I realise alot on here are young (myself included obviously) so I'm asking who has actually seen him, either playing or out and about, where did he have his shop and did you go to Boothferry Park when his coffin passed through. I'm 39 and have actually seen him once on the BP pitch, shortly after Tony Norman went to Sunderland in 1989 and we got the amazing Hesford and legend Whitehurst Raich Carter walked round the pitch that day and I was in awe.
I first saw him play when I was about 5 in the around 1950. I used to live in Hull City Centre, He had The Chocolate Kabin (sic) a sweet shop in George Street, my Dad used to take me in so that I could just look at the great man. Many years later I was living in Willerby, working in my front garden and Raich walked by with his Poodle dog, he was Living in the next Street to me Hawthorne Avenue Willerby. I saw him nearly every day when he walked his dog. Very good memories of an all time great.
My father took me to watch the Tigers just before Raich became Player Manager and I watched him in all the home games for the time he was with the club. I also was introduced to him by my grandfather when we visited him at his home on Anlaby Road. I saw him score from a free kick from just outside the penalty area where he managed to bounce the shot off the back of "the later great legend" John Charles who was ,at around 17 years old ,playing for Leeds.(possible a fluke but it looked for all the world as though it was deliberate when the defenders in the wall all ducked.He was a majestic player and created a team that played above their individual talents and had the supporters turning up in their " Tens" of thousands setting up ground records ,that we will never achieve again. I believe his influence was what made Don Revie the player he turned out to be.
I saw him at BP in 50/51. One Saturday, I was standing at the front, right-hand corner of the North end and recall him taking a corner. I can still remember it - wet and heavy leather ball, and when he kicked it, water drops flying off it!
I worked at the same place as his wife Pat, and at the Jubilee in 1977 we had a street party off Willerby road, and he came and judged the knobbly knees contest, and I won. So that is my claim to fame. Never saw him play, but my father said he was the best footballer he had ever witnessed
The Chocolate Kabin was on the same side of George Street as Carmichaels and Dorchester, it was a very tiny place. I remember seeing him playing against a Young John Charles, he really did give him some stick. The best player ever to wear a Tigers Shirt, low centre of gravity very difficult to knock off the ball.
My Grandad used to tell me about Carter every time I spoke to him so for his birthday I got him his book (biography not autobiography), and am reading it myself now. He was past his best when he came to City, but still an immense talent. Just a few years before he came to us he was widly considered to be the best footballer in England. Like many players at the time he was robbed some of his best years by the war. My Grandad described him as someone who'd "do anything to score a goal". He also said the reason so many people were attracted to go see City/Carter was not just because of his great ability, but also for his antics. If he disagreed with a refereeing decision sometimes he would just sit on the ball to prevent the game from continuing, or walk off the pitch all together. He also had quite distinctive silver hair and an amusing nickname I cannot remember.
Too young to meet the great man but used to play cricket with his lad also called raich.....does that count lol
He use to server behind the counter in his mother in laws ( I think) beer off shop down Hawthorn Ave, just to help out. And to my eternal disgust it never occurred to me to get his autograph all the times I went in the shop as a kid. He had a very upstanding demeanor, slick back silver hair, I can't remember how old he was at this time but I was somewhere between 12/13 years old. He was courteous and didn't mind talking about football, if no one was in the shop that was, but I never actually got to see him play.
when he had his shop in co op i bought a pair of dunlop tennis shoes off him [maroon and white] he was a sound geezer seemed a real gentleman. his england caps were in a glass case on a pillow in the middle of the shop. like i said sound geezer.
Raich worked at BHS sports department and i use to see him every home game sat in the directors box at BP
He used to present trophy's for Sunday League Boys when i was a lad in the 70's, got a few pictures of him and me stashed somewhere. I dint know why but i seem to remember he always seemed to wear a Russian type wooly hat. Ye we were all in awe of him. The old man and my Grandad always used to collar him and bend his ear for an hour. Then i used to get "now he was a player not like those long haired puffs you like-National Service thats what they need!!
My dad who swears he was the best he ever saw,(Dads a current pass holder) went to his funeral. I remember that day, Dad was a little bit...not himself when he returned.
Like many on here, my Dad said he was the best player he saw in a City shirt & my Dad until his death this year started going to games in 1949.
I bought a pair of Stanley Mathews football boots from him when he was manager of the sports department at the COOP
As me dads round to listen to the game,iv'e dragged up this thread for him. I almost wish i hadn't as he won't shut up about him now. One interesting tale is of a day out at Frasethorpe. Apparently Raich was havis lunch on beach. Dad watched in horror as Raich put away a huge pile of chicken legs followed by at least six large tomatos,three bananas and four sarnies. Someone get on to Citys nutritionist, it's clearly the way forward !
I think you mean at the then newly opened Coop store part of which now houses BHS. His sports shop was in the part of the building that is now closed.
As a young lad I saw him at BP and my recollection was that he would send defenders the wrong way just by body swerves and movement. Sometimes the ball would be stationary in front of him all the time. It was if he mesmorised the defenders. Unfortunately I never met him or visited his stores.
When Carter was going to sign for Hull City the town had posters everywhere declaring "He's Coming" We thought that there was a divine event in the offing. When he did get here we realised that we were right because when he played we knew he was god in football terms.You had to see him play to see how good he really was. He is still my favourite footballer and I'm 80 now so you will understand the impression he made.
