344 The Dentist Diary
Two more points, some great tries an easy win and despite a
few hiccups and a bit of a stuttering start, in the end that was all
forgotten as the crowd enjoyed another good display of
enterprising rugby, tough defence....and 40/20’s!!!!
It was without doubt another good display and a score line that
most observers who weren’t there would feel looked ‘easy’ (and
of course it was, being in effect all over ten minutes into the
second half) but the game itself was so much more. There was
a listless and niggly first half, a confident Bronco’s team who
played at a good pace and a good standard for the whole
match, another refereeing display that was, well, mystifying at
times, two purple patches of class rugby that were wonderful to
watch and as many 40/20’s as we have previously scored in a
full season. Furthermore for the first time this season we
witnessed both flanks getting the service needed to provide a
balanced approach to attacking the opposition’s line. It was
great entertainment and any feelings of deflation in the crowd at
half time after a stop-start first half, were spectacularly blown
away in the first 20 minutes of the second.
Now of course its sudden death rugby and a real tough looking
hit up against Wakey, but at least this fan is starting to enjoy his
rugby again and perhaps even starting to believe!
.....................................................................................................
After 18 months at the Club it must be strange for Peter Gentle
to find himself having for the first time to drop fit players and
make choices. Pre-match I was, I guess a bit disappointed that
Green and particularly Bowden missed out, as our Coach went
for experience with the no nonsense approach of Johnson and
the dependability of Whiting and Pitts. Rich should always be in
my team anyway and it was good to see him starting at loose
forward, but personally I’d have put Bowden in for Pitts but
that’s just me and at 48-12 what do I know?
After a game that could see us discussing some of the
refereeing which was mystifying, some lacklustre rugby in both
halves, and a couple of wrong options taken, there was just so
much to celebrate and enjoy, that this week I have to major on
the positives. However guess who wasn’t of the same mind? I
listened on the way home as Gwilym Lloyd tried his best to play
down the performance as only he can, particularly picking out
Ellis, who played a full 80 minutes, as having done ‘nothing
special’. He only has to watch the replay of Yeaman’s try, to
see our captain taking two players with him on a dummy run to
create a gap so wide behind him, that Kirk just trotted over the
line, unopposed. However he was in the minority from what I
saw and heard of the fans after the game and it was great to
see at last the presence Ellis brings and him coming through
unscathed.
The talk around us, as he led the team out, was all of, “Well at
least he’s got through the warm up” and there is little doubt that
Gareth can only get better, but his simply being there alone
was phenomenal as he arranged the line, dish out the
bollockings and the praise and carried the ball up strongly. In
his first game of the season no one got through him and
although blowing a bit, he was still running at the end.
Holdsworth too deserves a big and special mention, as all I was
looking for from ‘Dizzy’, was him getting through without any
problems or a reoccurrence of his concussion. What we
actually got was a polished and measured third quarter where,
after DJ had played himself in during a listless first half, he
opened up varying the passing, drawing the markers and
‘poking players through holes’ at will. Yeamo and Briscoe
thought it was their birthdays and two players who had looked
out of sorts this season suddenly confirmed that they were fine;
it was just the service they were lacking!
Yeamo brilliantly carved out an opening from a Holdsworth
pass, outpaced a pretty speedy Broncos flank and brilliantly
passed back inside for Briscoe to speed in. It was great to
watch as our left side of Holdworth, Ellis, Yeamo and ‘Brisc’
looked brilliant at times. Of course over the other side it was
‘business as usual’ or at least business as we have come to
expect it of late. Horney fed Westerman, Crooks and Lineham
and they ran riot. With tries in his last seven outings, Crooks is
particularly special and looks to me like a real find as he scored
two more on Friday, the first with what is now becoming his
characteristic turn out of the tackle and stretch over the line. He
seems to have telescopic arms! However it was his feet and
movement in the lead up to Whiting’s try that impressed me the
most; watch that one again if you get the chance.
