The Boulevard (stadium)

The Boulevard

The Boulevard in May 2006
Interactive map of The Boulevard
Full name	The Boulevard
Location	Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Coordinates	53°44′22″N0°22′9″W / 53.73944°N 0.36917°W / 53.73944; -0.36917
Capacity	10,500
Record attendance	21,504 - Great Britain vs Australia, 5 November 1921
Construction
Built	1895
Opened	1895
Closed	2009
Demolished	2010
Tenants
Hull F.C. (1895–2002) Hull Vikings Hull KR (1892–1895)

The Boulevard was a multi-purpose stadium in Hull, England, from 1895 to 2010. The venue primarily hosted rugby league matches, speedway and greyhound racing. The ground had a strong connection with the city's former fishing industry, being not far from Hessle Road.

History

Rugby league

Looking north towards the backs of houses on Carrington Street

The Boulevard was mainly used for rugby league matches and was the home stadium of Hull F.C. before the opening of KC Stadium. The main entrance was on Airlie Street, giving rise to Hull FC's nickname as 'the Airlie Birds'. When it closed, the stadium's capacity was 10,500 spectators.

The ground consisted of three stands, the most popular being the 4,000 capacity Threepenny Stand, where the majority of singing and chanting occurred. It was given its name when the stadium opened as it was 3  old pence for entry. In July 1985, following the Bradford City stadium fire, the Threepenny Stand was closed due to the stand being a wooden structure. ^[1] Following club and fan appeals, the stand was partially reopened with a severely reduced capacity of 1,500 the following September, with fans only permitted to use the bottom four steps of concrete terracing. ^[2] The Threepenny Stand was partially demolished ahead of the opening of a new stand in November 1990, ^{[3] [4]} an all-seater stand by order of Kingston upon Hull City Council under the recommendations of the Taylor Report, ^[5] and the remaining quarter of the old stand was demolished in 1995 to facilitate a standing terrace extension to the new stand. ^[6]

The final match of rugby league at The Boulevard was a 2003 Challenge Cup third round fixture between Skirlaugh A.R.L.F.C. and York City Knights on 26 January 2003, moved to The Boulevard due to Skirlaugh's home venue at the Twin Towers Sports Complex in Hedon not being able to support a larger capacity. ^[7] York City Knights recorded their first ever win as a club by defeating Skirlaugh 20–8 in front of an attendance of 943 spectators. ^[8]

Test matches

The Boulevard also hosted four matches in various Rugby League World Cups, as well as various Test matches against visiting nations such as Australia and New Zealand: ^[9]

Test No.	Date	Result	Attendance	Notes
1	5 November 1921	Australia def   Great Britain 16–2	21,504	1921–22 Ashes series
2	13 November 1927	England def   New Zealand 21–11	7,000	1926–27 England vs New Zealand series
3	25 October 1970	New Zealand def   France 16–15	3,824	1970 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage
4	6 March 1983	Great Britain def   France 17–5	6,055	1983 Great Britain vs France series
5	7 March 1992	Great Britain def   France 36–0	5,250	1989-1992 Rugby League World Cup Group Stage
6	10 October 1995	Papua New Guinea drew with   Tonga 28–28	5,121	1995 Rugby League World Cup Group B
7	23 October 1999	England def   France 50–20	3,068	1999 Anglo-French Challenge
8	4 November 2000	Australia def.   Russia 110–4	3,044	2000 Rugby League World Cup Group 1

Tour matches

Other than Hull F.C. club games, The Boulevard also saw Hull and the county team Yorkshire and a combined Hull F.C. and Hull Kingston Rovers XIII play host to international touring teams from Australia (sometimes playing as Australasia) and New Zealand from 1907 to 2002, with the exception of the 1980 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France, which was played at Boothferry Park. Hull F.C.'s final match played at The Boulevard was a test match against New Zealand on 22 October 2002 during New Zealand's 2002 tour, seeing Hull F.C. defeated 11-28 by the tourists. ^[10]

