Hull, Harriers and Heaton's Housemartins

I once went out with a girl who lived in Hull, as did a mate of mine â a different girl obviously as weâÂÂre not from Burnley.

WeâÂÂd drive along the M62 to see our girlfriends, fearful that we were going to get attacked for being out of towners at any point beyond Selby. WeâÂÂd time our visits carefully so they wouldnâÂÂt clash with Manchester United games and would watch the free public boxing bouts each weekend night in Hull city centre.

On one visit, I arrived in Hull on a Saturday afternoon.

âÂÂItâÂÂs a nice day, letâÂÂs go to the park,â I said to my then better half.

âÂÂYou donâÂÂt know any parks in Hull,â she replied.

âÂÂTrust me, I do.âÂÂ

It's got grass, seats and six pylons. What more do you want?

An hour later we were stood on Bunkers Hill, otherwise known as the south terrace at Boothferry Park, her bored and baffled, me engrossed by the six floodlight pylons â it was the only ground in Britain with six giant pylons. It was 1995, crowds were around 5,000 and Dean Windass was still a sprightly 43.

Often derided, Hull has some salient points. The Paragon railway station is wonderful. If it was in London itâÂÂd have a champagne bar, six branches of Pret a Manger and homosexual men in square glasses from Hampstead talking about the relative aesthetic value on television.

But itâÂÂs in Hull and serves as a rail station, where passengers buy tickets, board and alight trains. Which is what it was built for.

The view of the Humber Bridge rivals the Golden Gate in San Francisco, the DeepâÂÂs (an aquarium) modern architecture contrasts smartly against the Hull Tidal surge barrier and they even have a huge church named in honour of Law, Best and Charlton - the Holy Trinity.

And on your left you can see Alcatraz island. Err, hang on... 

As well as having one of the best fanzines around (Hull, Hell and Happiness), Hull had a great record shop called Sidney Scarborough. I once walked up to the counter and hummed a song I wanted to buy. The assistant, who looked like he had a brain the size of the internet and therefore should know, looked at me as if I was from Grimsby and didnâÂÂt reply: âÂÂThatâÂÂll be Inner City Life by Goldie.â Which is what I was trying to hum.

My next encounter with the Tigers was in 2004 when, following the early kick-off in the FA Cup semi-final between Man United and Arsenal at Villa Park, I spurned my friendsâ invitations to go into Birmingham, drink beer and peer at attractive girls in Broad Street before getting filmed and sectioned by the ever hostile West Midlands constabulary.

Instead, I drove alone to Aggborough, home of Kidderminster Harriers and arrived late for their game against Hull.

My mum called to see where her 31-year-old son was.

Aggborough: Home of the Harriers. Watch out for tigers 

âÂÂIâÂÂm just going to the loo, while watching the mighty tigers,â I said, half in jest.

âÂÂYouâÂÂre at the zoo watching tigers?â she replied, while going for the yellow pages to find the number of a counsellor.

Kidderminster are now non-league, Hull are heading for the Champions League. IâÂÂd love to see them in it, though itâÂÂd be a chore for their fans to apply for passports ahead of travelling.

Imagine people from Hull outside MilanâÂÂs Duomo or the Prado in Madrid? TheyâÂÂd turn their noses up and say things like: âÂÂNothing on Princes Quay and thereâÂÂs no a ferry to Zeebrugge round the corner either.â And imagine manager Phil Brown in Milan? HeâÂÂd be able to buy a properly tailored suit and not something that had been left in Studio 54âÂÂs coatroom.

IâÂÂd like Hull to reach the 2010 European Cup final and play United, who they will probably beat on Saturday because theyâÂÂre Hull City and they win football games every week.

Paul Heaton, a famous former resident of Hull (he moved there for no reason other than heâÂÂd never been and wanted to be near the sea), helps run a football team a lot of my mates play for in Manchester. I played a game with them last season. Heaton leant me his boots and I got changed pitch-side by his scooter, my feet sinking into the waterlogged South Manchester earth.

Heaton: Currently penning 'London 0 Hull 10' 

Last Sunday, Heaton was continually distracted by media calls before their game. Who would have thought that in deciding to name a Housemartins album âÂÂLondon 0 Hull 4â two decades later it would symbolise Hull City beating four London teams including Tottenham and Arsenal in the first two months of the season?

IâÂÂm made up for them, and for the fact that theyâÂÂre smashing through all perceived Premier League predictabilities, but they need bringing down to earth.

Starting with Saturday when IâÂÂll be throwing Grimsby processed fish from my seat into the Hull end.

----------------------------------------------

FourFourTwo.com: More to read...
Confessions of a Correspondent home
Blogs home 
Latest England news
News home
Interviews home
Forums home
FourFourTwo.com home