I wonder what Dean Bell remembers of it.

Oh yes! Jarrod McKrackens tackle

Picking up another winners medal no doubt.

No. I think that memory will be a little hazy, he was probably still seeing stars for days later.

Picking up 4 medals, well that's what he thought on the day.

The first time I went to Knowsley Road I was about 4 or 5 with my dad. It was a freindly between Saints and Widnes and I have no idea why we went.

Because deep down your dad wanted you to support Saints. Unfortunately you let him down very badly.

We both had Wigan season tickets.

To support Widnes then I guess

Boxing Day 1988 at KR for me - complete and utter brass monkeys... Saints spent pretty much the whole first 60 inside the Wigan 40 but couldn't find a way through, then Hanley made a couple of late breaks and they won 16-9ish (or similar). (First of many, many, many) soul crushing defeat(s) against the Pies and I couldn't feel my feet for a month afterwards, and I wanted to deck the gloating pie woman I was stood next to all game after the hooter, but I was hooked good and proper nevertheless.

The 1978 Challenge Cup Final is my first memory of attending a game. I was stood at the back of the bottom terrace and the Leeds family stood at the bottom of the upper tier were kind enough to let me sit on the ledge to watch. I can remember the '76 final happening and us winning just.



The first match I fully remember going to at Knowsley Road was when Featherstone knocked us out of the cup at the quarter final stage, something like 15-10 with, I think, Terry Hudson picking up the MoM. I remember my dad being very disappointed which was proven by Rovers going on to win the cup if I'm not mistaken.



First game at Saints was, I think, against Wigoon one time when George Fairburn was playing at full back for them. Could be '80 or '81 but it was 1984-85 when Meninga came over. My dad started to take me a few times then including the very memorable Premiership Final at Old Trafford. I went a few games the season after before attending home games more or less every week until I moved over to Sheffield for a couple of years in the early '90s.



Needless to say they were all exciting times although few can compare with The Ultimate Comeback. The levels of exhilaration I experienced during that game were unlike any other. After losing to Leeds, Halifax and the Pies (twice) I don't think I could have faced a fifth defeat in the cup final. When we went 26-12 down there was a palpable feel that the team had thrown it away again until Bobbie raised his game. I can still remember that feeling of coming back to win and the hairs on my arm are rising up as I type this. It was incredible. Beating Wigoon in Cardiff was pretty special, however to witness that first cup final victory at an age when I could appreciate it fully was something else. Had I not had the downs the dream of winning would never has been so profound an experience. It's why now, when I see a team lift the cup which hasn't in a good decade or so e.g. Hull, Wire, it still puts a smile on my face to see their fans celebrating because I know how magic it really feels. It's worth the wait. I don't think any cup final win can beat that first one.



I was just typing that and wondering if the first Grand Final was the most special and it wasn't. Now I did enjoy it and I loved beating Wigoon, however the euphoria of beating Bradford (19-1icon_cool.gif and Hull (2006) were both pretty amazing and for different reasons. The Bradford game was incredible for its drama and the Hull one was because it capped a jaw-droppingly brilliant season long performance. Had we beaten Leeds this year or whenever we do I know that feeling is going to be pretty damned special. Now with so much resting on the Grand Final I could see that one year there'll come a time when I'll re-experience those thrills of The Ultimate Comeback just because that's how things work.

because its rugby league and its awesome