The festive games were always something special anyway, but I’m sure that there have been matches on Boxing Day morning when some of the Leeds players have come out looking the worse for wear.
Usually the odour that greets you as they run out is one of liniment but I’m sure for those games you could also detect the faint smell of rum. In those days before it all got as serious as it is now there was latitude for that kind of thing. Some of them used to use the fresh air and exercise as a hangover cure. Some I can think of from both sides used to try and get themselves sent off if they were clearly not feeling up to it before the days or substitutes being allowed.
New Year’s Day was the match that saw the fans suffering. There often used to be anything up to 20,000 or so in the ground but it was always subdued and quiet no matter who we were playing or how exciting it was. The applause was always polite because of the huge number of sore heads from the night before.
Many is the time that a haze of whisky fumes have hung over the main stand on those first of January afternoons.
Brian Davies
Originally published in 'Headingley Rugby Voices' Recollections of supporters, compiled by Phil Caplan.
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Memory added on October 5, 2012
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