For March 9th I'm going back 39 years to 1982 and Hull City's game against Scunthorpe United in League Division 4.
Ever since the completion of the Humber Bridge the previous year, games between Hull and clubs in North Lincolnshire became local derbies in a way that they hadn't quite been before. The bridge at the time was the longest single span suspension bridge in the world and can be seen from miles away with the surrounding countryside being extremely flat.
Unfortunately, the regional prosperity brought by the new bridge didn't extend to Hull City who had fallen into receivership. Inside the programme, the pre-printed photographs of members of the club's Board had been redacted and a picture of the Receiver and (team) Manager, Mr Martin Spencer FCA, was added alongside the black box of redaction! The programme also contained a message from former Chairman Christopher Needler explaining that he had "lent the Club as much money as I am able to do in all the circumstances". I'm sure that that would have been of no comfort to supporters who were, like Needler, "naturally concerned at the very real prospect of League Football not being played at Hull next season".
Things were certainly at the lowest of low ebbs for the Tigers and it would have been hard to believe it at the time that Hull would move into a brand new stadium to replace Boothferry Park only 20 years later in 2002. Even more unbelievable was their subsequent rise to the riches of the Premier League which they reached in 2008.
City won this game 2-0 in front of 6,121 with goals coming from Les Mutrie (later sent off) and future England Manager Steve McClaren, who made 178 of his 305 league appearances for Hull. Also in the Hull side that day were future PFA Chairman Brian Marwood and (Big) Billy Whitehurst. In the Scunthorpe's line-up, selected by Manager and ex-Spurs player John Duncan was former York City goalkeeper Joe Neenan.
CRB Match No. 158
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