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Hull F.C. v Wigan (1902)
A misty afternoon's rugby match draws a large crowd.
Overview
This film seems to have been taken at a Wigan versus Hull FC fixture at The Boulevard stadium in Hull, probably at the beginning of the 1902-03 season - either on the 4th or the 11th of October. The misty autumn afternoon's rugby drew a huge crowd, many of whom would have flocked to the ticketed presentation of the film in the coming days.
One of the great charms of Mitchell and Kenyon's rugby films is their insightful (if perhaps a tad formulaic) representation of the match day atmosphere. Mixing up the theatre of the players' trot onto the pitch with views of spectators' enthusiastic cheering, as well as varied action sequences, the films capture a palpable sense of occasion and local celebration: "the real stars are not the players," writes Vanessa Toulmin in Electric Edwardians, "but the spectators who would ultimately become the paying audience."
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