So some wonderful, wonderful play that was a joy to watch, but
oh what a try that was from O’Meley! I could watch that all day
and probably will this week! It was one of those moments that
Props dream of, as he rumbled into the line 15 yards out at full
pace and got a perfectly timed pass in his ‘bread basket’. This
saw him continue seamlessly in his run, as he careered right
over one tackler and took three others with him under the sticks
and over the line, it was a real Trevor Skerrett/Craig
Greenhill/Karl Harrison moment; watch that one too if you
haven’t seen it and if you have.... watch it again I will be!
The ‘ouch’ moment of the game came as Liam Watts walked
back after the second try and our Physio put his thumb ‘back in’
after he had dislocated it! He played on and played well as did
everyone really. I have of course to give a mention to 40/20’s
and the fact that like buses we don’t see any and then two
come along at once! I can’t remember the last time we kicked
two in a season never mind in a half! I thought one of the
biggest influences on us upping our game and cruising away
from London in such spectacular fashion was the urgency and
variation we got when Heremaia came on for Houghton. After
Danny had ‘crucified’ their square markers time and again with
his darting runs from the play the ball, Azza came on moved
wider and had a great game. He celebrated his new contract
extension with a displayed that showed just what a difference
having two hookers interchanging can make. Perhaps he was
responding to being benched, I don’t know, but Lynch had his
best game for ages too and his inclusion lifted things while
Whiting again showed his worth and took his try well.
So the pessimists will say, “It was only London”, but in the past
our display in the second half would have mirrored what we had
seen for most of the first, however this time we rectified things
in the half time interval, found another gear or three and blasted
them away in the first fifteen minutes of the second with some
rugby that could only be described at times as scintillating. If
you haven’t been of late, you should really consider getting
down to the KC, because it’s great to watch and when we cut
loose the spectacle of two proper half backs and Gareth Ellis
out there is, after weeks of woe, a sight to behold.
A bit over the top for you this week? Well possibly, but I really
enjoyed it again and that’s not something I usually state about
games against the Bronco’s, which are often turgid affairs. I
don’t say we are the finished article, but I do get the feeling
that, if we can keep a few players fit then we are starting to look
like we have a chance of becoming it. As someone near me
said after Azzer had kicked his second 40/20, “If we’re not
careful, we’re in danger of becoming a good team here”.
Sudden death on Friday is of course another challenge and we
have to ensure we start well both on the field and on the
terraces, where again, for a London game, the fans did well.
Wakey play well around acting half and have good play makers
however anything but a win on Friday will be a bitter
disappointment, but for this week for me, its job done!
So to the week gone by and the anti-tampering deadline
passed on 1st May, without too many Clubs showing their hand
(or at least revealing the ‘under handed’ deals they had already
pulled off with players and their agents way before the declared
date). Perhaps therefore it’s time, as I said last week, for me to
re-launch the ubiquitous Wilfs Wiffs. In the next few weeks it’s
all going to be happening, so here we go with what I’ve heard
so far on the transfer front.
Well, we are certainly in for 3 half backs, one is pretty
sensational, one other is described as a long term fix and one
is a short term ‘tied us over for this season’ job. That’s the news
from several ‘sources’ ‘close to’ the Club anyway. I do know for
sure that we went after Penrith Panthers goal kicking half back
Luke Walsh and made him what I am told was the biggest offer
our Club have ever tabled, but were gazumped by St Helens.
I’m also told that their offer, which was reported in some Aussie
quarters as being in total worth over £300,000, was just too
much for us to sustain, within our current wage structure. If
that’s true and comes to pass, (and I find the sum hard to
believe), then you just have to wonder how any Club can spend
almost a fifth of their cap allocation on one player don’t you?
While we are still on the whiffs, I am also 90% sure we have
already got a big ‘Rough arsed’ Prop sorted. We have been
searching all year, I’m told, for a front rower who will bring back
that bit of aggression that’s been missing since Sam Moa left.
Then there’s Jacob Miller who some would have you believe
has his nose pressed against the window of the arrivals lounge
at Heathrow, just waiting for his Visa. I don’t think that one is
that true as yet, but he could be seen as the long term fix!
