Masterful

The first ever Hull City IX to compete in the televised indoor Masters tournament has been confirmed and, as hoped by this very blog, the correct chap has been installed as captain, which bodes well for the event in Sheffield on July 18th.

The squad then:

Justin Whittle
Captain, defender and still the recipient of substantial hero-worship from the generation of twentysomething Tigers fans who cast him as their icon during the eventful last throes of lowest division life. Whittle is the ex-squaddie who joined City midway through the Great Escape campaign in a totally re-organised defence, and took on the captaincy and the on-pitch responsibility for some long-awaited progress as City avoided the Conference and began to fight back. He was treated shabbily and eventually let go by Peter Taylor, which has contributed as much to his post-Tigers allure as anything on the pitch he managed at Boothferry Park. He is now 38 and playing in local non-league football for North Ferriby United.

Steve Wilson
Ten years this talented keeper spent at City without ever really being first choice thanks to a succession of decent keepers (the club's one unproblematic position throughout the 1990s) all being in the squad to displace him at one point or another. A boy from the rougher end of the city's east ("he's Bransholme's number one!"), Wilson made his debut at 17 and finally left for Macclesfield Town at the age of 27, prior to a single year at Tranmere and then returning to the Hull area, donning his gloves in the non-league scene with Hall Road Rangers and now Ferriby. He should have been given a testimonial by the Tigers, and it remains a minor scandal to this day that he wasn't. Now 35.

Neil Allison
Another local lad who debuted at 17, Allison was a centre back who never really fulfilled his early potential but hung around for a good few years under Terry Dolan before drifting into foreign and non-league football. He is now 35 and is Whittle and Wilson's manager at Ferriby.

John Anderson
A one-season wonder, immense alongside Whittle at the back before injuries ruined his pre-season the next year and made it impossible for him to reclaim his spot. Now 36, he is Allison's assistant at Ferriby.

Lee Warren
Underrated, cool holding midfielder who played frequently for four managers in six seasons prior to joining Doncaster Rovers and being part of the team that got relegated into non-league. Now 40.

Garry Parker
The real catch of the squad and still one of the finest midfielders ever to wear a City shirt. Parker was already and England Under 21 player when his old skipper Brian Horton signed him from Luton Town, and he duly held court over the midfield for two seasons before some big money from Nottingham Forest prompted his sale in 1988, which Horton has since admitted he shouldn't have sanctioned. Won domestic honours with Forest and scored some highly memorable goals, and later won further medals with Aston Villa and Leicester. Now 43, he was last seen playing for non-league side Kidlington and running their stiffs team. One imagines he runs even less now than he used to at his peak, but can probably still out-pass anyone.

Leigh Jenkinson
Probably more famous for winning the Yorkshire heat of the Rumbelows Sprint Challenge (grotty tie-in athletics challenge coinciding with League Cup sponsorship) in 1992 than for his five years at Boothferry Park, Jenkinson was nevertheless an exciting left winger who came through the ranks and proved one of the rare useful performers in a declining side. Got a big money move to Coventry and then spent most of his remaining career in Scotland. Turns 40 a week before making his return for City in this tournament.

Duane Darby
Famously scored six in one FA Cup tie against Whitby Town, a feat which remains a competition record while also saving the Tigers single-handedly from what would have been the most humiliating match in the club's history (the game ended 8-4). Darby was a workhorse and a useful striker in all situations and remains fondly recalled in a mid-90s period that was almost exclusively made up of dross. Now 35.

John Eyre
Reliable, if not absolutely prolific, goalscorer under Joyce and then Brian Little who put away what had been City's only ever goal in the play-offs until the promotion campaign of 2008. His solitary strike against Leyton Orient in the 2001 semi-final at Boothferry Park remains his most famous goal for City, even though a 2-0 reversal in the return leg ruined hopes of the final and a stab at promotion. Eyre left the same summer, to many people's surprise, and he rejoined Oldham Athletic, who had been his first club despite being Hull born. Now 35.

These nine players will represent the Tigers against both Sheffield clubs, Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers and Leeds United. An odd coincidence is that City's pre-season friendly at Ferriby, which occurs every summer, is on the same day, with a noon kick off. The presence of Allison and Anderson, plus captain Whittle and keeper Wilson, makes the coincidence all the more odd as at least two of them - Allison and Anderson are players too, but rarely turn out - will be scheduled to play in that friendly prior to beetling down the M18 to Sheffield.

Nick Barmby will probably play some role on the day for City at Church Road, which presumably explains why he, as a Premier League player rather than a non-league player, isn't involved in the Masters team.

The prospect of seeing these players - especially Parker, Jenkinson and Whittle - representing Hull City again is simply mouth-watering.