There are lots of Rangers memories that mean so much to me; U18s National Cup Final in Blackpool, U18s National Cup semi – final the year before when Steve Dean turned out aged 21 (still only looked 16)! Getting the MOM award when beating Mayfield on Watersheddings in the Oldham Championship, the same game Sean Whitehead boxed McCormacks ears. Being disappointed at not making the starting 13 for a Standard Cup Final game against St Annes, but getting on after 90 seconds when Healy got stretchered off. Playing in the Lancs Cup Final on Boundary Park, in the second row alongside Dave Harrop. Leigh Miners ran rings round usand me and Dave tried roughing up their pack a little, to no effect at all. Hadn’t you two better go and get some tackling done”.......how right he was. 

But the game that stands out most as a memory was a National Cup fixture away at Hull Dockers. Alex Melling was hooker at the time, but was working Saturday mornings at Slumberland so couldn’t make the cteam bus. Mick Cassells volunteered to pick Alex up and drive over with him for the game. We arrived in Hull but unfortunately Mick and Alex got lost, and couldn’t make the game. Coach at the time Dave Cassells had to come up with replacements somewhere. Kev Byrne and Mick Healy were in the Hull Dockers clubhouse enjoying a pre-match pint and a game of pool, when Dave Cassells came knocking on the window and they finished up subbing. Hull Dockers had an ex pro called Tony Banham, a beast of a man playing in the pack, who was playing a blinder and destroying Rangers. Captain Dai Evans decided drastic action was called for, and he would have to rough up the Banham lad to put him off his game. A huge brawl broke out, and Dai found himself wrestling with the “missing link” Tony Banham, Dai didn’t get many second prizes when it came to the rough and tumble part of the game, but on this afternoon he finished third in a two man competition!