Om to:- Terry Hudson - Charlie Stone RIP - Keith Bridges. All Lads from Featherstone.

Rugby League Cup Final 1983

Terry Hudson played scrum-half, was the captain, and received a 10-minute sin-bin in Featherstone Rovers' 14-12 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1983 Challenge Cup Final during the 1982–83 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 7 May 1983, in front of a crowd of 84,969.

Never under-estimate Lads from Featherstone. Here is one of the finest examples ever.  Cup final 1983 against, Champions Hull., money and the rest.  Two things everyone missed:

1. They were playing against Lads from Featherstone and;
2. We had two of our lads in enemy camp. Keith Bridges and Charlie Stone.

Daily Telegraph, Times and the rest saying 'waste of time a white wash' Oh dear they forgot what lads from Featherstone do.. We win against all odds.

Here are some of the lads:

First Terry Hudson, holding the cup.-Tex (I used to give him matches at Gordon Street Secondary Modern - he was 'cock' of the school-to stop him beating me up. he had a tattoo on his leg, really scary).  Tex 'took out' their star player, Kevin Harkin, early on and spent ten minutes in the bin. All part of the plan. 

Then,  Keith Bridges 'slips' misses a vital tackle to bring us level.  Keith was at Normanton Grammar School.  he was my ideal of what a good payer should be; cool, calm, collected and stood no nonsense. I looked up to him a lot. He had am amazing carear Great Britain hooker and hot property, so hot he left the safety of Post Office Road for fame and fortune to play for the all conqering Hull FC.

    
The finale,  Charlie Stone  (RIP)... 

I was in my second year of teacher training at Loughborough and back home for the weekend to play 7’s  for a pub side, the Station Hotel Featherstone. I’d got drunk there Xmas before and the landlord, an old Rovers pro (played with my dad) though if he combined the best local 7’s talent - I’d won a few cups with Normanton Grammar- and the rising star from Pontefract RFU, Charlie Stone, he could … Apparently a large bets had been placed by the landlord on his, never won a game, struggle to get a team most weeks, Station Hotel, beating Lock Lane (champions and holders) in the final to win the national amateur 7’s being played at Rovers Ground.  

Charlie and I had such fun and got free beer for life after thrashing Lock Lane in the final. 

Charlie signed for the rovers the following week, he was an amazing player and fun to watch. Great Britain caps meant the money men from hull came calling once again. Little did they know he would be our trump card to ....

Sorry, where was I, oh yes,  back to the cup final at Wembley. Then;

Charlie Stone inadvertently headbutts our star player. Penalty and;

Lads from Featherstone win the cup, as they do!

The BBC commentator says, 'one of the greatest upsets in Rugby League history.  He missed one thing:

They were lads from Featherstone!

Below is a wonderful example of mindfulness, right at the beginning.  Tex and David Topliss (two captains) walking onto the pitch. Look at Topliss and then look at Tex. There was only ever going to be one winner, and they hadn't even kicked off.  Tex knew exactly what his first job was,'take him out'.

Click below to send shivers down your spine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQnIyQLbyvE&t=637s

And whats best of all, I  was there in the stadium. Om lads.

Two years ago Rovers  reached, against all odds, the £1m grand final.  They lost to Toronto.. Sony Bill Williams no less! The whole of Featherstone is worth less a his weekly wage. I subscribe to Rovers TV. Kept sending score on here.  All I can say it was in Sky Sports best interest Rovers didn't win. Some battles even our lads can't win, 

October 2023 and our Lads, despite winning the league fell once again at the final hurdle to make it to the superleague. 

The point I am really making is:

Never under-estimate, lads from Featherstone.

They will return.