Lyndsey Spencer

I have memories of the 1986 Challenge Cup Final. I was 14 at the time I was not able to go on my own, so I went on a supporter’s bus with my sister and sisters’ friend. This was my first time at Wembley and was absolutely amazed at the crowd, atmosphere and the overall atmosphere of the place. It was even more enjoyable due to coming away from the ground with a win.  The icing on the cake was when they brought the trophy back to Castleford and paraded through the town on an open top bus.

I started going to games when I was 3 or 4 my dad used to take me, I don’t think he took me often, but enough to have memories of going down ‘t’lane’.  I have memories of going to internationals. One I can remember, I think it was Great Britain v France at Headingley but what year I am not sure.

I have memories of going to the games when I was thirteen, at the time my dad was out on strike, he was a miner, so obviously money was tight. But at Castleford at the time they did a thing for youngsters if you took a passport photo down you received something similar to a season ticket, it was like an old-fashioned style card. I can remember my friend’s dad took us down to the ground to get these cards.  I used to go with my friends to watch the games, it was during the John Joyner era when Kev and Bob Beardsmore and Martin Ketteridge were playing. I went for about 4 years but only the home games back then.   We would go on the 189 bus from Methley into Castleford and if after the gamer we had missed the bus we used to walk home, we had so much fun. We did that for a few years but then after leaving school you lose touch with friends so that sort of finished really.

I then met Andrew when I was about 19 and his family are massive Castleford fans.  Andrew used to go to the games, so it started up again going to the games with him. We used to go to all of the home and away fixtures.  When Castleford got relegated these were the most enjoyable seasons (I think this was because they won more games). We went to every single home and away game during that period. It became a ritual Sunday afternoon rugby, we would go for Sunday lunch, have a drink then on to the game, after the game it would be another drink, it was a real social thing. In fact, I met some good friends through this period and some who we are still friends with now.

The love of rugby started when I was three or four and it has been a constant for 43 years.

Another memory is of 2014.  Going down to Wembley and Castleford getting beat by Leeds.  Apart from the result it was an absolutely fantastic weekend, it was more about the build-up going down to Wembley and being down there and mingling amongst the Castleford and Leeds fans.  It was more of an experience. Then there was the Grand Final at Old Trafford in 2017, it was pouring down with rain.  We went to watch Castleford in the Grand Final but came away disappointed. The build up to the final was obviously better than the game itself, I remember going into Castleford Town Centre during the build-up and people would be buying flags and scarves and everyone getting whipped up and excited about the game.

My dad no longer goes to the games, he through his cap in when they stopped playing Saturday afternoons, but he does watch it religiously on Sky. He will not watch a live game of Castleford on Sky though; he will only watch it back if they win.

We have three generation now of Castleford fans.  My daughter Lola did cheer leading at Castleford, she did it for about two and a half seasons, but she has such an hectic schedule something had to give. She still goes to the odd games with us and she will watch it on TV. She will probably be the next generation of Castleford supporters.  All Andrew’s family are involved, our niece Kaci plays rugby, both league and union. She has the passion because she goes to all the games. It is a bit of a family thing.  That’s what is most appealing, we can go as a family and make an afternoon or occasion of it.

Everybody you speak to loves coming to Castleford games, especially the Hull FC supporters. I have seen Castleford supporters go and support Hull in a final and they have been known to cut a Castleford and Hull shirt in half and sew it up and they have gone half and half. When Hull supporters come over especially to the Boot Room they absolutely love it. So, I think it says a lot.

I started working in Rugby League in 1997.  I started in what is now the Performance Department, it was Technical/Performance Department back then. My first bosses were Joe Lydon and Neil Tunnicliffe. From then there have been numerous bosses.

I started with the technical team as a secretary and have also been PA to the Technical/Performance Director and Administrator of performance programmes.  From the performance department I then moved into the HR team. I went from Senior HR Officer to People lead. I was in HR from 2009 – 2018. I left for four months towards the end of 2018, but the lure of Rugby League pulled me back. You can take the girl out of rugby league, but you cannot take rugby league out of the girl. So, coming back to the RFL in January 2019 I worked in HR for 5 weeks then I have moved over to the Match Official department as Match Officials Business Manager and now work with the full-time referees.

It is amazing how many coaches and team managers I have worked with.  When Ralph Rimmer came on board at the RFL as Chief Operating Officer I had already worked with him in the 2000 World Cup when he was Ireland Team Manager. Over the years you find people coming in and out of the game and then bumping into them numerously along the way.  I now have contact with Brian Noble with Toronto, but originally worked with him when he was Great Britain Head Coach.  The First ever coaching team I worked with for Great Britain back then, was Andy Goodway as Head Coach and the Team Manager was Phil Lowe, I have worked with numerous coaches over the years for GB, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – Neil Kelly, Clive Griffiths, Billy McGinty, Andy Kelly, Mike Gregory, John Kear, Malcolm Reilly, Tony Smith (Casper) David Waite, Brian Noble, Tony Smith, there are so many. I have worked with some fantastic names over the years. I have met some great people, they come and go, but some have more of an impact on you than others, some you keep in touch with and some you don’t because people move on and have different lives in different sports.

My most enjoyable job, was in the performance department in the early days. That was when the RFL was not as big as it is now, it was just around 30 people in Red Hall when I came on board. The first Chief Executive I ever worked under was Maurice Lindsay, he was only here for a short while then moved on. Those were the best times. In the early days in performance you worked with the Team Managers and were privy to a lot of information which was embargoed until the press releases went out. So, you knew the Great Britain squad first, (apart from the coaches and selection panel). I enjoyed sending out congratulation letters to the players, A lot of the correspondence to clubs was done by fax back then, and you had to inform the Chief Executives and Head Coaches that their player(s) had been selected.

We would book the teams’ training facilities, accommodation, team coaches and travel. I can remember booking a training facility once for Wales and the biggest problem was making sure the dog poo was removed from the training pitch. Another crazy time was getting Russian Visas and Graeme Thompson at the time having to rush down to London to organise.

When I first started there was only myself and I did all the administration for Great Britain, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Then when money came into the game more people come onboard. I have worked with lots of different team managers including Phil Clarke, Abi Ekoku and Phil Lowe to name a few, all have different ways of working. It was good, sometimes stressful especially working to a deadline, but it was enjoyable.

I enjoyed my work with Kevin Rudd and the Rugby League European Federation and seeing the new teams emerge.  Kevin would go on trips overseas to get teams on board and promoting the game in new countries.

I have been at the RFL for such a long time, although there are a few who have been around the same time if not longer than me, those being Rachel Julie, Kelly and Emma., I have had opportunities that you would not have in other jobs, one of those being invited to the Queens Garden Party in 2006, such an experience that money cannot buy.

I have done a couple of trips abroad, one being for the European Federation meeting in Carcassonne which was chaired by Richard Lewis.  A great experience being able to work with the French Federation, Russian Rugby League and associated countries.  I have also worked on the development camps for the U14, U15 and U16s.  Going to Ampleforth College and working alongside David Raybould who was team manager.  That camp is memorable as I remember Joe Westerman being an U16 and now see Joe move through the sport as a professional.

There are so many memories, all good.  The passion and love for the game of Rugby League is still there and hopefully will continue.