
There now occurred one of the most unusual matches ever seen at Hilton Park. A home match against table toppers Widnes would have normally expected to have attracted a five figure crowd, but that weekend raging blizzards from the Arctic had hit the North West, meaning at kick off time the pitch was covered in snow despite having been protected by straw. In the coldest conditions I have ever seen at a rugby match, the Aussie ref gave the all clear and myself and 2,552 other brave souls saw an emphatic 18-5 victory. A 3 week layoff for the weather saw a battling 18-11 new year win over Fulham with 2 Phil Fox specials on the left wing. Next came probably the best display of the season as Saints were swept aside 27-5 in front of 6,675 with Woody scoring 6 goals and a try. One of the prettiest grounds at the time was at Clarance Street,York where over 4,000 saw a brave show by the home side before a final quarter onslaught of which brought 6 out of the 7 tries and a thumping 38-9 win (Woods 8 goals and a try.) The next Wednesday saw a rearranged game at Odsal and a forwardvstruggle that seemed to be heading to an 8-8 draw, when squad player Roy Howarth (a long legged second rower) dropped a last minute drop goal. On a personal note I found out I had lost my wallet whenI got home. Thankfully, someone had handed it in, and was sent back to me. The next match at at Fev. saw another last minute winner with a try by Bilsbury sealing a 16-12 victory. Then unbelievably in a 3rd successive away game the team won in the last minute again with a Steve Donlan drop goal at wilderspool, 12-11.The exciting matches were coming thick and fast, and the next at Hilton Park saw a tense win over Wigan in front of almost 10,000 by 18-15, withblong serving Mick Stacey scoring 2 tries.
