Up to 4th?

We play our re-arranged game against Salford today. For once all of the city will want us to win as the Sith are in a fight with Salford to avoid relegation.
Now a few FC fans would have liked us to loose today, purely for mischievous reasons of course, and not something I go along with actually.
But things have changed. With Wigan being docked points for salary cap infringements, we have found ourselves in 6th place. This puts today's game in an entirely different light....win and we find ourselves in 4th!
An optimism is starting to blossom amongst Hull fans, where just a few weeks ago we were just thinking of seeing out the season, and looking forward to the next, a decided upturn in form and this little bit of help has got us interested again.
Don't waste this chance...........Go get em lads!

Leeds United # 2

Just 2 more pics from the Billy Bremner statue at Elland road. You will have to click on the pictures to read them, both I found very touching. (again both posted on the WACCOE forum.)

One rule for us...

and one rule for Wigan!
Yes folks its that fun time of year again, when any Salary Cap infringements are punished. So as sure as day follows night everyone is up in arms about Wigan getting out of jail free again!
Last year they were docked 4 points for going over the cap,(a control on how much money you can spend on wages). This year the self same thing has happened, but Wigan overspent with such a devil may care attitude it sticks in the craw.
Firstly a loop hole was found so any points deducted would be to last years scale, (all clubs had agreed to double the penalties for this year), then their hearing was deferred for over a week to help them to prepare a case, when Saints and Bradford just had their hearings on the stipulated date. Mind you, Wigan had to get the big time lawyers in I would think.
Anyway, in the end they've been deducted 4 points again. Now this doesn't make sense to me, not only are they are turning out to be serial offenders, they where even worse this season!
They didn't even get the full punishment of 6 points deduction!
All through the 80's Wigan where the team to beat, won everything, and I'll tell you why. 1. For a great deal of that time they where the only fully professional club, and 2. They just bought up every good player so no one else could get em (ala Chelski) That is one of the reasons the salary cap was brought in, to stop clubs doing that, and to stop them from getting into financial difficulties.
In quite a few things the RFL are seen not to be even handed, you see this practically every week in the disciplinary hearings. Certain clubs seem to have preferential treatment. Gawd help you if your up on a disciplinary charge if you're from Hull FC or Hull KR!

I'm starting to rant now so I'll shut up....hopefully I've made my point. The RFL make our game a laughing stock year in year out, they want to sort themselves out and stop being bloody starstruck!

Leeds United

I'll let some pictures tell the story, posted by LUFC fans on the WACCOE forum.






GET YOUR FINGERS OUT FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AND STOP BEING PETTY. GIVE US THAT GOLDEN SHARE, AT LEAST WE'LL STILL HAVE OUR CLUB!

Getting to see the Doctor?!

My daughter has had an upset tum now for nearly a week, and talking to her last night I said I would call our Doctors surgery tomorrow morning and 'try' and get her an appointment, here's how the phone call went:
Me: 'Hello, I'm just calling to see if my daughter could see the Doctor today'
Lady at the surgery: 'Sorry, but all our appointments are taken, if you call at 8am tomorrow you may get one of the emergency appointments we leave free.'
Me:'Could I make an appointment for tomorrow now?'
LATS: No, we're fully booked apart from the emergency slots that are available from 8am.'
Me: 'Well could I make an appointment for Friday?'
LATS: 'Sorry, I can only take appointments for tomorrow'
Me: 'Don't we have a catch 22 situation here? I can only call at 8am tomorrow morning and am not guaranteed an appointment?'
LATS: 'I can book you one for next week'
Me: 'But the point is my daughter is ill NOW'
LATS: 'I'm sorry that's all I can do'
Me: 'OK, Thank you'

Now this could be just me being a bit irritable first thing in the morning, but doesn't that stink? All this rubbish about being able to see your doctor within 24 hours is a load of old hogwash! This has been going on at my surgery for some time now, and I'm quite sick of it. I think it may be time to look for another Doctor!

3 on the trot!

Well things are perking up on the Hull FC front. 3 wins on the trot and we seem to be picking things up a pace all over the park. We ended up 18-34 winners away at Le Catalan last night. Our new half-back, Mathew Head didn't start again after injuring a shoulder the week before last away to the Sith. But for some strange reason his arrival has coincided with a lift in confidence. This is especially noticeable where Richard Horne is concerned. It is as if a weight has been taken off his shoulders. Not a natural play maker, since Cookie left for the Dark side he has been under a lot of pressure.
You could say we're hitting form at the business end of the season, everyone has written us off long ago, but I know one thing, no one will relish playing us! I love it when we scare a few people! :)

Update

I'm pleased to say my Father in Law is doing quite well. He's still very ill of course, but considering only a week ago the Doctors were telling us to prepare for the worst, things have improved fantastically. There hasn't been any dips in his condition for a couple of days now so fingers crossed!

