Memories of the last Quins match

By Frank Stormont
April 25 2006

Memories bought back by our return to the Stoop ground in Twickenham.

 

The last time Albion played Quins was at the beginning of the year and has a number of memories for me.  

I  grew up and lived in Whitton until moving to Devon in 1983. Whitton is about two miles down the road from the Twickenham and the Stoop and I was for several years in the seventies and early eighties a season ticket holder for Quins so there were some mixed feelings this January.  But once the game started despite having my brother, still a Quins season ticket holder, sitting next to me I knew which side I was supporting. . .  Albion! (I had already given away my old Quins shirt at the previous meeting at Brickfields.)

The Stoop ground was un recognisable from the previous time I had seen a match there.  Then there was a cinders running track around the pitch a single small athletics type stand with large concrete steps with wooden slats for seating. A white picket fence surrounded the running track with a mound around for spectators to stand on and two practice pitches behind. 

Back in the 70s Quins played most of their matches at the international ground with green wooden stands. You could get a season ticket for two that included a programme and a car park space for £40. Leicester played with letters on their back and we had a 25 yard line rather than 22.  You didn't replace anybody unless you had a doctor present and he had certified them to be unfit to continue. You set the length of the lineout not the number of players and you could not lift players in the line. Playing on the ground was allowed and you needed to make a mark when you called "mark" to get a free kick, but you didn't need to be in your 25. Trainers were not allowed on the pitch until the ref called them on so there was no running on with water every time we stop and there were no sin bins.  Players were not allowed to make a living from the game and if they had played Rugby League then that was it. If fact, I think you were not even allowed to watch the other game on the TV! There must be a lot more changes to the game over this time even the points were different! What a change and I am sure that some of you have seen even more changes but in many ways I think the game is better for it.

The most important thing that happened when we last travelled to Twickenham was that I went onto the Quins un-official web-site and realised that we were missing out. The Quins un-official website is the most used on the sportsnetwork set up. And that's how the alllbion website was born and on the last day of February it was up and running and now has an average of 1000 page hits a day with 140 unique IP addresses and 70 plus repeat visitors to the site every day.

This time when I travel to the Stoop I want the memory of a win for Albion on the last day of the season and I don't care by how many points just a win. We have come close before with some players out due to injury and Exeter managed to do it so why not Plymouth.  

Lets give then our support and cheer on ALLLBION!

 

 

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