What a guy he was and what servant to our club. Rather like Keith Boxall it was such a shame that he was just too old to feature with the great team of the early 80's.
He was indeed approached by Wigan and many said Leeds as well, but wanted only to play for his local Club, which, during his year lighting up the Boulevard in the mud, was often a lost cause. He played from 64 to 79 and almost 300 games. I remember well the Dobbins beating us in the Yorkshire Cup final in the 60's when despite being on the losing side Chris got man of the match, he got a winners medal 2 years later against Featherstone. Many won't realise that he played the last few seasons with a troublesome knee injury that would have seen the end to many players careers, I seem to remember he got it at the start of the 1975 season but refused to have an operation and instead played on because of his love for the club in what were desperate days. He just loved the Hull FC, the crowd and pulling on that shirt, so he played on.
He did at least get to play in the same team as Knocker and Vince Farrer before he retired, but most will remember him often over the years partnering Kenny Foulkes and the great Brian Hancock. David Doyle Davidson, possibly our most under rated coach of all time, has a great respect for him and what he did for the club. He always played well against Leeds at the Boulevard and I bet they hated him for he would always be there to drop a goal or make a telling tackle just when the games big time Charlies were on the ascendancy.
But most of all he was a character , something the modern game lacks so much. You see he could mix it too and despite his size he never backed away from an antagonising forward as well as at times being able to do a bit of it as well. He seemed to never leave the field without being covered head to foot in mud. He probably detested Leeds as much as we did and he was instrumental in that great run we had against them when whatever either team's fortunes, we still seemed to beat them.
Chris was Hull through and through and in later life I visited his home and he was still full of stories as he lived quite near me and you could always tell him from afar in Beverley, because of his distinctive limp which never left him. The scars of battle eh? He was a Real hero and a true great and I thank him for all the memories. Some of us are just so lucky to have actually watched such players who were real folk hero's of their time.
R.I.P. Chris Davidson. - Thanks for the memories.