Game	Date	Result	Attendance	Notes
1	16 November 1907	New Zealand def. Hull F.C. 18–13		1907–08 All Golds tour
2	5 November 1908	Australia def. Yorkshire 24–11	3,500	1908–09 Kangaroo Tour
3	30 January 1909	Hull F.C. def. Australia 9–8	10,000
4	4 November 1911	Australasia def. Hull F.C. 26–7	6,000	1911–12 Kangaroo tour
5	24 December 1921	Australasia def. Hull F.C. 26–10	12,000	1921–22 Kangaroo tour
6	4 November 1929	Australia def. Hull F.C. 35–2	10,000	1929–30 Kangaroo tour
7	25 December 1933	Australia def. Hull F.C. 19–5	16,341	1933–34 Kangaroo tour
8	23 October 1937	Australia def. Hull F.C. 22–12	15,000	1937–38 Kangaroo tour
9	23 September 1948	Australia def. Hull F.C. 13–3	16,616	1948–49 Kangaroo tour
10	8 September 1952	Australia def. Hull F.C. 28–0	15,364	1952–53 Kangaroo tour
11	15 October 1956	Australia def. Hull F.C. / Hull KR XIII 37–14	17,172	1956–57 Kangaroo tour
12	26 October 1959	Australia def. Hull F.C. / Hull KR XIII 29–9	15,944	1959–60 Kangaroo tour
13	12 October 1963	Australia def. Hull F.C. / Hull KR XIII 23–10	10,481	1963–64 Kangaroo tour
14	29 October 1978	Australia def. Hull F.C. 34–2	10,723	1978 Kangaroo tour
15	16 November 1982	Australia def. Hull F.C. 13–7	16,049	1982 Kangaroo tour
16	16 November 1986	Australia def. Hull F.C. 48–0	8,213	1986 Kangaroo tour
17	14 November 1990	Australia def. Hull F.C. 34–4	13,081	1990 Kangaroo tour
18	22 October 2002	New Zealand def. Hull F.C. 28–11	12,092	2002 New Zealand Kiwis tour

Speedway

Main article: Hull Vikings

In 1971, promoter Ian Thomas brought back speedway to Hull for the first time since 1949. The Hull Vikings raced in the British League Division Two and it proved to be exceedingly popular with large crowds cheering on the team each Wednesday. ^[11] Hull had the dubious distinction of being the last league speedway team ever to appear at the famous West Ham Stadium, on 23 May 1972, when they beat the closing Hammers 40–38. Subsequent years saw their promotion to the first division and the inclusion of world champions Barry Briggs, Ivan Mauger and Egon Müller to ride for the team. Promotional changes, falling crowds and financial problems eventually saw the Vikings demise until their resurrection some years later at Hull's other rugby league and speedway stadium, Craven Park.

The Boulevard was also the host of the annual Yorkshire Television Trophy meeting during the 1970s, and early 1980s. With the British leagues home to not only the best British riders such as 1976 World Champion Peter Collins, 1980 World Champion Michael Lee, Dave Jessup and Malcolm Simmons, but also to many top class riders from around the world including World Champions Briggs, Mauger, Müller, Ole Olsen and Bruce Penhall, plus Billy Sanders, Dennis Sigalos, Shawn and Kelly Moran, and Phil Crump (the inaugural Yorkshire TV Trophy winner in 1974), the meetings often attracted fields which were as good in quality as many World Finals.

The 380 metres (420 yards) long speedway track surrounded the rugby league field without intersecting it at the corners. This saw the Boulevard have fast, almost 100 metre long straights and tight bends. The run off the corners onto the straights was narrow due to the fence not following the curve of the track but being straight from back in the turns.

Greyhound racing

1927–1934

The stadium first hosted greyhound racing in 1927 when the Associated Greyhound Racecourses Ltd promoted a meeting on 2 July. The track was soon to be one of three greyhound stadiums operating in Hull after two more followed suit; within a year, Craven Park stadium had opened and in 1934, the Craven Street track opened, the latter proving to be short-lived. ^[12]

Greyhound racing came to an end at The Boulevard for the first time on 11 December 1948. Despite the Boulevard being considerably bigger than Craven Park, the difference in popularity and tote turnover was significant; in 1947, the tote turnover of Craven Park was £578,628 compared to the Boulevard's £23,263. ^[13]

2003–2009

Greyhound track at The Boulevard c. 2003

In 2002, Hull F.C. moved to the newly-opened KC Stadium, entering into a groundshare agreement with association football club Hull City A.F.C. and putting The Boulevard under imminent threat of closure. The greyhound operation had just finished at the New Craven Park and transferred to the Boulevard, saving the stadium from closure. ^[14]

The track was constructed with a circumference of 387 m (1,270 ft) and distances of 270 m (890 ft), 460 m (1,510 ft), 655 m (2,149 ft) and 845 m (2,772 ft). Racing started in December 2003, with Friday and Saturday night racing under the supervision of Racing Manager, David Gray.

