Our meeting this month was ‘Upside Down’ as Barbara put it.
We were delighted to have as our guest speaker this month Liam Rosenoir. However, he would be with us later than planned due to travel problems home from the Tuesday night’s away game.
We had a vehicle to view outside of The Dugout from the East Hull Community Transport. One of our members, Geoff Groom, explained how their Dial-a-Ride service worked. The service is available to people who live within the city boundaries and the neighbouring villages. Once you have registered with them you can use the service to take you to hospital appointments, doctors’ appointments and even the shops. The vehicles have wheelchair access and the driver will escort you to and from your front door. One of our members used the service to our meeting today and said what a good experience it had been.
Cliff Edens the new Events Safety & Security Officer at the stadium joined our meeting. He explained his role and how he wants people to have a nice experience in a nice environment. Cliff had previously been a safety officer at Burnley FC for 6 ½ years and also a safety officer in Qatar for the World Cup. So, with his vast experience, he is trying to make things safe for all members at our home matches. But not only is he concerned with home matches he has sent our stewards to away matches to help with our fans. One of our members brought up the problem of standing at matches especially away matches. He told us that it is a problem throughout the EFL and that they are trying to manage the situation. If you have any concerns then Cliff is the man to contact.
As Liam Rosenior would be late arriving Allen had invited one of the showmen from Hull Fair to speak to us. Marshall Waddington has been coming to Hull Fair for 62 years, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. As he said it’s a generational thing, a family thing. As we all know Hull Fair is the biggest in Europe. It’s spread out and jam-packed with not a spare space to be had. A member asked “How would you feel if you had to move the fair to another site because of the football?” he responded that nowhere has the same atmosphere and not many places have the same size of area like Walton Street. They have used the same site for nearly 120 years. Marshall went on to tell us about his passion for football. The Showman’s Guild is split into 10 sections covering the whole country and Scotland too. Each section has a football team. They have a Showman’s Challenge Cup tournament each year which has been going on for 100 years. Marshall has played for the Yorkshire team mostly at centre-half. He has also played for their England team gaining an England Cap which he brought to the meeting.
Pat thanked Marshall for coming at short notice saying how the people of Hull enjoy the fair and how it is a wonderful event for all generations.
We then had our tea and coffee break and a catch-up with friends. This was followed by our raffle which raised £324.
There was a great turnout of members to see Liam who arrived later than expected having come straight from the training ground. He received a warm welcome from those members who were able to stay to see him.
As we all know Liam’s gran is from Hull and as a youngster spent many holidays here with her. Liam thinks Hull is a special city with a special football club. He told us that his gran burst into tears when he told her he was joining Hull City.
One of the questions asked was when he was approached by the club owner how did he sell the job to him. Liam’s answer was he didn’t have to as he always wanted to manage Hull City. Asked whether he would have liked to have been a pundit on Sky Sports instead his response was he wanted to be a coach not on the TV. Another question was asked, one which we might have expected, about the team playing out from the back which many of us feel uneasy about. Liam’s response was by doing so it invites the opposition to come to you leaving a space behind for us to exploit.
As a youngster all Liam wanted was a football at his feet. At the age of 17, his father the former player and coach, Leroy Rosenior brought him to Torquay United when he was the coach there. Liam told us that his father would not allow him to call him dad but gaffa when at the club. Liam went on to tell us that one time his father dropped him from the team because he had not been at the correct level and that was just after he had driven Liam to the football ground for the match.
Andy Cole once said to Liam when they were both at Fulham, how can I play alongside you when I have played with your dad?
So far under Liam, we have had the best start in the Championship for quite a while. Long may it continue.
Pat thanked Liam for coming and as his appearance was shorter than planned, she asked him if he would come back again. He said he absolutely would.
Shirley Cormack (Secretary)
Geoff Groom Dial-a-Ride minibus
Barbara and Cliff Edens Allen and Marshall Waddington
Liam Rosenior with Richard Beachell Barbara, Liam and Allen
