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  • The Red Read Robin

‘An occasional dream’

East Hull longed for Rovers to win a trophy and a lot of people my age started supporting them in the mid-1970’s…Entering the old ground, the pitch always looked magnificent, Craven Park being noted for the quality of its playing surface.

East Hull longed for Rovers to win a trophy and a lot of people my age started supporting them in the mid-1970’s…Entering the old ground, the pitch always looked magnificent, Craven Park being noted for the quality of its playing surface.

Looking through the goal posts and across the greyhound track or ‘dogs’ as it was known, graffiti decorating the perimeter wall on the south terrace sent a message… it said - ‘WE WANT SUCCESS’.


There was a decline in the team’s fortunes after the excellent side of the late 1960s and interest in Rugby League was low, it was common during the early 70’s to hear it being referred to as ‘an old man’s game’. At the Boulevard the Vikings speedway team with brave stars like Tony Childs, Dave Mills and Robin Amundson were drawing bigger crowds than Hull FC.


That started to change in 1974 with a swashbuckling Hull Kingston Rovers side going for promotion in style with ex Robins star Arthur Bunting as coach moulding a side with genuine pace and skill.


Rovers had a cohort of excellent young players coming through, local lads just a few years older than myself were breaking into the first team such as Steve Hartley, Dave Hall, Dave Heslop, Roy Holdstock, Ian Robinson, Ian Madley, Mike Smith and they were added to the other Hull-born players, Paul Rose and John Millington…forming a promising youthful side.


Great Britain stars Neil Fox and Clive Sullivan (both subsequently awarded MBE’s) plus Bernard Watson and Len Casey added experience. I started to go more regularly with other school mates; we got in over the wall at the back at first but were soon paying cash on the turnstiles.


I’ll always remember one of my closest mates Johnno choosing ‘Millo’ as his favourite due to his style of play; he thought it hilarious that after an international match the French labelled him ‘The Assassin’.


Rovers were our local club, something to be proud of just down the road from where we lived. They had a great name synonymous with Rugby League and now a side to go with it was being developed.


Many of these international-class players came from the newer post-war housing estates such as Bilton Grange and Greatfield and they shared a close affinity with the supporters. Bilton Grange further emphasised its links with the city having tower blocks named after the Ross Cleveland, the St. Romanus and the Kingston Perridot, trawlers lost in the icy storms at sea in 1968.


In the years to follow you’d meet your heroes at work, out and about the area and in pubs like The Crown where we’d go across to talk to Ged Dunn with Clive Sullivan.

Ex-Redcar Rugby Union player, Ged became an international for England, once scoring an amazing 50-yard try at the Sydney Cricket ground against Australia. He also worked as a PE teacher at Bransholme High School helping to develop a number of future top rugby league players.


Clive went from Army Rugby Union to Hull FC and became a world cup winner, scoring a length of the field try to beat Australia and subsequently appearing on BBC’s ‘This is your life’.


Victorious, Clive in 1972 with Phil Lowe far right

His background was the working class area of Splott in Cardiff not far from Tiger Bay and he grew up near Shirley Bassey. They both had an impact on breaking down racial barriers as famous stars with Clive being the first black captain of any British national sporting side.


Winning the Yorkshire Cup at Headingley and being promoted in 1974-75 was followed by eighth place and a narrow defeat ‘away’ against Leeds in the 1975-76 Yorkshire Cup final.


One or two additions were needed to complete this side and the following season we got Phil Lowe back from Australia. He had just scored the winning try for Manly against Parramatta in the Australian Grand Final and was a superstar ‘down under’, featuring in their greatest team polls for decades afterwards.


I recall at a benefit evening when internationals Steve Norton and Ged Dunn who also went to Australia during this time saying how big a celebrity he was there, Ged commenting at the crowds at the airport when Phil came to meet him off his flight.


Would we really have both he and Paul Rose, Rovers youngest ever debutant, and who had been outstanding for a few seasons by now, together in our team? It was something of a dream partnership but it happened.


The excitement of Phil Lowe re-signing had been building up for weeks now and at Hull station as waited for our coach to pull out for the journey to Wigan we saw him walking towards us.


Are coming with us Phil?’… Everyone ran to the front of the bus to talk to him and he nearly did join us. It was to be his first game back and he thought he’d missed the team bus, imagine our excitement...but no such luck it came back for him.


Great Britain U-24’s were beating France at Craven Park 19-2 in front of more than 6,000 as we lost narrowly to Wigan at Central Park that day. Clive pulled a hamstring on his way to almost scoring and we went home in a coach with half our windows missing which was a common occurrence in those days.


At least we weren’t on the bus when it was damaged, dodging the bricks and broken glass like on other trips. It made for a cold journey home but on the pitch we knew the seeds were sown for success.


