Author: Russell Anson

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HCST Responds to Badenoch’s Comments on Independent Football Regulator

12 February 2025

Hull City Supporters Trust (HCST) has always been a firm supporter of the Football Governance Bill, and in 2024, we called on our local MPs across all parties to back this crucial legislation in Parliament.

It is deeply concerning to hear the comments from Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who has dismissed the proposed independent football regulator as a “waste of money” and stated that she has “always said” she does not support the bill. We stand with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) in criticising this U-turn and urge Ms Badenoch to engage with the FSA, supporter groups like HCST, and the 72 EFL clubs that have publicly supported the regulator.

In recent years, the Premier League has been embroiled in costly legal disputes, with millions spent on litigation—money that could have been invested in improving the game for fans and local communities. A properly implemented independent regulator would help provide oversight, ensure financial stability, and create a fairer, more transparent football system for all.

Cross-party support for football reform has been rare, so the introduction of the Football Governance Bill—originally proposed by the Conservative government and now backed by Labour—was a significant step towards protecting the future of our game. It is incredibly disappointing to see the current Conservative Party leader turning her back on football fans, clubs, and communities to seemingly appease a few of the so-called ‘big clubs’ for political gain.

Football supporters deserve a system that prioritises the long-term sustainability of the game over political manoeuvring. We urge Ms Badenoch to reconsider her stance and commit to delivering the independent regulator that football so desperately needs.

Hull City Supporters Trust (HCST)

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International Director

The Hull City Supporters’ Trust (HCST) is delighted to announce Leonardo (Leo), a lifelong Tigers fan from Bari, Italy, as our new International Director.

Leonardo’s passion for Hull City began at the age of 10, a connection that has only deepened over the years. Remarkably, he doesn’t support any Italian team—his dedication to Hull City leaves no room for divided loyalties. In 2013, Leonardo established Hull City Italia, uniting Italian fans under a shared love for the Tigers. Twitter / X users will know Leo under the handle of @HullCityItalian.

In 2019, Leonardo fulfilled a lifelong dream by attending his first match at the MKM Stadium, witnessing Hull City take on Blackburn. His first live victory, however, came four years later against Huddersfield at home—a moment he will cherish forever.

Beyond his love for football, Leonardo holds a degree in Italian Literature, bringing both creativity and dedication to his role as International Director. His unique perspective and unwavering commitment will help expand HCST’s global reach, strengthening the connection between Hull City fans worldwide.

Leonardo shared his excitement for the new role:
“Hull City has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s an honor to serve as International Director for the Supporters’ Trust, and I can’t wait to work with fans around the world to support the Tigers.”

We warmly welcome Leonardo to the HCST team and look forward to the energy and vision he will bring to this role.

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SPION KOP 1906 CLUB LAUNCH

Hull City Supporters’ Trust is proud to announce the formal launch of its heritage project to unearth and preserve the UK’s only surviving unchanged football supporters’ open terrace of its era, actually constructed a short period ahead of its famous namesake on the other side of the Pennines!

Investigative work has already commenced to establish the viability of the Spion Kop’s rear concrete wall prior to the ground clearance to remove sixty years of mother nature hiding what structurally remains of Hull City’s original Anlaby Road ground dating back to 1906.

Lead Project Director, Chris Smith said, “The Trust is set to apply to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for a significant grant towards what might well be a million pound project, including access walkways, signage, lighting, seating and landscaping.”

Nick Thompson, Chairman of the Trust added, “We are now appealing to Hull City supporters to back this passion project by becoming members of the Spion Kop 1906 Club to raise the necessary target to match the Heritage Fund’s support. The Trust has received generous support, in kind, from the football club but it’s the individual supporters and the local business community that we are relying on to kick the project towards the final whistle.” 

All Spion Kop 1906 Club members will have their name and/or that of their ancestors’ cut out of the metal non-slip treadplate “Walk of Legends” to be a permanent recognition of their support in perpetuity.

The Supporters’ Trust is honoured to acknowledge Councillor Mike Ross as the inaugural member of the Spion Kop 1906 Club. Not only has Hull City Council facilitated a lease for the land containing the project but the Leader’s Contingency Fund has made the first significant contribution towards the Trust’s eventual target. 

