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Mick Crane RIP


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Desperately sad news for fans of RL in Hull with the news of the death of Mick Crane.

  Mick Crane of Hull is tackled by Andy Gregory and Mick Adams of... News  Photo - Getty Images

He was right up there as one of the greatest naturally talented footballers I have ever seen. Started out at Hull FC in the very early seventies, had brief spells at Leeds and Hull KR before finishing his career at the Boulevard in the great Hull side of the early eighties.

His story is legendary in Hull, hated training, smoked, drank and was never far from the bookies even on game day but was still usually head and shoulders above every other player on the park.

A mate of mine told me a story about Mick working as part of a roadworks gang on the A1 and in the traffic queues that had formed and were slowly moving past was a coachload of Hull RL fans on their way to Wembley for the RL Cup Final. A few on the bus spotted him and banged on the windows waving, Mick looked up, downed tools and clambered aboard the bus and spent the weekend with them.

Of all the recent deaths of RL players over the last year or so, this has genuinely upset me the most.

RIP Mick, one of the truly great characters of our game.

 

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                                                                     Hull FC....The Sons of God...
                                                                     (Well, we are about to be crucified on Good Friday)
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Hull FC pay tribute :

https://www.hullfc.com/blog/2022/07/03/remembering-mick-crane/?fbclid=IwAR2XrTYxl0Z9H8jEuMozw-VjWSZylo3uyJcx3wCJkVpg225AYi96p_CIYJA

This line stands out about Mick Crane for me :

"On his Great Britain debut against the Australian ‘Invincibles’ in 1982, another Man of the Match performance came – going up against the legendary Ray Price, several of the Aussie team opined that he was the best footballer they had played against on the tour."

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                                                                     Hull FC....The Sons of God...
                                                                     (Well, we are about to be crucified on Good Friday)
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What a privilege it was to see him play.

RIP 

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Rugby Union the only game in the world were the spectators handle the ball more than the players.

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17 minutes ago, OMEGA said:

RIP mick Crane

Condolences to his family and friends

One of the best footballing forwards in the game. Alongside Steve Norton in the Hull FC team they were just sublime at times.

As I've said elsewhere on social media, surely the greatest compliment that Mick Crane ever received was when Steve Norton would move into the second row to allow him to play at loose forward.

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                                                                     Hull FC....The Sons of God...
                                                                     (Well, we are about to be crucified on Good Friday)
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7 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Desperately sad news for fans of RL in Hull with the news of the death of Mick Crane.

  Mick Crane of Hull is tackled by Andy Gregory and Mick Adams of... News  Photo - Getty Images

He was right up there as one of the greatest naturally talented footballers I have ever seen. Started out at Hull FC in the very early seventies, had brief spells at Leeds and Hull KR before finishing his career at the Boulevard in the great Hull side of the early eighties.

His story is legendary in Hull, hated training, smoked, drank and was never far from the bookies even on game day but was still usually head and shoulders above every other player on the park.

A mate of mine told me a story about Mick working as part of a roadworks gang on the A1 and in the traffic queues that had formed and were slowly moving past was a coachload of Hull RL fans on their way to Wembley for the RL Cup Final. A few on the bus spotted him and banged on the windows waving, Mick looked up, downed tools and clambered aboard the bus and spent the weekend with them.

Of all the recent deaths of RL players over the last year or so, this has genuinely upset me the most.

RIP Mick, one of the truly great characters of our game.

 

What a wonderful tribute to a top player.

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Very sad news. One of the true greats from a great team in a great era. It was a great pleasure to watch Mick and Hull FC in the early 80s. RIP Mick Crane.

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9 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Desperately sad news for fans of RL in Hull with the news of the death of Mick Crane.

  Mick Crane of Hull is tackled by Andy Gregory and Mick Adams of... News  Photo - Getty Images

He was right up there as one of the greatest naturally talented footballers I have ever seen. Started out at Hull FC in the very early seventies, had brief spells at Leeds and Hull KR before finishing his career at the Boulevard in the great Hull side of the early eighties.

His story is legendary in Hull, hated training, smoked, drank and was never far from the bookies even on game day but was still usually head and shoulders above every other player on the park.

A mate of mine told me a story about Mick working as part of a roadworks gang on the A1 and in the traffic queues that had formed and were slowly moving past was a coachload of Hull RL fans on their way to Wembley for the RL Cup Final. A few on the bus spotted him and banged on the windows waving, Mick looked up, downed tools and clambered aboard the bus and spent the weekend with them.

Of all the recent deaths of RL players over the last year or so, this has genuinely upset me the most.

RIP Mick, one of the truly great characters of our game.

 

Nice tribute mate.

Farewell to an absolute legend, Mick was one of my favourite players of all time and as you say, one of the most naturally gifted footballers ever to grace the game.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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1 hour ago, OMEGA said:

RIP mick Crane

Condolences to his family and friends

One of the best footballing forwards in the game. Alongside Steve Norton in the Hull FC team they were just sublime at times.

Having Mick Crane and Steve Norton in the same team was almost the definition of an embarrassment of riches. The deception and sleight of hand had to be seen to be believed at times. As well as a great loose forward he was also an accomplished centre. I remember Hull narrowly losing a Challenge Cup tie at Saints and the Radio Humberside reporter questioning Arthur Bunting's selection of Mick at centre. Arthur just snapped back "Who was the best centre on the field?".

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

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RIP Mick. A great player who was always entertaining to watch. Hull had a great pack in those days with the likes of Mick, Knocker, Sammy Lloyd, Charlie Stone and a young kid called Crooks.

I’m not prejudiced, I hate everybody equally

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A cracking photo of Mick here in my all time favourite RL jersey :

May be an image of 1 person and standing

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                                                                     Hull FC....The Sons of God...
                                                                     (Well, we are about to be crucified on Good Friday)
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 Just watched the 1983 final again HullFC against my team Fev.Kevin Harkin gets injured and carried off so Toppo goes scrum half.This stifles HullFc attacking play.So for the second half Arthur Bunting brings Mick on at scrum half.Well centre to back row i get,But scrum half never.To quote Ray French Mick Crane has changed the game for Hull FC.Condolences to Micks family and friends and to Hull FC supporters we have lost a gud un. R.I.P.

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another loss to the game - great player- no reports of his age? can't  have been more than late 60s at a guess? might be wrong

Edited by graveyard johnny

see you later undertaker - in a while necrophile 

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