In the latest of our Hull FC Rugby League Icons features, Hullfc.com looks back on the career of the club’s former record-breaking coach, Arthur Bunting.
Arthur, a native of Featherstone, joined Hull Kingston Rovers from Bramley in the summer of 1959. He went on to play some 237 games as scrum-half for Rovers before taking up the coaching role in November 1972 until February 1975.
Upon David Doyle Davidson relinquishing the coaching position at The Boulevard, Arthur was appointed from 1st January 1978, serving until 22nd December 1985.
During those years, Hull experienced the most successful and sustained period in their long history. First, promotion to the First Division had to be achieved and Arthur guided Hull to that goal by overseeing the unprecedented feat of winning every League fixture during the 1978-79 season.
They went on to finish third in the First Division in 1979-80, which remains the highest position ever attained by a promoted team.
Further success came in December 1979 when Hull defeated Rovers in the final of the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy in the last-ever game in that competition. Unfortunately, that success couldn’t be repeated by Hull at Wembley five months later.
The 1980-81 season saw Hull make the first of three successive Premiership final appearances, before real achievement was gained in 1981-82 with a Cup double in the John Player Trophy over Hull KR and, after a lapse of 68 years, the Challenge Cup, overcoming the then ‘Cup Kings’ Widnes in the famous replayed final at Elland Road, Leeds.
The following season saw the Yorkshire Cup adorn the Boulevard Boardroom – the first of three successive final wins in that popular competition – and the Rugby League Championship Trophy after a lapse of 25 years.
Further appearances at Wembley were achieved in 1983 and 1985, the latter regarded as the greatest-ever final, albeit an unsuccessful one for Hull.
Arthur retired from rugby league in December 1985 and for the rest of his life, he remained a very popular character with his players and with the legion of Hull supporters who had the privilege of witnessing that successful period.
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