Councillor Ross will be presented with a life membership of the Trust plus a memento plaque of his name that will feature on the laser cut “Walk of Legends” that will eventually lead to the preserved Spion Kop.

https://hullcitysupporterstrust.com/join/spion-kop-sign-up/

https://www.wearehullcity.co.uk/news/2024/november/01/spion-kop-1906-club-launch-

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SPION KOP 1906 CLUB. LEAVE YOUR MARK ON HISTORY

The Hull City Supporters’ Trust (HCST) invites you to join us in celebrating Hull City’s rich football heritage. We are excited to announce the Spion Kop 1906 Club, a fundraising initiative to honour the iconic Spion Kop End at Hull City’s original Anlaby Road ground.

As the UK’s last remaining example of an original football supporters’ open terrace of its era, the Spion Kop is significant to fans and our sporting history.

After being forgotten for decades, this historic site is set for revival during Hull City’s 120th Anniversary year.

With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we aim to secure a grant of up to £1,000,000. To qualify, we must raise 10% of the matched funding—an ambitious target of £100,000.

By joining the Spion Kop 1906 Club, you can help preserve this vital piece of football history. Your name will be etched onto the path leading to this site, ensuring your contribution is remembered for generations.

Support our mission to conserve the Spion Kop and create a memorial celebrating the camaraderie of football fans. Together, we can honor our shared legacy.

Join us today and leave your mark on the Walk of Legends!

https://hullcitysupporterstrust.com/join/spion-kop-sign-up/

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Spion Kop Anlaby Road – Our Sporting Heritage

A Birth of The Tiger Nation

Usually when football and rugby grounds are demolished, little or no physical traces survive, so the rediscovery of remnants of Anlaby Road’s Spion Kop is of genuine interest and importance in terms of our wider national sporting heritage. This is especially so given that the ‘football terrace’ – that is, the mound or slope upon which millions of fans stood upon for their thrills, spills and companionship – represents, arguably, one of the great cultural icons of 20th Century life in Britain… “

Simon Inglis

The UK’s renowned expert,  author and lecturer on  sports architecture.

https://hullcitysupporterstrust.com/join/spion-kop-sign-up/

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2024/25 Match Ticket and Membership Price Increases

The Trust is well aware of the careful, not to say, agonising consideration that has been given by the Club prior to today’s announcement of prices for watching the Tigers next season. Against a backdrop, nationally, of raging inflation since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and huge increases announced by certain other clubs, there is a general increase of just under 15%. This is the first increase in the two years since the change of ownership and it follows reductions in prices two seasons ago. 

A full price membership in the highest price category, Zone 3, equates to less than £21 per home game over the 23-match season. A senior member in the same zone pays just over £13.50 per match. To some, the introduction of a charge for under 10s might be unwelcome, but this equates to only £1.83 per match. The new prices compare very favourably with many other clubs in all divisions of the EFL and in lower leagues.

The Trust respects and supports the need for these modest price increases and urges all supporters to do the same. We’re all part of One Family, One Dream.

Chris Stern

Chair

Hull City Supporters’ Trust

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Gainsborough Trinity 0-0 Hull City U23: Stalemate as Woodhouse’s Boro side hold Dawson’s Young Tigers

Hull City U23s were held to a goalless draw by Northern Premier League side Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday night. Match report by Luke Flanners

Hull City U23s were held to a goalless draw by Northern Premier League side Gainsborough Trinity with the young Tigers having the better of the chances. 

  • Story of the game

Hull got the game underway, and apart from a couple or corners early on, it was a fairly even start to the game. Chadwick was the first player to almost bring a mistake out of the Gainsborough keeper Jackson, but he managed to retain possession of the ball. 

James Berry showed pace down the flanks after quick distribution by Robson for City, but the chance went begging. Both Berry and Chadwick were the main sources of chances out wide, with Hull naming two Trialists in the starting line up.

Gainsborough grew into the game in the latter stages of the second period, with a couple of half chances going wide. Hull City looked the most likely to score, but the first half ended goalless with a lack of cutting edge up front for the Tigers despite a good work rate from Andy Dawson’s young squad. 

As the second half got underway, Chadwick went close in first two minutes with shot just wide. Berry hit the bar as City put the pressure on, and the young forward was proving to be a real thorn in the side of the home team.

