By Martin Eastwood, HGSA
It’s been an interesting few weeks for Huddersfield Giants and their supporters.
Mostly it’s been positive, which is much-needed, given the negativity that has surrounded the club, and indeed the sport for the past few years.
As the weather has been particularly pleasant for a few weeks, so have the performances of the team and the fans on and off the field, culminating in that wonderful weekend at the end of May where, for 77 minutes, Huddersfield’s 69-year wait to get claret and gold ribbons on the famous Challenge Cup looked like ending. Sadly, Wigan ripped up the script to break our hearts and snatch the cup just as the ribbons were being unfolded.
We all feared a bit of a slump afterwards but we saw impressive wins at home to Leeds, and away to Catalans (the first team to beat them in the league in Perpignan in 2022).
Off the field, the impressive atmosphere the Giants fans created at Leeds and Tottenham on their way to the cup final has seen an urge to try and replicate those scenes at the remaining games.
The fans, along with the HGSA, organised a “noisy section” for the game against Leeds. Anyone who likes to sing, chant, and just be vocal were encouraged to head to Block 7 in the Kilner Bank and help create an atmosphere reminiscent of the cup games.
It worked, to an extent, and many fans who usually sit elsewhere in the stadium relocated so they could stand, sing and cheer and not annoy the more “genteel” fans elsewhere. This will be the case again for the Warrington game at the end of July.
As well as noise, the HGSA and the fans are also encouraging colour and spectacle. Fans are asked to bring along scarves, flags, banners, anything that could be worn, waved or even just laid out, the more claret and gold the better.
As for the HGSA, we are being kept busy as always, we recently hosted Ken Davy as our June speaker and we welcome Stephen Wild for July, a popular ex-player not just for Huddersfield but Wigan, Salford and the North Wales Crusaders club as well as international caps, see our Facebook events page the details.
As always, we are on the lookout for volunteers to help at the games at Laund Hill and also at our pre-match Legends bar among others, get in touch with us at hgsapublicity@gmail.com.
