When the fixtures were announced in January 1999, the planners had factored in the last ever game at Central Park would be Wigan Warriors v St Helens.
Wigan had suffered injuries and setbacks in 1999 but the last game was always destined to be a sell-out. The game was played 96 years and 364 days after the first game played at the ground in 1902. The safety limit was set at 18,179 and after season ticket holders, sponsors and St Helens’ allocation had been accounted for the remaining tickets went on open sale and Wigan were able to announce a sell out four months before the actual game took place.
St Helens were playing some great rugby under coach Ellery Hanley finishing second in the regular season but the passion and intensity at Wigan in the run up to the final game was incredible. Wigan were 4th in the table and had changed coaches mid-season when John Monie was replaced by Andy Goodway.
The turnstiles on that warm Sunday afternoon were opened early and the crowd responded with the ground being full an hour before the start of the game.
Each Wigan player made their entry onto the pitch accompanied by a Wigan great from the past including Billy Boston, Joe Egan, Martin Ryan, Joe Lydon, Colin Clarke, Phil Clarke, Joe Lydon, Dean Bell, Graeme West, George Fairburn, Steve Hampson, Henderson Gill, Shaun Wane and Mick Sullivan.
Wigan on the pitch were, on the day, quite incredible, with some fantastic flowing rugby that had the crowd bouncing.
Jason Robinson tore holes in the St Helens defence, creating the first try for Denis Betts who dived over the line in front of the Billy Boston Stand, Gary Connolly added the second before Jason Robinson scored one of his trademark tries. Paul Johnson scored Wigan’s final try at the old ground.
St Helens were not going to give in without a fight and scored some great tries to keep in touch. Tommy Martyn had the ‘honour’ of scoring the last ever try at Central Park but Andy Farrell had the final word kicking a penalty to seal the result at 28-20 in Wigan’s favour. When the hooter sounded Kris Radlinski was hold of the ball giving him the distinction of signing off in possession of the ball!
The players stayed on the field for almost an hour after the end of the game posing for photos with fans (no mobile phone photos back then) and the following day fans turned up to remove their seats from the stands and take pieces of turf home as a reminder of the most famous ground in the game.
The matchday programme was put together with guest writers including the late Maurice Lindsay and the 5000 ordered for the day were snapped up quickly so a reprint of 6000 were ordered and they sold out quickly too.
Wigan Team: Kris Radlinski, Jason Robinson, Gary Connolly, Paul Johnson, Danny Moore, Chris Chester, Gavin Clinch, Neil Cowie, Mark Smith, Terry O’Connor, Mick Cassidy, Denis Betts, Andy Farrell.
Substitutes: Tony Mestrov, Brett Goldspink, Simon Haughton, Lee Gilmour.
St Helens Team: Anthony Stewart, Chris Smith, Kevin Iro, Paul Newlove, Anthony Sullivan, Paul Sculthorpe, Tommy Martyn, Julian O’Neill, Keiron Cunningham, Apollo Perelini, Des Clark, Sonny Nickle, Chris Joynt.
Substitutes: Fereti Tuilagi, Vila Matautia, Steve Hall, Gareth Price.
Referee: Stuart Cummings (Widnes)
