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Thread: Can you be a true Saints fan...

  1. #1
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    Default Can you be a true Saints fan...

    … if you are not from St Helens?

    I first started watching Rugby League in the late 60s and early 70s on Grandstand on Saturday afternoons. Eddie Waring commentated. It was often very muddy but then and now I’ve always thought it a superior game to Union, which I played for twenty years. (If I watch Union now, and a caption on the screen says “11th phase” for ruck and possession, as if that’s a wonderful thing, I’m bored witless).

    I was brought up and lived in rural Suffolk, in a small village called Holbrook (yes, Holbrook) between Ipswich and Colchester.
    If my own (Rugby Union) sporting commitments at school were cancelled on Saturday afternoons, I was often the only member of my family in the front room with the telly and it was bliss. A coal fire, a chocolate biscuit (or three) and a match.

    St Helens was always the team I (vaguely) followed, even in the years of Wigan’s hegemony, but of course around then Ipswich Town were doing pretty well under Bobby Robson, so my focus was there.

    I’ve never been to Knowsley Road, and am vague on Saints legends of the past, but from 2011, when I stopped work, I had time to follow Saints properly, helped of course by the internet and the RedVee site. It followed naturally that I’d want to see Saints matches live. As well as Langtree Park, I’ve been to every Superleague club bar Huddersfield and Hull KR, and to Newcastle for Magic Weekend (and it was magic) . My partner and I have even been to Avignon and Perpignan for matches in the last World Cup.

    So I follow Saints, but – back to the question at the top – if you don’t live and haven’t ever lived in the St Helens area, can you be a true fan?

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    Short answer, yes.

    It doesn't actually matter where you are from, and in many ways people from St Helens follow the club because their dad's did, their mates did, it was the done thing, they played RL at school etc. For alot of us it wasn't really a choice, it just happened and we follow the team of the town we're from, and that is the same the world over. People not from St Helens that follow Saints have made a conscious decision, and this isn't like somebody in Truro or Swindon deciding they're a Man United or Liverpool fan because they win stuff and they're massive clubs. To even follow RL outside of the heartlands takes commitment given the woeful press coverage, the popularity of Union in some places, the lack of RL in schools and the lack of RL fans to talk to at work or down the pub etc. Anyone outside of the heartlands who follows the game and decides to follow a club is a proper fan and every bit as worthy or important as somebody who grew up in Thatto Heath, Clock Face or Blackbrook.

    You are a Saint, every bit as much as I am or anyone else is.

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    Too true mate. I would say you are more of a fan. Well done for loving the game and the Saints.

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    What would you make of someone from St Helens who chose to support Wigan?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Canterbredve View Post
    … if you are not from St Helens?

    I first started watching Rugby League in the late 60s and early 70s on Grandstand on Saturday afternoons. Eddie Waring commentated. It was often very muddy but then and now I’ve always thought it a superior game to Union, which I played for twenty years. (If I watch Union now, and a caption on the screen says “11th phase” for ruck and possession, as if that’s a wonderful thing, I’m bored witless).

    I was brought up and lived in rural Suffolk, in a small village called Holbrook (yes, Holbrook) between Ipswich and Colchester.
    If my own (Rugby Union) sporting commitments at school were cancelled on Saturday afternoons, I was often the only member of my family in the front room with the telly and it was bliss. A coal fire, a chocolate biscuit (or three) and a match.

    St Helens was always the team I (vaguely) followed, even in the years of Wigan’s hegemony, but of course around then Ipswich Town were doing pretty well under Bobby Robson, so my focus was there.

    I’ve never been to Knowsley Road, and am vague on Saints legends of the past, but from 2011, when I stopped work, I had time to follow Saints properly, helped of course by the internet and the RedVee site. It followed naturally that I’d want to see Saints matches live. As well as Langtree Park, I’ve been to every Superleague club bar Huddersfield and Hull KR, and to Newcastle for Magic Weekend (and it was magic) . My partner and I have even been to Avignon and Perpignan for matches in the last World Cup.

    So I follow Saints, but – back to the question at the top – if you don’t live and haven’t ever lived in the St Helens area, can you be a true fan?
    I only started watching around 2010-11.

    Only been to one magic weekend (anfield)

    Had a couple season tickets but due to work commitments I had to drop it. But will go every game I can.

    The only final ive attended was the CC final in '19

    Only ever been to Wigan, Widnes and Wire for away games.


    But if you was to chop me on half I would simply bleed white and red vee


    Born in Liverpool.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    What would you make of someone from St Helens who chose to support Wigan?
    It's a personal choice, and could be done for all sorts of reasons.
    One of our crowd is from Leeds, but you would struggle to find a more dedicated 'true' Saints fan than him!

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    I would say that the O P was a TRUE Saints supporter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    What would you make of someone from St Helens who chose to support Wigan?
    Can I raise you Bazdev? To be fair not a bad lad, but a complex one. So complex!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    What would you make of someone from St Helens who chose to support Wigan?
    I'd say they were deranged, like an Ipswich resident supporting the Budgies

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    What would you make of someone from St Helens who chose to support Wigan?
    That question brings to mind a scene from Full Metal Jacket where Private Pyle gets a bollocking (again) for another cock up with Gunnery Sergeant Hartman diagnosing the root cause as being done on purpose just to be different..

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    Slightly similar journey to Canterbredve in that I was born in Bury St Edmunds (so a Tractorboy who saw my first game in the year the club won the league under Alf Ramsey) but moved to the Midlands and brought up playing union. Watched the rugby league on Grandstand whenever it was on and, because I can’t watch any team sport without picking one team over another, ended up liking Saints over all others. As a student, met my St Helens-born wife in Manchester and ended up moving to the town once I finished studying. Attended a few games in the early 70s but preferred union at the time, only getting a full love for league once I started taking my son to games on a regular basis.