Briscoe to Wigan, Hay to Featherstone and Tickle to
Widnes?????? Rumours eh, don’t you just love em? I feel that
the Tom Briscoe situation has gone on too long for a resolution
in our favour to be forthcoming and as for Tickle well the lure of
home and family in Lancashire is a strong pull. I blame neither
really and I guess in both cases I understand their motivations,
but as a fan I just want it sorted while we have still some
options to explore with regard to their replacements. However
it’s certainly the Whiffs season again folks and in the next few
weeks I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground and watching out for
the likely, the possible, the improbable and the completely
absurd! So be prepared to laugh, hope and wonder and even
maybe shed a tear at more WW’s as the stories unfold
throughout the rest of the season.
If however if you read the message boards and the media, it’s
certainly open season on the absurd already. It’s of course
unlikely that any Club worth their salt won’t have got all their top
players signed up, or as is the case I’m sure with Tickle and
Briscoe at the FC, they will at least know what’s happening to
those who aren’t. The problem in cases like those two is that
the parent Club has to make a big offer to retain their player
and then that player, with an unsigned offer burning a hole in
his back pocket, has a price he can tote around to other suitors
to try and get an even better deal. That’s always going to end in
tears for the players current Club and their supporters and
occasionally it can even backfire on the player himself.
Remember Shaun Briscoe?
Of our other out of contract players, I guess the most
controversial and for some the most worrying is Jamie Shaul
our young dynamic full back, who had scored four tries in just
two senior outings. As I have said in here before, he is certainly
a big, big prospect with ball in hand and as fast as I have seen
a young player for some time. He even appears to have that
something that you rarely see in a youngster these days;
natural ability. Of course there are two sides to every story and
the Club consistently bang on about him still having a lot to
learn particularly in the defensive department. That’s as maybe,
but the fans already like Jamie and don’t want to see him go
elsewhere, but the other side of the coin is I am told, that all this
hype has got to the player, or at least his representatives and
they could well be asking a fee way outside our current wage
structure for a player at that point in his development. If that’s
the case the Club have a dilemma and although Adam
promised to retain all our talented young players they must now
be suffering with the conundrum of whether to ‘stick or twist’.
With Shannon McDonnelI here for two years, as a specialist
full back Jamie’s chances to progress could well depend on
injury and therefore be limited, which could colour the
youngster’s judgment as to where he will finish up. If he stays,
brilliant, if he doesn’t lets at least have an explanation from the
Club as to why not. Of the other out of contact players, I was
surprised that Dean Hadley was still not sorted, because they
really rate him down at Chants Avenue, as indeed I was told
they do Alex Starling. However for Jack Briscoe the other out of
contract employee, who I have seen have some good games in
the Under 19 without actually ever looking like making the step
up to the first team, his days as a ‘nearly man’ could be coming
to an end.
Talking of Shannon McDonnell I was hearing from a player the
other day that he has been frustrated and to a certain extent
stifled by the change of tactics we have had to adopt since
Holdsworth has been missing from the play making
department. Apparently his favourite game is the one where he
ghost up from full back onto those short balls from Daniel which
was something if you remember, he did so well at the start of
the season. Still, although the mid season change of tactics
might not suit Shannon, it certainly got us through a difficult
spell, we picked up 4 wins which were scratchy at times but
none the less wins and that kept us in the top 8 .....just!
The news that Hull City had requested a switch of date for the
Bronco’s game from Friday to Sunday wasn’t really a surprise,
because it had been doing the rounds rumour wise since last
Sunday. Quite why this game and it implications should be a
surprise to City and why therefore they needed a shift so close
to the match day is anyone’s guess, let’s face it, the games
always kick off early and at the same time on the last Saturday
of the Championship season. They’ve known that from day one
and for around 4 weeks now it has been likely that their season
could go down to the last game, so why not a bit more notice?
It was even rumoured in some quarters that a five figure
financial incentive had been offered to Adam to make the
switch, but it was deemed too late by Hull FC. I am told that the
Club was really sympathetic with Hull City and were even at
one stage considering it, but London were against it and would
have complained to the RL, and as the kids for a quid and
discount stuff was well into its stride and many fans were
committed to Friday, by this week we couldn’t really help. It
seems that everything that could be done was done and that in
general relations between the Club and the SMC are thawing a
bit on several fronts. The rumoured imminent announcement of
the first ever fans day to be held at the KC, which will include
an under 19’s game, will show everyone that progress is being
made. City fans can say what they like, but when the red mist
dissipates, it’s just bad planning and had a request been made
a couple of weeks before the game, I think our lot would have
switched it. In any case they probably did more damage to the
pitch trampling all over it on Saturday afternoon!
