Looking to set the record straight : Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:04 pm  

I have sent an e-mail to radio humberside after hearing of the fan who rang in. It is beyond me how they managed it as they would have had to come online and get the number as we could not get the station down here. Anyway, here's what I sent to the radio -

Hello,

I am a Crusaders fan who attended the game last Sunday and have to say Craven Park is one of the most welcoming grounds I have been to. I talked to fans of Hull KR before, during and after the game and never once felt intimidated or threatened as I believe somebody who called your station said they were. The so called Crusaders fan who rang in also said they were abused by 200 KR fans after the first try that they celebrated. If they were in the away stand that the club had sold tickets for this would be some feat as I don't think there were 200 in the whole stand and a large proportion of those were children. I among others enjoyed the full day and believe Craven Park to be a proper rugby league ground with fans that are passionate during the game but welcoming and friendly before, during and after. I came on the supporters club coach and there wasn't a bad word to be said about the day apart from the performance of our team second half and I have attached a few samples of what has been said on our supporters site backing up what I have said. It is in response to a person named hullkr on the board to avoid confusion -

__________________________________________________________________

As an official of the supporters club,no person on the bus had nothing bad to say about any HKR supporters on the way home. All they said, we had a great time in Eastland and what a great set of people you lot where.I read in rugby press that there was some irate banter between HKR and other clubs, but i can honestly say that HKR were fantastic to the Crusaders supporters all day.If the Celtic fan haven't got the balls to put his name to any statement, then he should keep shtump and shut up. Once again good luck HKR.

hullkr, I don't know where all this has come from. I have actually sent a letter in to League Express to say that the Hull KR fans were some of the friendliest and most welcomming that I have experienced with Crusaders. As far as I know, I was the only Crusaders fan there who would not have had a Welsh accent. I went by train and walked all the way to the ground, calling for a pint at the Embassy, and I never had any abuse at all.
You know what RL fans are like. We like the banter, and some people don't know the difference between banter and abuse. It can be a fine line. maybe one set of our supporters actually did have a bad experience? In a crowd of that size not everybody is going to be well behaved, but I know that all the Crusaders fans I met had nothing but praise for the Hull KR fans.

Hull kr, I would like to put forward my praise for your club and it's supporters, my wife and I travelled up on the Saturday morning, went along to watch the Reserves game, we were treated very well there, a number of persons who were very friendly making a point of coming over to us when they saw us with our Crusaders shirts and flag. After the game because we wanted to watch the Castleford v Huddersfield match on sky we went along to the 'Crown' on Alderness Rd and treated to a most hospitable and entertaining night, again a number of locals making a point to come and speak with us, in fact 2 even admitted to being Hull FC fans. On Sunday we parked our car complete with crusaders stickers where one of the locals had advised us to and we didn't have any problems whatsoever in fact as has been said before your fans were one of the friendliest that I have been in the company of.
As this person wanted to remain anonymous it may be that one of your not so favourable neighbours seeing the reports in the paper from other visiting fans decided to phone in to stir up trouble, especially as they phoned your local radio station.
If you want to put this on your site you are most welcome
____________________________________________________________

I suggest the people at the station check out the callers before taking what they say as it seems to me that somebody is on a wind up before derby day and trying to drag the name of Hull KR through the mud before the big clash. In my opinion and everybody I have spoken to that went it was a great day and certainly nothing like what it was said to be on your station.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:09 pm  

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to do that mate.

Unfortunately your fans name has been taken in vain by some sad act hoping to stir trouble for Hull KR and before you know it Hull fans on here get over excited and look for stories that simply do not exist.
Hope to see you all back for the cup game.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:10 pm  

Thanks for taking the time out to do that mate.
Hope you have an equally enjoyable day in a couple of weeks time (not too enjoyable mind! )

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:16 pm  

Nice to see comments like that between RL fans. In that sense RL is like no other sport because (apart from derbies) there isn't too much bitterness between fans.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:19 pm  

Thanks very much for doing that, will keep listening, see if they read it out.

All the very best for the rest of the season (apart from in the Challenge Cup )

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:32 pm  

Nice one mate.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:37 pm  

I just heard it read out on Sports Talk. Thanks very much for that mate. Coming from a Crusaders fan hopefully it will carry more weight.
I sincerely hope you come along in numbers for the Challenge Cup game and all leave having enjoyed the experience.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 7:44 pm  

Bobbin' Along wrote:

I just heard it read out on Sports Talk. Thanks very much for that mate. Coming from a Crusaders fan hopefully it will carry more weight.
I sincerely hope you come along in numbers for the Challenge Cup game and all leave having enjoyed the experience.

Interest doesn't look great after the pasting we had last time to be fair but glad they read it out for you lot.

Just wanted to give the view of the majority. I personally don't think anybody had a bad day up at yours. If the person who rang in took the time to go on the net to get the radio humberside number then surely they would have posted on rlfans or the crusaders fans site but nothing. I think we all know who it was who rang in but just liked to help in some way.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:47 pm  

Nice work. Thank you.

: Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:19 pm  

crucrucrusaders wrote:

Interest doesn't look great after the pasting we had last time to be fair but glad they read it out for you lot.

Just wanted to give the view of the majority. I personally don't think anybody had a bad day up at yours. If the person who rang in took the time to go on the net to get the radio humberside number then surely they would have posted on rlfans or the crusaders fans site but nothing. I think we all know who it was who rang in but just liked to help in some way.

Thanks for your time and effort to do that. You didn't have to and nice to hear some positives from visiting fans for a change.