It was the 1970/71 season, Terry Neil's first as our player manager. Neil got himself sent off just in an away game ( Luton or Orient ?) during the final run in and we lost that match about 5-2 ?? Getting back to winning ways on the Saturday at Boothferry Park when we put 4 or 5 past someone, but it was too late. If I remember correctly, and I seldom do these days, the final home league game only attracted about 11,000 supporters. I'm sure someone will correct me.
It was Orient that we beat 5-2. We were still in with a great chance with five games to go. This website has all of the results but no other details: http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1970-71/ClubResults/1970-71HullCity.html
We were still in with a chance after the Orient win with 3 games to play being joint 3rd, 2 points off second and 4 points from the leader( Leicester). The 4-0 away loss to Millwall then extinguished all hope. The penultimate home match against Carlisle drew an attendance of about 14,300 suggesting that tubbylard's memory of 11,000 at the last match against Norwich was possible. Ps. Tigger. When my wife joined this board in early 2011 she wanted to register as Tigger as this was her favourite ever cat after 60 years owning cats! You beat her by a week or so. I was on the Hull Citymad board at the time (as I think was tubbylard) so she just put Mrs before the name I used there.
Tigger was our first ever cat, in 1979. We had her for 18 years. She was, of course, a tabby. I transferred my user name from the 606 board.
First time I have seen a photo showing the crowd taken from the the North Stand. I was in the queue that came from along Anlaby Rd and under the railway bridge. I joined it before 6 am near Hawthorn Avenue having come on the first 45 bus from Preston Road terminus and a 69 trolley. Think it was about 11 am before I reached the turnstiles. Lucky it didn't rain but unlucky that I was only able to purchase 1 ticket which went to my dad. That Man United Cup-tie became the first City home match I had missed since the opening league game at Boothferry Park in 1946.
What a great kid you were !! I tend to think those supporters who only remember BP when it began to go into terminal decline which I would say was when the north stand was demolished so not know what a grand stadium it was in its hey day one of the best appointed grounds outside the top division with facilities superior to most , the six free standing state of the art floodlights the railway halt for example. It was sign of how far city had fallen that the KC was built with only a 25,000 initial capacity. I remember too the massive queues at the north stand for big games the buzz you'd get when the train pulled in and you'd see the south stand full and the away fans would come out of the back of the kempton to 'greet' us. We never really had the team to match the potential of our stadium and now I think we lack a stadium with the capacity to match the potential of our team
I agree with all of this. Boothferry Park was a great place to go. It was very uplifting in the sixties and early seventies. It could also be very frightening. I can remember standing at the very back of Bunkers Hill before the South Stand was built. I was at junior school and it seemed very high. When I first saw the South Stand with its combination of terraces and seats, I was in awe. It was way above the quality a Third Division team should have had. Eventually I had a season pass for those seats. It was the best view I ever had. Right behind the goals and up above the madmen below. Once the North Stand went, it was never the same and went downhill rapidly. There were some mad plans for a new two tier East Stand in the nineties but they didn't come to anything. Just as well. It would have been a complete waste of money. The first time I went to the KC, I couldn't believe that we had a stadium as good as that. Another 10000 seats would be good but would we ever fill them? I still find it hard to believe that we play there. Anyway, I'm pretty pleased today as I've got my Man City ticket. League Cup Quarter Final. It might not be much but it was unbelievalbe in my BP days. I'm also quite sad as we moved house in May and I had to leave my piece of the Boothferry Park pitch behind. It was only about an inch square and I couldn't tell where it was in the lawn any more. We live in Preston - the one with the North End, not the one near Hull - so it didn't add any value to the house. In fact, it probably took £10000 off the value! Sorry this is going on but I'm half way down the wine and it's only 4.15. The weather is awful over here but it's not that bad a day!
The memory of Boothferry Park should be preserved in some way and not just by naming a couple of streets on the new housing estate with some limp 'Black and Amber Way' type reference. It was by far the biggest and best stadium in the city for 50 years and all the biggest sporting crowds this city has ever seen were at Boothferry Park. Also our old ground on Anlaby Road should have a bit more respect paid to it. It is only a goal kick away from the reception at the KC yet I'd say 95% of our current support don't even know of it's existence. Surely an information board of some sort wouldn't break the bank? The 1930 team alone deserves recognition because it was the most successful team representing our club right up to the promotion season of 2008. Without our history we are nothing.
In the short term, an information board, possibly on the walk way, with a profile of the land and pointers to what remains and what was there seems simple enough to put together. For the longer term, the land it's on is derelict, and falls under the control of the SMC. What about getting volunteers to clear the soil and weeds from what's left of the old south stand, and maybe in time clear the pitch area in front of it as far as the train tracks allow, and use it for charity games or events. It will improve the visual effect of the area, give a big nod to our history, and provide a focus of unity and inclusion for fans.
Definitely not all of it does. I got in touch with both about an issue relating to it, and both agreed it was SMC's responsibility, at least in the area in question. It was the SMC that acted, so they must have thought it was theirs too. In any event, the Council are liable to support voluntary initiatives that tidy an area and cost them nothing.
There's a plan of the area covered by the SMC lease in the HCST Asset Of Community Value application, supplied by Hull City Council and all the area over the bridge is outside the area under the control of the SMC. HCST plan to raise tens of thousands of pounds to build an art installation on the site, we obviously made sure we knew whose land it was before doing so and we've met with council representatives at the site to clarify exactly what's what. Obviously the Council would be happy for anyone to tidy the place up, along as they don't stand on the newts.
The bridge itself is council, but I sat with the people involved, and they felt, after looking into it, the land fell under the responsibility of the SMC to maintain, or at least clean. The exception being the bits that are railway land. It's academic. A plaque on the bridge shouldn't be too much to sort once a design is agreed, and both parties will most likely be happy with volunteers clearing it, so I doubt they'll bother with any pissing contests.
I'm not sure why anyone would bother put up a plaque when there's already a plan to put in a major art installation to commemorate the site next year and I've no idea what pissing competition you're referring to.
They don't have to be mutually exclusive. The plaque could include a bit explaining what your statue is about. Maybe there could be a few along the walkway, with varying bits of Hull's history, sporting or otherwise. Cobb Morley springs to mind. I'm sure a wider involvement could open up quite a few ideas.