I fell flat on my face today going to the dustbin! Hubby had put some plastic piping at the side of the house and I tripped over it! Well as I've mentioned before I have iffy knees and I sat there thinking, how am I going to get up?! Managed it somehow anyway, now I have an extra sore knee and a sore elbow! Thank God it was in the back garden and no one saw me...........I think!

Fridays game.

I went to the game on Friday, with all that's been going on this past week, my Father in law falling ill, and having to cancel our holiday, well, I needed the time out.
We won, beating the Harlequins 20-8. A patchy 1st half it has to be said, we went in at half time 8-8, all of our points being penalties. 2nd half we looked more composed and played to the conditions (very wet!) Through a bad run of injuries we had some really young lads in the squad. One who came in at hooker, Danny Houghton, is only 17/18 and had a great game. The great Richard Swain has apparently been giving him some 1 to 1 tuition and you can tell by how he scoops up the ball at the ruck, his distribution was accurate and he wasn't scared of trying things. What a little diamond the lad is! I always feel really proud when you see local lads come through the ranks. We have a great academy set up at Hull and a new wave of talent is starting to come through.
The back to back wins has helped us no end, and I don't think a top 6 spot is out of the question. I can't see a Grand Final appearance again this year, but I think we'll do some damage!
Write us off at your peril!

I tell you what though, it's times like this when being able to go to a game and forget about all the stuff going on around you for a couple of hours, illustrates why Hull FC are so important to the fans (as are other clubs to their supporters of course)they're a constant in peoples upside down lives.

A tough couple of days.

My Father in law collapsed with a stroke on Monday and is gravely ill. Hubby hasn't had a lot of sleep since then. It looks as if it is going to be a waiting game for him to pass on, as the Doctors have said there's nothing else they can do.
As I mentioned in earlier posts we were due to jet off to France tomorrow, but of course this has had to be cancelled. There will always be other holidays.
It's a funny thing but as I've got older I've become more and more to think that when we pass on its the beginning of a great adventure. I'm not religious one jot, but tend to believe we're here to learn things, then we go on to the next class so to speak and start a new lesson.
I wish my Father in Law a good journey, and hope he can still watch his beloved Hull KR from wherever he goes.

Au revoir mon Capitaine.

I'm not going to talk about Sunday's derby match. I was pleased with the win of course, but the blame game that has gone on about the after match pitch invasion and subsequent trouble, well, it's p*ssed me off to be honest. Fault can be found on both sides and the sooner it can all be put to bed the better.
What I am going to write a few lines about though is Richard Swain. Our ex- Captain (although he was this season in all but name if you ask me) has had to retire due to a back injury.
Swainy is a Prince amongst men, and I don't say that lightly. The amount of work he got through during games was the stuff of legend. I scoffed at an article about rugby union players having to tackle too much, up to 15 times a game. Ok, the games are different, but Richard registered over 50 tackles in a game this season, if I recall correctly breaking the Superleague stats record.
One of the best days of my life, if you don't count family events of course, it WAS the best day of my life, ended with Swainy lifting the Challenge Cup in 2005. That memory will stay with me for ever.
With Hull fans, and I'm sure with fans of other teams, certain players stay in the heart and mind. Richard Swain is one of them.
Au revoir mon capitaine, Bon Voyage et bonne chance.
(Still practising the French!)

Airliebird Banned!

No, not me, but the Hull FC mascot Airliebird (a toy depiction you can see here) has been banned from the Derby game on Sunday by the Sith.
Now why they've done this is beyond me. Rufus Robin (aka Darth Maul and the Sith mascot) was welcomed to the KC with open arms, as where their cheerleaders. I reckon its to stop one more of the followers of the Light Side into Craven Park.
I think this is an outrage, and hope the Sith reconsider this diabolical decision forthwith!!
On to the game. With the 1st proper scrum half in place for what seems like aeons I think the lads will sort out the Sith ............The Revenge of the Jedi indeed!
Come on you Hullaaaaaaahhhh!!

Here's The Who performing the song Baba ORiley. It's the music that the lads come out to at the KC. It seems ages since I was last there!

Checking in

I seem to have been so busy the last few days, that I haven't been able to sit and post.
Everyone has been expecting more rain here over the weekend, Hull FC's game against Salford has been postponed. We have had some rain over night, but it hasn't been too bad. Lets hope we don't get any more for a while now!
Only a fortnight now and I'll be off on holiday. It's a strange feeling as its been such a long time since we went away anywhere! I have been looking into mobile blogging, but it looks complicated (for me anyway) so I think I'll leave that idea alone.


I just wanted to say thank you to two players who have always gave their all for Hull FC, and will have now played their last games for the club. Sid Domic (left) and Shayne Mcmenemy (right) both player's contracts finished at the end of the season, But Sid has left early to free up a quota space for new half-back Mathew Head, and Shayne unfortunately has had one injury after another this year, the last one will keep him out till the end of the season. Good luck and best wishes for the future guys, the Black and White fans never forget their own.

PS, sorry for the underlining on the last bit, I just cant get rid of it!!