As a Manchester United football fan I have become accustomed to celebrating success. So I guess it is only fair that my rugby league affiliations are with a team that takes me on an emotional rollercoaster, Warrington Wolves. Since my first game ten years ago, against Wigan, I have been captivated by my home town club: much to the dismay of my father who took me to the game expecting me to leave as a Wigan supporter.
We won that first game and I have never looked back. Whether it be a classic meat and potato pie or the magic two-pint glass, I love the matchday experience. We have an incredibly dedicated fan base, one of the best stadiums in the sport and a chairman willing to dig in to his pockets to buy players of the ilk of Adrian Morley and the now departed legend Andrew Johns. The best match I have experienced was Johns' debut against Leeds at the Haliwell Jones Stadium in the 2005 play-offs.
The fans created an incredible atmosphere despite spending most of the time pinching ourselves in disbelief that such a world-class player was playing for the Wire. The club made an emotional move from our original Wilderspool ground in 2003, and though nothing will ever beat that special atmosphere, I am always filled with excitement walking to the Halliwell Jones. We are a club that begin every season promising so much, but here I am at the end of another campaign of anti-climax, wondering what it will take for us to break into Britain's Super League elite.
