Distant Wire Memory

[Latchford Locks]

Another enduring(very painful) memory....

 

Perhaps my worst moment in over 50 years of watching my Wire.

 

Station Rd Swinton April 1963

We were playing Wakefield Trinity in the CC semi final and as far as I was concerned we had absolutely no chance of progressing to Wembley as Trinity were the bee's knee's at that time.

Much to everyones surprise Wire played their socks off all through the game and approaching the end of the game were only trailing 5-4.

Then it happened..........

 

Wire centre Joe Pickavance broke clear and only had Gerry Round to beat and we were on our way to Wembley to make things even better Bobby Greenough and Brian Glover were at his side forming an unbeatable overlap.

As we closed in on the try line Greenough screamed repeatedly Pick..Pick...Pick !!

And in what can only be described as an horrific moment of misunderstanding Pickavance did as(he thought) requested and KICKED the ball over Rounds head and straight into dead ...The crowd just stared in disbelief and the dreams of a 12 year old Wire fan were totally shattered .... I don't think I have ever been so distraught in my life it was one of lifes living nightmare moments !!!

 

 

[wolfie]

So you were Sick Sick Sick

[safeway60]

I was there and I remember the incident well. Or do I ? From what I can recall it was Jackie Edwards running alongside Joe Pickavance...Joe was perhaps the slowest threequarter to pull on the P&B...He only had one move....run toward the wing and pass inside to his winger...His one redeeming talent was his tackling. He was whip thin and no way capable of carrying out a punishing tackle but he always went for the attackers legs and not many people got past him.

[Latchford Locks]

I was there and I remember the incident well. Or do I ? From what I can recall it was Jackie Edwards running alongside Joe Pickavance...Joe was perhaps the slowest threequarter to pull on the P&B...He only had one move....run toward the wing and pass inside to his winger...His one redeeming talent was his tackling. He was whip thin and no way capable of carrying out a punishing tackle but he always went for the attackers legs and not many people got past him.

 

It may have been Edwards time plays tricks with my memory but the pain is still there

 

Still as some consolation Oldham fans had an even worse scenario the following year...

 

 

If my memory serves me right they played Hull KR 3 times in the 1964 CC semi final.

The first was a draw at Headingly.

Then at Station Rd Swinton the following Wednesday they played again.Oldham who had never played at Wembley despite their top grade side of the late 50's were determined that they would get there this time and played their hearts out.But KR were just as determined,nevertheless it was a draw at full time again ! and extra time was played during which Oldhams Len McIntyre dropped a goal and they were looking up Wembley way ! The clock seemed to stop moving as the supporters counted the minutes to full time.

But in those days there were no floodlights and as the evening got rapidly darker HKR fans started to call for the match to be abandoned but the ref persevered untill a steam engine(apparently)pulled up at the adjoining railway station and it could not depart until another express had passed through.Well the story goes that all the smoke combined with the ever darkening sky was the final straw ...the ref blew up and abandoned the rest of the game.The RFL met next day and declared the game void and ordered a 3rd game which as history tells Hull KR won and went on to play Widnes in the final.

I can only begin to imagine how the Oldham fans must have felt.

 

 

 

[Latchford Locks]

At least the Oldham fans must have got some consolation when fellow Lancastrian team Widnes beat HKR in the final

 

 

[safeway60]

I was at that game at Wembley too and the most memorable moment of that game was a wonderful individual try from Alan Burwell for Hull KR.I've not seen better since.

[Teessidewire]

I am a mere child of 57 years (last Saturday actually), so I missed 1963. I started in 1966 with a RL Cup First Round game v Cas at Wilderspool and a 15-7 win, the highlight being a 65 yard try from Brian Glover.

My all time hero can only be the great Parry Gordon. I have never seen a better scrum half play for the Wire (and that includes Gregory, Langer and Johns), and I doubt I ever will.

My own worst ever moment was that wet Sunday in 1970 when I saw us lose (or was it capitulate) 50-0 to Salford. We were also on the verge of going out of business. There didn't seem any hope at all, but a few months later along came Ossie Davies and Alex Murphy.