A look of shock at how far the sea of people went back came over the faces of Hull KR’s players as they stepped out onto the Hull City Hall balcony for their trophy celebration. “Have you ever seen anything like this?” came the question from the Rovers scrum as players jostled for position, eager to soak up the inspiring view.
No answer to the question came, but in truth there were very few of a red and white persuasion on the balcony or in the crowd who could answer they had seen this before. It had after all been 45 years since Hull KR’s last Challenge Cup triumph. The wait had been long, too long for some who sadly were not here to celebrate this potentially defining moment for the club, but for those who came to represent the people they lost, and for those who came to forge new memories for themselves, the wait was worth it.
The celebrations at Wembley after Saturday’s dramatic Challenge Cup final victory were special, but there’s just something about a homecoming parade that sets it apart. “I’m really excited, it’s going to be a day I’ll never forget,” was Willie Peters’ parting words as he left Wembley Saturday evening with thoughts turning to Sunday’s trophy parade and city centre celebration.
(Image: Donna Clifford/HullLive)
Peters’ words as he took in the sea of red from the City Hall balcony were pretty much inaudible. “I’ve lost my voice from the shouting yesterday,” explained the Aussie coach, who goes down alongside the great man Roger Millward as the only Rovers coaches to lift the famous trophy.
Peters’ lost voice was one of several moments to draw a huge cheer and a few laughs from the thousands in attendance. Joe Burgess’ proclamation that the city is red and white was another, as was Jez Litten’s declaration of his pride at winning the cup alongside his “Hull FC rejects” as he called himself, Dean Hadley and Mikey Lewis.
It all fed into the party atmosphere, but while the crowd had come for a celebration, there was a genuine emotional pull to the event, fuelled by the long wait for a day such as this. There was a sense among the crowd of just how much this meant. Nobody echoed that sentiment more than Lewis.
The Man of Steel may have been fuelled by a celebratory drink or two, but the emotion was real. Taking his sunglasses off as he concluded his address to the crowd, the tears in his eyes were unavoidable as he struggled to sum up what it meant to be able to win the cup for the club, his family and the community. Warrington may not have been able to stop him, but the sight of so many happy Robins had floored the half-back.
(Image: Donna Clifford/HullLive)
The celebration of the past, present and hope for the future was summed up perfectly by the club owner Neil Hudgell, who despite keeping his own counsel on club matters these days, always seems to find the correct words for such occasions when he does speak.
The man who kept the club afloat in the troubled times and whose vision helped them to this current position received one of the biggest cheers of the day when introduced on the balcony. Paying tribute to the likes of Rob Crossland, Colin McNicol, Phil Lowe and many of those who had been the backbone of the club for years before on and off the field, Hudgell talked of celebrating for those of the past and those of the here and now, but to ensure this is just the first of many celebrations with more to come in the future.
Words that for many encapsulated exactly what this Challenge Cup success and the celebration event was all about. A club so long starved of success has finally got the trophy they craved. It means the world, it was worth the wait, but now they’re not content. They waited 40 years for a major success, they’re not planning on waiting around for the next.