As the club continues to look ahead to our Season Launch Dinner on January 25th at the Bonus Arena, where three new members will be inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame, over the festive period Club Historian Bill Dalton will be looking back at some of the famous names who have already been inducted.
Today, we’re looking back at the life and career of Bill Drake – one of the club’s greatest back-rowers of all-time, and one of only three forwards to score a century of tries for the club.
William Desmond Drake was a true great for Hull FC and the twin brother of fellow Hall of Famer, Jim Drake.
Bill Drake, a Cumbrian by birth, followed his twin brother, Jim, from Heworth ARLFC to the Boulevard in late 1952. He made his debut on the right wing on 11th April 1953 in a 9-12 home defeat to Halifax.
He was signed initially as a winger. His early time at the club was spent on the ‘A’ team wing before his debut against the West Yorkshire side.
Two days later, he recorded his first two tries in a home win over Castleford. However, coach Roy Francis saw in Bill the potential for a successful second row forward, a position in which he became one of the most feared opponents in the game.
Francis felt he was ideal material for the type of forward pack then in creation by Francis. Hull’s pack could ‘run like backs and the backs would tackle like forwards’, thus creating a new dimension to forward play.
He became one of the legendary pack of forwards which was revolutionary in adopting the fast-running style virtually unknown at that time to rugby league and which laid the foundation of great success in the years to come.
His wing speed he utilised to good effect in the second row and became an accomplished ball-handler. His dummy was a trademark in which he actually passed the ball and brought it back into his possession, thus opening up defences to set up tries for himself and many for others.
Bill established himself in the second-row and he became only the third Hull forward to register a century of tries. Like Jim, he was ferocious in his play, but the hardness he doled out was not easily seen by spectators or referees alike!
In a career which was to last some 10 and a half years at the Boulevard, he clocked up 294 appearances for the club, scoring 101 tries and 53 goals. His feat of scoring a century of tries is shared by only two other forwards in the history of Hull FC – Johnny Whiteley and Bob Taylor.
At a time when the British game was well fixed for very talented back row forwards – Whiteley, Karalius and Turner, all loose forwards, regularly formed the back three for Great Britain – it seems that Bill could have considered himself to have been unlucky to have only received a single test honour, and that was after having moved up to prop in 1962.
He also represented his native Cumberland on 10 occasions, scoring one try.
In 1963, Bill followed Roy Francis to Leeds where he made 32 appearances, registering two tries and three goals. He wound up his career on home ground at York, playing for a couple of years, and clocking up 47 games (three tries and seven goals).
Bill died in Kingston-upon-Hull on October 8th, 2012, exactly four years to the day after the death of his brother, Jim.
Bill Drake was one of several players who were part of the third Hull FC Hall of Fame induction in 2011, alongside the likes of Ivor Watts, Mick Crane, Richard Swain, and his brother Jim Drake.
With thanks to Club Historian Bill Dalton.
Book Your Place At Season Launch & Hall Of Fame Dinner
Our Season Launch Dinner, sponsored by Arcmaster, is just over a month away – over 300 people have secured their place, and theirs still time to secure a ticket.
As well as looking ahead to the new season with Head Coach Tony Smith, Chairman Adam Pearson, and several of our new recruits, the event at the Bonus Arena, Hull’s premier events venue, will see three new names inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame for the first time since 2015.
Attendees will enjoy a delicious three-course meal as well as live entertainment, and the opportunity for photographs with some of the club’s first-team stars.
The club’s Hall of Fame includes some of our greatest former players of all-time, including the likes of Johnny Whiteley, Clive Sullivan, Lee Crooks, James Leuluai, Steve Norton, and David Topliss.
And if you’re still looking for the perfect gift for a Hull FC fan for Christmas, a ticket at our Season Launch Dinner could be exactly what you need.
Doors will open at 6.30pm for a 7.30pm start. The dress code will be smart casual.
Tickets are priced at £60 per person, whilst a table of ten can be booked for £550.
Book your place now by emailing commercial@hullfc.com, or by clicking here to purchase at hullfcshop.com
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