I have been really enjoying this thread and I would like to float an idea. One part of my working life involves community heritage projects. You may of heard about our Pattie Slappers project -or maybe not! - but basically we like to collect stories of local interest and create a book and exhibition as well as sound archives in order to preserve those stories which would otherwise be lost as people are no longer around. We are a not for profit organisation and donate any profits from book sales to local causes. We would really like to do something around City and its supporters but not just history - something about the supporters and what the journey so far has been like to ordinary people. My organisation can look some funding to support the project and do all of the boring stuff like collating and archiving but it would be really good to have everyone in here involved to help us to get at the really good stories. Any thoughts or feedback would be much appreciated - we have a working title of 'FER 'ARK just to whet your appetite
DOGSBODY - Your first Hull City match I'm hoping this thread will bring back some sanity to this forum, or at least instil a sense of comradeship to all fans of Hull City ! When did you first visit Boothferry Park, or the KC for that matter and realise you were smitten ? My first recollection was the visit of Man Utd. in 1949 for a FA Cup match. There's been plenty spoken about that match over the years and memories recalled but I was on the old Bunkers Hill as a boy and can remember the older fans passing the younger fans over their heads down to the front, where they were allowed to sit on the grass behind the goal. Raich Carter was everyones favourite in those days. Football, in those days was an escape from what the war years had left us with. Many heroes after that come to mind, Billy Bly, Viggo Jensen, Stan Mortenson, Neil Franklin to name a few. Followed years later by the likes of Waggy, Chilton, Horton, Butler and company. We went because we loved the team and the experience of the, then Boothferry Roar, Les Paul and Mary Ford belting out "hold that Tiger" as the teams came out to the roar and applause of the fans. We dreamed of First division football, as it was then but never experienced it ! Now we are the in the Premier league, arguably the best in the world and all that goes with it. Now all we seem to do is argue amongst each other and forget the hard times we've managed to survive. Any poster passing on their comments are welcome to do so but please don't let this thread drop to the level of all other threads , where name calling appears to be the norm . Post with a smile and not with a grimace. HERE'S HOPING Bum_Chinned_Crab - My memories are very sketchy but I'm pretty sure it was versus Cambridge at BP. I cant remember a thing about the game as I was very young, other than we sat in the West Stand. In my second game I defo remember that City played versus an Ian Botham inspired Scunny, so that gives a clue as to dates as it mustve been between 1980 and 1985, with I guess much nearer the former than the latter. Anyone any idea of when we faced him? Edit - I just thought that Sunny game might actually have been ressies. I was hardcore even in my second game! jayc89 - Mine was either Chelsea or Leyton Orient (cant remember which came first!) in around 1995. At the time I was in pot after breaking my leg at school, it was freezing and we lost... Hull-City-AFC-(GLP) - It was either 1986 or 1987. Bradford City at home, I can't even remember the score! ^^^^ Didsbury-Tiger - Could be the same match as me - 0-0 v Bradford at BP in November 1987. My first memories though are of my Dad madly celebrating promotion in 1985. I think that's when my first real interest in football began, and at age 8 I was a bit of a later starter. thistimetigers - City versus Sunderland, 1974. I remember walking across the fields from Airmyn Avenue where my Nana and Grandad lived. We lost 2-0 I think. Also, I think that was the year Sunderland beat Leeds in the FA Cup final. ^^^^ Castro-s-Coffin - It was 1973. Crowd more than doubled from previous home match crowd as Sunderland fans outnumbered us. Hull-City-AFC-(DMD) - 24 May 2008. I enjoyed it and might just go again. Melbournetiger - 3rd FA Cup 1963 v Leyton Orient where ist division then. That's where my dreams started Jimmy-Graham-s-bald-head - Sketchy memory for me as well, I know I was 4 so it would have been early '80s. Went with my dad and brother (as I still do to most games I see) I can't remember **** all of the actual game, who we played, what the score was, any players that were playing for definite but what I do remember was (this may be mixed together with other early memories of BP): How incredibly big and green the pitch looked, the old wooden seats in the South stand and the rattle they made everytime the crowd rose up and sat