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Steve Marshall, from Headingley Rugby Voices: Chris Sanderson

Late in the 1977 season, when Leeds had already qualified for Wembley, the final league match was at Salford.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and I stayed at home to play with some friends in the garden while my dad went off to the match. I was really into rugby league at the time but you know what it’s like you’re young and the prospect of running around and getting dirty is much more fun than sitting in a car on what seemed like a long journey. I knew that when he came home he’d give me a full report and a programme and I guess I thought that that was good enough.

When he pulled into the drive again really early I could sense that something was wrong, especially as it looked like he had been crying. I ran up and asked him what had happened but he could barely bring himself to tell me. With a shaking voice he whispered that he had just witnessed a tragedy and like the rest of the crowd was in total shock.

He had a clear view of Chris Sanderson making a tackle and he feared the worst when the game stopped immediately and there were frantic motions to the bench and the crowd went completely hushed. He could see the medical staff shaking their heads and a stretcher from the pitch and into the dressing room with a blanket covering his prone body. The match continued for a while although the crowd were virtually silent.

At half-time it was solemnly announced that the game had been abandoned because Chris had tragically died and everyone just stood around bewildered and helpless before moving off in silence. Three weeks later Leeds won at Wembley, as much for Chris as themselves I suspect.

Steve Marshall

Originally published in 'Headingley Rugby Voices' Recollections of supporters, compiled by Phil Caplan.

www.scratchingshedpublishing.com Twitter @scratchingshed2

Memory added on July 23, 2015

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