1985 Amature club West Hull made it through to the challenge cup and where drawn at home against first division Castleford then being coached by the great Mal Reilly,and incliding in the team the Beardmore twins Kevin and Bob both Great Britain internationals at scrum half and hooker.
West Hulls line up included at prop forward Kevin BoBo Watson an ex Hull kingston Rovers second rower who had retired from the professional game and had gone back to the amature game,and had subsiquently gained a few pounds.
The game was a fearce encounter with Castleford eventually winning it and going on to lift the Challenge cup that year beating Hull KR in the final at Wembley.
During the game Watson carried out a heavy tackle on Bob Beardmore whilst he was on the ground sliding in to his back with his knees ,Beardmore was carried form the pitch,[and was injured for the rest of season and only returning in the challenge cup final its self].
Cas where awarded a penalty but there was no red card shown to Watson ,who carried on relentlesly driving the ball in to the Cas forwards and dishing it out to them in the tackle.
Mal Reilly was porwling the touch line and could be hard screaming at the top of his voice Kill that fat bastard and directing his gestures toward Watson who oblivious to this carried on with his own brand of Rugby league.
The game over, hand shakes all round and every one ajorned to the showers and then eventually the bar.Watson was standing in the bar with a pint of John Smiths bitter in his hand talking to team mates about the game,with a bang the bar door was thrown open and in stormed Mal Reilly,looked around saw Watson and headed straight for him,stook out his hand ,shook it and said that was a great game you played there son and promptly offered Watson a trail for Cas.
Watson declined and told him his pro days were over.
Proving there is always room for a hard running forward who can take it and dish it out.
Kevin BoBo Watson was a tough and uncompromising opponent on the field but a complete gentleman off it.
He died early this year of a heart attack at the age of only 47.
Over five hundred people attended his funeral including a full Hull KR team from the eighties with such greats as Phil Lowe,Mike Smith, Flash Flannigan,Steve Crooks and Cliff Wallace in attendance.Along with a host of amature and lesser known local ex-proffessionals from both sides of the city black and white and red and whites.
He left a widow and five children from 2 marrages,including twin boys who are now starring for West Hull under 12s, in the scrum half and hooker positions.
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