    Even though I’ve attended most home games since the early 80s, and have had years where I’ve gone to every away game as well, I do wonder whether I’m a true Saints fan as I dislike Leeds more than Wigan. This has nothing to do with the Grand Final defeats but the fact that I didn’t like such players as John Atkinson, Syd Hynes, John Holmes etc while their “water splash” Challenge Cup victory over Wakefield just cemented my aversion.

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    Yes of course. I'm from York, but my mate at Uni comes from Windle. I'd seen a few games with him, we'd both watched Fulham when we were working in London and when I moved to Merseyside in 1983, it seemed to me that the logical thing to do on a winter Sunday afternoon was to go to Knowsley Road. My wife is Liverpool born and was raised in Kirkby and she's as much of a supporter as I am. If you'd seen us when Welsby put that ball down, you wouldn't have needed to ask the question.

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    100% yes. I’ve lived in Ashton my whole life but I’ve had a season ticket all that time and been to probably every away ground in the country too. Where I live or have lived is completely irrelevant.
    NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Yellow Giraffe View Post
    100% yes. I’ve lived in Ashton my whole life but I’ve had a season ticket all that time and been to probably every away ground in the country too. Where I live or have lived is completely irrelevant.
    Ashton-under-lyne, YG ? Or Ashton-in-makerfield?
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    No, you're all a bunch of mongrel outsiders.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greg View Post
    What would you make of someone from St Helens who chose to support Wigan?
    I knew a couple of lads at school who did exactly that. I could never work it out but they were both massive fans who went to the games and knew their stuff, and I always enjoyed chatting to them about the game. Wigan were obviously top dogs at the time (late 80s, early 90s) but I never sensed that was the main reason with them, and neither of them had dads or brothers who were Wigan fans so it was all down to some choice or another. I've seen them both over the years and they're still Wigan fans, same as always, and never had any regrets.

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    Long story short, I started playing rugby when I was 9 and at senior school aged 11 in our first “Big School” pe lesson we had a pile of red bibs and white bibs.

    Our PE teacher Mr Regan (said he used to play for Widnes in the 60’s or 70’s) asked “Who’s played RL?” And I was one of a few who put his hand up.

    He said “red bibs, you are Wigan. White bibs, you are St Helens” and I ran home after school in my white bib to tell my Dad who was an RL fan, telling me stories about The Beast of the Pampas and Vollenhoven.... I’ve been a St Helens fan ever since. I’m 47 and lived in Oldham and Saddleworth all my life.
    Can't stop the spirits when they need you.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Angry Dave View Post
    No, you're all a bunch of mongrel outsiders.
    I've just spat a mouthful of wine on my screen!

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    I' m born and bred in Bury and lived in the area all my life. I "picked " Saints as my team when watching BBC 2 Floodlit cup in the 1970's. As soon as I had a reliable car , started visiting KR and taking in away games. Must have done hundreds of miles up and down the East Lancs and latterly the M62 to home games. I hate Wigan with a passion so hopefully I qualify as a true supporter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Angry Dave View Post
    No, you're all a bunch of mongrel outsiders.
    Damn, AD, your validation would have been good.

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    I once signed on in Bury St Edmunds

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    Quote Originally Posted by RJM25R View Post
    Ashton-under-lyne, YG ? Or Ashton-in-makerfield?
    Makerfield mate. I can get to Langtree Park quicker than the DW despite my WN4 postcode. My house is literally a couple of hundred yards from the Merseyside border where Ashton meets Garswood.
    Last edited by The Yellow Giraffe; 3rd February 2021 at 20:58.
    NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS

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    Quote Originally Posted by Canterbredve View Post
    Damn, AD, your validation would have been good.
    I was only kidding. I know a few including some Aussie lads who would favour the S.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cyprus View Post
    Can I raise you Bazdev? To be fair not a bad lad, but a complex one. So complex!
    What happened to baz?

    Sent from my F5321 using Tapatalk

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    Quote Originally Posted by Canterbredve View Post
    … if you are not from St Helens?

    I first started watching Rugby League in the late 60s and early 70s on Grandstand on Saturday afternoons. Eddie Waring commentated. It was often very muddy but then and now I’ve always thought it a superior game to Union, which I played for twenty years. (If I watch Union now, and a caption on the screen says “11th phase” for ruck and possession, as if that’s a wonderful thing, I’m bored witless).

    I was brought up and lived in rural Suffolk, in a small village called Holbrook (yes, Holbrook) between Ipswich and Colchester.
    If my own (Rugby Union) sporting commitments at school were cancelled on Saturday afternoons, I was often the only member of my family in the front room with the telly and it was bliss. A coal fire, a chocolate biscuit (or three) and a match.

    St Helens was always the team I (vaguely) followed, even in the years of Wigan’s hegemony, but of course around then Ipswich Town were doing pretty well under Bobby Robson, so my focus was there.

    I’ve never been to Knowsley Road, and am vague on Saints legends of the past, but from 2011, when I stopped work, I had time to follow Saints properly, helped of course by the internet and the RedVee site. It followed naturally that I’d want to see Saints matches live. As well as Langtree Park, I’ve been to every Superleague club bar Huddersfield and Hull KR, and to Newcastle for Magic Weekend (and it was magic) . My partner and I have even been to Avignon and Perpignan for matches in the last World Cup.

    So I follow Saints, but – back to the question at the top – if you don’t live and haven’t ever lived in the St Helens area, can you be a true fan?
    My opinion of course but I think you're more of a fan with the distance you have to travel.

    I've had a rubbish day at work or whatever before and we've been playing at Widnes on a Friday night and I haven't bothered. Takes about 15 minutes to get there from my end of town

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