Showing posts with label hull. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hull. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 August 2023

1980 Challenge Cup final: Hull KR v Hull

Roger 'The Dodger' Millward had enjoyed a stellar rugby league career. Winning with Great Britain in Australia in 1970; captaining his country in two World Cups; skipper of Hull Kingston Rovers as the club won their first Championship for 54 years. But there was one thing missing off the CV of the 32-year-old.

Millward had never appeared in a Challenge Cup final. "It was the match that I'd waited sixteen years to play in," Millward revealed in his autobiography, in one of the three chapters dedicated to the 1980 Challenge Cup final. "It didn't arrive until my very last season - and my last ever game as a first team player."

Monday, 4 August 2014

1982 Challenge Cup final: Hull v Widnes

The Challenge Cup certainly owed Hull a thing or two come 1982. The club had last won the famous trophy in 1914 (in Halifax), but since then had lost five finals, including three at Wembley, giving strength to the ever growing impression that the team were suffering from a hoodoo when it came to the Twin Towers. Their last final defeat had been particularly galling - a 10-5 loss to bitter rivals Hull Kingston Rovers in 1980 - so as the 1982 final against Widnes approached, Hull had a lot of issues to resolve with the competition.

Sunday, 18 August 2013

1985 Challenge Cup final: Wigan v Hull

If I think back to the sporting year of 1985, I can instantly relate to Marty McFly and his desperation to return to that period of time. From that world snooker final to Europe's Ryder Cup triumph, via McGuigan's Loftus Road glory, Lyle's Open win, Mansell's breakthrough, to the arrival of Becker at SW19, it was a time of my life when sport seeped into every pore of my body. My discovery of new sports, such as cricket, thanks to England's Ashes victory, seemed almost pre-destined, and has helped make me the slightly obsessive person that I am today.