A physical marker forming a broad demarcation through the city is the River Hull which runs north to south.
Those to the east of the river support Hull Kingston Rovers and to the west , Hull FC.
As equally engrained in the identity of supporters on the geographical basis is the faithful and sometimes blatant display of the club colours being red and white and black and white respectively. Houses, fences, cars, decor and even household pets are not immune to some semblance of one of the distinctive team livery's.
My late father in law recalled how, after completing the fitting a brand new pastel shade kitchen in an East Hull house returned the next day to sign it off only to find it had been gloss painted in Kingston Rover's Red.
In some respects it is as much a division in sport as the two Manchester football clubs or the more sectarian elements of Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic.
To shamelessly paraphrase the most famous saying of the great Liverpool Manager , Bill Shankly "Some people think rugby league in Hull is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that"
Here is the amazing tale
A die-hard rugby fan recovered after an operation to remove a rare brain tumour only to find she had completely lost interest in the game. Jayne Reffin - a lifelong fan of rugby league side Hull Kingston Rovers - said the sport no longer appealed to her after going under the knife for a 17-hour operation. Experts believe Mrs Reffin had a benign acoustic neuroma tumour for ten years.
It was only discovered on the right side of her brain in February 2014, after she went for a free hearing test.
Although being deaf in her right ear since 2003 she had no noticeable symptoms of the growth. Two months after her condition was diagnosed the 45-year-old was on the operating table, and while she is on the road to recovery there have been some odd side effects.
Speaking about her recent falling out of love for the game, the mother-of-two said:
"It just doesn't interest me anymore. I used to have a season pass every year, but now I'm not bothered. I used to go everywhere to watch it, home and away games, but I'm just not interested anymore. Oddly though I get very excited about the Australian Rugby League but I have no interest with the UK game - I just get bored watching it. I was a massive fan before, my whole house is red and white, but now I'd rather bake. My husband and children still go but I don't it because it doesn't interest me."
The once dedicated fan said she was always first in line for the new shirts and getting tickets in advance - but no longer.
"It was straight after the operation that I wasn't interested, I've just not gone at all. Its so odd."
Now, not even the much awaited derby game, against arch rivals Hull FC, draws her to the stands.
"These games were obviously massive to me as an East Hull person but Rovers just don't appeal to me at all now. It's so strange and I can't explain it, even the neurosurgeons said they can't explain it"
Mrs Reffin said her family find it strange because they know what she as like before.
She explained: "I've been Rovers since I was born and I'm nearly 46. Both my children were brought up to know that if you meet someone you first question is are you red and white or black and white? It is so strange to go from one extreme to the other."
Source; Hull Daily Mail
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