Lowdesert

It appears that both clubs used different pitches so it’s a possibility there are unrecorded grounds not mentioned here. There is a picture of Jack Harrison on the wall, in the entrance to the gym at York St.John University. I’ve asked about 7/8 people if they knew who it was - none of them did but they walked over and read it. I think he was a teacher there at some stage.

From both websites, this is how both Hull clubs began. The Early Years Led by a certain Anthony Bradley, a group of ex-public school pupils, mainly from Rugby School but also from St Peter’s, York, Marlborough and Cheltenham, the Hull Football Club was formed late in 1865. Amongst the founders were Beevor Lambert, E.W.Wade, E.Waltham and W.H.H.Hutchinson as well as the five Scott brothers, sons of Rev. John Scott of St Mary’s. Two of them are known to have played in the early days of the Club. F.E. Scott also served as the President of Hull Football Club for a short period during its formative years. In a far cry from what became their traditional black and white, the early colours worn by Hull were of a striped cherry and white shirt with white flannels and a white cap, if worn. The first fixture arranged for the fledgling Hull FC was played out at Lincoln in early 1866 and further matches were arranged with clubs in Newark, Louth and St Peter’s School, York. It is clear that most of the very early matches were played as soccer games with 11 players each side, but it is not clear as to what rules actually governed these early contests but, generally, they were played out in accordance with home club rules, of which there was a great disparity. However, at the annual meeting in the George Hotel, Land of Green Ginger, on 20th October 1870, the decision was taken to formally adopt the rugby rules. Hull FC, like many clubs in their formative years, led a nomadic existence. Their first ground was at Woodgates Hall, North Ferriby, playing there for a short time from 1866. With the founding of new clubs in the far-off West Riding and in a measure designed to make it somewhat easier for those clubs to come and fulfill fixtures with Hull FC, the club obtained use of a ground at Selby, opposite the Londesborough Arms, to play some fixtures. In 1871, Hull moved on to play at the Rifle Barracks field in Anlaby Road, Hull, and it was at this time that they became the first Yorkshire club to attain membership of the fledgling Rugby Football Union. 1877 saw the introduction of the Challenge Cup. Hull were regarded as favourites to win it but were beaten in the semi-finals by York. They did, however, reach the Final in 1884 but were beaten by Bradford. Hull Football Club merged with Hull White Star in 1881 and after some years searching for a suitable location for a new, bigger, ground, they moved home in the autumn of 1895 to The Athletic Grounds in The Boulevard. Hull Kingston Rovers had been tenants there since January 1892 but could not afford the rental increase asked of them in 1895. This is how Hull KR was formed HULL KINGSTON ROVERS WERE FORMED IN 1882 BY A GROUP OF BOILERMAKERS AND STARTED LIFE AS KINGSTON AMATEURS PLAYING IN ALBERT STREET TO THE WEST OF THE CITY IN THE AUTUMN OF 1883. 1882 THE BEGINNING Hull Kingston Rovers were formed in 1882, as Kingston Amateurs, by a group of young workers in the shipping industry in West Hull. They played their first season in 1883/84, wearing red jerseys with a blue band, on a very primitive rented ground off Albert Street (now Gillett Street) on Hessle Road. The ground was known as ‘Flag Edge Touch’ because on one side of the ground the touchline was denoted by flagstones, upon which spectators stood. In its early years the club played rugby union – there was only one code of rugby in those days. Early progress was rapid; the team was successful, and it started to attract better players. The fixture list grew, and moves to better grounds meant that the club had six grounds in its first 12 years – all to the west of the River Hull. By the 1893/94 season, the club, by now known as Hull Kingston Rovers, was playing ‘out-of-town’ fixtures, had attracted its first ‘star player’ – England international back Sam Morfitt (pictured) – and was renting a ground at the new sports complex on the Boulevard. The club’s original nickname, ‘the Redbreasts’, because of the red breast area above a blue band on their original jerseys, developed to ‘Robin Redbreasts’ and then simply to ‘the Robins.’ 1895 was a pivotal year for the club. Hull FC, the senior club in the city at that time playing in East Hull, had taken a liking to the Boulevard ground, and offered to pay a higher rent than Rovers could afford. This meant that Rovers were faced with a big choice – stay in the west of the city and try to compete with Hull FC, or move to the east of the city. The historic decision was taken to buy the old Southcoates ground on Craven Street, and the club has remained in East Hull ever since.

Indeed. It will be just the same for most clubs, just to satisfy most of the audit. Token compliance.

It’s a great location but not for the running costs it appears to have, which are out of APs control. I think he’s quoted as saying also with continued support from HCC. Whether that ‘support’ is increased is another matter.

And that is what happened. It wasn’t a game of saints being poor (they had plenty of good position and play) but what they were allowed to do. Will we see a better try than Ashton scored? Fantastic game to watch.

Maybe on the bench but the other 2 are the future.

Yeah, I thought EW had called it a day and 100% with the big prop shortage. Clarke, no.

Maybe Stan Pickering… Seriously. It’s been a culmination things. Too many to mention.

Agree with this. They have had an excessive amount of serious injuries, some to key players. Secondly, they missed out on signing a decent halfback. Clifford was was very good but only for 1 year. Nu Brown has also been signed for 1 year. Continuity?

The new footprint is then to find someone who can afford to continue to pay big money even if the club doesn’t win the Championship? Do you think many rich people will commit to that ‘Blueprint’? Sure it’s going to be difficult enough to commit to all the audit requirements of IMG but that is what’s required now.

So a few months to recruit, plan & prepare for promotion to SL is good?

Yep, Hulls first team deserves the kicking at the moment but I can assure you the rest of the club, as well as the facilities, are excellent. 100% positive for the future.

I would love to see Lezignan turn them over. Far from over yet but to get to the final is no mean feat with a young side. Plus, they are still hanging onto the shirttails of the top bunch in the league.

Those names are spread over a good few years though. Fash has become a very good, hard working forward. I didn’t rate him at one stage but he’s made me eat my words. Wynne came back after pre season well overweight and then didn’t put in what he needed to. Cam Scott is in the 1st team but has had injuries, Lane is 1st team but has played with injuries, Jack Brown is in the 1st team and Liam Harris is at York but iirc started at HKR. Bowden was with Wakey, so I don’t know what the complaint is. 100% agree with Balmforth. I like him as a hooker but TS still has to be convinced. Hull have a good few cracking lads in the Academy who will be coming up into the 1st team squad next season. Probably another 4 or 5, not including Charles. So, the academy side of the club, together with the Foundation are doing very well. The most difficult thing will be keeping them. Very few players are capable to jump from Academy into the first team.

Fantastic to hear that. Keep going now. There is a lot of mileage in having your evening meal at 1700 and not then eating again until 0900ish the following day, together with cutting out as much sugar as possible. You might think this is difficult but it isn’t and it virtually guarantees a good sleep. I never wake up hungry but unfortunately booze sends my body out of kilter with it. I love a drink but rarely go OTT.