What a sad day for anyone who loves Hull FC. Mick Crane was best described I think by using the modern parlance of ‘An Enigma’.
For he was a totally talented and gifted guy who turned many a game single handedly with his unpredictability and belief in his own ability. He was Arthur Bunting once said, "Unplayable and pretty uncoachable too!" His greatest moment for me? Well there are so many but perhaps when he captained and led from the front the Magnificent 11 as we beat Castleford at a packed Wheldon Road in 1983 and played most of the game two players short. He ran himself to a standstill leading the line that day and collapsed exhausted in a heap at the end!
He was loved by the FC faithful when he played for us and revered as the years have pased since then. As for how much of a character he was well here is an extract from ‘Roamin’ book One and a tale told to me by an eminent member of the FC ex-players, when I was researching the book. This perhaps explains what ‘a character’ meant but should also be read in the context of the fact that this bloke was an absolute genius once out on the field.
‘…… That was not the only problem that the club had that evening either because they were also twenty minutes late setting off from the Boulevard. At 4-00pm the coach was parked next to the club house on the car park in Airlie Street with as usual the Directors sat at the front and players at the back when a head count indicated that we were one player (plus a carless Terry Devonshire stuck in Beeston ) short. It was quickly apparent that new young ‘sensation’ Mick Crane was missing and no one seemed to be aware of why. He had been at training the previous night and passed fit to play, so there was a bit of panic amongst the Directors when it looked like he was going to be a ‘no show’. The talk had got round to who they could call up at short notice when thankfully Mick came into view sauntering down Airlie Street with his kit in a paper bag, smoking a cigarette and eating a bag of chips.
Still onto the bus ‘Craney’ climbed giving a casual wave to the lads at the back and muttering something about getting stuck in the bookies before sitting down to finish his chips. Meanwhile the Coach drivers started the coach’s and set off to search the West Riding of Yorkshire for Terry Devonshire.
As anyone who saw ‘Craney’ play will tell you he was a fantastic rugby player but could never ever have been classed as a ‘Model Athlete’. In fact during a game he was not averse to wondering over to the Threepenny Stand and ‘cadging’ a few puffs of a fans cigarette whilst a conversion was being taken.
350 appearances, a hall of famer. What a player, what a character, what a hero what a loss.
R.I.P. Old Faithful; Mick Crane.