Last Tuesday I went along to the Duke of Cumberland in
Cottingham to partake of the usual excellent hospitality
provided by the landlord and life-long FC fan, Tony Roberts.
That evening there was a presentation by the James Clarke
about the new fan Club idea announced last week. The plan is
for a small fee to be paid by fans to join what will be an official
supporters group. This will offer all sorts of benefits to members
including special events; discounts at the Club shop and on
ticket deals etc. etc.
The main objective last Tuesday however was to try and get
some volunteers together who could form four satellite
committees to run meetings once a month in (at first)
Cottingham (Tony to manage), Market Weighton or Howden,
Barton and Driffield. The idea is that small groups of fans or
even individuals would run these gatherings at a local pub and
the Club would support them and supply speakers including
Adam Pearson, Peter Gentle, Shaun McCrae and senior
players. There would be prizes to win, competitions, quizzes
etc. but most of all a chance for FC fans to get together and
discuss the team they love over a beer.
Personally if there was one cause I would champion as a fan it
would be this one. I have fond memories of meeting up with the
Leeds and West Yorkshire unofficial supporters groups in pubs
before away games in the 80’s and there is no reason at all
why this could not be the case again in the future. I would never
agree at all about pressure being put on the fans already
stretched resources by an unreasonable charge being levied to
join such an organisation, but a small administrative fee would
be understandable and the chance to meet like minded fans
from your own area once a month would be great. At the
meeting last Tuesday, about 25 interested supporters turned up
and it was an indication of just how good this idea could be
when after the scheme had been discussed and indications of
interest from those attending gleaned, we all had a good old
chin wag with James Clarke about the Club, potential signings,
injuries etc.
There was certainly a great atmosphere a chance to meet new
fans and an indication of just what could be achieved should
these satellite groups get off the ground. I know FC Voices will
be working hard with the Club to ensure that the detail of this
concept are in the fans interests, but I honestly believe it is
something that will be of great benefit to the supporters of Hull
FC. Of course the Club see it as a means of growing their fan
base because obviously as a business, they don’t do anything
for nothing but the buy off for the fans is in effect a mini fans
forum in your neighbourhood every month. If you don’t live in
the areas covered by the initial scheme, you can still join up
and travel to your nearest venue and it is planned to extend it to
other areas and even have a branch in Hull, once the first four
are up and running.
Tony Roberts the landlord at the Duke, who has run a coach to
away games for over 35 years, is passionately committed to
this idea and is keen to head up the Cottingham branch, but the
Club need to hear from anyone in Market Weighton, Driffield or
Barton who can help get the others off the ground. Of course
Tony and other publicans will get a benefit from selling a few
beers on a quiet night, that’s to be expected, but the
commitment for any volunteering fans will be small and FC
Voices will help with the set up of the groups while the Club will
provide speakers, printing of posters, prizes etc. I honestly
believe it’s a great idea and for all those who went on Message
Boards etc. saying that they would support a re-formed West
Riding Branch, if you come forward to help facilitating that
happening, the Club assure me that they will support you.
So there it is, the gauntlet is being thrown down by the Club
and I think as fans we should grab it with both hands and make
Tony’s dream a reality. Not since the halcyion days of HISA in
the late 90’s have we all had the opportunity to get together and
chew the fat on the Club we love. A few of course will be
cynical and those invariably will be the ones who don’t want to
help but who will take great delight in telling you, “I told you so”
when the scheme fails. However we shouldn’t let them scupper
the idea which I think for the vast majority of FC fans in the
region is a good one.
I don’t really care what Hull FC get out of it, as long as the fans
ain’t exploited and it isn’t another one of those big schemes that
starts massive before it peters out. Some of the players such as
Rich Whiting, Gareth Ellis, Kirk Yeaman and Danny Houghton
have already said how keen they are to get involved so
everyone seems to be on board. Of course most of all it’s a
chance for the fans to run their own ‘show’ as it were.
