Anlaby Road - History

History

Hull City football club played its first game at Dairycoates then seventeen games at The Circle cricket ground. The club then moved to their own ground, Anlaby Road adjacent to the Circle. The ground was opened on 24 March 1906 with 2,000 spectators in covered stand for the visit of Blackpool, which end in a 2–2 draw. The covered stand was extended to 8,000 by the start of the 1907–08 season with a further 8,000 capacity of uncovered terrace. The season passes for the first season cost one guinea (£1–1s–0d/£1.05).

Over the next few years, parts of the north and east stands were covered over despite wind damage to several sections of the stand. On Easter Monday 1914, a few hours after a 0–2 defeat at home to Bury, a fire destroyed the main stand and it was only the considerable efforts of the fire brigade that prevented the destruction of the north stand too. The cause was never determined though speculation included a carelessly discarded cigarette, arson and even the actions of suffragettes. The stand was replaced in the summer with a new brick and steel structure provided largely through the generosity of one of Hull City's directors, Bob Mungall.

On 21 April 1934 after a 1–0 home defeat by Preston North End a crowd incident resulted in the ground being closed for the first fourteen days of the 1934–35 season.

Hull City suspended their operations in 1941 as a result of the war. The ground was damaged during the Blitz of Hull and estimated repair costs were in the region of £1,000. At the same time, the cricket club had been served notice to quit and in 1943, the tenancy was officially ended. The team now plays at Boothferry Park.

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