RUGBY fan, George Woodhead, thinks he may be Warrington Wolves longest serving supporter.

During the 77 years he has been watching the game, 84-year-old George, from Woolacombe Close, has hardly missed a single home match, especially in the days when he lived next door to the ground.

"My parents owned a shop on Priory Street," said George, "And I used to watch the matches from the back bedroom window.

"Loads of people used to wait outside the ground until three-quarter time when they were let in free, so they would all shout up to me to find out the score.

"Everyone went to the match on a bike in those days, even one of the directors' wives, and they used to park them in our back yard. There would be hundreds of them there."

George got his first season ticket when he was 14, so he started to watch the matches from inside the stands, but he never managed to see the final whistle blow.

"I had to help my parents in the shop," he said, "So they made me leave ten minutes before the end of every match.

"It was a good time to watch rugby in those days. It was the Brian Bevan and Bill Shankland era.

"But money became a bigger factor so things had to change. I still go and enjoy the matches, but it's not the same."

George used to be a metal worker and has used his expertise to help both Warrington and Widnes rugby clubs.

"They had both broken cups they had won so I put them back together again."

But George says there is one thing that has improved in recent times.

"Now the rugby season is in summer, at least you can stand and watch in comfort. We used to pinch straw they had used to cover the pitch and stand on it to keep our feet warm."

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