This will only work of course, if the supporters rally round and if
you’re interested in helping out at any of the listed locations or
have any ideas to add to the scheme ring James Clarke 01482
327200 of E mail him on [email protected]. Or alternately
contact me through blackandwhites.co.uk and I’ll pass your
details on. I ain’t one for blowing the Clubs trumpet for them
and I certainly wouldn’t put anything in here about this idea
unless I believed that it was to the benefit of us all. However if
we can get this scheme off the ground, then I believe it’s a
great opportunity for the fans, a chance not to be missed and
the sort of monthly ‘get together’ that I would certainly enjoy
attending.
Next up a couple of interesting snippets I picked up from the
nationals this week and firstly news from the Sporting Rich List
printed in the Times. After reading this it would appear that the
biggest (and possibly the most anonymous) philanthropist in
Rugby League is Paul Caddick, the owner of the Rhino’s, who
was named as third in the list, just behind David Beckham and
Dave Whelan. Caddick’s wealth is estimated at around
£150million.
My second piece of news surrounds Rovers player and
Dobbins ‘sweetheart’ Cory Patterson and his possible move
from Caravan Park. The question has to be why would there be
a video on YouTube put up on April 24 as a showcase of his
considerable skills? The film which just appeared out of the
blue has nothing to do with Rovers and has been produced by
his Agents organisation GSS Sports Management. It’s very
comprehensive and covers excerpts from both the NRL and
Super League and you have to wonder if this is anything to do
with the fact he's got a release clause in his contract if Rovers
coach Craig Sandercock gets the boot? Let the conspiracy
theories begin!
Well it was certainly an interesting development on Tuesday when
Salford were charged with a breach of regulations after they fielded
14 players for a period of three tackles during their 34-30, ‘touch
rugby’ game against Castleford, in Brian Noble's first Super League
match in charge of the City Reds. Castleford chief executive Steve
Gill was the person who raised it afterwards and despite all the
cards with numbers on them and the procedures in place, the
match Commissioner stood on the touch-line responsible for
checking this sort of thing, missed it completely. How the heck can
that happen when the players are supposed to swop the numbered
cards on the touchline as they change over?
Gill claimed that three plays took place during which the Reds had
an extra man and that after making a substitution four minutes from
the end of a very close encounter that could have gone either way.
The Tigers lodged a formal complaint with the Rugby Football
League, who said the matter will be dealt with by an RFL
operational rules tribunal this Wednesday, and it could even see the
Reds forfeit the points. A couple of years ago I remember it
happening in Australia, when the points were indeed deducted in
similar circumstances and before that Saints being fined £100, for
doing the same thing against us in 2006.
After the meeting at Cottingham the other night I got into a
conversation about the old days (as I usually do) and the chat
progressed to the 60’s and the heroes we had back then. For
me that decade, despite containing some of the bleakest days
in the clubs history, were magical times and hold the fondest of
memories for this fan. I was in my teens and whatever the
weather, whatever the score, I joined that small but vociferous
band of intrepid supporters who turned up to watch the FC and
cheer ever point we got, however infrequently those points
came. This week as a departure for Codgers Corner, I want to
have a look again at some of those characters who gave their
all for the FC.
Of course back then there were still the Superstars (some of
whom were entering the veteran stage) like Bill Drake, Johnny
Whiteley, Dick Gemmell, the great Wilf Rosenberg, Clive
Sullivan and the peerless Arthur Keegan. These fantastic
players all feature in great detail in any history of the club and
there is little doubt that they were all very significant in their
time. However there were also those intrepid, dour and loyal
players, lost in the mists of time that toiled, with little
recognition, for the good of the club and without whom there
would probably now be no Hull FC at all!! This week I want to
look at just a few such characters that played, often for peanuts
and in really hard times for ‘nowt’, but who still form part of the
great heritage of our great club. Although all older readers will
have their own hero’s and their own recollections, here are just
a few of mine.
My first years of supporting the club, were hard times for the
dyed in the wool supporters. You see they had witnessed in the
50’s one of the finest decades in the clubs history when Roy
Francis Coached and Johnny Whiteley led the team to the very
top of the RL tree. Then, as often happens that all fell apart and
the club was plunged into 15 or so of the most depressing
years of our long and colourful history. But for this supporter,
just starting out on his own personal journey through a lifetime
of following Hull FC, it was all new and every game was an
adventure.