Typical Rovers luck saw a fourth place finish but then a disqualification after an 18-13 Premiership win against Warrington for some spurious technicality around Phil Lowe’s signing. Steve Hartley had scored a late, length of the field try in a tremendous game and we expected to be in the semi-final. However, despite being subsequently cleared we were out and instead Warrington progressed to the final.


Significant progress was made that season though and the style of football was drawing the crowds back. Harry Poole was the coach and he instilled belief among the players and fans.


I was on the pitch celebrating with my mates at full-time when Rovers beat Castleford away in the 1977 Challenge Cup quarter-final, they were known then as Classy Cas and it’s still one of the greatest moments of my time as a fan. We really thought it was going to be our year.

1977 Programme vs Castleford

Then bad news as Harry Poole died before the semi-final, the loss of a great leader and true Rovers legend. Roger Millward stepped up and although he may not have guided us to that season’s Challenge Cup final he carried on Harry’s good work to create his own legacy.


The 1977-78 season saw up and coming star John Cunningham join, heady stuff and a Floodlit Trophy run began, these games were shown on the BBC so gave national coverage and were played before Christmas. Impressive wins against Wigan at home and Wakefield away set up a semi-final at Wheldon Road. We went on National Coaches after rushing from work and in a hostile atmosphere Rovers were roared on by a large mid-week away crowd, we won!


An excellent 23-5 victory at Castleford and this resulted in us being at home for the final.

Rovers had gone more than half a century without winning a trophy which included competition from Lancashire and I remember us not being able to stand the tension of the build up. We all knew how good St Helens were, impressive all over the pitch and used to winning trophies.


Could this team change the club’s fortunes on December 13 and win this time or would we face the same old disappointment?


I was an apprentice sheet-metal worker but the only thing on my mind in the factory that day was dreaming about us winning that elusive trophy. I couldn’t wait to leave and meet up for the walk down Holderness Road from The Crown to Craven Park.


The time arrived, thousands of expectant fans, all hoping for a change in fortune making that great journey past East Park to the old stadium. It was nearly Christmas and many fans were dressed as Father Christmas getting into the festive spirit.


Woodford Sports Centre and The Mill pub weren’t there then and next to the ground was the old tram sheds, both replaced by the Leo’s, now Morrison’s’, supermarket. We have a very good infrastructure at the Preston Road ground but the location and old walk up on Holderness Road will never be forgotten.


All the talk was of their danger men such as Peter Glynn, Geoff Pimblett and Eddie Cunningham, all great players with the medals to prove it. We also feared Widnes referee Mick Naughton, looking back he was a great character who later refereed the 1978 World Cup Final but he did have a history of controversy with us, particularly in the previous seasons Floodlit Cup, when we felt he’d robbed us.


His party piece when being barracked was to calmly take his handkerchief out of his shorts pocket and blow his nose, we just hoped he wouldn’t cheat us out of it again.

This was the biggest game I’d been to at Craven Park; we had a strong team seven of which were Hull born, with two other long term residents and Roger an adopted son leading the team. Everywhere we went we’d be told he was the best player in the world, his loyalty deserved to be rewarded with silverware, tonight was a chance…in front of his adoring fans at home…

David Hall, Ged Dunn, Mike Smith, Bernard Watson, Clive Sullivan, Steve Hartley, Roger Millward, John Millington, David Watkinson, John Cunningham, Phil Lowe, Paul Rose, Len Casey with Mike Hughes and Alan Agar on the bench.


It was going to be a capacity crowd; all four sides were full and although the official crowd was recorded as 10, 099 we all knew it was much higher.


Rovers produced a vintage performance, winning in style and scored great tries not least the key moment when Smith, Hall, and Hartley combined just after half time…it was a try ‘made in East Hull’ you could see how well they knew each other from their junior days right to the pinnacle of the game.


Only one substitution was made and that was virtually on full time…a fantastic display in unfamiliar royal blue, an emotional pitch invasion followed and the players went up for the trophy at the best stand side.


Roger lifted the prize above his head before passing it onto David Hall and along the line, they would remember this rare special moment, winning in such a fashion at your home ground; it would be the trophy which laid the foundations for the future.


There was just enough time for us to run down the central reservation avoiding the crowded pavements to The Crown quickly for a celebration, the ‘old school’ landlord who was reminiscent of an army sergeant, Harry Lane was known for a firm but fair hand. It was necessary in this traditional East Hull pub; in fact only he later Mick Wilson ever managed it!


Harry allowed us to celebrate in the pub packed with jubilant Rovers fans beyond last orders (just) which were called at 10:30 back in those days.


The next day with my first cup of tea at 6:30 I had that warm feeling as I reflected on the previous evening and quickly went to the back pages of the morning paper. The headline for the match report was...


‘CUP GLORY AT LAST FOR ROGER’S SUPER ROVERS’

it seemed like the best cure for any hangover!


IAN BUFFEY

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