The SMC should be an independent organisation it was a mistake when Hull City Council allowed Adam Pearson who in turn sold out to Paul Duffen to be involved.
It’s very interesting that following the furore when Wheland made the JJB unavailable to Wigan Warriors it is now available for the Four Nations. What next will the Tigers blame FC for the injuries if they are relegated?

I've just fired off the below e-mail to the SMC.







FAO Mr Duffen

I am writing in objection to your unexplained decision NOT to permit an International RL match later this year at the KC Stadium.

You shouldn't have to be reminded that the stadium is for the benefit of the whole of the community and not the sole use of Hull City AFC.

There have been many International RL matches in this City well before you came here, some were played at Boothferry Park to accommodate the vast RL following in this City, not just Hull FC and Hull KR but the 1000s played at amateur and junior levels that play in and around the Hull and district area.

You need to be reminded Mr Duffen that this is also a RL City, and your unexplained decision to deny us the RL supporter the privilige to support our National team is deplorable and insulting.
24000 RL supporters attended games at the KC and Craven Park over the last two games in Super League, you have no right to deny us the privilige to support our game.

and i was just gonna call him a cock

We should all do similar, from both sides of the city. This is our sport and we are being denied the chance to support our national team. It's a disgrace. E-mail address please.

Hull City cannot afford to buy the stadium from Hull City Council, they also cannot afford to build a 35000 capacity stadium for themselves elsewhere.
the cheapest option would be to build us a 20000 capacity stadium on the site of the old Boulevard

info@smc-hull.co.uk use my letter as a template if you want to

info@smc-hull.co.uk use my letter as a template if you want to

As a Hull City season ticket holder I am disugusted at this decision. I am so disappointed and angry I am wishing City get relegated if this is what it means for the "Community" stadium that is the KC.

This does not belong to Hull city or Mr Duffen, it is for the people of Hull. They should move mountains to get a high profile game such as this at OUR stadium. The truth is, the SMC are all pi55ing in the same pot with Duffen and he has probably convinced them that the all seeing and ruling premier league is high rpofile enough.

Shame on you Mr Duffen. clear off back to where you came from ASAP. I'm beginning to seriously dislike my Hull City in the Premier League.

In the all important run-in for City, I think Hull FC players should wear one inch studs and make sure they take great pleasure in tearing big lumps out of OUR pitch

Problem solved as far as i'm concerned! not sure about the site though.

There were no problems getting hold last week of him for his two page interview in the HDM when he was justifying his decision to spend £5M on Jimmy Bullard.

As you said, he should make himself available for comment.

ive sent my email

bring back pearson

least he cared

Disgraceful decision. It seems now that the ever failing football team finally reaches it golden egg. The smc are showning thier true colours.

i'm going to reserve my opinions until we hear a response from the SMC, for all we know the RFL may have made an offer to rent to ground at a rate that was uneconomic for the SMC etc I hope it is that kind of reason and not that the city is to miss out on a big sporting event just to suit City.

either way he and the council should of moved mountains to get the fixture, not only is it good for us fans, but also, local rugby fans, youth rugby and in the interest of the city as a whole putting us on the tv and promoting the city

I'm very disappointed with this. I fail to see how the SMC cannot commit to a date when the Premiership/Football League fixtures for the 2009/10 season are not released until June.

We are now looking at at least three years between international RL at the stadium which is unacceptable.

If anyone lives in East Hull a letter to your MP who is involved at Rovers could be an idea. This is not a dispute between Hull Fc and Mr Duffin, it is between Rugby League in Hull and Mr Duffin. I know there isnt much goodwill between our board and the Rovers board but this a great opportunity for both of them to come out together and condem this decision by the council and the SMC. At the end of the day this is a community stadium. How can Mr Duffin decide what events should be held and not held is wrong.

You might want to try emailing members of the Council as well. The biggest disappointment here IMO is that they didn't or couldn't step in as landlords and make this happen.

What about the cashflow that such a game would bring to local businesses? In these hard times over extra £1 brought into the local economy is good for Hull. I wouldn't have a problem with an U21 footy game for the same reason so why not rugby?

On the face of it he has made the decision wearing his black and amber scarf, Riley should have made loud noises to Duffen that the City needs it, it should have been a simple case of rubber stamping the date.

All my support for the Tigers has gone now, they can slip back to the 4th division now and Duffen can go bankrupt for all I care.
We DO have a right as a RL supporting City to host an event like this, Duffen has shown his to the RFL and all the RL supporters in the country.

Email sent .

and another



Dear Councillor Minns

I am writing to air my outrage at the decion taken by Mr Duffen of the SMC to deny all the supporters of RL at all levels, not only of our own city but that of many RL supporters across the country, an opportunity to support our national RL team at the KC Stadium.

By the very fact that he (Mr Duffen) is 'unavailable' to comment leaves us RL supporters of the opinion that the decision made was in the interest of Hull City AFC, and not that of the whole of the community for which the stadium was built.
I also think that you and the rest of the council should have made loud and strong support for the event to be held, and equally strong protestations to the SMC at their decision not to.

Mr Duffen and the SMC, and yourselves as councillors of our City have shown a complete lack of respect and manners to the RFL, and utter contempt of the RL supporters of Hull, and have totally let us down.

I am utterly perplexed as to how Mr Duffen has the authority to over rule what should have been a strong support from the council to hold this event.

RL International matches have traditionally been awarded to Hull as a reward for many years of support to the game at both amateur and proffessional levels.

RL Internationals have been played in this City before Mr Duffen had even heard of the City of Kingston Upon Hull, he has no right to deny us our reward, and you as a council should not have let him do so.
You have let us down tremendously.

I would have thought that Mr Duffen would have been pleased to get the money from an international to recoup the losses hes made with a certain Jimmy Bullard



In all fairness, its very dissapointing, games in Hull attract big crowds and its a shame this has happened.

Well done Duffen.

You'd think he'd need the cash after wasting £14,000,000 this month

They'll be alot of Man U shirts and Liverpool shirts back out the warddrobe at the end of the year anyway.

gutted, thats all i can say. if its down to duffen, city can rot in hell for all i care.