The Hull City Southern Supporters Hall of Fame

Big Damo was reduced to tears by the boo boys at the KCOM on at least one occasion. Maybe some people felt guilty about it ten years after?

He was a very late developer,after 5 years at City he still wasn't a commanding figure in defence or confident. But his longevity means he had the last laugh.

A Colin Murphy find.

 

Big Damo was a terrific player in our back-to-back promotions (if you were to pick a player-of-the-two-seasons, I think it would be between Damo, Ash, Daws and Elliott). That alone makes him worthy of consideratio in such a list. And he was more than good enough as a Championship centre-back, we just kept messing around with him positionally to accommodate the likes of Danny Coles and Sam Collins. His early struggles only add to his legend for me.

 

Danny Coles? Almost forgotten him, poor feller.

His nightmare against Ipswich one freezing December night in the Noughties was pitiful.

He sprinted off the pitch never to return.

Felt really sorry for him but also glad as **** he wouldn't play for us again.

 

I thought his last game was against Plymouth on the opening day of 07/08 (I may be wrong). He had a 'mare that day as well.

 

Mebbe.

Lost 3-2 home to PAFC last home game of 2006/7, then first home game of 2007/8 we only go and do it again!

Little did we know....

 

We've had our latest round of voting for the HCSS Hall of Fame and the latest inductees are:

John Cooper (Committee's Choice)
George Maddison
Ian Butler
Gary Brabin

They join: Ken Wagstaff, Ian Ashbee, Chris Chilton, Raich Carter, Dean Windass, Billy Whitehurst, Stuart Elliott, Justin Whittle, Nick Barmby, Billy Bly, Warren Joyce, Phil Brown, Andy Dawson, Adam Pearson, Tony Norman, Garreth Roberts, Andy Davidson, Harold Needler, Keith Edwards, Peter Taylor, Les Mutrie, Ambrose Langley, Jimmy Lodge, Ken Houghton, Pete Skipper, Geovanni and Tom Wilson.

I think we've safely got to the point now where we could pick a team out of that lot to play you off the park, and kick you off the park too.

 

When will Assem Allam be eligible for the Hall of Fame, Richard?

 

Two answers here. Technically: five years after he's departed the club. Realistically: when hell freezes over.

 

I'd have thought the late Dougie Clarke was more worthy of a place in the hall of fame then John Cooper ?
368 league appearances, 79 league goals, 31 FA Cup appearances 6 goals, 20 appearances in other competitions and 8 goals.
Cooper did some fine work as a groundsman but blotted his copy book later (IMO) when he became the Stadium Manager by banning people for all sorts of obscure reasons.

 

It's a fair point. Clarke was a fine servant to the club and was included in previous votes amongst the HCSS membership. He didn't get many votes though, and was not included in this year's vote. Maybe Richard will bring him back into the options to vote for next summer.

 

Clarke has been in the list of options but never accrued enough votes. There are still many genuine City greats - along with Clarke - absent from the list (EGD Wright, Matt Bell, Brian Bulless, Viggo, Brian Horton, Billy Askew, Jobbo, Damien Delaney, etc...) who haven't quite made the cut. With the committee's choice, we generally try to look for people who made off-pitch contributions that went unnoticed to an extent, or when we can do some good in extenuating circumstances (as was the case with Les Mutrie). That said, all three committee's choice inductees are thoroughly deserving of a place on such a list in my opinion. I am unaware of John Cooper's banning people but I am fully aware of the manner in which he turned down money and other opportunities to keep City going in the Fish years, how he worked hard to limit the harm Lloyd and Buchanan/Hinchliffe were trying to do to the club once he realised what they were up to (including being the main figure preventing City playing at the Boulevard, as Lloyd intended), and how he was integral to the initial successes of the KC. That's why he's in there.

 

...paddy mills, jackie smith, arthur temple...

 

Ha! I've been waiting for you. Thanks!

 

Fair comment Richard. I'd throw Freddie Cowell into that mix then because he did everything Cooper did during the Fish years for less then a tenner a week, which Fish eventually stopped and I don't think Fred ever banned anyone.

 

My husband comments as follows.... " Great to see George Maddison recognised for his time at Hull City. Both my father and grandfather saw him play in the 14 year period he played(1924-1938). He recorded the second most appearances for the club(430 games). They both, like me, saw the Billy Bly era and rated George above Billy who was a real favourite of mine."

 

Richard G,
I'm surprised Cliff Britton is not on the list. Managed more games than any other, very successful record (one of the best), and apart from our most recent history (excluding the last 4 years), maximized attendances for most of his reign.
Has he ever been proposed as a potential inductee ?
tigerscanada

Edit: Great to see Ian Butler get the nod.

 

Thanks Ulrika. I'll make sure that Freddie is part of the next conversation we have about a Committee's Choice pick.

 

Thanks tigerscanada. Britton has always been on the long list but has never quite accrued the votes to make the Hall of Fame. That era is well represented through Waggy, Chillo, Ken Houghton, Ian Butler, Tom Wilson and Harold Needler, and maybe they took a lot of the votes that he'd otherwise have received. Either way, I agree that he'd be a worthy inclusion.

 

Another little nugget about the late Fred Cowell. He was a teacher at Endike in the 60's, and he used to push tickets too watch Hull City boys to the pupils at morning assembly. It was common knowledge that Fred looked upon you more favourably if you bought a ticket ( six old pence) to see Hull City boys when he was picking the school team he ran on the week end. My first ever City game was because of Fred. City boys v Ebba Vale ? way back in 1963/64 and I know there are at least another two or three ex Endike lads like myself who were introduced to Hull City in this way and are still supporting today.

 

My interest in City was already there but the staff at Endike in the 1980s certainly worked to continue Fred's tradition. Even though none of the teachers were massive City fans, they encouraged links with City and made sure you all got to be ballboys at least once if you played for the football team. In my last couple of years there, there'd often be a group of about 20 of us going from the estates around Endike together to home matches on the 23 bus. I still attend quite often with one of them. That's a great story though. Good teachers can make such a difference to a child's life in so many different ways.