Club Historian Bill Dalton looks back on the career of Hull FC Hall of Fame members Mick Crane, who sadly passed away on Saturday morning.
Crane, one of the club’s greatest forwards of all-time and a Great Britain international, made a staggering 358 appearances for the club in the 1970s and 1980s, and was a member of the legendary side which claimed numerous trophies including the 1982 Challenge Cup and 1983 Rugby League Championship.
To read out full tribute to Mick Crane – click here
Bill Dalton’s Memories…
Supporters of the club during the 1970’s and 1980’s will be saddened that Mick Crane passed away over the weekend. Mick was one of the real characters from the days when humour in the sport was in an abundance at every club.
Mick played trials at centre in Hull’s A team during the latter part of October 1970, and programme notes on 6th November heaped praise on “a trialist centre, who looks very promising”. That promising centre turned out to Mick Crane who was duly signed on and made his first team debut – again at centre – against Castleford at Wheldon Road on 4th December 1970.
He appeared 17 times in that initial season. However, again at centre, he played 40 times in 1971-72, contributing some 13 tries. The following season saw Mick in the centres again for six matches before moving into the forwards where he played on 26 occasions in the second-row.
A home game against Leigh on 2nd November 1975 saw Mick at loose-forward for the first time and he showed immediately that the freedom made available was best suited to his talents. So much so that Hull fought their way into the final of the John Player Trophy in January 1976 – the first Second Division side to reach a major final.
Mick played superbly on that occasion against Widnes, albeit in a narrow losing cause. He scored two of Hull’s three tries and must have run Reg Bowden close for the Man of the Match award.
In the 1970’s, of course, Hull were on hard times financially and Mick’s talents attracted the attention of Leeds who signed him in December 1977. Mick made a dream start to his short career at Headingley, as he was at loose-forward for their 1978 Challenge Cup win over St Helens, after being 0-10 down after only 13 minutes.
Micks Career at Headingley totalled some 51 appearances, scoring 14 Tries.
Whether or not the constant travel to Headingley wasn’t suited to Mick’s lifestyle, he came back to the city of Hull when joining Hull KR, making his debut off the bench on 16th December 1979.
However, his stay at Craven Park was short and his record shows him having played 18 games for them, registering four ties. He returned to the Boulevard on 1st February 1981 and played in 17 of the remaining 20 matches, scoring eight tries and three drop-goals.
Although Hull lost the Premiership Final to Rovers, Mick had the satisfaction of scoring a try against them in that final.
Back at the Boulevard, Mick came into the best sustained form of his career and contributed massively to the success gained in the first half of the decade. Somewhat of a ‘maverick’ in many respects, he regularly put on an element of unorthodoxy to create scoring opportunities. A favourite was his 360-degree spin in possession which, although simple, seemed to bamboozle and break up defences.
In those halcyon days for Hull FC, Mick gained winners medals in the John Player Final of January 1982, the Challenge Cup in May 1982, Yorkshire Cup in 1982 and 1983, the latter in which he scored a try and dropped a goal to earn him the Man of the Match award.
A particularly memorable performance came in the match against the Australian ‘Invincibles’ on 16th November 1982. Mick earned accolades from the Australian team on that occasion, and it earned him a place in the Great Britain team for the final test of that season’s Ashes series.
Although he ‘retired’ from the game in January 1984, he returned to the Boulevard for the 1986-87 season, making 18 appearances before finally calling time on his career in the game on March 1st 1987, following a home Challenge Cup defeat to Leigh.
Micks career in total spanned 428 appearances, scoring 116 tries, 3 goals and 11 single-point drop-goals.
We have lost one of the great Rugby League characters in Mick Crane. It was a pleasure to have known you Mick and to admire your undoubted skills on the Rugby League paddock.
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