Steve Hossack: Remembering the Rossington lads who enjoyed rugby league careers

That was my second visit to Wembley.

The first was in 1957 when, to be honest, I was probably too young to understand what was going on in the game between Leeds and Barrow and can remember nothing about it.

However, I do recall Featherstone, who I grew up supporting due to my dad being a former Rovers player, lifting the cup for the first time in their history and I do remember the Queen doing the honours.

I also remember that Rossington-born Mick or Mike (he was known by both names) Smith played stand-off in the successful Rovers team.

Smith boasted good leg speed and a deceptive side-step and used both assets when setting a new club record of six tries in a game against his hometown club late in the 1967-68 season at Post Office Road.

I was at that game and I remember that prop Mal Dixon, who captained the cup-winning side, could have touched down himself but he handed off several Doncaster defenders over the line until Smith was able to get to there to receive his try-scoring pass to claim his sixth try.

Then operating as a centre, Smith also played in the 1972-73 final and the individual try he scored in the 33-17 win over Bradford featured in the opening credits of BBC TV’s long-running Saturday afternoon sports programme, Grandstand, for several years.

Smith returned to Wembley with Rovers the following season but had to settle for a runners-up medal as the West Yorkshire side lost out to Warrington.

I especially remember that final because I was on a three-day residential rugby league coaching course based at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre where the Featherstone squad were based and we were able to watch and listen to the coach putting his squad through their final preparations on a nearby pitch.

We also got the chance to mingle with the players for a few minutes in the evenings but the biggest thrill was following immediately behind the team coach on the road to Wembley as part of the cavalcade.

Smith, who finished his career at Huddersfield, is one of several players from the former mining village to enjoy a successful career in the professional ranks.

Mark Roache, sadly no longer with us, was a much under-rated winger and deceptively quick and never looked out of place in the club’s brief stay in the top flight.

He is currently the Dons’ all-time record try scorer – though Jason Tali is within striking distance.

Prop Ian Fletcher also served the Dons well for several seasons in the early-90s after playing for teams such as York.

*Roger Federer’s forthcoming retirement heralds the beginning of the end of a golden era of men’s tennis players we may never see the like of again.

Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djovic and Andy Murray have dominated the sport for more than a decade and produced some of the most dramatic finals in Grand Slam history.

With the exception of the French Open, where Nadal has been virtually unbeatable, any of the four men could beat any of the other three on their day in the other Grand Slams.

But they would have to be on the top of their game to do so.

I had the pleasure of seeing Federer play at Wimbledon on several occasions and he always made the game look far easier than it actually is to play at the top level.

Many members of both the Doncaster and Wheatley Hills clubs will also have seen Federer play in SW19 over the years

But no-one in the city has arguably had a better live view than veteran Doncaster line judge Andrew McDougall who was often on the line in the big games that the Swiss ace played at Wimbledon.

*I have never been a fan of player-of-the-match awards when they only relate to home players.

My argument has always been that if the award is to have any worth then players from both sides should come into contention.

Not that I expect there to be a change any time soon.

Picking the player-of-the-match, and subsequently meeting them and having a post-match photo, is one of the perks of sponsoring a game.

I’ve no problem with that if the people choosing have a decent knowledge of the sport.

But some of the decisions, in football and both rugby codes, I have come across over the years have been embarrassing and I include a game The Star sponsored at Belle Vue in that category.

As part of the package, wives and girlfriends of staff members were asked to pick their player of the match.

I can’t remember who Rovers were playing, or who they voted for, but I do recall wishing the ground would open up instead of being exposed as I was at the front of the main stand when the match day announcer relayed their choice.

I was conscious of the fact that being clearly visible sat on the press benches that a lot of the fans will have thought that I had chosen the winner and thus questioned my knowledge of the game.

“Why did you choose him?” I asked when I got back to the hospitality area after the match, adding that the player they had chosen hadn’t impressed me or a lot of the fans judging by their reaction.

“He had the best legs!” came the giggling reply.