Club History
The Beginning...
The story of Hull Kingston Rovers started back in 1882 when a group of boilermakers in the Hessle Road area of Hull talked about starting a rugby team in the Hull and District Rugby Union League, - Kingston Amateurs. The club colours were agreed to be red jerseys with a blue band across the chest, white shorts and red socks. The first ground that was used was a piece of wasteland in Albert Street, in the Autumn of 1883 a new club was founded when Kingston Amateurs kicked off the season playing in the Hull and District League.
By 1885 Kingston Amateurs had played at three grounds, Albert Street, Anlaby Road and now Chalk Lane. The club name was also changed to Kingston Rovers as they entered the Times Cup in the 1885/86 season. In the first round they pulled off an unexpected win against Hessle. The club had now acquired a quite formidable playing reputation and players were invited to join the club.
As the year progressed more clubs were joining the league and Rovers entered the new Hull and District Rugby Union Cup, but lost to Hull A in the final. Reports of "ill feeling and bitterness between opposing fans after the match" showed that Hull was a divided city even in those days!
In 1887/88, teams from the West Riding were introduced to the league and Rovers were averaging crowds of over 2,000. The club won its first trophy by winning the Times Cup, beating Selby A in the final. Rovers made a move to their fourth ground down Hessle Road.
Rovers beat Hull for the first time in 1889/90, and moved to their fifth ground, again down Hessle Road. Rovers also won the Times Cup for the second time, beating Britons in the Final.
In 1891/92, Britannia were the only local side Rovers met in the league with the game spreading across Yorkshire and Lancashire and the Red and Whites won the Times Cup for the third year running beating York A in the final, they also entered the Yorkshire Cup for the first time but got knocked out in the second round against Dewsbury.
1892 saw Rovers play at the Boulevard and leased the ground for three years from the following season. Only one away win was recorded this season and six home wins, Rovers lost against Bradford in the first round of the Yorkshire Cup.
The Northern Football Union was shortly founded when the leading R.U sides in the North of England broke away to form a league of their own, comprising 22 clubs. Rovers were promoted to the second division of the R.F.U and finished joint second, they moved to their first East Hull ground down Craven Street off Holderness Road. In 1896/97, they were denied a place in the first division when several sides resigned but when the West Riding club dropped out, Rovers moved up. Hull KR amalgamated with Albany Soccer Club, who later changed their name to Hull City A.F.C. Rovers won the Yorkshire Cup for the first time beating Shipley 11-5 in the final. The club also won the league competition and beat the rest of the League 26-8 in a challenge match. Rovers were now the only R.U club in a N.U. area and applied to join the N.F.U and Rovers played their first match under the new code in 1897/98. The Challenge Cup was also invented this year.
Rovers were elected into the Yorkshire Second competition in 1898/99 winning all 17 matches. In 1899/1900 a club record of 19 consecutive league play off and cup wins was set up, Hull Kingston Rovers were admitted into full membership of the Yorkshire Northern Union and finished 6th out of 16 beating Hull in the first local derby 8-2 in front of a 14,000 crowd. The following season Rovers finished 8th out of 16.