back down again, the fat woman in front of me who jumped up everytime we seemingly went in their half meaning I kept missing things, how scarily crowded it seemed clinging onto my dad's hand as you were shuffling out down the steps after the game while the tinny tannoy gave the other results of the day, the smell (probably of bovril). I ****ing loved it. Der-Alte - Peterborough at Boothferry Park - 1963/64 I think. Very boring 0 - 0 game but great atmosphere with around 18000 in the ground for a 3rd Division match. I was amazed by the colour of the pitch under floodlights. Next game was also 0 - 0 against Colchester when Ron Rafferty broke his leg and the first goal I saw was a belter from Chris Chilton against Barnsley. The-FRENCH-TICKLER - Hull City 4 v. Swansea 1 on new years day 1966. Dad took me as punishment for being naughty over xmax. Only kidding. That was my fist game @ BP and the season of free scoring Tigers who romped the league that season. Scoring over 100 league goals. ^^^^ tigers40 - We were 1-0 down at half time and went on to win 4-1 as you rightly say. I caught a train back to Pompey that evening and the Swansea Town players were on it. I got them all to autograph the programme on the centre page over their names in the line ups. Allchurch played for Swansea and he received a new Years honour that day. We had to change at Donnie and all the team went into the bar on Platform 2 and he bought everyone a drink including me. I was invited to carry on the rest of the journey to London with them. Good memories. Golaccio! - 1995 v Coventry in the League Cup at Boothferry Park We lost 1-0. ^^^^ Jimmy-Graham-s-bald-head - Think it was either that game or the away leg where we had a 16 year old Gav Gordon and 17 year old Paul Fewings upfront? ^^^^ Bum_Chinned_Crab - It was defo away at Highfield where Gav Gordon made his debut. I was there and was shocked when I heard the team announced, Id never heard of him. ^^^^ Golaccio! - To be honest, other than the score & the year, I can't remember much about it, as I was very young at the time. TheCasual - I was 6. It was against Exeter end of the 1993/94 season, won 5-1. All I remember was thinking why wasn't every one chasing the ball like in the school playground originallambrettaman - Mine was in the 70's, but I haven't got a clue who it was against, or what the score was. Aquity - Saturday 30th Jan 1999, South stand Boothferry park, City V shrewsbury finished 1-1 Brady-s-bunch - At home v cardiff may 2013 Irememberwaggy - It was in the early 1960's - against Crook Town in the FA Cup. My Dad took me - along with wooden rattle & wooden step to stand on (no officious Stewards in those days!) - & City were losing 1-4 but went on to win 5-4. A typical Hull City rollercoaster & I was hooked. It's been a rollercoaster ever since! ^^^^ tigers40 - Was there for that, it was my birthday. WithsHC - Think it was 97/98 season my first game, would have been 8, it was against Barnet think we lost 2-0 at Boothferry Park. Was actually a Plymouth fan that took me to the match for some reason, so have them to thank for getting me into city. tigre - a night match against Oxford I think in 1968 no idea what happening but remember thinking the the lights were fantastic. First match I really remember boxing day 1970 Hull City 4 Sheffield Wednesday 4 hooked for life mplooney - City v Notts County 1964 I think! remember forcing my way to the front then realising that I was too short to see the pitch over the wall! Some bloke sat me on the railings so that I could see. boltontiger - Mine was 1957 or 58 - versus Accrington Stanley - we won 2-1 - Billy Bly in goal. The-Piano-Man - Quite topical really but my first game at Boothferry Park was Hull City v Liverpool. It was a pre-season friendly in 1968 - I was 15 and had just moved to the area. I can't remember much about the match except the score was 5-3 to Liverpool and the man of the match, playing on City's left in place of the injured Ian Butler, was one Malcolm Lord. Oregon-Tiger - City vs S****horpe, first match of the 65/66 season. we won 3-2. I was spoiled that first year, big crowds, big scores and Champions! I thought it would always be like that. Boy was I wrong. ^^^^ Der Alte - I remember that game - I think Ray Clemence was in goal for Scunny and made some excellent saves. Also I notice one or two mentions of the Crook Town FA cup tie which came before my first match but several of my pals went to and it was their enthusiasm that prompted me to start watching the season after. Dogsbody, you mentioned the Man U game in 1949. That was the day my parents got married and several members of the wedding party went to the match that afternoon. By sheer coincidence I have the same anniversary as them (albeit 34 years later). Some folk also took time out to go to City that day. A 1-1 draw against S****horpe. I gave it a miss.
