We were already doomed to relegation when we entertained Leeds United in a Second Division match in April 1956. I was amongst the 35,000 in attendance and I believe 15,000 of these were from Leeds who only needed a draw to secure promotion to (the old) Division One. Our great legend of a player-manager, the immortal Raich Carter, had left us to Manage Leeds and brought with him a formidable team built round the legendary Welshman, John Charles. I would have to say that John Charles was perhaps the greatest Centre Forward I ever saw. He had it all, pace, either foot and was devastating with his head. He ran rings round Viggo Jensen, our loveable "Great Dane" utility player (he could play anywhere) and left him for dead. We got hammered 4-1 (2 from Charles of which one was a penalty) and were without our much loved Goalkeeper, the legendary Billy Bly, who was injured. please log in to view this image Raich Carter shares the Champagne with John Charles and his team-mates after beating Hull City 4-1 and securing promotion to Division 1. Yes, that gangly hairy headed young bloke to the right of Raich Carter is non other than Jack Charlton. A sad day for us but memorable.
Was also at the match and was standing behind the goal in the North Stand when Charles thundered in his penalty. Link below gives a Leeds account of the match with a lower attendance and little George Meek being the one that leads Viggo a merry dance. Some good photos of the match and players too www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/28-04-1956%20Hull%20City%20v%20LUFC.htm
I think that was the second or third game I ever saw City play. It was terrifying for a little kid crammed behind the North Stand goal. Hardly saw any of the action so remember very little of the game. I do recall my granddad forced me to walk back to gran's in Anlaby Common 'cos he said we'd never get on a bus with all the crowds. He bitched & moaned all the way home, more about Leeds getting promotion than City getting relegated. Can't believe 10 years later , when living in Leeds, that I'd be watching Big Jack at Elland Road. Have to admit Leeds were bloody good when I was there between 65 and 72. Watched 'em a bit when I wasn't playing myself or hitching back to watch City, who were also brilliant in that period. Happy memories.
bloody 'ell Mr B_M_B, you were probably one of the sods who nearly crushed me to death behind that North Stand goal !! (see post above). Quite an experience it was. Great pictures btw. Nice to see City's line-up. My 2 favourites of that era were Bulless & Bradbury. Bulless with his long throw-in ( he must have invented it !), and Bradbury the clown - but a fantastic player. Nobby Clarke had a bit of speed too. I didn't realize Billy Bly wasn't playing that day, but then I didn't get to see much. PS. I think that must be Dougie Clarke with his hands on his hips in the second pic of the Charles pk. Am I right ?
As regards to Brian Bulless I use to go to both BP and The Circle (KC) practically every day during the school holidays and watch City in pre season training Gus Mclean was arround then. And I asked Jock Davidson if there were any old City shirts being thrown away as I would like one of the shirt badges. A few days later Jock saw me at training and handed me a bage curtesy of Brian Bulless's shirt, I still have the badge. I wasn't at this game even I was too yong, 5 years old, I started going on my own during the 58/59 season..
Some excellent memories there. When you consider that Boothferry Park holds the record for all the highest crowds for sporting occasions in the City of Hull and there are so many photographs of a full Boothferry Park it makes you wonder how long someone searched to find a black and white photograph of the South Stand with about 100 supporters on it. It appears in a list of iconic Hull landmarks, alongside four coloured stills of a packed boulevard when they played New Zealand. The South Stand shot was taken after a game had finished and those stood on the terrace were actually protesting during the 'Fish Out' campaign. Why there are none of these excellent action/ground and crowd shots of the late 40's, 50's, 60's and early 70's on display around the KC today is beyond me.
Bias towards rugby in Hull? Surely not. Do you notice how they always seem to have the empty seats in the segregation area in the background for City games with over 23,000 there but have full seats in the background in a half empty stadium for Rugby?
John Charles was probably the finest British footballer there was. Look at his goal scoring record as a centre half early in his career. Has anyone else been voted their country's best player in two positions? Even after all these years he tops polls for best foreign player. Not many players, let alone a foreign one, are as revered as he is in Turin. My dad said that when City played Leeds he saw the best two players he had seen live, Carter and Charles, on the pitch at the sane time.
That's true but Carter didn't play he was Manager of Leeds. There was a poll in Italy in 2000 I believe where John Charles was voted the best player which speaks volumes. He recorded a song over there as well "16 Tons" which did well for him but he wasn't too successful after he retired losing money in restaurant investments I think. I saw the documentary on John Charles where he said that whoever came from Leeds to sign him was stopped by his Mother who said "He can't play in England, he hasn't got a passport".
Wasn't referring to that game. Charles played against City a few times whilst Carter was player manager of City. He also saw them play on the same pitch at Elland Road when visiting relatives once. I am sure he said Charles scored a hat trick in one of the games.
Carter was about 37 I think when he came to us and I once saw him dribbling down the wing and taking his 'marker' with him all the way to the corner flag where he turned round and just grinned - he'd got rid of the ball at the half way line much to the embarrassment of his marker. I was fortunate to attend a football clinic where he advised us all to use our 'weak' foot to kick a ball against a wall and then alternating. I could use both feet in no time at all but others couldn't be @rsed. Great bloke.
Big rape case at Hull Crown court this week involving a big name player from one of our local RL clubs. Yet the Hull Daily Mail billboards today shout out 'Hull City legend gambled away £25k in three hours!!!!' They mean Billy Whitehurst when he was a Sheffield United player, 25 years ago. Coincidence ?
Looking at the time both played and were in the same Division together your dad would have had 4 opportunities to see them play on the same pitch. This assumes he went to both Elland Road matches. The 2 matches at Boothferry Park were won by City and the 2 at Elland Road by Leeds. The ER matches were both won 3-0 but Charles did not score a hat trick in either. Your dad ,however, could have seen Charles score a hat trick against City if he was at the match at Elland Road in November 1952 when Leeds won 3-1. Carter had retired from playing by then. Incidentally when Carter joined City in 1948 he was aged 34. Charles scored many hat tricks and has a record unique in football. He is the only player to score 3 hat tricks in the same year against the same club. 1953 was the year and Rotherham was the club. I would rate John Charles as the best British centre forward I have seen in my lifetime .
I was ahead of my time,the old man smuggled me in and I held out me book but Dougie said come back in 63 which I did.
Good thread TigerRoo, South Stand at BP has great memories for me, spent many games with my now gone Dad and my very young son. My son insisted on having Bovril as he said it was lucky. We had a few thrashings and he still thought his Bovril was lucky. Good times.
