Cheers doc, and likewise of course. Yes I am always up for having a gander at the local amateur set up. A few mates play for Birchfield RU (boo hiss spit ) so used to watch them a fair bit, even wnt to training for quite a while
But yes I have to echo most of your senitiments there chief, clashes with a few of my hobbies/interests too. Which is a shame. When are you next going to a local game, might pop along and have a pint.

I wasn't going to mention anything about our 'supporters', but seeing as you have brought the issue up and we have similar views I may as well contribute. There are some genuinely lovely people who watch Widnes, made many a friend via the club, but like you say there are some complete loving whoppers. As you know, I appreciate banter and atmosphere, oh and having a couple of jars at the game, but I don't let it cloud my judgement and act like a nobjocky at the match. And also another thing that riles me about our fans, how quick they are to get on the team's back after a poor display or failing that, a mistake or an individual bad performance. I think half the stewards are complete and utter tools as well. I generally don't enjoy a match day experience at home anymore. Sorry none of this is aimed at any of our fans off this forum, I know the majority of you have some brain cells and don't fall into that category.

The St Maries v Queens game on Sat 14th Feb looks like it could be a very good game. I'll be in The Wids for a pint with Tony before strolling around to Brentfields (where you can't get a decent bevvy) to watch the game.

Looking forward to Sat 14th Feb Doc,Magazine are playing Manchester. Happy days,Young Moz is right about the Dick ed stewards at the home games,i was watching someone been thrown out last sunday,and after this bloke had been thrown out the dicks followed him outside and started pushing him about OUTSIDE the ground.I see they even have even got a scab as a head steward,who i remember him been thrown out during the plate final against Hunslet a while back.Strange set up we are getting down there these days.

I'll bet I know who that scab is. It hangs around with those kids with the drum at away games. When the Normanton Knights fans kicked off a couple of seasons ago, the scab kept right out of the way. It looks like Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel from The Simpsons.

What the fearless warrior didn't get stuck in

No. If he had been sitting in a big red van, he might have thought about driving through them.

Bears v Cadishead the game of this weekend for me

I think tbh we have every right to be bitter, and I doubt any bitterness I harbour will simply dissappear just because people are telling me to "get over it", usually fans of clubs who have never been in this position. We're one of the founding RL clubs, we're a real stronghold for rugby league, a town where it is dominant, and they treat us really shoddily. Like we're an inconvenient truth, that the game is, yes, northern, and yes, working class. The reality we present to them is not the one they want the public to see. They'd like to con the public that the game is national, but it will be significantly less so if they continue to dump on teams like ours.

It's disgraceful the way we are treated. I'm bitter because of it. The rugby league community is coming apart. I remember a game where, okay, there were some pretty fierce rivalries, but you'd defend the game and feel a certain affinity with the other fans of the game. Now, I wouldnt defend it if you paid me, and fans of other clubs do nothing but slag each other off. I couldn't give a crap about the game in general, the people running it are liars. A number of teams lied about things in the run up to the franchises. Now a number of teams whose stadiums were in the bag are now talking about them very hypothetically again, and one has flat out (and conveniently) dropped the plans. And plenty of teams with very solid accounts are asking for sky money in advance. We were in effect punished for the same crime twice, and yet we've got a certain southern team in there who have consistently been on the racks financially, and supporter wise, who got in no questions asked.

I'm not just bitter, I'm a little worried. The almighty association football swallows up more and more of towns like ours, and with the constant dicking around we get the harder it is to introduce the youngsters and convince them that widnes is a rugby town and the more older fans turn away from it. People don't want to be associated with a team who doesn't have a chance to better itself.

Basically, I hope this "new era" of super league dies on its booty and the powers that be have to turn to its hardcore once again, because that'll benefit Widnes and at the end of the day, it is all I care about with rugby league. Fook the good of the game. The game never seems to look after us. It's ran by business minded liars with no concept of soul.

Excellent post Brother Dalton. I don't see that rugby league is as strong in the town as it was 20 or 30 years ago, but that's down to our old friends at Sky and the constant hyping of Premiership football, which is really only the same as WWF wrestling with a ball added.

No it is not,it is down to the lack of 'success' driving the fans who were spoilt by 20 or 30 years ago away.And Doc you are not one of them I hope.