Some of my favourite unsung heroes of that time were the
backs, because playing alongside stars like Clive Sullivan and
Dick Gemmell and behind a beaten pack, they often got little
recognition for what was a thankless task. Wingers like Geoff
Stocks (who ran with his legs in the air like a Chicken), Terry
Hollingdrake, who seemed to spend more time in touch than
out of it, and Keith Barnwell all fall into that category. Keith, a
black player with a bit of talent played in the days when black
players were rare, and so to see a three quarter line of Suillivan
C., Barnwell, Carmichael and Sullivan B. was unique. There
were also plenty of tough, tricky half backs like Ken Huxley,
Terry Devonshire and David Doyle Davidson, plus of course the
great Kenny Foulkes, who I featured in the “Corner” a while
back.
These players were all real hard workers sometimes outclassed
but rarely overawed by the more fashionable half back pairings
of the day, such as Shoebottom and Seabourne at Leeds and
Hepworth and Hardisty at Cas, but they still all played their part.
In 1965 John Maloney joined the club and soon became one of
the greatest goal kickers I have ever seen and with 675 goals
and 38 tries in 224 appearances, what a points machine he
was in those bleak times. John was a real character too and
being the Managing Director of his father’s engineering
company in the West Riding, would often turn up for training in
a Bentley. He was a good sport, and had to be, when on one
occasion Jim Neale and Charlie Booth, (I think it was), pinched
one of his wheels and left the car on bricks on the Airlie Street
car park!
Jim Neale eh, what a bloke he was. Signed by the club from
Cumbria in November 1963, he was a real handful, first to a
scrap, with no one getting the better of Jim. I remember once
seeing him playing against Hunslet at their great old Parkside
ground, when a scrum erupted and Jim ended up taking on
three of the Hunslet players. He was sent off, but still had time
to throw a punch at one of them, who was involved, as he
passed him leaving the field. Talk about “Don’t mess around
with Jim”. Courtesy of my old scrap book and Yorkshire
Evening Post publications, here’s the action!
Watched by Broom, McGlone and Keegan; The Referee
decides, “Never mind it wasn’t you Mr Neale, You’re off!!!”
“But it wasn’t me sir, it was him” (note a much younger DDD
and Johnny Whiteley having their ‘two penneth’ from the bench)
P.S. that’s not me at the front with the holey balaclava!!
“Oh Sod it I’ll sort him out”, Jim exacts his own justice and piles
into the Hunslet player, on his way to the dressing room! As
fans, benches, police and the players all get involved.
Saturday afternoon, a good scrap in the cold, mud and gloom
of South Leeds didn’t you just love it?
Another great player who came from up Cumbria way and one
of my all time hero’s who I often talk about in here, was Terry
Kirchin who signed for the club in 1969 from Barrow. He was a
second rower who could run a bit and also tackle quite well, but
that was not his real forte. He was, without doubt, the best
releaser of the ball in a tackle I have ever seen. He would be
mobbed by around four or five opposing forwards and still his
hand would come out of the ruck with the ball grasped in his
fingers. He would then ‘waggle it around’ until Foulkes, Joe
Brown or Chris Davidson would take it from him and run it on!
What a player he was and someone that will be remembered
by everyone reading this that saw him play in the late 60’s!
After reading my First book Terry who has only been to Hull
twice since he left in 1971 sent me a superb and lengthy E mail
from his home in Scotland and talked really affectionately about
his time at the Boulevard.
In the forwards there were many characters, some who played
for seasons, others who just played a couple of games, but
they were all part of the close knit family that was the club and
supporters back then. We had some handy forwards too,
Shaun O’Brian, (who always liked a punch up and played
around 60 games in the middle of that decade), Don Robson
and Nick Trotter, are three I remember well.
