8th August 1999

It went down as one of the greatest comebacks the Boulevard had ever seen. At 20-0 down with 20 minute to play, it looked a certainty that Hull were heading for relegation after just two seasons in Super League; but 4 tries in the dying minutes ensured scenes of jubilation at the final hooter with Halifax left in utter shock.

The club were really up a creek without a paddle at the time; with just 3 wins from from 24 matches, Hull sat bottom with 6 games remaining. Peter Walsh had already been sacked earlier in the year, with Steve Crooks also struggling to gain any momentum. A 40-12 annihilation by Gateshead Thunder the week prior really seemed to put the nails in the coffin.

A crowd of 3,461 reflected the crisis that the club was in. Hull missed some clear cut chances in the opening minutes before Fax took the lead in the 14th: a break from prop Paul Broadbent put them in great position before the ball was sent wide to future-Hull KR star David Hodgson who went over in the corner. Graham Holroyd kicked the goal.

10 minutes later it was Holroyd who created the next score for the Blue Sox; his bending run through the Hull defensive line allowed him to send over winger Nick Pinkney between the posts. Hull began to put pressure on Halifax but their poor execution meant they remained scoreless. When Holroyd collected his own kick to score the visitor’s 3rd try, the game looked over.18-0 at the break and it looked a long way back.

Just after the restart, Gary Mercer had a try disallowed for double movement for Halifax, but a penalty goal to make it 20-0 just minutes later almost certainly sealed the game for them given Hull’s failure to take their chances.

However, somehow their was still life in Hull yet who chanced their arm on the hour mark. Logan Campbell surged down the left flank who found Richard Horne so score in the corner. Roberts added the goal but anything from the game still looked a tough ask.

But Hull had finally found their feet; another score a few minutes later really picked up the Boulevard atmosphere; Graeme Hallas ripped the ball from Mick Shaw; a break downfield and it was Steve Craven who got the score. Roberts converted again and the gap was down to 8. Surely not?

Holroyd added a drop-goal in the 70th minute to make it 21-12 to Fax, but when Michael Smith crashed over for Hull 2 minutes later, it was well and truly set up for a dramatic finale. Roberts again converted and it was 21-18.

Tense was an understatement as the Hull fans tried to roar their team home. Richard Horne thought he’d scored the winner with 2 minutes to go; he kicked ahead and won the race to touch down, only before being disallowed by the referee. It looked like game over, but with less than a minute later, the impossible was done.

Horne, who had been denied a minute earlier, put a kick in goal, with Graeme Hallas being the man to get their first and complete the most incredible fightback. The Faithful went into delirium. Roberts kicked the final goal as the hooter sounded. The Boulevard hadn’t seen a game like it in many years.

Hull didn’t win another game until the last round, when only a better points difference than Huddersfield prevented them from finishing bottom and being relegated. However, there was in fact was no relegation after all as Hull and Gateshead merged, along with Huddersfield and Sheffield. But this didn’t take the shine off one of Hull’s greatest comebacks of all time.

Hull FC: Poucher, Parker, Campbell, Hallas, Baildon, Cooke, Lester, Harrison, King, Craven, Booth, Leatham, Roberts (Subs: Horne, Pickavance, Nolan, Smith)

Tries: Horne, Craven, Smith, Hallas.

Goals: Roberts (4)

Halifax: Cardiss, Pinkney, Craig, Hodgson, Marns, Gibson, Holroyd, Broadbent, Shaw, Marshall, Gannin, Mercerm, Moana (Subs: Hobson, Gillespie, Clark, Knox)

Tries: Hodgson, Pinkney, Holroyd

Goals: Holroyd (4)

Drop-goals: Holroyd (1)

(Image: Andy Dakin)