William Eve wrote:This game was one of the biggest disappointments of the lot. There were such high expectations that afternoon too. Widnes back then were a nightmare for Leeds. Probably why I hold the last-gasp 10-10 draw at Naughton Park and the 5-0 win in the replay at Headingley in 1986 with such affection. Shame about the semi-final and the replay in the very next round though Over 80K in total attendance for Leeds QF and SF rounds (both went to replays) in the CC that year (1986). There was an away win in the cup as well. Wayne Heron scored the clincher. Memorable because me and my mates managed to miss the Wally Arnold coach. Instead we had a few in The Grange and then watched it on my B/W portable. The hole in my bedroom ceiling is still there where my mate celebrated Heron's try by bouncing off my bed and sticking his head through it. Great days

William Eve wrote:This game was one of the biggest disappointments of the lot. There were such high expectations that afternoon too. Widnes back then were a nightmare for Leeds. Probably why I hold the last-gasp 10-10 draw at Naughton Park and the 5-0 win in the replay at Headingley in 1986 with such affection. Shame about the semi-final and the replay in the very next round though Over 80K in total attendance for Leeds QF and SF rounds (both went to replays) in the CC that year (1986). There was an away win in the cup as well. Wayne Heron scored the clincher. Memorable because me and my mates managed to miss the Wally Arnold coach. Instead we had a few in The Grange and then watched it on my B/W portable. The hole in my bedroom ceiling is still there where my mate celebrated Heron's try by bouncing off my bed and sticking his head through it. Great days

I always forget that win because I didn't attend (rare back then) and didn't see it on TV either for whatever reason which I cannot recall. Probably a tedious wedding to attend instead which I couldn't get out of.

The 80's did involve some great days in spite of all the cruel disappointments in the CC that decade, when it meant so much more. I went mental jumping up and down (as did plenty of others) when Creasser kicked that 2 points in the dying seconds at Widnes for the 10-10 draw.

It shouldn't be difficult to work out why I always reserved more dread of Widnes than I've ever done for Wigan when you look at these CC results from that decade.

81-82 lost to Widnes 8-11, Semi Final, Swinton, Crossbar Job in last minute (utter devastation).
82-83 beat Widnes 12-6 at Naughton Pk, I didn't see it therefore no recollection.
83-84 lost to Widnes 4-15, Semi Final, Swinton.
84-85 lost to Widnes 4-14 at Headingley, Round 1.
85-86 drew 10-10, then beat Widnes 5-0 at Headingley in replay.
86-87 lost to Widnes 7-14 at Headingley, Quarter Final.
88-89 lost to Widnes 4-24 at Headingley, Quarter Final.

And if you thought you were getting over Widnes in the 90's... no chance!

92-93 lost to Widnes 4-39 in Semi Final at Wigan.

You drank in The Grange, eh?
I'm guessing you're a Gipton or Hollin Park lad then?

That game in 88/89 was soon after I started to regularly follow Leeds RL in person when I took both my lads as well. We stood in the old paddock area.
WE is correct we had such high hopes for the game but they were dashed by Widnes playing some of the best RL I've ever seen.
It was the result of seeing that style of play that I was so excited when we appointed Laughton to be our coach not long after. Or so it seems to me now looking back.
Sadly, Laughton's Leeds could never emulate the performance of Widnes we saw that afternoon, despite him bringing so many players from that team over to Leeds.
It was the biggest crowd I've ever witnessed at Headingley, though some of the games vs Bradford Northern got close to it.
Great memories despite the result.

I was excited also at Laughton's appointment especially when he brought Tait basnett eyres faimalo o'neill to us. Problem was we were runner's up to Wigan in everything then as opposed to widnes. Despite his nose picking I liked Doug in charge!

John Bassett was with us a little before Dougies tenure.

Yes. Basnett was in the late 80's. Widnes got rid of him and signed some bloke called Offiah, IIRC. Not sure how he worked out for them, but Basnett never did much at Leeds.

Until recently i still had nightmares about some of these horrific days. I finally get over it and you then go and bring them up again!!!

The 39-4 and the 24-0 Regal Trophy Final loss was as bad as it gets.

Im not going to sleep tonight now!!!

I went to all of them. The first semi at Elland Road is one of my favourite games of the 80s. The less said about the replay, the better.



My first ever experience of a major defeat and just to rub it in, we made it home in time to see the last try again on TV.
Games like that one stay with you forever, for all the wrong reasons.

Not sure Offiah did much for them , i think they managed to offload him to Wigan where he played out an ordinary career . May have only scored a few tries for them , i seem to remember a figure of ten being mentioned .

I remember day Offiah signed for Wigan being at Headingley for an A Team game and saying to a guy who used to run his own coaches Ronnie Robinson that i wish we had signed him. "We dont want him all he can do is score tries" he said. I reminded him the day the flyer Offiah scored 10 against us!!!