I've seen a post on twitter from a Widnes fan claiming Rule helped turn Hull around financially, is this right, didn't Pearson have to pay off debts from previous owners including a large tax bill to do with overseas images rights or something like that?

didnt kath and co keep willie manus' off shore pension quiet?

Think AP stepped in just at the right time to save us from financial meltdown.

It would be exaggerating the truth a little to say the least.

Rule was in charge of Marketing during a period of time that Hull FC's commercial and retail income did increase fairly significantly. Marketing are essentially where his skills are.

IIRC Pearson took over Hull in July 2011, Rule left in the October of that year after his involvement in trying to cover up a drug issue. I cannot imagine there were a great deal of love between to the two when Pearson realised he had taken on a company with hidden debts and a CEO who was due to be banned from Sport for a period of time due to a drugs charge.

In short, no Rule had nothing to do with turning around Hulld financial plight.

I sure that Pearson had to pay over a million pounds to the tax people as we hadn't been paying some sort of tax to do with overseas image rights, think he agreed to pay it over so many years, I can't remember what it was called something like EFT payments and can't find an article about it.

Saw his begging article to the Widnes fans the other day and reminded me of the ones he used to give us every 6 months 'be patient, next year will be better'

Widnes are suffering an awful injury list, but even at full strength they have the worst squad in SL, clear that little money is being invested.

Jimbob, the first off field personnel to be banned for a drug offence.

Rule was CEO in name only, puppet to the puppet masters whom he took orders from for everything and took the fall over the drugs scandal.
brought us forward in many ways financially from where we were.
easy to forget that the payments were not forthcoming due to the hetherington's not him, to beleive otherwise is being ignorant of how things work.

To be fair, even the CEO will answer to someone. Currently Clarke at Hull will have his orders from Pearson.

Rule did himself no favours with some of our sponsors if stories are to be believed.

'Going pop' was the popular phrasing at the time, iirc. Back when your accounts being published was like a derby win on here.

Saw it for myself, the guy was an idiot and got mickeyed up and threw his weight around (and there's plenty of it), cost us thousands, if not millions in sponsorship, how he ever got another job in the game defies reason.

Textbook case of not what you know but who you know, the Hetheringtons love him and they hold a lot of power in the Sport.

Hang about everyone was lauding him from the rooftops when he was here especially the clubs spokeswoman Barista.

*deleted, I don't want a ban*

I wasn't.

That's two of us.

He's in the past now, Motu is proving to be a great part of the club, we should all just forget James and the Hetheringtons, other people's problems

You night want to check a few facts before you come out with sweeping statements like "everybody"

sorry but that's not how i recall it

Loads of about increasing merchandise and sponsorship being great etc etc - OK, 'Most' rather than 'everybody' loved him and thought the sun shone out of his harris

No they never. Then again, why let facts get in the way of "posting for effect".

So if you absolutely had to take one back now - Cooke or Rule?

Would have to be Cooke surely? I thought Rule was a good marketeer - didn't he oversee that big P&O sponsorship deal (and we had some very good shirts in that era IIRC), plus I think we got Grade A franchises under his regime, so he wasn't completely incompetent or the devil incarnate at that point. Obviously was beholden to Kath and the devotion to Agar was staggering. I remember writing him an email once to complain about retaining Agar and saying in a salary cap era investing in the right coach was a key differentiator and he basically completely disagreed. Reardongate beggared belief, and I posted on here then I was ashamed. And then the drugs cover up did for him, so bye then.

Cooke's an interesting one. I wouldn't be surprised to see him back one day but he does strike me as someone likely to speak about himself in the third person.

Neither, one was never much use and the other has no loyalty. I'd rather the club folded than have either back.

What a stupid statement to make.