Hull FC boss Lee Radford is loving the sound of silence as Challenge Cup final against Warrington looms
Black and Whites chief took so much stick from rival fans he stopped taking son to matches to avoid being seen
LEE RADFORD is loving the sound of silence while Hull FC fans around him scream about Wembley as the Challenge Cup final looms.
The Black and Whites boss took so much stick from rival fans last year he stopped taking his son to rugby matches to avoid being spotted.
Radford lives on the doorstep of arch-rivals Hull KR, which leads to the inevitable verbal abuse from Rovers fans — especially when his team lose.
And the former Bradford favourite, whose side face Warrington in Saturday’s showpiece, admitted that the flak got so bad at times — from supporters of both clubs — he was unable to take his son to his junior rugby games.
This reached boiling point when his men lost nine in a row last season and looked like failing this year, before a stunning turnaround means they are still hunting the treble.
Radford, 37, said: “My son plays amateur at Skirlaugh and I’ve lost count of the number of rugby tournaments I’ve not gone to because of our results.
“I knew I’d have to stand there all day having to defend myself.
“That’s s*** as a parent when he’s looking forward to going, then he’s got to go with someone else.
“And the nine defeats in a row was the worst time. Both my lads went to the Hull KR game last Good Friday and all the Rovers fans were singing, ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning’.
“My youngest is a bit of a worrier too, so that didn’t sit too well with me.”
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Radford has already told his players the Wembley line-up and commiserated with those who miss out.
Part of the Bulls’ all-conquering side, Radford knows how they feel having been 18th man for the 2005 final and again three years later when at Hull FC.
He said: “I’ve been sat on the other side of the table and, once you hear that, everything else the coach says becomes a blur.
“I told a couple of lads before training on Monday and a couple after and that’s one of the most difficult pieces of news I’ve had to deliver.
“I tried to be straight and honest with everyone and hopefully they respect my decision.”