Warrington Guardian Sports Editor Mike Parsons marks 30 years of watching Wolves as man and boy, reporter and supporter
THE first memory I have of watching Warrington play against Hull was in the 1976/77 season.
Hull were in the second division at the time and managed to knock Wire out of the Player's No6 Trophy at the first-round stage.
The Boulevard was considered too long a trip for one so young - I was seven at the time - but that was an era when the second half of matches was shown live on BBC Grandstand with Eddie Waring as the commentator.
Warrington were 5-0 behind by the time Eddie's unmistakable tones came across loud and clear but I vividly remember my excitement soon turning into disappointment, with Warrington eventually losing 18-5.
The try I remember the most typified Warrington's lacklustre display, with second-row forward Boxall dribbling the ball from the halfway line to set up the concluding try.
I couldn't understand at the time how a chunky forward could outpace Warrington's backs over such a distance. Then again, my childhood hero John Bevan was absent with injury and it may have been a different story had he played.
More recently, of course, clashes with Hull bring about memories of Andrew Johns' all-too-brief loan spell with Warrington at the back end of the 2005 campaign.
After Johns' outstanding debut night at home against Leeds, Joey inspired Wolves to their first win at the KC Stadium one week later. He kicked five goals in that success as Wolves confirmed their fourth-place finish, with Hull ending up fifth.
There was no fairytale ending, though, with Hull polishing off Wolves 40-6 in the play-off clash at The Halliwell Jones Stadium the following week.
Hull's supporters rubbed salt in the wounds with their chants of Joey's going home' but, although little consolation, I think Wolves fans had the last laugh with Hull going out of the play offs 71-0 at the hands of Bradford Bulls one week later.
Very few games these days have no tries and that is why the 2-2 draw with Hull at Wilderspool in March, 1980, stands out in my mind.
Wire were without their record goalkicker Steve Hesford for that afternoon and deputy kicker Bob Eccles managed only one penalty success from four, with two others hitting a post. Dennison equalised for Hull with a penalty four minutes from time.
The 1983 Challenge Cup quarter-final battle between the two teams at Wilderspool rings a bell with me, too.
I still maintain Warrington were robbed of a semi-final appearance that year.
Hull, with their legions of support behind them, won 10-4 at Wilderspool but referee Billy Thompson ruled out try after try in a match Warrington dominated.
Paul Cullen, Phil Ford and Tony Worrall were among the players to have tries ruled out but touchdowns by Lee Crooks and Edmonds broke Warrington hearts, including mine.
I was so incensed by the refereeing that I wrote a letter to Warrington Guardian - the first work I had published.
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