Sweet FC

I am an import to the land of Rugby League, otherwise known as the summer game in the north of England.

In fact the whole of the game, both codes including Union, are a bit of a mystery to me.

That is quite a surprising revelation in that I was born in a strong rugby county, Buckinghamshire but that coincided with my infants and junior education when any contact sports were discouraged.

My upper school or secondary years were in Lincolnshire which to my knowledge does not have a tradition in the game. This was followed by a flit further north, in fact just across the River Humber in the days before the suspension bridge, which brought me into Rugby League territory, namely the City of Kingston Upon Hull, known as just 'ull with its two elite teams. KR and FC.

I was in the heartland but my new school,one of the oldest Grammar establishments in the country only played Union.

Mine was an immediate introduction to the violence and stress that characterises what is euphemistically called the gentleman's game. I was quite a fast runner in my mid to late teens and this athleticism made me a first pick in the position of Full Back .The problem was that not having ever played before or even possessing any knowledge of the rules or tactics I just did what my team mates shouted at me to do.

It was a chaotic and very short lived career because I opted for very early retirement being in fear of serious injury from the inevitable physicality of the the game and the psychological pressures of constantly being yelled at. The football team were happy to take me on.

My first introduction to Rugby League proper was whilst courting the 'ull lass who would become my wife.

She took me to the local derby match between the red and whites of Hull Kingston Rovers and the black and whites of Hull FC.

It was at the old Rover's ground, a bit of a wind tunnel in the east of the city subsequently sold to a national supermarket chain with the team moving farther out to a brand new stadium ( still a wind tunnel) on the periphery of the urban area.

I do not remember much about the game as I was more enthralled by the pitch battle between respective fans involving the exchange of large lumps of concrete and bricks. I had made a terrible error in not clarifying which team my then girlfriend actually supported. I worked on the assumption that as she had waved to her cousin who was in the frontline of the red and white assault on the FC terrace that she sided with Kingston Rovers.

I did not go to another match in Hull for 15 years due to a relocation out of area with work, marriage, children and a generally busy family life.

In 2002  Hull Council developed a new 25,000 seater sports stadium on the site of an old cricket oval within a mile of the city centre.

The tenants, sharing the ground, were Hull City Football Club and Hull FC. The latter, you will remember as the black and whites amongst the rugby league giants had previously occupied their own wind tunnel pitch known as the Boulevard which was earmarked as the site for a new school but a joint move was a natural one for both teams who had aspirations of ever greater greatness.

In supporting the forward thinking of the Council in building a top class facility I persuaded my company to purchase seats in the Stadium and the package covered both football and rugby league matches.

I was re-introduced to the summer game and began to attend on a regular basis taking along family and friends or failing that business contacts.

I found out at that stage that the game was still a mystery to me and perhaps more relevant was that I found it slow and boring.

There, I have said it.

I can hear my wife sobbing in the background at this admission.

An aspect of a competitive match that I found most annoying was the constant intrusion onto the playing area of trainers and water carriers to attend to the injured and stricken whilst the ball was in play. I can understand the rigours and risks of such a full-on contact sport but really, the sight of triage and minor surgery on the pitch amongst the action was a downright irritation.

I was further confused by the frequent team changes and the huge squads which meant a different team list for every match.

Actual games could be against well known teams such as Leeds , Wigan,  Featherstone and Castleford but then a fixture would pop up in some obscure cup competition with a team from Sheffield or a place in the depths of West Yorkshire that I have never heard of.

Granted, seeing Hull FC win 90-0 in an early Cup Round was history in the making but still not enough of a positive to make me a firm follower of Rugby League.

I respect the strength and endurance required from an elite player and indeed the equally valuable attributes of grace, poise, controlled power and speed which would be more likely found in an Olympic Gymnast or long distance runner.

My admission of not being a rugby fan still stands but the victory today by Hull FC in the Challenge Cup at Wembley Stadium by 12-10 over Warrington made me extremely proud.