Quote: The Dentist Wilf "This is serious stuff!! I expect many who have read this article will be in shock!
I don’t come on here much these days and unlike many who frequent these pages, most of those who know me I think realise that I ain’t a sensationalist, or a seeker of notoriety, or a scare monger, nor do I gloat pathetically when things go wrong across the river. We have plenty of those already, but I just love Hull FC they have been the background music of my life and they have provided the greatest moment of it as well. It will probably never get better than that so now, win or lose, I want the Club I have supported for well over 60 years to just be here for me until I myself expire. I expect I’m not on my own there!!! Yet this news is life threatening as far as my club is concerned.
But this is bleak stuff indeed and only last Wednesday I was told by a very senior member of the City Council that as fans we had better make sure we enjoy this season and Adams subsequent statement, now clarifies what exactly she meant.
We have been here before most recently back in 1999 but the circumstances are very different now. Back then we had two things we don’t have now. We have our own ground and a vibrant, passionate, proactive and influential fans organisation who rallied the troops. In fact, it was Steve and those fans who persuaded Richo to move the Gateshead club to the Boulevard, such is the power of supporters.
We had used the collateral of the Boulevard to borrow money against for years and even back then, in those dark days, it was a substantial material asset. We have neither now.
The Stadium was the catalyst to the change as well, it was a god send and yet paradoxically it is now just another millstone around our neck.
So, for me, we need two things, we need investment and quick and we need to organise the fans in support of the club. You might say what can the fans do, but in the end the supporters are any sports clubs biggest asset, but their ability to engender change is often under-rated until it’s too late.
On the first point its great to talk of local millionaires and getting them on board, but get real, who in their right mind is going to invest in RL these days. Rovers top investor and indeed saviour for many years even walked away frustrated and disillusioned in the end, before returning when the council found a way to help them out. The game is in a parlous state, with TV revenue dropping year on year, national exposure declining, a governing body who time and again have shown themselves to be inept to say the least and in general dropping gates. We won’t be the only club in trouble, Leeds certainly are, but few will have less assets to fall back on than us.
The Allam’s shafted us for years and their shadow will hang over our club for years to come. We borrowed money from the government to keep the club afloat but borrowed is the operative word. Now its approaching pay back time. Adam’s statement is one of stark reality he is wealthy and pretty wise but not a bottomless pit. His statements in the past have often erred on the side of overt optimism, so he is certainly not a shroud waiver and we should hear what he says and mark it well.
I’ve known him for years and he’s a good bloke but a businessman as well. However, he honestly does take the stewardship of the Club seriously, he realises his responsibility to it and respects its heritage and place in the hearts of the community, but he can only go so far. In the old days clubs had boards of monied directors who shared the burden but now all that falls on one man’s shoulders. We need to support him all we can.
That leads then onto my second point we need our fans to be better organised. The Vice Presidents will at this moment be no doubt seeing what they can do, they are a fine organisation and yet viewed as a bit of an elitist group and if you like divorced a bit from the terraces, by most of the rank and file of fans. Yet never underestimate what they have done for the club over the years. But, this looming crisis needs us to involve everyone who cares about the FC, yet as ordinary fans since FC Voices have become less visible we have nothing. I know covid hasn’t helped, but there have been no fans forums and few chances for fans to speak to the ‘top’ in person or virtually. We need them or some new organisation to step forward to galvanise us together but will they? A share issue could be a real way forward but at a time when people are having to decide to heat or eat, money is at a premium and with our lease up for review in a short time, the current stadium contract and falling season ticket sales, it is indeed the perfect storm.
I’m sorry to go on, but at least it makes me feel a bit better if I put my thoughts down here to at least try to stimulate some positive ideas on the subject. We are a great club with a fabulous history and although (as with the originator of this thread) Rovers fans will no doubt be on here gloating, I would add that the game will be a worse place for the lack of Hull FC and its fans and the existence of two teams in the City of Hull. This morning no doubt we are all desperate to do our bit over and above attending games and buying merchandise. But what can we do and who will facilitate us doing it? We have now to wait and see what happens next, but it would be nice if we could be given a chance to help or indeed be organised in support behind the club.
For me at least the thought of a life without Hull FC is one I’m not sure I want to even contemplate, yet here for the first time for many years is a real and present threat to the FC’s very existence.
Discuss …….'"
The FC board at the time of the move to the new stadium have a lot to answer for. They trumpeted the benefits of the move but ignored the possible downside. They sold FC’s assets and left the club with ongoing liabilities but only fans, sponsorship and tv to provide future income. That was fine whilst the economy was doing relatively well and there were no adverse outside influences such as COVID but disastrous in the present circumstances.
In addition I think Mr Pearson is being a bit ingenuous when he refers to the help Rovers received. The HDM reported that we paid the market rate for the ground.
I would miss the derby matches so hope everything works out for FC except when they play us of course.
