The original offending post was poorly worded and as it has obviously caused offence, so I’ve removed it.
To be honest, whilst it is great to look back, the memories of those long gone days are confined to a very small group of people and without a modern story to tag onto, there is nothing but a sentimental journey that will be fleeting.I think it's unfair to call Hardaker a racist because of a couple of dodgy quotes he is said to have made in the early 60's.
It was a very different world then and the issue wasn't as controversial as it is today. Ron Atkinson tripped up using one word that was common in the 60's off air in a different era and it virtually ruined him. I doubt if Hardaker was the FL secretary today or Atkinson was still a top football manager that either of them would have used that language, but it was common place then, just look back at the old sit coms on the telly from that time.
The original point of this thread was the lack of recognition to the old Anlaby Road ground and from that came the Hardaker and Cobb Morley lack of recognition in the city,
I don't think it has to be a statue either. I simple blue civic plaque would be sufficient, and that has been my argument for years. These plaques have been put on houses were actors and writers lived for a couple of years, even on the railway station were the Spiders from Mars caught a train ! The bee keeper's plaque is on Newland Park in honour of someone who wrote a book on bee keeping FFS.
Yet the site of Boothferry Park which saw all the big crowds this city has ever had, some of the greatest footballers in the World played,, a place where Internationals were played, a place that hosted some of the very first floodlit games against European competition and the very spot where the first game to be decided by penalty kicks in the World was played cannot even be mentioned by name on the new housing estate which stands there, never mind a blue plaque. The same principles apply to the old Anlaby Road ground and the birthplaces of Hardaker, Cobb Morley and where Pat O'Connell lived in. Look up the history of Barcelona FC and see how they honour a bloke who played for Hull City and lived off Princes Avenue. No apparent will to erect plaques to recognise football in this city but we fall over blue plaques on houses were people from the world of show business lived for a brief spell. We even have a statue of Ronnie Hilton. I'll leave that for someone else to question the wisdom behind that one.
You wait until Arthur Bunting pegs it.
You could say that about all history. So do we just ignore it ? It relates a lot to today, it is where we came from, our roots, our heritage. As for Alan Hardaker isn't the story telling local kids that a bloke from the Boulevard who worked as a clerk for Hull City Council went onto be one of the most influential men in the Football League at a time when the national team won the World Cup and was honoured for it ? Nah, just bin that, eh ?To be honest, whilst it is great to look back, the memories of those long gone days are confined to a very small group of people and without a modern story to tag onto, there is nothing but a sentimental journey that will be fleeting.
Go around the schools and ask about the famous players and the children will not have a clue and even if the did, it would change nothing.
That is the lesson that I have learn from dealing with this type of thing. "How does it relate to today?" This is a question that has to be answered. Find a link, "It's coming up to the centenary since he died, will get a day of local news, possibly an exhibition. But beyond that the people who will promote the ideas will not do anything. Sorry for being negative.
Almost four years ago, in other news Mr Mcmillan will spend this weekend at Chequers
As an aside I was recently reading an old City Independent, and David Burns stated we'd be mad to leave Boothferry Park.A lot on here will not have read the journalistic masterpieces in those magazines. One particular writer remains in the memory. More than one nom de plume mind.![]()
Voted the best fanzine in Great Britain at the time by readers of the Rangers fanzine 'Follow, Follow' which had by far the largest circulation. A worthy honour for a club who at that time were bottom of the old 4th division. Of course the HDM made a bid deal about it by not mentioning it all.A lot on here will not have read the journalistic masterpieces in those magazines. One particular writer remains in the memory. More than one nom de plume mind.![]()
As an aside I was recently reading an old City Independent, and David Burns stated we'd be mad to leave Boothferry Park.

Voted the best fanzine in Great Britain at the time by readers of the Rangers fanzine 'Follow, Follow' which had by far the largest circulation. A worthy honour for a club who at that time were bottom of the old 4th division. Of course the HDM made a bid deal about it by not mentioning it all.
Are you sure it wasn't the famous BBQ a couple in the Cook Island said they'd had in honour of something one of the Hull RL clubs had done, they published that.To be fair to them they did publish a letter from someone in Australia who said the answer to a question on a TV quiz programme was Hull Kingston Rovers. What he described as another proud moment in the great history of the club.
Are you sure it wasn't the famous BBQ someone in the Cook Island said they'd had in honour of something one of the Hull RL clubs had done, they published that.
I am always on the look out for articles, 2500 words.Done it matey,' Hull, Hell @ Happiness' 1990's.