Gainsborough, however, did get themselves back in the game with a deflected shot that brought great save out of Robson. Sheaf has to head the ball off the line from the resulting corner. 

As the half went on, great work from Berry saw the trialist striker hit the post for City. His shot was blocked just after and away for a corner to the away side that was cleared. 

Chadwick had a shot that was well saved, before the best chance of the game put over by the young forward. The ball was moved about really well with Berry involved yet again, but Chadwick blazed the effort over the bar.

A well worked free kick saw Berry’s cross just headed wide by Festus Arthur. 

Gainsborough came close to winning it at the end with a header from a free kick, but the game finished 0-0 with Hull’s youngsters unlucky not to come away with the win.

  • Stand out players 

James Berry was the best player going forward, with much of the young Hull City team’s play coming through him. He was unlucky not to score himself and almost created chances for others. Festus Arthur was solid at the back and was impressive in his first public Hull City outing. 

  • Teams 

Gainsborough Trinity: Jackson; Dennison, Williamson, Ainge, Wiles, Collins, Woolford, Trialist, Fyfe, Bacon, Tomlinson. 

Substitutions: Trialists, Smythe, Orlando-Young. 

Hull City U23: Robson; Smith, Arthur, Trialist, Jacob; Hickey (C), Jones, Sheaf; Chadwick, Trialist, Berry. 

Substitutions: Wood, Lovick, Snellgrove.

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What’s Next For Hull City AFC?

In view of the present situation that the club finds itself in, one must question just what has been going on in recent times.

To those of us watching from the outside it appears that there has been a breakdown of trust and co-operation between the players and management, be it the coaching team or further up the management scale. Poor performances and a resistance to change a playing system, which was obviously not working have led to this situation.

The owners have alienated vast swathes of its fan base in recent years, stating that they didn’t matter and could die when they wanted. This may have been so in the days when Premier League and TV money was abundant, but now, more than ever, they will need those remaining fans to stay, and they must do something to build bridges and encourage those who no longer attend matches to return and fall in love with Hull City AFC again.

Whatever has happened in the past, the club now finds itself where it is. The question is then, how does the Club see its future?

We call upon the club to respond to the following points.

  1. Sale of the club

The club has been for sale for 6 years now with little progress being made.  We believe that this is due to unrealistic pricing, especially as there is a depleted playing squad and tangible assets limited to a small training ground.  Can the club please confirm:

  • the club is still for sale
  • the asking price will be sensibly reduced rather than being the debt owed to Allamhouse Limited
  • Playing resources

Recent profits made by the club have largely been down to player sales and parachute payments. As the latter have run out now it is clear that the strength of the playing squad will be vital to the short-term future of the club. Can the club please confirm:

  • they will continue to invest in the academy and build on the progress already made
  • you believe that the current recruitment set up is able to identify suitable new players at the appropriate fee and the current manager is the man to develop those players
  • will there be a change in approach to renegotiating player contracts given the number of players who have refused to sign a new contract over the last few years
  • Membership scheme

Whilst there are still flaws in the membership scheme the price changes made last season have at least made it workable.  Can the club please confirm:

  • the scheme is to continue for 2020/21
  • the pricing is not going to increase
  • that charges are only going to start when supporters are able to attend
  • due consideration will be given to reinstating concessions for disabled fans
  • the ‘benefits/bonus’ packages for members will finally materialise
  • Fan Engagement

We urge the club to re-engage with the trust at this difficult time – remember we are all in this together. Under Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) guidelines football clubs must have “structured dialogue” with supporters and this must involve a Supporters Trust (if it exists). This is now part of the EFL Rulebook.

  • Stadium capacity

The club has recorded some of the lowest attendances at the KCOM during the last season and the Trust is concerned that this decline will continue with League 1 football.  Can the club please clarify what steps will be considered to increase attendances to levels previously recorded in League 1 at the KCOM.  Can the club please confirm:

  • there will be no further stand closures
  • special pricing initiatives will be adopted at half term and other special times
  • loyalty of fans will be rewarded
  • walk-up one off prices will not be excessive
  • The KCOM Stadium

We note that the stadium management company has made significant losses whilst under the current ownership and as far as we are aware has not paid any return to Hull City Council. Can the club please confirm:

  • appropriate steps are being made to reduce losses and ultimately make a payment to the council
  • a reasonable refurbishment policy will be adopted to bring areas of the stadium suffering wear back to the required standard
  • that a suitable dilapidations provision is being made in the accounts by the end of the current lease
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NEW RETRO SHIRTS

Following the recent success of our 1992/93 iconic Tiger Stripes retro Hull City shirt, and being able to donate to Dementia Friendly East Riding, MindHEALTH, and Mind Hull and East Yorkshire, we’ve been working to bring you more retro shirts to purchase.

