Do they still sing sometimes at City "when the red, red robin goes bob, bob, bobbing along. Shoot the bastard"?
Last night, I fell asleep in front of the TV and awoke in the wee hours and HKR v Widnes was on and just a couple of minutes in. I watched until half time - a bit like waiting to witness a car crash, I guess. I honestly don't understand the appeal of this game. That said, as a kid, I lived just off The Boulevard and used to pay 3d to watch FC. I think that was because Tommy Finn (scrum half, I think) lived across the back alley from me and was a lovely, lovely man. Funny really, he also worked as a plasterer and rode to and from work on a bike despite appearing in the bottom right lens, scoring a try at Wembley, of the camera which was part of the intro to Grandstand with David Coleman each week.
For years I concurred with your view. Rugby league was one of those sports that sometimes took up the late afternoon slot on Grandstand just before "Final Score". It was fun watching commentator Eddie Waring trying to pick out the players' identities in some mudbath over Lancashire way, a feat made even harder for me watching in black & white! And as a City fan in the late 70s/early 80s, stung by some of the animosity and, yes, arrogance of the RL supporters in Hull (particularly from those of a black & white persuasion it has to be said) I soon became a fully signed up member of the "We all agree football is better than rugby" fraternity, as belted out from the Kempton every Saturday afternoon. How we laughed when one of the two rugby teams lost unexpectedly and how we seethed when Boothferry Park filled up for either a rugby league international or a Hull derby in some cup or other in contrast to the 3-4,000 on City matchdays. In short, we were jealous and perhaps with good reason. And it's lingered for some, as you can see by flicking back through any rugby-related thread on here. But in 1988, I decided to add watching Rovers to my weekend sporting itinerary, mainly because a few of the lads I attended City with also attended Craven Park. My timing was perfect - Rovers were relegated the following season! For years I visited some of the game's proper heartlands and historic grounds watching some pretty poor fare along the way. But it got me gripped in the same way as watching City had. Fast forward to yesterday and after a season of regular attendance with my youngest daughter (11) who's really bitten the bug this year, when that final hooter sounded and Rovers were back in the top flight it was a moment to rival the final whistle at Wembley on Dean Windass Day. Seeing her excitement couldn't be topped. But what got me really thinking - and I suppose angry - was when "Respect" blared out across the ground (a song adopted by HKR for their fateful Wembley visit of 2015). As everyone sang and jigged along, it hit home just how Rovers' response to relegation has been almost polar opposite to City's. Led by the chairman and driven by Ben Cockayne's "social media" pages, Rovers have ensured that the whole club came together to ensure something positive came out of relegation. The result: a club which was a complete laughing stock just twelve months ago is now back where it belongs. We can only dream of something similar happening at City.
A rumoured £1M loan if I remember correctly, about 2-3 seasons ago? Prior to the car-crash 2016 season at any rate.
I re Cockayne isn't a role model I want associated with city thanks. Well done Rovers. Strange tho hudg was a **** a year ago. Amazing what success does to opinions. Not 100% sure but haven't Rovers been getting better gates smashing teams in division one than in the super league?
I see it completely the opposite to you Mr Slush. I do agree that Rovers have turned it round in adversity but you can never compare the size of HKR to City. And I do have some inside knowledge on this. I was never jealous of rugby league as a City fan, in fact I thought, and still believe the boot is on the other foot. I was brought up watching City as a lad just before we bought Ken Wagstaff, 1964, just before City took off crowd wise. In those days all three professional clubs in Hull played at the same time on a Saturday and away travel was unheard to schoolboys, which I was. So when City were away I used to go to the boulevard or the old craven park. Everyone supported the team representing Hull. I do remember when the RL was just one division that in the old green sports mail league table on a Saturday night both Hull teams were usually next to each other at the bottom of it. They had never won at Wembley and didn't qualify for the Final very often either. FC held the record for the heaviest defeat in a Final and it happened twice in succession. Rovers got there in 1964, I went to the Final, and lost and that was it until the 1980 all Hull Final. Crowds for RL were pathetic compared to City's crowds. I was at the old Craven Park when they got over 6,000 once and I believe it was the biggest crowd ever there. The Hull derbies attracted well below 10,000 in fact a 10k crowd was unheard of. I was once part of a mid week crowd at the boulevard when the place was heaving, both ends too, some cup game I believe and the crowd was still only about 12,000. The 1980 all Hull RL Final coincided with City's worst ever time on and of the pitch and that is when the animosity set in. I do think the importance of the game is vastly blown out of all proportion in the local media probably because so many people's jobs depend on it. In reality both Hull clubs are in size to the Wigans, Leeds and St Helens, even Widnes in achievements and cups etc won that Hull City are to clubs like Villa, the Sheffield clubs, Forest, Derby and so on in our current league. We are all under achievers. But in todays economic climate I do believe that having three professional clubs in a city the size of Hull doesn't help any of us. But jealous of RL Mr Slush ? not me matey.
My wording was probably clumsy inasmuch as I meant the "animosity" has remained for some, not so much the jealousy. Apologies for that. But what can't be argued is that for a period in the early 80s there was definite jealousy from many City fans - myself included - at the success and limelight the two Hull rugby clubs were enjoying. I don't doubt that before and after that brief "glory period" for both Hull & Rovers, views changed but they were definitely there back then. And it wasn't the size of the clubs I was comparing but the manner in which both have faced up to relegation. Of course it's not a like-for-like situation but the basic fact is one set of owners has united its fans (albeit from a smaller base) whilst another continues to alienate its followers on an almost daily basis.
Not many Rovers fans blamed Hudgell to my knowledge. As to the gates, not got any figures to hand but the average has been around 7,500 which is on a par with what they were last season in Super League. Most supporters were offered chance of discounted season tickets to watch Championship rugby but to their credit most turned the offer down and paid full whack. And although "smashing teams" sounds exciting, believe me much of the fare on offer this season has been anything but!
I know because I know you and you are the generation of City fans after me. Agree 100% about the difference in attitudes towards the fans between RL and football by the owners and a little bit of bias from the local media. Always an odd one to me when a 12,000 gate at the KC for rugby is usually described as 'nearing a sell-out....packed to the rafters....they love their rugby in Hull....the atmosphere is electric....etc etc etc' But 12,000 for City in the same stadium brings headlines and comments of 'worrying times......half empty....fans voting with their feet.....etc etc'
