Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 5:36 am  

Think if a Hull teams merge was going to happen it would have in the 90s. A large number of supporters of both sides would never attend but a new generation of fans would have eventually ,especiallly if they had regular success. Hudgell and Pearson nowadays talk a good rivalry but are tied financially and genuinely get on. Someone mentioned a while back after the COHA cooperation both FC and KR would end up sharing training facilities and another step towards one team? Somewhere along the line due to 1 or both clubs struggling I think it may get proposed again bearing in mind RFL want New York Toronto etc in,that will be at the expense of someone? Like EHUTR says it's an interesting speculation

[Mild Rover]

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 8:01 am  

craig hkr wrote:

Both teams have their dirty laundry. The fuss made about our loss in 2015 at Wembley i never got? Leeds that day were somewhere near unplayable with a raft of big names retiring and that treble was something special. For me I was proud and a little surprised to get to the final after 29 year between drinks. The Sharks/Thunder merge was a murky deal and a franchise up and leaving in any sport is a bad thing but if it was my club saved at the expense of another then as a fan I'd pretty much expunge it from my memory. MK Dons Hudds/Sheffield and FC all left behind an organisation in tatters.At least Newco Rangers took their demotion and fought their way back up if at the expense of forming a new club. Was it 99 it happened? Who knows what would have happened if Barry Lilley hadn't vetoed the old FC organisation joining the Northern Ford?Possibly a merged side of KR/FC eventually? All speculation now but there will be a generation of FC fans unaware of the merge and thinking Wembley wins are commonplace.Nowt wrong with a bit of Horrible History on both teams imo.

Did Lilley have a veto, or did he just vote against it like others?

It’d be naive to think that there wasn’t a political element to it, but the key one, certainly outside of Hull, was around the damage done to the RL ‘family’ by the SL split and promotion and relegation (or lack of it). That Rovers had the power to unilaterally deny Hull entry to the Northern Ford is a bit of a false narrative, as I understand it.

50-0. I think, finally, I am over it. Once things pass from recent to historical you see them in a different light, as they get weaved into the story. I don’t blame Hull fans the occasional chuckle at that or our other misfortunes, it’s part of the fun of the rivalry. In some ways I imagine the Sharks episode is similar for Hull fans - not something they look back on fondly, but part of their journey nonetheless.

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 9:42 am  

If not a veto he definetly led the denial of a berth for our friends in the then Northern Ford. I would have done the same. Ironically it led them to the promised land and no negative repercussion for mismanagement like ourselves who had 12 years of mud and 2nd tier. Water under the bridge now but I do think our recent tribulations make us much more grateful for what we have as a group and if we lose tomorrow I will only be massively upset rather than full on despair. Plan is diet fry up, few pints, Game then head back to watch Saints match. Victory Pints or Consolation Pints?

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 10:43 am  

i hope and think we will never merge, well not in our lifetimes, as for fri 50/50 imo as usually the case in a derby, the catalan win took a bit of pressure of us but we should still be looking for 2 points, having 3/4 forwards back will help, looks like there is gonna be a bumper crowd,

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 11:41 am  

It's my first away Derby game ever. We took advantage of the Community Club ticket offer and sadly we're the only Rovers Supporters in my Lads age group so we'll be surrounded in West Upper! Can't say I'm massively looking forward to it. I'd rather be with all the other Rovers fans in North. However I'm told there will be pockets of Rovers in West Stand anyway.

As for a merger, I think Sky were all over that in the early days and yes if it had have happened back then the new generation would have been all over it by now. Look at the NRL, some famous names got swallowed up, Balmain Tigers to name one, and it's worked out great for the NRL. Unless something seriously happens with franchises in Super League I doubt it will ever happen here. And to say that All fans would suddenly support one Hull team is a fantasy. It's hard enough getting them lot to come to Craven Park to watch their kids play on a Tuesday night!

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 12:11 pm  

craig hkr wrote:

Think if a Hull teams merge was going to happen it would have in the 90s. A large number of supporters of both sides would never attend but a new generation of fans would have eventually ,especiallly if they had regular success. Hudgell and Pearson nowadays talk a good rivalry but are tied financially and genuinely get on. Someone mentioned a while back after the COHA cooperation both FC and KR would end up sharing training facilities and another step towards one team? Somewhere along the line due to 1 or both clubs struggling I think it may get proposed again bearing in mind RFL want New York Toronto etc in,that will be at the expense of someone? Like EHUTR says it's an interesting speculation

Id be interested to know rovers fans thoughts on when the relationship between the clubs became so bitter in the recent past. The fans have always had the banter etc which on a couple of occasions perhaps went a little too far.

I started going to rugby in the early 80's and seem to remember there not being any real animosity between the likes of Colin Hutton and Roy Waudby, but those were days of trophy wins and finals on both sides of he river.

