Thanks, Dave Topliss, for playing a blinder...

There's a point in Sully when the legendary Clive Sullivan wins his Challenge Cup winner's medal with Hull FC and he utters the words, "Thanks, Dave Topliss, for playing a blinder" in recognition of man-of-the-match Toppo's efforts in securing the silverware against Leeds in the 1982 replay. Well, the legendary Dave Topliss died yesterday, following a heart attack during a game of five-a-side football. He was 58. Thanks for the great times down the Boulevard and elsewhere, Toppo.

Draw...

Mmm, Wakefield in the Challenge Cup semi-final. A good draw (the alternatives were locking horns with Leeds or St Helens). Apologies to those that don't live on the M62 corridor. Tomorrow I shall post pics of my flat cap and whippets.

Advances...

A second trip to Wembley is on the cards - Hull FC's defence outstanding in the 16-22 victory over the Bradford Bulls in the Challenge Cup and propelling them into the semi-finals. There was someone on crazy, whacky commercial station KCFM this morning suggesting that Hull City's promotion to the Premier League will result in dramatic reductions in crime, raised educational standards and a city full of aspirational youngsters that spurn drink, drugs and twocing in favour of working hard and earning so much money that the whole of Hull can be rebuilt out of gold within a week. So, cripes, if FC manage to get their hands on the Challenge Cup again surely the entire universe will have no choice but to start to revolve around us?

Defeated...

Hull FC's early season misery was compounded today when they lost a miserable encounter by one point and a drop goal in the dying seconds in a 10-11 defeat to the auld red and white rivals from across the city, who took the bragging rights and, thus, have given their jolly band of fans cause to whitter on for the next six weeks about how 'superior' they are. Oh dear oh dear. Neither team looks the greatest of Super League shakes right now.

Old faithful...

No Grand Final this year, then. Ah well.

Post game blues addendum:

Peter Cook' s Alan Latchley, if he'd been a rugby man (rather than a Scunny man) would have said that rugby's a cruel mistress. She's a… she's a… she can make you laugh, she can make you cry. She can bring tears to me eyes. She can bring blood to me shoulders. She can bring a kettle to the boil. Oh, hell, Hull FC, battered and bruised and concussed, gave it one hell of a shot but just couldn't halt Wigan's inevitable, seemingly fatalistic, journey onwards. There were a lot of if onlys, and it was a funny old season. And it's all over for another year. A few months to lick the wounds and then, woosh, that sinking feeling will be forgotten and we'll be off again.

Tags: Hull FC, rugby league

Happy birthday Sam...

Happy birthday to Sam. 12 today. And a big mound of cash to show for it, much of which will be heading the way of Matt Groening if Sam's usual shopping habits are any marker of such things.

And well done Hull FC who, after a scrappy victory over Huddersfield, now advance to a contest with an alarmingly running-into-form Wigan. Busy day at the KC next Saturday, with a Hull City game taking place at 12:30pm and then a quick sweep under the seats before us much nicer rugby lot move for the 7pm kick-off. Not a good day for anyone working behind the bars there, I shouldn't think.

Tags: birthday, Hull FC, KC Stadium, rugby league