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 History 1985 - 1988 |
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Soon to be a Whale? Need Information/Counselling?
Any Sharks graduating this year who want more information on, well, anything concerning The Whales are more than welcome to contact me (Colin) on (01274 619551), or can email me at: colin_hancock2@yahoo.co.uk or Sam Horowitz
(0208 5197141) at: sam_horowitz@yahoo.com for Blubber related stuff.
For anything relating to the Old Boys Weekend or being added to the blubber mailing list contact Charlie King at: Charlotte.King@dds.co.uk. Or phone (07803 582 444)- Charlie says (miaow miaow - sorry) it is very important for New Whales to provide her with their addresses - so that they don't miss out on any OBW fun.
The Dim & Distant Past....
The Whales (the Sharks Oldboys Association) began in 1986 when the first of the Sharks to have graduated came back to Hull to help out with pre-season training.
Until the early ‘90s the Oldboys WeekendTM came at the start of the academic year, in October, to whip the new boys in to shape, but mostly to see old faces and enjoy a weekend of cheap beer. Those first intrepid few had such a good time that they decided to come back the following year, and in no time at all the annual WeekendTM in Hull was born.
Those first few years were rather ad hoc, with returnees dossing on students’ floors, and basically meeting up with whoever turned up wherever they might bump in to one another. A few years later the now-infamous pact was made with The Marlborough Hotel (on Springbank), and that became the home of The WeekendTM until 1996 when the Oldboys finally rejected the squalor and relocated to The Weekend’sTM current base, The Royal.
Anyone graduating from the Sharks - be they player or cheerleader - automatically become Whales (like it or not!) and are instantly entered on to the now-huge mailing list for such gala events as The WeekendTM (in January and the soon-to-return ‘FUGLYBUPID’ Summer Ball (currently in repose - hopefully to return Summer 2003). Beyond these two formally organised events, former Sharks will agree that The Whales provide a great means of keeping in touch with people who may otherwise have drifted out of one’s life forever!
The Whales is a totally open group and welcomes every new member with the same warmth it treats even its oldest members - i.e. get used to having the p**s ripped out of you. In fact, many friendships have been forged between Whales who studied at Hull at different times and only met because of The Whales.
What follows is a brief history of the Sharks/Whales over the years...
1985-6 Season
President: Tom Bell
Results:-
UCH Sharks 1-0 Manchester MP's
Manchester MP's 0-1 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 1-0 Teeside Demons
Teeside Demons 0-1 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 1-0 Newcastle Scholars
Final Standings:-
UCH Sharks (5-0-0)
Teeside Demons (5-3-2)
Newcastle Scholars (1-2-0)
Manchester MP's (0-5-0)
(UCH Sharks National collegiate champions, based on regular season record).
Notes :-
UCH Sharks formed as founder members of the league.
Currently we have no actual scores from the games, if anyone has this, please contact Nick or Colin.
1986-7 Season
President: Tom Bell
Results :-
UCH Sharks 14-0 Leicester Lemmings
Manchester MP's 0-74 UCH Sharks
Teeside Demons 14-27 UCH Sharks
Leicester Lemmings 7-21 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 1-0 Manchester MP's
Teeside Demons 0-1 UCH Sharks
Stirling Clansmen 6-26 UCH Sharks (Playoff 1)
Newcastle Scholars 6-23 UCH Sharks (College Bowl I)
Final Divisional Standings :-
UCH Sharks (6-0-0)
Teeside Demons (4-2-0)
Leicester Lemmings (1-5-0)
Manchester MP's (1-5-0)
Notes :-
It was only fitting that the first Collegebowl was to be won by a dominant Sharks team, 23-6 against the Newcastle Scholars at the Costello Stadium in Hull. The game was keyed by Tom Bells passing and a 2 TD performance by MVP Maurice Newton.
First OBW. This fledgling event was informal, to say the least, as the first graduating sharks returned to doss on erstwhile brothers'-in-arms floors to help pre-season training, and get lashed of course.
1987-8 Season
President: Gary Keene/John Osibote
Results :-
UCH Sharks 41-0 Manchester MP's
Manchester MP's 0-1 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 1-0 Newcastle Scholars
Teeside Demons 12-27 UCH Sharks
Newcastle Scholars 0-1 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 52-0 Teeside Demons
Strathclyde Hawks 0-22 UCH Sharks (Playoff 1)
Cardiff Cobras 0-0 UCH Sharks (College Bowl II)
Final Divisional Standings :-
UCH Sharks (6-0-0)
Manchester MP's (2-2-2)
Teeside Demons (0-4-2)
Newcastle Scholars (2-4-0) - Placed bottom due to forfeits rule.
Notes :-
Yet another dominant Sharks season was capped by a return to the Big Game. Shifted to Hull at the last moment due to bad weather, Costello refused to let the Sharks use their field due to it being waterlogged. The only available field was a Humberside College pitch on the wrong side of Inglemire Lane - which ended up looking like Paschendale, and the 7 quarter scoreless marathon that ensued was to become known as the Mud Bowl. Despite dominating proceedings and having 2 scores called back for penalties, the Sharks couldn't breach the Cardiff Cobras' defense, and the game ended 0-0 with the ref admitting that it was getting too dark for him to distinguish who was who. Tom Bell, ending his Sharks career on a high, was named MVP.
Gary took the highest office to great acclaim. Unfortunately, despite superlative efforts in the field of marketing the Sharks as well as in, well, a field (cow-tipping), Gary & academia came to something of an agreement, and after his premature departure from the fold, John Os manfully took the mantle.
Sharks' float in the Rag Parade comes 2nd.
OBW continues to develop...
1988-9 Season
President: Jason Russell
Results :-
UCH Sharks 0-1 Newcastle Scholars
Newcastle Scholars 1-0 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 28-0 Teeside Demons
Teeside Demons 12-20 UCH Sharks
UCH Sharks 34-0 Teeside Demons (Playoff 1)
UCH Sharks 21-7 Loughborough Aces (Playoff 2)
Cardiff Cobras 6-7 UCH Sharks (Colleg Bowl III)
Final Standings :-
UCH Sharks (2-2-0)
Teeside Demons (2-2-0)
Newcastle Scholars (2-2-0)
Notes :-
Whilst it would later transpire that the great Sharks dynasty was coming to a close, the sun was far from setting on this team as they faced off against the Cardiff Cobras for the second successive year in the showpiece's first year at Saffron Lane. MVP Matt Loder scored the opening TD of the game and Jason 'The Boot' Russell scored the all-important PAT. Despite allowing Cardiff back in to it, the Sharks held on for a since unequalled third successive title.
Sharks' Rag Parade float again comes 2nd. Something of a theme develops...
The first formal OBW is held, as the Marlborough enters the Whales vocabulary. Whilst the score is unknown, the Whales began what was to become a fearsome run of victories.
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