In my opinion, all club stakeholders have been guilty of complacency since the 2017 season and the club is now at a crossroads. In traditional Hull FC fashion, we built a club structure, fan base and first team that should have been the foundation for continued success but allowed the potential to go unrealised and results and performance to deteriorate.

I've said on other threads that I understand the frustration amongst supporters but, having seen all this before, I personally relish the challenge in front of us as it's only when you've been through the difficult times that you can fully enjoy success when it finally returns. Our friends across the river are testimony to that and, at the risk of showing them too much goodwill, I think they've provided a blueprint for how a club and supporters can work in harmony to build a fan base, a first team and resources to achieve relative "success" (albeit with a little help form HCC and the wolf in sheep's clothing that is the Sewell Group and as yet unrewarded by silverware).

There will always be a mix of supporters. For some it's in the family, the blood and for us, not being there supporting is beyond contemplation. For others it's a matter of cost (in time and money) versus enjoyment provided. Others will arrive with success and leave just as quickly. Regardless of our stance, we're all valuable assets to our club and the game in general.

My question is:

How, as supporters, do we "rally" (not around but to surround the Robins!) to ensure that a positive vibe enables the club to develop and improve? I'm not suggesting that we become a set of happy clappers but it's perhaps time to galvanise and coordinate our passion, knowledge and I suspect many talents. After all that's the real job of a supporter.

#backtheblackandwhites anybody

Sorry, topic name should be #backtheblackandwhites my data input skills are very poor!

Great sentiments but we as fans have been trying to do just that for years or generations. AP is the latest in a long line of custodians of FC. The difference this time is he’s the sole owner. He needs to be coerced into getting outside funding by trying to bring other’s capital to bear. There again as Wilf posted on another thread we don’t know what he’s been trying to do post Covid. It’s obvious that the Government loans have to be repaid and as AP suggested last year, it may well push some clubs over the edge. Unfortunately and certain posters on this forum don’t seem to be able, we’re going to have to be patient and hope that AP and TS can turn us around. Short answer to your question is carry on carrying on, in other words buy your passes and do what the generations before us have, hope for the best and fear the worst.

Exactly this, its not like us as fans want to know the full breakdown of the club etc but it would be nice to actually hear from AP and the club about whatever plan/route they are taking rather than be kept in the dark on the promise of things being better next time (as that's just like a broken record).

Clarity is all that I think reasonable Hull fans want from the club.

The communication between the club and the fans feels like an all time low. I've mentioned previously that discussions were had regarding improving the atmosphere at the MKM, since putting ideas forward well over a year ago to people at the club I have yet to hear anything back since.

At the POTY awards last night, AP said that the final COVID payment is under discussion with the government and be dealt with early next year which will put us on a firmer financial footing.

Was anything else said by AP last night?

Think Adam Pearson has run out of options and reality has kicked in hence the silence.

pearson should count himself lucky we still get 5 figure crowds,i dont know another sl club that would still get 5 figure crowds after the last 3 years in the bottom 3,with plenty of 50 plus drubbings to boot.

What does that mean though? That we're trying to get it written off (much like the billions on PPE) and if so things will be easier? Not a question for you (thanks for sharing) more it raises as many qs as it answers.

Agree with pretty much all of what has been said above.

Our fanbase are very loyal but we perhaps arent so good at uniting to demand answers from the club. People grumble at the games, maybe leave early but we dont have a united front as a supporters group.

Also could the fans look at raising some funds? Just £10 of 8k passholders raises £80k which funds the wages of a decent SL player, and a lot of clubs would accept that as a transfer fee for a decent level player. Yes we already shell out a lot in pass and merchendise purchases but a coordinated fundraiser would feel like we are helping to improve the club.

I think one of the biggest issue with Hull fc is a lot of the fan base are entitled. The reality is we’ve never have sustained success and a lot of the imo comes from our lack of academy success.

Fans expect big signings E.g Seymour, Reynolds, Gale, Evans, Holdsworth, Fonua (2nd time) and then when they fail they are used to crucify the club. Majority of which the club have had to pay off.

There’s also no patience from our fan base, during our early season wobble there’s was a few loons starting the Smith out bandwagon.

If we want success we have to be patient and support the club during these tough times. Salford have had a few good years of success by picking up left overs and unearthing gems. Hopefully we can follow suit whilst we get our ducks in a row financially.

I’ve also heard so many people want a fans forum, yet isn’t Jamie shauls testimonial one been cancelled due to lack of interest?

A lot of the time, the club can’t win. The way i see it is Pearson has the most expensive season ticket out of any of us and needs support moving forward and not opposition.

With Shaul the issue is his career fizzled out a good few years ago. Had his testimonial been in say 2018/2019 response would be greater. People are respectful of the good years he gave us but being blunt if I had a time machine id go back in time and not give him his last contract. The economy also isnt great so its harder to get people any additonal 'nights out' than it once was.

A lot of the frustration goes back to the cup wins and the expectations thereafter. Not just the wins themselves but the fact we were competitive in SL and on the verge of being serious challengers for the competition.

Since then we have been absolutely appalling. A lot of it is down to our woeful home form and a series of absolute hammerings when the players clearly threw the towel in.

The recruitment and the management of the cap has been terrible. Compare 2016/17 team to what we have now.

Smith's appointment as the first genuine trophy winning coach we have for years filled our expectations. I still think that given time he can improve us. How long that will take is anyone's guess.

Mid season we had notable wins against Saints and Wigan and even in defeat we were competitive. Things were looking promising.

The last few games culminating in Huddersfield debacle and the recruitment so far makes you question are things going to get any better next season.