We are delighted to announce the launch of three new retro shirts from the 1988/89 season which can be purchased via the website www.world-retro.com. Again, monies will be donated to charity.

In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, we plan to make donations to the charities below if sales go well:

Help the Aged

Emmaus
Dove House Hospice


Emmaus

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Annual General Meeting (AGM) Notice

Can all members please note that our next AGM will be held at the William Gemmell Social Club on Saturday 14th March 2020 (n.b. Subject to change should the Charlton fixture be moved for TV coverage)

In accordance with our Rules, (full details on our website), we require an Election Management Group, (EMG), to oversee the election process for members nominated to stand as Board members. (n.b. Members of the EMG cannot stand for election to the Board in 2020) 

The EMG members will be required to attend 2 meetings both of which should be no more than 1 hour in length and attended by the Trust Secretary as well as an independent observer, (i.e. a non-Trust member), who ensures the process is conducted correctly and transparently.

The first meeting will be in in January, (to finalise and confirm the election
process), and the second meeting mid-February, (to review election nominees). Both meeting dates are currently tbc.

Could any members wishing to volunteer to be part of the EMG please e-mail Jean via secretary@hullcityst.com to register their interest.

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Hull City Supporters Trust November Newsletter

Here is our latest update on the activities of the trust since our last communication.

In November the Trust were delighted to renew their sponsorship of Hull City Ladies and its player sponsorship of midfielder Emma Westmoreland. Our Chairman Geoff Bielby met with Ladies Head Coach Danny Johnson and we hope to feature updates on how the Ladies perform on our news pages.

During October Director David Batte and the Chair met with the Tigers Trust CEO Catherine Bishop to discuss working together on local events in the future. The meeting was a success.

Our annual meeting with the Leader of Hull City Council took place recently when discussions centered on the Kcom stadium and its status as an asset of community value.

The FSA have a new website – www.thefsa.org.uk
On the website you can see the FSA manifesto released to co-inside with the upcoming election. It’s well worth a read.

Country Golf Hull are one of our partners and we were saddened to see the effects of recent flooding in our area which left the facility under two feet of water. We wish John Harrison and his team well as they commence the clean-up operation.

We have recently added MindHEALTH to our list of community partners. You can access their website here http://mindhealth.website/home-page

Everyone at the Trust enjoyed reading about the club’s half term activities which were enjoyed by so many young supporters who will hopefully be keen to go and experience home matches in the future. We also acknowledge the recent half price ticket offers for the home games with Derby and WBA which certainly boosted the attendance and seemed to be much appreciated by the team. A great effort by everyone at the club. We also acknowledge the new ticketing scheme announced on the 18th November which we fully support. The Trust would still like the re-introduction of Disabled concessions. Well done to the club and everyone involved in working on the new pricing structure.

We are soon approaching our 20th anniversary as a supporter’s organisation which has taken on various forms over the years and we hope to have some events to mark the occasion in coming months.

We are teaming up with Minster Village Retro Football shirts and soon fans will have the opportunity to purchase a classic City shirt from years gone by. More details soon.

Remember When

This time we head back to November 1993 and the FA Cup ties with Runcorn. Thanks, as always to @tigerprogrammes for the pictures.

Back in November 1993, Meatloaf were number one in the charts with ‘I’d do anything for love’, Clint Eastwood was starring in ‘a perfect world’ and the tigers travelled to non-league Runcorn in the FA Cup first round where they took the lead through Graeme Atkinson, but the tie was abandoned on 29 minutes after a wall collapsed. The match was subsequently re-played at Witton Albion 10 days later when goals from Linton Brown and Chris Hargreaves took the tigers through to round two. Sadly, City went out to Chester losing 2.0.