There was also a bit of a tradition of Brothers playing for the
club back then too. In addition to the famous Sullivan’s there
were the Booths, Charlie and Roger whose Dad played 336
games for us in the 1930’s, the Drakes, and of course the
Macklin’s. Jim, a big angular prop forward, played three
seasons before leaving for Bradford whilst his brother Alf went
on to become a living legend at the club. “Super Alf” as he was
known, although playing out on the flanks, was never a
mercurial flying winger in fact you have never seen anyone who
looked less like one, and yet he played 314 games for the club
spanning around 13 years when he scored 121 tries. Most of
these scores saw him crashing in at the corner with three or
four defenders on his back, but he was a great clubman, a real
character and someone else who will always provide me with
some great memories.
Eric Broom, was another I remember well, he was a prop
forward we signed in 1964, and who went on to play over 200
games for us. He came with Neale, Davis, and Stocks at a time
when we were really struggling and in need of a change in
personnel. Broomy was a great grafting forward with a really
dour appearance. It’s strange to recall that Eric rarely seemed
to smile, but boy could he kick goals, using his torpedo kick he
landed 165 in his time at the club and his rather basic, one up,
dummy and run type of game, was especially handy on the
glue pot Boulevard pitch in those days of winter rugby.
Alan McGlone, who is still seen around the KC to this day, was
another fantastic servant playing 264 games at hooker from
1963 onwards, and so it goes on. There was Len Casey and
“Rhino” Keith Boxall who signed towards the end of the decade
and Howard Firth an exciting flaxen haired flyer that we signed
from Hull and East Riding, and who scored over 50 tries in his 4
years at the club. Charlie Nimb a South African wonder boy
who never made the grade, Cyril Sykes and Colin Clixby etc etc
etc. It’s just impossible to feature all the players I remember
from all those years ago but they were all heroes just the same.
I have laughed at them, celebrated with them and cried
because of them!! The 1960 were tough times, but I loved
them.
There is little doubt that you aficionado’s, who always keep me
straight, with remember others and no doubt find some flaws in
these recollections. The thing is that time bends and distorts
the memory somewhat, but I hope you get the general idea and
that I have jogged a few of your memories along the way too!!!
While we are on the history stuff take a look at a brand new
blog that’s been started here at
http://rlwcvolunteer.wordpress.com/ by my pal Mark Charlton.
He’s a top bloke and has recently become a volunteer for the
Rugby League World Cup and is charting his life from
supporting Hull FC, in the early 80’s to this autumn’s big
competition. I really enjoyed it so take a look if you can.
Well Cup rugby is always tough and history shows it’s been
particularly tough over the years against Wakefield, in fact
since they thrashed us in the Final back in 1960 there have
been few straight forward games against the Trinity and the
Wildcats in the Cup. Agar will be angling for a sweet victory and
we’ll have to be on top form in a game that when all is said and
done, even this old sceptic feels is winnable. I’ll be panicking
though and with good cause, because this isn’t about winning a
game as much as being just two wins from a Final with an FC
team that at last looks capable of beating anyone on their day.
It’s all a bit exciting isn’t it and there should be no need for any
motivation from Peter Gentle and Co this week. Let’s hope we
come through!
It’s been a busy week again for correspondence from readers
and I’m so grateful to everyone who takes the time to read this
rubbish never mind write to me about it! Top Radio Humberside
Sports Talk pundit Matty Scarrs wrote me about the general
demise of the great game and also bemoaned the unnecessary
hero worship of Sam Tomkins who Matty says uses his
reputation to harrang referee’s and to try and bend the rules his
way (and having watched him have a continuous conversation
with Mr. Silverwood at the KC the other week he made for me,
a very good point). There were also E mails from Sam, Brian
Chapman, Noel and a good bollocking from Frank Forster, who
thinks our game is actually in good nick!!!! All great stuff and
thanks so much to everyone. Well done too to Hull City who
after an afternoon of high drama finally got through to the
Premier League. It’s a great achievement and one that with the
possible Siemen’s development and our bid to be the Year of
Culture could really put Hull back on the map. It’s great for all of
you who support both Hull and City but as an FC fan, first and
foremost, I have to admit to having a certain feeling of
foreboding with regard to Mr Allam’s motives concerning the
KC. I’ll be watching that one closely in here!!!
But for now, let’s do Wakey on Friday and get into the hat for
the Quarter Finals, it will be really tough but let’s get behind the
lads, create a top atmosphere and who knows together we
might just do it!
COME ON YOU HULLLLLAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Faithfully Yours
Wilf