Lovely to welcome you all to this AGM and the start of a new season, following the Tigers with enthusiasm! Of course, we have changes to work through, another new coach and some uncertain confidence that we have a team that can carry us forward and up! However, Senior Tigers comes with no such worrying changes, and we can look forward to another rollicking year of adventure, nostalgia, fun and friendships.
However, let’s glance back and refresh ourselves with the story that was our 2024-25 season.
Our monthly meetings:
We have enjoyed a very varied programme over the year. At our AGM (August ’24), we welcomed our future with the new Head Coach, Tim Walter, joining us. He came with such optimism, but sadly, it didn’t work out. Other speakers that joined us included former players, Jason Price, Adam Lowthorpe, Mark Greaves & Scott Maxfield. Current players also joined us, Captain Lewie Coyle, Kasey Palmer, Steven Alzate, Mason Burstow & Charlie Hughes. Mike White from Radio Humberside was a welcome guest, and so was Adam Pearson, who came to our fabulous 25th Anniversary event during which he was presented with the Senior Tigers’ Honorary Membership. There was also an afternoon when Roy Bly shared memories of his late father, Billy Bly and two former Senior Tigers’ Chairs, Gordon Towse & David Jackson, recalled their special moments.
Twice, we have extended our monthly meeting to include a superb luncheon, Christmas and the End of the Season. These require considerable planning but leave members with, what we hope, is a great memory. Of course, the highlight for us this last season was our 25th Anniversary Day, a wonderful day, full of surprises, a fabulous buffet and that huge Birthday Cake that Barbara had organised. Thanks also to Brendon Smurthwaite, who looked after us throughout the day and led successive groups to see the recently installed Wall of Fame in the heart of the stadium. Hopefully, you have kept your 25th Anniversary Souvenir Brochure in a special place. It took long hours to pull together and involved a number of our committee.
Our Outings:
Senior Tigers love their trips, and Barbara has not come short again. We started with a journey on the Sprotborough River Boat. This would then be followed by a day trip to Liverpool, and one to the National Arboretum Memorial in Staffordshire, along with a tour of the nearby Wedgewood Factory. We took on the Blackpool Lights in November, conveniently with a match between Steve Bruce’s Blackpool FC and Northampton Town included. A full house at the Leeds Pantomime was such a popular trip that it was immediately re-booked for this December! The New Year saw the first of two day trips to London via Hull Trains. This one included a full tour of Wembley Stadium. Afternoon Tea at Croft Park in Little Weighton, Burnby Hall Gardens in Pocklington, The National Holocaust Museum in Newark, back to London and finally, a rainy picnic in Louth! So much to look back on. Fabulous!
Other Activities:
Senior Tigers is more than football nostalgia; it offers a full and rounded programme of activities that support the bigger picture, our Health & Wellbeing.
Walking Football was our first additional activity and is now well established with the support of The Tigers’ Trust. Two sessions every week, and the same with our Table Tennis activity, which steadily grows from month to month. Swimming, such a great activity, is available every week, and it would be wonderful to see more members taking the opportunity. Well done to Pat Ellis, who coordinates these two activities. Away matches have always been popular, and for years Ernie Addy has organised these for us. Ernie has now handed over to Andy Riley, and there are plans afoot for the new season. Ernie, meanwhile, continues to provide a minibus shuttle for members who would otherwise struggle to get to the monthly meetings. This has been such a blessing to our members.  Finally, with the support of KCOM, we have regular sessions for members with questions and issues with computer technology, don’t we all? If you have never taken advantage of this provision, then give it some consideration.
Such a busy and varied programme only happens because people are putting in a big shift. We are so indebted to them. Barbara, our Treasurer, Membership Secretary & Outing Supremo; Shirley, our fantastic Secretary, keeps us informed and summarises our activities; Rob, who looks after our fabulous website and all technical issues; Tony, for the leadership of our Memorabilia Team and the monthly articles in our Newsletter; Richard, for the preparation and presentation of our player interviews; Pat, Ernie, & Andy, each doing numerous duties. That is just the committee, but alongside we have a wonderful team of helpers, people like Pete, who prepares the raffle every month, a massive job. Others welcome you to our meetings, sell you tea & coffee tickets, raffle tickets, the Memorabilia Team and numerous other tasks. We sincerely thank them everyone.
Finally, we try hard to provide a satisfying experience at the Senior Tigers. We also look to ensure it doesn’t exclude people, if at all possible. For this, we are so grateful to our Sponsors, who ensure that we can keep things accessible. Hull City AFC (including the Tigers Events management and staff with their fabulous support on our meeting and luncheon days), the Tigers’ Trust, KCOM, Acklams Coaches/Holidays, Jupiter Web Solutions, all make invaluable contributions to running this club.
Further to the above, I would like to announce that through the efforts of Rob, KCOM have agreed to extend their support and sponsor our website and Memorabilia Galleries. He also arranged for Acklams to cover the cost of our membership cards for the upcoming season. Also, a first for our Club, Ernie has won a bid and secured funding from the Home Instead Charity to cover the operational costs of the minibus service.
In turn, we also try and show generosity to others. This last year has seen donations made to MND (The Kevin Sinfield Cycle Challenge), EFL Charity (another Cycle Challenge, this one in support of CPR provision and led by David Prutton) and the Advanced Driver’s Association.
It is a privilege to be part of something that excites me so much. I hope you all feel the same.
Allen