After Hull City Council refused to extend the greyhound racing lease, the stadium remained unused until 25 October 2007, when it reopened again under a three-year lease for the first time in 28 months. A £250,000 refurbishment of the stadium was carried out, racing changed to Thursday and Saturday nights, and Mick Smith was appointed as Racing Manager. ^[15]

Track records

Extended content

Distance metres Greyhound Time Date 270 Top Matt 16.92 6 December 2003 [16] 270 Killavarrig Ruby 16.53 29 October 2004 270 Centenarys Pass 16.37 21 November 2004 270 Ballymac Charley 16.36 22 December 2007 270 Bradford Lad 16.35 4 October 2008 460 Hesley Nikita 29.06 27 December 2003 460 Pamelas Nikita 29.03 27 December 2003 460 Thorsman 28.87 17 January 2004 460 Malton Merlin 28.75 14 February 2004 460 Pamelas Pride 28.51 28 February 2004 460 Quiet Chant 28.46 24 April 2004 [16] 460 Parkview Dot 28.38 27 December 2004 460 Zero to Hero 28.28 10 September 2005 460 Rushmoor Major 28.27 3 November 2007 460 Stevens Court 28.15 22 December 2007 460 Linfit Robert 28.02 22 December 2007 460 Tango Star 28.02 2 February 2008 460 Rossacredibility 27.85 9 February 2008 655 Split the Pack 41.06 30 May 2004 [16] 845 Tipp the Breeze 55.30 10 November 2007 847 Bernis Emma 55.46 25 July 2004 [16]

Other uses

The stadium has also been used for football with Hull City A.F.C. using the ground at times for their home matches. The football team moved out after finding a new home at Boothferry Park in August 1947.

Closure and demolition

In June 2009, it was announced that The Boulevard would close to greyhound racing once again after less than 2 years. After going to once-a-week racing, promoter Dave Marshall pulled the plug on funding for the loss-making stadium, with the last race being held on 17 June. ^[17]

Following the prior demolition of the East Stand due to persistent vandalism as well as asbestos contents, ^[18] in August 2010, the remainder of the stadium began to be demolished after a Hull City Council inspection declared the stadium unsafe. The original foundation stones were removed for reuse in a memorial, while the goalposts were donated to amateur club West Hull A.R.L.F.C. ^[19] A new free school, named The Boulevard Academy, was opened on the site in September 2013, ^[20] and a memorial plaque to the stadium, as well as Hull F.C. fans who had ashes scattered at the stadium, was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Hull on the school grounds in September 2015 during Hull F.C.'s 150th anniversary year. ^[21]

References

1. Tingle, Richard (26 July 1985). "Threepenny stand closed". Hull Daily Mail. p. 24. Retrieved 1 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Threepenny Stand gains a reprieve". Hull Daily Mail. 13 September 1985. p. 2. Retrieved 1 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
3. Tingle, Richard (17 November 1989). "Hull reveal plans for new grandstand". Hull Daily Mail. p. 40. Retrieved 1 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
4. "You can't beat a Threepenny stand". Hull Daily Mail. 12 November 1990. pp.  16–17 . Retrieved 1 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
5. Tingle, Richard (28 February 1990). "Hull shocked by council decision". Hull Daily Mail. p. 48. Retrieved 1 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
6. Tingle, Richard (15 July 1995). "It's the end of an era". Hull Daily Mail. p. 15. Retrieved 1 January 2026– via Newspapers.com.
7. "Cup-tie lift for Knights". The Press. York. 8 January 2003. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
8. "Skirlaugh 8, York City Knights 20". The Press. York. 27 January 2003. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
9. "The Boulevard results". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
10. Gordon, James (15 August 2019). "Throwback: When Hull FC said farewell to The Boulevard". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
11. "Speedway team will be Hull Kestrels" . Hull Daily Mail. 23 January 1971. Retrieved 4 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "Greyhounds, Saturday 13 October". Hull Daily Mail. 1934.
13. Particulars of Licensed tracks, table 1 Licensed Dog Racecourses. Licensing Authorities. 1947.
14. Hobbs, Jonathan (2003). Greyhound Annual 2004. Raceform. p. 158. ISBN   1-904317-21-9.
15. "Dogs back on track at Boulevard". BBC News. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2008.
16. Hobbs, Jonathan (2004). Greyhound Annual 2005. Raceform. p. 176. ISBN   1-904317-58-8.
17. "Hull to close Saturday". Racing Post . 25 June 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
18. "End of an era as stand comes down". Hull Daily Mail. 10 February 2007. p. 3. ProQuest   333583679.
19. "Demolition work to begin on Hull FC's Boulevard stadium". BBC News. 22 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
20. "Hull's first free school opens doors to students". BBC News. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
21. "Hull FC's Boulevard Stadium memorial unveiled". BBC News. 19 September 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2026.

External links

• Media related to The Boulevard Stadium at Wikimedia Commons
• Rugby League Project fixture results at The Boulevard