DOGSBODY - Your first Hull City match (cont) mazzer - Mine was in 1954 to watch Wilf Mannion,s home debut for us but I can't remember who we played. I remember my dad saying to me on the way in now your going to see a proper footballer. swftiger - Can't say it was my first match but the earliest game I recall was a friendly against Blackpool which would have been part of the deal for signing Stan Mortenson.This would probably have been 1955/56 season. The game was a draw, either 4-4 or 5-5. Mortenson scored a hatrick and was carried off injured. Coopertrooper1978 - Hull City v Liverpool 1989 what a great day and I was only 11 ... Was right at the front in the East stand and I have been a season ticket holder ever since UTT Macca-Is-God - 'twas 1999. Hull City 1-1 Barnet. I was only 4 and I can't remember any of it, though. DOGSBODY - Great to see some cracking reading from these posts. I remember some of these games mentioned with fondness. I used to sell programmes inside North Stand entrance with my older brother (sadly deceased now) and can remember dashing to our seats as soon as the match started. If nothing else, this thread shows we all DO have something in common and that is the devotion to our selected football club. A big THANK YOU to all Posters ! !
As the OP of the thread I have no objections to you using the material inside for a book if the proceeds go to local charities. However I would object to you editing or changing the quotes of any of the posters who have contributed unless you get their prior permission. Personally I would like the quotes to be the main focus of any publication as the thread was always intended to reflect the recollections and stories of the supporters as a human reference to the club's history. Finally it would be nice (if you go ahead) to keep this forum informed of your progress in as collaborative a way as possible. Edit; Stan and I did intend to convert the thread to a web-site at one time and the working title was "Black and Amber Army." which reflected the importance of the supporters.
Football has been part of my life as long as I have been living, from being able to kick a ball to losing my voice shouting at a football game, to playing on pitches so muddy they resembled treakle pits. From kicking a leather ball that felt like a rock when wet to being hit in the unmentionables saving a shot when playing in goal, being close to tears at relagation to jubilation when promoted. To watching the modernisation of Boothferry Park from my school window, we actually saw those super floodlights being constructed which turned out to be more interesting than the school lessons that day, especailly during one windy spell when part of the floodlights collapsed. To being able to go away to matches as I had started earning my own money, paper rounds, running errands that type of thing, to being on the front page of York's local rag when the local hack took some pictures of us ariving and on our way to Bootham Cresent. Forever being rediculed by the rugby fraternity for having never been to the old Wembly, despite the fact the both the egg chasing teams got hammered there, and of course we won promotion at the new Wembley, to seeing City play some of the 1st division of the day off the park at times to seeing them struggle in the FA Cup against non league opposition. Then having to watch games through mesh contructed when football hooligans got out of hand until football was turned upside down, no standing. All change again as technology took over and now there is more football than hours of the day it seems and stadiums that have added comforts of seats but are devoid of atmosphere, its been quite a journey. England as World Champions, British teams dominating Europe from Celtic through to Manchester United and Liverpool through to Nottingham Forrest and now Chelsea. We have an influx of some of the worlds best footballer but cannot raise a decent English born national team, football is still in my blood but the football flame has dimmed. Its a business these days I am being told and yet more teams seem to be in financial trouble than ever and without extremely wealthy individuals would not be in existance. Yes football, its given me happiness and sadness in equal doses, made me curse and made me laugh, today the game goes from stregnth to stregnth year by year but is not the game I grew up with. These days I couldn't walk up to the ground walk inside and watch them train then afterwards ask for their autogrphs, chat with the physio, groundsman and the manager all in the same day. So thanks football for all you have given me for there is no more you give and anyway the prices are not something I am prepared to day these days when players can earn more in a week than I nearly can in a lifetime, its time to be an armchair supporter, which is what I am now.
All points well made and taken! Actually we were hoping that rather than just use quotes that we could work with some of the forum members more closely - we want to interview and tape supporters and make the whole thing a real "supporter owned" project. Basically we want interesting stories and insights from the supporters themselves and any pictures etc. are a real bonus. The sound archives will be donated to the Hull History Centre to make sure that a record survives for future generations. We would equally want to put on some sort of exhibition. Overall its more of an interactive venture with people contributing materials and getting involved where they want to.
I too was at that game v Everton - around 36,000 in attendance. Chris Chilton made a run down the right wing, crossed & Billy Wilkinson headed home at the Bunkers Hill end to give us a 1-0 lead. I think Roy Vernon equalised for Everton. Anyway, the following Wed night the highlights of the replay appeared on Sportsview on BBC. John McSeveney scored a goal from fully 30 yards out in a 1-2 loss. This was the first time I remember seeing Hull City on TV. The goalkeeper Williams was a local young Hull lad, with very little experience. He was replaced by Maurice Swan shortly afterwards. Jock Davidson, Doug Clarke & John McSeveney used to visit the farm where my grandma lived for a few beers & a game of poker. After one such visit to the pub, the lads completely devoured a hare that Aunty Jean had jugged for dinner that day. I wasn't too put out as Rabbit was never my favourite meal, & talking to actual Hull City players made me forget about food!
