Same here tbh. Always had a lot of time for him and tending to take his comment as tongue in cheek.

BUT we deserve to know the full reasons WHY he couldn't agree to the RL Test at the KC.

He would feel very safe in an audience 100% Football, although said tongue in cheek it was a very laddish and juvenile thing to say by a man who normally comes across with a fair share of intelligence, until now.

There is no way he would have said that in front of a RL or indeed a mixed sport audience, he would have been lynched on the spot, and rightly so.
The BBC sports editor should ask Mr Duffen for outright apology for offending it's RL listeners.

I honestly think that the man is so out of touch with this City he is an insult to it, the sooner the council get rid of him the better.

Would be interested to know but not too bothered TBH.

I would guess it will be something like 'with both teams having played lots of football and rugby on the pitch it was deemed in the best interest of the surface to not have an additional game'

I have sent the following email to Paul Duffen at SMC......................

Dear Mr Duffen,

I am writing to express my disappointment regarding a couple of your recent actions over the last few days.

My first point is the decision not to allow the upcoming England International Rugby League test matches to be held at the KC stadium. As you may or may not be aware we have had these games played in Hull four times over the last six years or so and this year you have deprived the whole community a chance to support their national side in our own city.

The decision, i believe, is due to a possible clash of fixtures with Hull City AFC and that you asked the RFL to wait until June/July, when the fixtures for the new season are released, before a decision would be made.

The stadium itself was built with council money and is therefor owned by all of the people of Hull and the UK, Not just you!

Other then the financial gain to the SMC, it is also an excellent opportunity for local businesses to benefit from the extra fans from many other areas of the country.

When the story broke in the Hull Daily Mail on 21st February, you were 'unavailable for comment', why have you since not given an acceptable reason on how and why this decision was made?. Especially as you seem to be in the media every other day commenting on Hull City and always 'available' then.

My second point is your latest statement regarding 'Rugby league fans'. At a recent Hull City questions and answer session you were asked by Radio Humberside about complaints regarding the above mentioned test match. Your reply as to whether you had received many complaints from rugby league fans was "no, i didn't even know they could write". Now, I'm sure this comment may have been a little tongue in cheek but when you've already placed yourself on many people's bad side regarding their sport you shouldn't be making such statements in which you imply that people who support rugby league are of lower intelligence.

Maybe if you showed a higher level of intelligence by not making the two above decisions (particularly the second) you would not be reading this, and many others I'm sure, email of complaint.

We can read and, obviously, we can also write.

Finally, after not only creating a problem and annoying a whole community of fans, I speak for all rugby league fans and demand a public apology through all areas of the media as soon as possible.



Let's hope he does something about it !!!

He's a man under pressure trying to curry favour with his audience. Forget it, move on and laugh when they're back in the football league next season and he's kicking himself for turning down a full house at the KC when city are struggling to attract 15k

Well I suppose it deflects some attention from the Bullard 'gamble'!

I'd love to see them chuck us out however impossible it seems. Let's see how they pay the KC's upkeep in the Championship, and then Div one as these newly found ex Man Utd and Liverpool fans crawl back into the woodwork.

just the small problem of where we play though.

I don't mind, I'd watch us play on the banks of the Humber rather than contribute financial support towards a Premiership outfit that has priority over all decisions. We need some kind of parity. There would be a lot less resentment if we had equality. It would also benefit them to keep us and R.L fans in general happy.

Lets not also forget one of the reasons for the building of the stadium was to bring top groups etc to the city. Who put a stop to that. Yes Mr Duffen.

The tail is wagging the dog here and the Council need to find a way of establishing control of the facility.

Always said that the SMC should be totally independant from the two sporting clubs and it was a big mistake to link the SMC so closely to The football club.

Likewise, if we can travel to Craven park to watch our team then we'll go anywhere...

There's a Facebook group on it now! www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53784455431

There's a Facebook group on it now! www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53784455431