Do you think we will have been given just the one date? I am not sure. I think the RFL pencilled in Galpharm for the England v France game until we turned it down then brought in Keepmoat to host it and move the Kiwis to Huddersfield.

Lets hope the RFL keep inviting us to host games despite the turn down this year.

TBF, that probably wasn't a Sunday fixture until afterwards as Sky would've looked at the fixtures then gone back to the FA with the games they wanted to cover. The FA would then have issued the final list to the clubs.

We were, that was the issue.

No, but having been involved with these "bids" and subsequent "events" I see the waste of public money that is involved, even the bid process will be costing a fortune, at a time when we don't even know if the UK is likely to get the event in the first place.

Keepmoat was always getting the France game, agreed to host smaller games with the RFL for three years (hence us being there for the Wakey semi)

Thought they would have had the Wales game which is now in Wales.

If Keepmoat was always going to get a 4 Nations game and the KC was offered one then which stadium was due to miss out do you think?

Galpharm, especially as the final is at Elland Road.

Ah ok. Would still like to think that certain 'events' are always catered for at the KC and I would put International RL into that bracket.

My worry too.



These fixtures were prepared AFTER the international debacle, at that time dispensations were been submitted to accommodate anomalies. The JJB fixture won't have existed, neither would the City home games.

Also four away fixtures in two months sounds about right to me - can't see the problem there - surely that's the norm? With a little planning, which was what the RL were trying to get Duffen to commit to attempting for them, we could all have been happy.

Hope FIFA do send the World Cup to Hull - that would be awesome. But as it will be in the middle of the Super League season, I hope Duffen will be prepared to approach the RL for dispensation.


If he's still here, that is.

I think the England v Australia game was always going to the JJB. The RFL would have had ideas on where they wanted certain games playing and as it's a big fixture only us or the JJB would've been big enough to hold it.

But it's not just the planning of City's fixtures, it's the planning of the whole league which must be a nightmare to co-ordinate. There are teams within the league that are unable to play at home on the same day due to distance and crowd control along with many other factors.

One date was given by the RFL, that was the issue not Duffen.

Heard an article about the premiership planning just before the season started, as you say they have to take into account police, travelling, gaps in games, not being home or away more than 2 consecutive games and a whole load of other considerations. IIRC the guy being interviewed said it goes through something like 15-20 iterations and takes months to complete.

Add to that the 2 Manchester, Liverpool and nearby London teams being unable to play at home on the same day and you have a nightmare situation.

But don't forget, this was all Duffen's doing the nasty, nasty man!!!

Dont disagree with anything you say here - but dont do it to the detriment of approx 13000 Rugby League Fans by any suggestion that we will not be able to play on our ground during the summer of 2018. I would also point out that the majority of those Hull fans are as keen as you are to host a Football World Cup.
Just as a note to you England played Australia at cricket at Headingly this summer and I dont recall their being a problem with our friends the Rhinos fixtures - things can be sorted without people falling out. Rugby League may not cut it with you football fans but there are a lot of us out there.

Glad to see some fans can see the woods for the trees. Losing the game was because of the RFL's not approaching things properly.
As for games being played, don't forget that the police have the final say on these things. Seeing as last weekend they wanted a dinnertime kick-off for 8,000 fans at Suncthorpe to prevent fans drinking, yet on Tuesday Man Utd and Man city both plaued at the same time at night when fans could ahve been drinking all day and coped with about 80,000 of them I wouldn't rely on anything being arranged without some fuss.

And it isn't OUR ground. It isn't City's. It is the council's. And if they think world cup matches and all the benefits it will bring to the city in terms of investment and publicity are more important than a couple of rugby league games then it is just tough luck.