In the City squad were Linton Brown who has recently been appointed the new Commercial Manager at Blackpool FC, we wish him well there. David Norton was at City for 3 years he went onto manager Forest Green and Tamworth and now works as a PE coach in Nottingham. Right Back Brian Mitchell returned to his native Scotland after he retired and works as an Active Schools Manager in Aberdeen.

One of the linesman was a certain Alan Wiley, who played a part in City history.

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Country Golf

Located at East Carr Road, Hull HU8 9LR
Newly refurbished 22 Bay Driving Range
12 hole par 3 “Long Course”
6 hole par 3 “Short Course“
Pro Shop
Coffee Lounge
Resident PGA Professional on site 
HCST members will receive a 10% discount off par 3 course rounds and also driving range balls on production of their membership card
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Statement Re: Ehab Allam Interview Hull Daily Mail 7th October 2019

In relation to the interview with Ehab Allam in which he states that there was a strained relationship with the Hull City Supporters Trust, leading to its exclusion from Supporters Committee meetings, we would like to state that the Trust have tried on numerous occasions to find middle ground. Yes there have been problems between personalities on both sides, however these have been in the past and it is time we moved on.

The Trust have always had the success of Hull City and its supporter’s enjoyment at heart.

We would prefer to move forward and re-build the previously good relationship between the Club and Hull City Supporters Trust, and the Trust have tried to maintain some contact with the club and find some compromise, however the Club have been unwilling to have any form of dialogue.

After a recent change in board personnel our new Secretary has approached the Club with this objective in mind. We have, however received no reply to her letter.

This could be considered to be a rejection of any form of dialogue towards the Trust. If Mr Allam, or any of his staff would like to contact us to discuss how we could have a future together, we would invite them to contact secretary@Hullcityst.com

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England’s Greatest Defender – Alfie Potts Harmer

Hull City Supporters Trust are pleased to assist with the book launch on Friday 16th August, 6:30pm at Waterstones in Hull City Centre.

A few words from the author below…..

I first heard about Neil Franklin from my Grandad, who started attending games at Boothferry Park before the start of the Second World War. Franklin joined Hull City in February 1951, upon completion of a four-month ban handed to him by the F.A. He stuck around in East Yorkshire for the next five years, playing in fewer than half of all the club’s games during that period due to a series of chronic knee injuries, but still standing out as the finest centre-half in the country and a total anomaly in the Second Division when fit.


Some time later, after I finished school and began writing about football as a potential career, I founded my own website called A Halftime Report. In the crowded world of football writing and sports journalism, A Halftime Report sought to be a source for all things weird and wonderful from football’s past, focussing and quirky and lesser-known tales from the history of the sport. I was reminded of that centre-half Grandad had told me about years ago, and began taking a closer look at Neil Franklin. The story seemed tailor-made for the site, and in the summer of 2015 I published an article entitled ‘A Career Destroyed in Six Matches’, looking at Neil and his misbegotten move to Bogota in 1950.

Pretty immediately it became one of the most widely-circulated pieces I had written, and a staff member at Stoke City even got in touch to say their chairman Peter Coates had read the article and wondered if the club could share it on their official website. Neil Franklin, it transpired, was Mr Coates’ favourite player when he first started attending games at the Victoria Ground. Although the article got a really warm response, there seemed to be a general thirst for more. You can never fully do a story justice in a 1,500 word article, but on this occasion it felt as though there was an awful lot more there just waiting to be unearthed.

Lots of people remarked that the story would make for an interesting film or book, and whilst I had no idea how to make a film, the idea of writing a book about Neil Franklin began to fascinate me. I spent a couple of months gathering up information and decided there was more than enough there to justify writing a book, but after months of unsuccessfully trying to contact the Franklin family I began to give up on the project. In January 2017, though, thanks to a combination of my girlfriend and Pete Smith at the Stoke Sentinel, I managed to get hold of Neil’s son Gary Franklin.

Two-and-a-half years on, it would be fair to say the process hasn’t exactly been painless, and there has been more than one occasion in which I thought it still wouldn’t happen. I’m delighted that the book is finished now though, and finally arriving on people’s laps ready to be read. The story of Neil Franklin is genuinely one of the most interesting and intriguing that I have ever come across, and it seems bizarre to me that over 20 years on from his death and 70 years on from when Neil was at the peak of his footballing powers, this is the first time his story has fully and comprehensively been told.