If individual games recolections are needed then I went to such a lot, home and away, that things get blurred over time. Chelsea FA Cup, Crook Town FA Cup, Stoke City, Gordan Banks etc FA Cup, Milwall, Grimsby, QPR, league games, reserve games, international games, all at BP. Then the demise and deterioration of Boothferry Park to its eventual closure and delapidation and destruction, and now houses stand where I use to stand and queue to get in and where we use to play football on the old gravel car park, pre supermarket days. Standing on a deserted Bunkers Hill, pre South Stand days, with the rain lashing down and a few thousand in the stadium during a night game. Then as if by magic standing in the same spot a few days later and not being able to move it was so packed, fair weather supporters indeed. There were a few comic games, I mean intentionally comic games not those that are so bad as to be comic, and these were usually testimonial games for some former long serving player. One I remember was a combined Hull & Rovers team playing football against a City11 but without research the details evade me, then I attended a game at this super duper KC stadium and it was a total shock. Being sat down was bad enough but the morgue like atmosphere took me totally off guard I had to look around to make sure that I wasn't the only one there. Without looking back at some of my programmes and checking my facts then truthful accounts of individual matches I cannot make although some matches do stand out more than others. But when you see the likes of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton at BP then throw in the likes of Peter Osgood, Martin Chivers, Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles and company along with Gordon Banks, Rodney Marsh, Terry Venables, all first class players of the day then you realise what a magical time it was at BP during those days, players these days don't come anywhere close.
My first game too. Hooked ever since. Before that Everton match of which my ticket was a late Christmas present I have memories of seeing the massive new six floodlight phylons twinkling away, changing colour as the bulbs warmed up, from the distance of Radiator Fields on National Avenue which was our playground as young boys. Perhaps the old memory is doing me a disservice there because I can also remember the old floodlights positioned on top of the Best and Railway stands. I think we sold them to Scarbourgh ? The all amber kit with the two black hoops across the chest was a favourite of mine and I remember a letter to Sportsmen Say claiming the kit looked like the players had a harness around them waiting to be hoisted off the pitch by a giant crane. Never agreed with that particular letter writer. Although the regular Sportsmen Say column in the Hull Daily Mail did come in handy a little later on when the Mail used to award a £2 prize for the best letter. I also won £25 (or was it considerably less then that?) when I managed to get a City related letter printed in Tit Bits. Back to my first memory of City v Everton, the replay highlights were shown on Grandstand (or Sportsview) very late at night and I was allowed to stay up late to watch it. David Coleman? introduced the show which of course was in black and white and I have memories of the pictures being very faint, even snowy? Goodison Park was packed out with the biggest ever crowd to see a City match, I think? 58,000 rings a bell. The image of that wonderful old football ground stayed with me right up to City's first ever season in the Premier League, some 50 years later when I at last visited Goodison Park to see Hull City play there. Sadly it was a bit of a disappointment.
A slight correction re the Man Utd cup game .The young lad (myself included) were lifted over the railings around the pitch and we sat on supported wooden planks stretched out on the ash type gravel alongside the Bunkers Hill goal.I'm unsure if anyone was allowed at the South stand end because there was a special designated "Shute" type section for the wheelchair supporters starting at the West Stand corner . All the young lads were singing the club song "The Boothferry Roar". I've no recollection who wrote the lyrics but I still remember every word to this day.
I'm not posting links but I was messing about on You Tube the other day and wondered if there was any videos about Boothferry Park and just Boothferry Park. I was amazed, I have seen videos posted by others, mainly of certain games but the videos I was watching were of the rise and fall then demolition of Boothferry Park itself. I didn't manage to go the last day the public was admitted, not the last match, and in a way I'm glad I didn't to see the mess that BP was in the end. Some of the pictures made me laugh like 2/- admission for adults (10p to the younger generation on these forums) and then the drabness of the black and white pictures suddenly transformed when colour became available. The stark difference to the KC of course was the amount of standing area in those days, most of the ground in fact from where most of the atmosphere and banter came from. The firm building the houses on there now are trading on the Boothferry Park tradition in fact I think one of their boardings say buy into the history of Boothferry Park. The stadium is no more but the name lives on.
