AS Hull FC look forward to the future under new head coach Tony Smith, four greats of yesteryear have been inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.
Jack Harrison VC MC, Arthur Bunting, Kirk Yeaman, and Gareth Ellis all officially joined the exclusive club in a special ceremony at the Bonus Arena last week.
War hero Harrison, who debuted for the club in 1912 and scored the winning try in Hull’s first Challenge Cup Final win in 1914, became the earliest inductee.
He was killed in northern France during the First World War, sacrificing himself to save his platoon in an action which saw him posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
Bunting became the first coach to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, after leading Hull from 1978 to 1985.
That era is considered to be the club’s greatest, featuring their unbeaten season in the second division in 1978-79 and their Challenge Cup Final triumph in 1982.
Modern greats Yeaman and Ellis were present to accept their inductions at the event from fellow member Lee Crooks.
Yeaman made 374 appearances for his hometown club between 2001 and 2018, while Ellis led Hull to back-to-back Challenge Cup triumphs in 2016 and 2017 as captain.
“I’m honoured – I was a kid that was just happy to play rugby coming through and I got my chance to play for this amazing club,” said Yeaman.
“I didn’t think 18 years on I’d have the career I had, won the trophies that I managed to win and played in the finals that I played in. It’s only something you can dream about.”
Ellis, who is now an assistant coach at the club, said: “This is for everyone who has played a part in my career and I’m very thankful of those relationships over the last ten years at Hull FC. It’s been absolutely phenomenal.”
There are now 34 inductees in the club’s Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1992.
