My earliest memory of the Wire was as a five year old playing in the street in 1950 when some of the older kids said that Warrington were parading the cup round the town. We followed them to Orford Lane or Winwick Road and watched the team come past in an open topped coach. I was captivated by that and it wasn't that long before a gang of us used to scrape together our 3d for the boys pen and follow the crowd coming from Orford down Battersby Lane to the ground.

that's a great memory.

gang of us used to scrape together our 3d for the boys pen



It were a tanner when I started....TOTAL RIP OFF !!

lol...a tanner, how much is that in stirling?

2.5p. It was a shilling (5p) for kids when I started. Three shillings (15p) for adults. You paid sixpence (2.5p) for Friday night A team games. A season ticket was fantastic value. My first one was less than ten shillings (50p).

If I'm remembering correctly, the Boy's Pen was an area in the Popular Stand (where Snookers was/is now) that was surrounded by green wood. I saw my first few games on the old Kop, then graduated to the Boy's Pen. My main memory of the old wooden main stand was the smell of wintergreen coming up from the Changing Rooms.

When Sunday Rugby started we had the man in his bowler hat on Fletcher St and his 'Beware your sins will find you out,' sandwich board. He was there for years. He even went to Wembley in 1974.

I used to run from Walton Rd, Stockton Heath, where we lived, into the village, then all along the Causeway dodging the lamp posts on the way. If I tried that now I'd have to give up at the Red Lion.

another great memory

Quote Teessidewire="Teessidewire"Silver. You've really got me thinking now. Didn't Jackie Melling sign for Wigan in 1970 (or'69), in the deal that brought Welsh forward Colin Standing to Warrington? I think Standing played half a game and then went back to Wales, never to be seen again. Melling was a remendous right centre who suffered a lot with shoulder and knee injuries. I believe that he's still involved with wigan St Pats, Rogues may be able to help us with this one.'" I've just checked here. (Bilkos superb reference site) wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=947 There's no mention of Jackie Melling. I also checked in my reference books and can't find any record of him playing for Wigan. However I seem to recall Wigan signing him, so I just rang a mate who's older than me (there are still a few ) and he too thinks that Melling did sign for Wigan late in his career. Looking at the Colin Standing record it says that his last game for Wigan was 13th Dec 1969. I'm guessing that a swap was done prior to the Challenge Cup signing deadline for 1969/70 and maybe Melling got injured in an "A" team game. I'll ask the question on the Wigan site.

Quote Teessidewire="Teessidewire"Silver. You've really got me thinking now. Didn't Jackie Melling sign for Wigan in 1970 (or'69), in the deal that brought Welsh forward Colin Standing to Warrington? I think Standing played half a game and then went back to Wales, never to be seen again. Melling was a remendous right centre who suffered a lot with shoulder and knee injuries. I believe that he's still involved with wigan St Pats, Rogues may be able to help us with this one.'" I've just checked here. (Bilkos superb reference site) wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=947 There's no mention of Jackie Melling. I also checked in my reference books and can't find any record of him playing for Wigan. However I seem to recall Wigan signing him, so I just rang a mate who's older than me (there are still a few ) and he too thinks that Melling did sign for Wigan late in his career. Looking at the Colin Standing record it says that his last game for Wigan was 13th Dec 1969. I'm guessing that a swap was done prior to the Challenge Cup signing deadline for 1969/70 and maybe Melling got injured in an "A" team game. I'll ask the question on the Wigan site.

Quote Rogues Gallery="Rogues Gallery"I've just checked here. (Bilkos superb reference site) wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=947 There's no mention of Jackie Melling. I also checked in my reference books and can't find any record of him playing for Wigan. However I seem to recall Wigan signing him, so I just rang a mate who's older than me (there are still a few ) and he too thinks that Melling did sign for Wigan late in his career. Looking at the Colin Standing record it says that his last game for Wigan was 13th Dec 1969. I'm guessing that a swap was done prior to the Challenge Cup signing deadline for 1969/70 and maybe Melling got injured in an "A" team game. I'll ask the question on the Wigan site.'" Rogues. It was during the time that Wire were really on the rocks, prior to Ossie Davies taking over. They really were black days, but I'm almost certain that Jack was in the swap and we got a bit of cash too. Ive checked Bilko's site myself and can't find him. He won't have been that old either, probably about 28.

Quote Rogues Gallery="Rogues Gallery"I've just checked here. (Bilkos superb reference site) wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=947 There's no mention of Jackie Melling. I also checked in my reference books and can't find any record of him playing for Wigan. However I seem to recall Wigan signing him, so I just rang a mate who's older than me (there are still a few ) and he too thinks that Melling did sign for Wigan late in his career. Looking at the Colin Standing record it says that his last game for Wigan was 13th Dec 1969. I'm guessing that a swap was done prior to the Challenge Cup signing deadline for 1969/70 and maybe Melling got injured in an "A" team game. I'll ask the question on the Wigan site.'" Rogues. It was during the time that Wire were really on the rocks, prior to Ossie Davies taking over. They really were black days, but I'm almost certain that Jack was in the swap and we got a bit of cash too. Ive checked Bilko's site myself and can't find him. He won't have been that old either, probably about 28.

Here you go.

I remember that bloke, he was there every match-day Sunday..I suppose he will know by now whether his sin-free life has been rewarded!

Funny actually, first time i saw Warrington playing was against Wigan in i think '99, was flicking through the Sky sports channels as i had the remote (i was 14), Wigan pulled away in the last 10 minutes or so IIRC. A year later, my mate at school told me he was a regular watching Wire and i asked to go along. First game was against Halifax at home in 2000. Went a couple more games that season Wigan at home and Saints away, and got a season ticket the following year. Don't remember much about those games though, so my first real Wire memories are the first game of the 2001 season away at Wigan, biff after biff after biff, and ''Van De Velde's barmy army'' ringing round the JJB for 80 mins.

My first game was York (h) Sept 79, with (and you're going to HATE me for this) everyone's favourite whistler (he was a top lad) and a lad called Ian. We fell out of touch a couple of years later.



SPOOOOOOKY, the last (proper) game at Wilderspool v Wakefield, as I was walking out of the gates underneath the scoreboard, I was stood next to Ian, who I hadn't seen in over 20 years.





Always like to keep my audience rivetted. Wake up