RIP Pete Skipper

Peter Skipper: Hull City greats and teammates recall a man black and amber to the core, fierce but a gentleman

The former central defender and two-time promotion winner has died at the age of 61

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Former Hull City defender Pete Skipper, who made over 300 appearances for his hometown club
Hull City’s rebirth during the 1980s did not want for flag-bearers. A cherished team that boldly climbed from the old Division Four to the cusp of the top-flight included a host of club greats, yet none quite like Pete Skipper.
“If you broke him in two he was black and amber to the core,” said Stan McEwan, his former defensive partner. “It meant the world to him to play for Hull City. It was his club.”

The pleasure and privilege was Skipper’s on no fewer than 338 occasions. First when plucked out of amateur football in 1978 and then when re-signed from Darlington four years later, the central defender endeared himself to thousands through his determination and dependability.

At Boothferry Park he really was one of their own. “He was a Hull lad through and through,” said Garreth Roberts, Skipper’s former captain. “Every week he would put his body on the line for the club he loved. He was a warrior.”

Skipper’s death at the age of 61 has left City supporters mourning the passing of a defensive icon. Others, both before and after, might have played with greater skill and finesse but Skipper’s uncompromising style made him a rare breed.

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Former Hull City defender Pete Skipper has died at the age of 61
“If you wanted anyone in your team that you could depend on, Pete was the one you’d pick,” said Brian Horton, Skipper’s boss for four years at Boothferry Park.

“Every single game it was 100 per cent. He’d win tackles that no-one else would. He was a top, top pro. The way he trained, the way he played, he was second to none. He was dependable, he was strong and above all else he was a terrific character.”

Skipper’s distinguished City career owed much to his fortitude. A late arrival in the professional ranks and initially allowed to leave after just 23 appearances, he had to prove his worth twice before he became a mainstay of the Tigers’ defence under Colin Appleton and Horton.

Peter Skipper: A true legend, hero and Hull City great - fans pay their respects
Between August 1982, the point of his homecoming, and October 1985, Skipper did not miss a single league game in a team twice promoted during that halcyon period. Across six seasons, in fact, his name was missing from the team-sheet only 14 times in 276 games.

“You see the modern players picking up little injuries and knocks but he played through all those,” said Roberts. “The tackles he went in for, he was bound to get hurt. But you wouldn’t know it. He never held back.

“What he lacked in pace, he’d make up for with his reading of the game. He’d be there covering before the striker even had time to think about it.

“He was brilliant in the air and had a sweet left foot as well. He came up with the odd big goal as well, none bigger than the one at Walsall that sealed promotion for us in 1985.”

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Pete Skipper rises above the packed Lincoln City defence to head a Chris Galvin corner kick inches over the bar in 1978-79
That was arguably Skipper’s greatest of days. Seven years after he watched City fall out of the second tier from the terraces, the local boy’s goal in a 1-0 win at Fellows Park secured promotion out of Division Three.

“Skip took such pride in playing for Hull City and he demanded that from everyone else,” added McEwan. “If he saw someone not putting in the same effort that he was, he’d soon let you know.

“I always enjoyed playing alongside him. I’d let him go up for all the headers and cover in behind! We had a great understanding. I was left-footed and he was right-footed, and we hit it off.

“He was such a powerful figure. Nothing was insurmountable. He was just the type of player you wanted alongside you. I’m sure there’s a lot of players in the modern game that could learn a few things from him.”

Tributes to Skipper, though, are not confined to his footballing ability.

“Everyone loved Skip for who he was,” said Horton. “He was an excellent defender, someone you could always depend on, but above all else he was just a tremendous guy. There was no edge with him. What you saw is what you got.”

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Pete Skipper, left, playing Trivial Pursuit with Hull City team-mate Tony Norman in 1987
“He was that sort of bloke who commanded the respect of everyone,” added Roberts. “He was dependable and trustworthy. A really good mate to a lot of people.”

“As a friend he was always there for you,” said McEwan. “Anytime you needed him. He was a big-hearted character that’s for sure. He’ll leave a gap in a lot of lives.”

Skipper eventually left Boothferry Park in 1988, going on to play for Oldham, Walsall, Wrexham and Wigan but returned the city of his birth once his playing days were up.

A prominent figure with the ex-Tigers, playing regularly in exhibition fixtures, he also became a corporate host on matchdays at the KCOM Stadium. Skipper had been due to work as normal for the Easter Monday visit of Sheffield United before suffering a tragic stroke.

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Pete Skipper, centre, alongside Garreth Roberts and Stan McEwan, pictured in 2011
Dean Windass, City’s club ambassador, was among those rocked by Skipper’s passing over the weekend.

“The first time I met Pete was when he presented me with my first trophy when I was nine-year-old,” said Windass.

“He was one of my heroes growing up and then I got the job of cleaning his boots when I was an apprentice. He used to give me plenty of stick but he was still one of the people you looked up to.

“I remember Dennis Booth used to throw balls in the air for him as practice and he’d head them away. He could head it further than I could kick it at the time.

“He was a leader in the dressing room but away from the club he was just a normal bloke. He was just a local lad that had done well for himself. Everybody loved him.”

https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/pete-skipper-tributes-black-amber-2788840