One of my most shameful episodes of support would undoubtedly be after Mick Shoebottom got clattered in the injury that ruined his career.
For the next two years after we played Salford they, and the players we held responsible, came in for some horrendous abuse. I actually missed the game it occurred in because I had tonsillitis but I can vividly remember seeing it on television at the time because it was featured on the BBC.
My dad and brother saw it live and they said at the time it looked really bad and, of course, it was. There is this great wave of emotion surrounding following your team, all the things you go through from being brought along as a kid, keeping the scrapbooks, all the specific smells and sounds that trigger memories.
These are things that make you then go on, when you end up living somewhere like Worcester, to want to set up your own club and spread the word irrespective of whether the place is a wasteland so far as Rugby League is concerned. If you didn't have this great reservoir of memories and very strong feelings inside you that stay with you then you wouldn't put up with all the obstacles and grief and people thinking that you're barmy.
I guess that its because of the passion, the traditions and the experiences that we all become evangelists. It's a personality disorder that we're stuck with - you can't do anything about it.
You know it's the best game in the world so you keep going.
Andy Cave
Originally published in 'Headingley Rugby Voices' Recollections of supporters, compiled by Phil Caplan.
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Memory added on September 18, 2012
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