A Tale of Two Cities

A story of Hull FC and Hull Kingston Rovers from folk football to the split with Union and down to Super League told by stand up historians, Stan Haywood (Hull KR) and Mike Watts (Hull FC) backed by Hull FC’s Sammy Lloyd with music and song from The Hillbilly Troupe’s Mick McGarry and Dave Gawthorpe. Rob Bell wrote the script - it started over a jar with Steve Hubbard; a life long mate and HKR legend. The idea was to tell the story of the rivalry in a League daft City with Big Games and Big Players subjected to banter from two fans who refuse to back down. The songs, chants and banter make this a good-night-out! There’s more to this…

Rugby League has a fascinating history. We’ve used this as a framework for workshops with students who are “not keen” on history. Rugby grows from village games and then, the Public Schools. Cue: the Eton boating song. League emerges because of the industrial revolution - dockers, fishermen, miners, steelworkers, railwaymen with ball in their hands after work discover another talent. They asked the Rugby Union for expenses. Refused. At that time Rugby was much more popular than Football. Northern teams broke away and the game became professional.Cue: Bring out your banners. We reflect on industrialisation, urbanisation and the ever louder voice of working men and women. The images on the screen as the story unfolds move at pace from Lowry to a stream of memorabilia. Always the banter of two fans who simply are as different as chalk and cheese; black / white and red / white.

Now, entertainment for a growing fan base. This is the game that allows jews in the Boardroom, women on the terraces, migrants in all the teams. The story of Billy Boston - couldn’t get a game at his beloved Cardiff - and, Clive Sullivan makes the point. League is inclusive; you play if you can and the terraces are open to all. As the story unfolds, we highlight the great Hull FC team that won the Challenge Cup in 1914; Jack Harrison scored 52 tries that season, volunteered for WW1 and won the VC. He didn’t return. Rob, Sammy and Derek O’Connor wrote the song Run for the Line. We race on to 1980 when Agar finds Lockwood Milward dummies and Hubbard gathers speed to crash through the space. 10:5. The Derby with a difference. This one was at Wembley.

Down to now - the Super League years and Hull’s double triumph. This has been a story and a half. The crowd joins in with the songs and we close with Queen. The champions - those who play, follow, eat and breathe a game that is so much more than a ball in hand. This is a game with roots, heritage and a future.

This is a rollicking good night with some real surprises…