My first match was as a 10 year old in the 65/66 season. It was v Scunthorpe Utd and I remember being able to walk all the way around the ground. The final score I believe was 3-2 to City with Mike Williams/Williamson in goal. Later that season I attended games with my father in the Best Stand courtesy of his firm's complimentary passes and my grandfather usually in the South Stand. Other matches that stand out were the freezing cold New Year's Day match v Swansea City and sampling my grandfather's rum laced coffee; v Southampton 1-0 and Notts Forest 2-0 in the FA Cup. The most memorable was v Millwall on Boxing Day 1965. I waited what seemed a lifetime, after going through the boys' turnstile of the North Stand (a cold, dark area) until my grandfather eventually emerged from the huge adult queue. Then I watched the game from the cinder track and had a great view of the only goal that beat a young, impressive Alex Stepney to go top of the Third Division.
Biggest crowd to see a City match (until the play off final) was just under 67,000 at White Hart Lane for a Division Two league game. Like you the Everton game started my life long addiction to City. I had seen them before but the atmosphere at that game where the passion of the Everton fans who seemed to be off a different planet as far as their support and fashions went was something new. The fact is the Everton fans behaviour would be construed as somewhat yobbish nowadays and was a shock to many but it made for a great atmosphere. We were cut off in Hull and unaware of what was happening in Manchester, Liverpool etc. Of course this behaviour shortly descended into downright yobbery and lead to the hooliganism which blighted the game for so long.
Back in those days Boothferry Park was not only used for Hull Citty matches, Hull School's cup finals and even a rugby match was played on the pitch although that is now common place at the KC. I missed my own chance to play on BP's hallowed turf when we got beat in a cup semi final gutted as I was I still went along and watched the final I think one af the finalists were Ainthorpe but I could be wrong. Funnily enough City never trained on the pitch they only used the cinder track around the perimeter any serious football training was done behind the old cricket circle, ironically now the KC stadium, before the ready made training pitches were constucted behind the South Stand.
A huge part of Hull City History has just passed away (7th April 2014) The Club was saddened to learn of the passing of record appearance maker Andy âJockâ Davidson on Sunday evening at the age of 81. Davidson was a reliable rock of the Hull City defence during the 1950s and 60s, making 579 appearances in a black and amber shirt and scoring 19 goals along the way. A fiercely competitive Scotsman, Davidson moved down to Hull from his home in Douglas Water as a 14-year-old after being persuaded by his older brother Craig, who was already on the Tigersâ books, to try out for a career in professional football. It was a move that began an association with the club that lasted for more than 33 years. He impressed straightaway and had progressed to the fringes of the first team by the age of 16, turning down a move to Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers to pursue his career with Hull City. Although remembered as a rock-steady right back, Davidson was named at centre forward for his senior debut in 1952 and it was a position he occupied regularly in his early days before landing at right back to cover for injuries. It was that position that he was to make his own. Tenacious in the tackle, Davidson suffered three broken legs during his career but fought his way back to full fitness on each occasion to resume his defensive duties. He helped the Tigers to two promotions during his playing days, in 1958/59 and as part of the famous 1965/66 squad, before his final senior appearance came in a 3-2 win against Aston Villa in 1967.
I make no apologies for this copy as this is what I wrote in the dedicated Andy Davidson thread. Andy Davidson has always been at Hull City from my first game in the late 50's until I stopped going on a regular basis when the silly money first appeared. He was the epitome of the no nonsense full back dedicated and hard, 3 broken legs testify to that. But he was a gentleman to this young pesky lad who always badgered him for programmes and autographs who use to turn up on his mother in laws doorstep asking if he had left any programmes for me when no programmes I got a biscuit instead. He knew me by name and never failed to knowledge me wherever he saw me which was more often than not at Boothferry Park or the training ground at the Circle, he thought I lived at Boothferry Park the time I spent there. Through him I met Cliff Britton when he first became City manager and we are talking a lad of about 11 or 12 by this time, I also met Jock's wife a couple of times, well I use to turn up at her mothers quite often, yes I suppose I would be called a pest or worse today. But that never happened with Jock and his family and although its many years since I have seen the guy those early years I still recall with fondness, Hull City was my life when players were so much more approachable. Charlie Crickmore was of a similar ilk and I was gutted when he got transferred to Norwich, then when I went to see City at Carrow Road and the guy went and scored against us damn it. Jock was not a hero as such, the free scoring forwards were more in that vein but Jock was Jock and was known to look after the younger members of the team if anyone tried any funny stuff on the pitch. If a City youngster got hurt by an opponent that guy's card was marked by Jock and you can be sure retribution was forthcoming. So its goodbye Jock and thanks for all you gave to City for so many years and thanks for the memories I have of a fearless full back on the pitch and a gentleman off it.
Great to see a big high quality dedicated Andy Davidson banner at pitchside yesterday. Shame it was on wrong side of the pitch for maximum tv exposure.
