I can appreciate why Hull fans are jumping on the thread and to be honest i think it was a bit daft by Rovers having Ben in the photograph.
However, this is a thread about the initiative and NOT Ben Cockayne. Anything else posted about him and not the initiative will be binned.


Great initiative by Rovers and i hope other clubs follow suit.

I think all sporting clubs should do more like this and not just for the troops but wider. I know that most clubs do lots that goes un noticed and they give players annual community awards etc but there's something bigger needed imo. Most top professional businesses for example now report to the analysts as part of their end of year accounts how much charity work theyve done or how much theyve given to charity or their environmental committment etc. May be it's something that SL should start to include in their franchise criteria... number of charity events ran or number of days that your players spend fund raising or something like that. They are role models too.

I think that part of the franchise criteria is to run an effective Community department.
As far as charity goes, much of the fund-raising that clubs get involved in will go to their own Sport and Education Trusts i would imagine in order to pay for the Community projects.

I've read the report and I've seen many young people not suited to the forces been made to serve 3+ years.

If the forces had better systems in place people wouldn't have to mis behave to be released.

NOt arguing with that. BUt they don't then stand beside them lauding it.

He isn't, hkr are promoting a new scheme.

As a former member of the armed forces Cockayne is hkr's link to them.

Cockayne had his day in court and was punished.
Yes he has to live with his actions on that evening forever but FFS move on.
It was 3- 4 years ago and he hasnt been in trouble since.

Great idea by the club, very forward thinking.

?

Nowt to do with 'that' incident.

The underlying reason is as it gets raised every time Cockayne's name appears on this forum.
As for his reasons for leaving the Army, well he will have been a young kid at the time.
Many people go into the Army, Navy etc and realise its not for them.

Quite correct and to leave the services requires an 18 month notice period, or it did when I was in the Navy.

Which is why it was not uncommon for those who desperately wanted out (for whatever reason) to become persistent offenders or, at the time, declare sexual feelings for men (it was a dischargeable offence then to be gay). 18 months is a long time to wait when you've decided that you don't like your job, but in the forces it's not simply your job, it's your whole life, especially if you are posted abroad.

The route Cockayne took to leave the Army is one that hundreds before and since have taken.

Pvr is a year, giving your notice is 18 months.

At least you can't buy yourself out anymore.

I knew a few lads who started smoking pot to get out but never got tested!

Just as I was leaving the Royal Navy they brought your notice down to 12 months. That was back in 2002. Sure that would have being for ALL the forces.