Wigan - Photo 4

The Loo in the East Lower!

Wigan - Photo 3

Scene at the end

Wigan - Photo 2

Players Shake Hands before the Game

Wigan - Photo 1

East Stand entrance

Wigan (4-2) - 7th May 2006

Well if you're saying goodbye to a friend of over 30 years it's a good idea to make it one hell of a party. It's also essential that everything goes to plan and yesterday the football gods worked in perfect harmony. We did, of course, have to win the last ever game at THOF and thanks to our own earthbound god we managed that part. It was also the plan to derail out neighbour's efforts to hang on to the 4th place and the accompanying Champions' League place. So can we all stand up and salute the chefs at the Marriott hotel in London as well as our friends from Upton Park. And so we said our farewells to ex-players, we reaquainted ourselves with the Marching Band and we left the stadium for one last time.

Thank You Highbury you will never leave my heart...

Highbury Memories - Manchester United (2-1) 20 February 1988

It's the last minute and Yanited are awarded a penalty with the score 2-1 to us. The penalty was awarded in front of the North Bank and I was in my normal spot in the middle of the clockend. Up stepped one of the many hated figures at yanited - Brian McClair. Sometimes you have a good feeling about penalties and this was one of those days, he blazed it miles over the bar to mass euphoria at Highbury. What happened after, many believe, started the years of antipathy between the 2 clubs. Nigel Winterburn let McClair know how bad his miss was and it all ended in handbags. 2 years later at Old Trafford we got the first brawl between the clubs....

Highbury Nightmares #2 - Manchester United (2-6) 28th November 1990

If it is isn't bad enough to lose to Yanited in the cup (even if it was the League Cup when it was vaguely important) by a 6-2 scoreline, it was made even worse by a hat-trick from Lee Sharpe! We did, for a brief moment after half time, have half a shout as we came back from 3-0 down to 3-2 but it was a false dawn. I remember that 2 girls came with us regulars for this game and remarked how exciting it was - no it wasn't it was humiliating and they weren't invited again.