St Helens have backed an appeal made by Challenge Cup opponents West Hull after the club missed out on thousands of pounds after crowd chaos.
West Hull were one of three amateur sides to draw a Super League team at home but the game was shifted to Hull KR’s Craven Park in order to accommodate the large crowd that was expected.
Ticket sales pre-game were strong but fans could also purchase tickets on the gate, however, the number of fans who chose to do that was unforeseen and led to major delays at the turnstiles.
As a result the match was delayed by 15 minutes but crowds still remained leading West Hull to make the decision to allow those waiting to enter for free, something that has potentially cost them thousands of pounds.
Those that did make it to Craven Park saw an incredibly brave performance for the community club as they kept St Helens out for the first quarter of an hour and only shipped 38 points against a team featuring the likes of Jack Welsby and Tristan Sailor as they went down 38-0.
West Hull have now released two separate statements, one in which they have asked those free attendants to donate their match fee if possible and another clarifying the situation whereby they praise hosts Hull KR.
St Helens support West Hull in bid to help club financially
Their first statement post-match regarding the crowd problems was shared on their Facebook page and asked for fans to possibly donate their admission cost to help fund the club for the future.
The statement read: “Due to the unforeseen volume of supporters that tried to gain entry to the ground before kick-off, the decision was taken to open the gates to allow everyone to gain entry to the stadium before the game kicked off.
“The club would like to ask if people would like to generously donate their entry fee to the club via the bank details posted below. Any money kindly donated will help us to keep our very proud community club going for the future years to come.”
Those bank details can be seen here and are emboldened at the bottom of the article as well: West Hull CS / Sort Code 40-25-59 / Account Number 40248851 HSBC
St Helens also shared that statement with the added comment: “Today’s game got delayed due to the number of people wishing to enter the ground.
“If you would like to donate the price of entry for today’s game to West Hull RLFC then you can do so via the details posted on their club page.
“A bright spark in the Hull community, who did themselves incredibly proud today.
“Your donation could help them for the years to come.”
West Hull have since shared a further statement thanking Hull KR and admonishing them of any blame with the amateur side keen to focus on the positives of what was a brilliant experience.
They posted: “A huge thank you to Hull KR for hosting the biggest game in our club’s history. We never anticipated the sheer number of supporters, which is why we initially requested only the West Stand to be open. The blame does not lie with Hull KR—they staffed the game according to our wishes.
“Pointing fingers takes away from the incredible experience our players and coaches had. It was truly a day to remember!
“Hull KR always go above and beyond for the community game, and we are incredibly thankful for their support throughout this whirlwind experience.”
— West Hull Rugby League (@WestHullRL) February 9, 2025
West Hull CS / Sort Code 40-25-59 / Account Number 40248851 HSBC