Was it that rovers looked with envy on Hull during the 2003-2006 period of Hull's relative success whist rovers were in the lower league? Was it that Hetherington / Plummer didn't understand the level of rivalry between the two after rovers are promoted? Was it the Cooke transfer?

Personally I think both Pearson and Hudgell have done a reasonable job at trying to bring the RL community in Hull a bit closer. The rivalry and the banter should always be there, a merger should never happen, there is too much history between the clubs to throw it away in a forced amalgamation.

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 12:13 pm  

Rye_Robin wrote:

It's my first away Derby game ever. We took advantage of the Community Club ticket offer and sadly we're the only Rovers Supporters in my Lads age group so we'll be surrounded in West Upper! Can't say I'm massively looking forward to it. I'd rather be with all the other Rovers fans in North. However I'm told there will be pockets of Rovers in West Stand anyway.

As for a merger, I think Sky were all over that in the early days and yes if it had have happened back then the new generation would have been all over it by now. Look at the NRL, some famous names got swallowed up, Balmain Tigers to name one, and it's worked out great for the NRL. Unless something seriously happens with franchises in Super League I doubt it will ever happen here. And to say that All fans would suddenly support one Hull team is a fantasy. It's hard enough getting them lot to come to Craven Park to watch their kids play on a Tuesday night!

I think you will be surprised at the number of rovers fans who will be in the West Upper, it will be a much more even split than just pockets of rovers fans.

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 12:59 pm  

Mild mannered Janitor wrote:

Id be interested to know rovers fans thoughts on when the relationship between the clubs became so bitter in the recent past. The fans have always had the banter etc which on a couple of occasions perhaps went a little too far.

I started going to rugby in the early 80's and seem to remember there not being any real animosity between the likes of Colin Hutton and Roy Waudby, but those were days of trophy wins and finals on both sides of he river.

Was it that rovers looked with envy on Hull during the 2003-2006 period of Hull's relative success whist rovers were in the lower league? Was it that Hetherington / Plummer didn't understand the level of rivalry between the two after rovers are promoted? Was it the Cooke transfer?

Personally I think both Pearson and Hudgell have done a reasonable job at trying to bring the RL community in Hull a bit closer. The rivalry and the banter should always be there, a merger should never happen, there is too much history between the clubs to throw it away in a forced amalgamation.

Personally I started following Rovers in the 80's due to a family connection who lived next to the old ground. Back in those days I didn't get the impression the rivalry was over the top, and indeed the split between support numbers was a lot more even than it seems to be nowadays which is probably why the relationship has changed. For my personal experience we've had people incredulous as to why we support Rovers. It's almost seen as a betrayal. I think the doldrum years for us and the new stadium for them, plus the admittedly far superior marketing machine FC have, has changed the dynamics between the fans. It's very much a thorn in their side type of relationship rather than anything based on an even keel. If we beat them it's always 'well it is your Cup Final', if they beat us we get 'this City is ours' etc.

Hope Friday goes ok but I can see me falling out with some people whatever the result

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 4:11 pm  

indeed the split between support numbers was a lot more even than it seems to be nowadays which is probably why the relationship has changed.

I have always viewed their attendance figures with an element of suspicion.Not saying that they don,t get decent gates, they do(although they are unbelievably fickle), but sometimes the gate figure given seems high compared to the actual physical fans in situ. Even their own supporters have sometimes seemed baffled by the given attendance.
I heard from a friend of a friend, admittedly don,t know if it,s a fact, that when they "moved in" to the KC that a figure was agreed to "in effect" enhance/improve/buy??? a number of seats which would assist the re-location...
I don,t know if there is any substance in this or if it is complete rubbish, and not saying this is fact, but would be grateful if anyone more knowledgeable than me knows if there is any substance to this.
If it was factual,it would be another thing to wind them up with, if not, so be it and that,s the end of it.

Re: Derby Week : Thu Apr 18, 2019 4:18 pm  

Old Timer No 4 wrote:

indeed the split between support numbers was a lot more even than it seems to be nowadays which is probably why the relationship has changed.

I have always viewed their attendance figures with an element of suspicion.Not saying that they don,t get decent gates, they do(although they are unbelievably fickle), but sometimes the gate figure given seems high compared to the actual physical fans in situ. Even their own supporters have sometimes seemed baffled by the given attendance.
I heard from a friend of a friend, admittedly don,t know if it,s a fact, that when they "moved in" to the KC that a figure was agreed to "in effect" enhance/improve/buy??? a number of seats which would assist the re-location...
I don,t know if there is any substance in this or if it is complete rubbish, and not saying this is fact, but would be grateful if anyone more knowledgeable than me knows if there is any substance to this.
If it was factual,it would be another thing to wind them up with, if not, so be it and that,s the end of it.

If being the key word there!!!

Also, why would this wind anyone up??

The gates announced for games at the KC are based on tickets sold (which inevitably will be more than those in attendance)