Hull FC produce lovely tribute to Johnny Whiteley ahead of battle against St Helens

This week rugby league said farewell to a true legend of the game in John Whiteley.

The Hull FC legend passed away on 13th February and, ahead of their first home game of the season, the Black and Whites produced a lovely tribute to the MBE.

An Ashes Winner with Great Britain in 1958, 1960 and 1962, he also won the title with Hull FC in the 1950s and was a real one-club man playing over 400 games for Hull FC. He also played for England as well as being a Great Britain international.

A superb coach too, he helped oversee the last Great Britain team to win the Ashes in Australia in 1972.

A true legend, he needed a lovely tribute today and Hull FC obliged. The lovely Lizzie Jones, who has sung prior to Challenge Cup Finals twice before, sang Abide With Me, before a number of wreaths were laid by James Roby, Danny Houghton, the Mayor and Council Leader.

After that his great grandsons delivered the ball to the field before the Hull FC Chaplain read a heart-warming poem about Whiteley prior to a minute’s silence.

Raw emotion in at the ground today. A fitting tribute for a great man. 🖤#C4League | #SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/vRLUoPuoyY

— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) February 19, 2022

There were plenty of tears as both sets of fans paid their respects to the rugby league legend.