The Dentist Wilf wrote:Great hero of mine simply because the heroes that got us through tough times in bleak periods for the club are often overlooked for the other more notable hall of famers who played in good and successful teams. He was a product of the Castleford half back factory when both Kenny and Roger Millward had to move on because Hepworth and Hardisty were the top two in the league and keeping them out of the Castleford first team. Mind you what a scrapper he was particularly for such a small bloke. His greatest season was probably 1976 when the unfashionable 2nd Division rag tag FC team who battled for every inch in every game (current incumbents please note) made it to the John Player final. We toppled some great first division clubs on the way and if I remember correctly he dummied three times brilliantly before he put nick Trotter in for the winning try against St Helens on the way there. Anyone who went too will never forget the semi final win at the fashionable team of the time Salford, which was so against all the odds. David Doyle Davidson once described him to me as the heartbeat of that team. He never moved to Hull but chose instead to make the 100 mile round trip from his Castleford home three times a week for 22 years . He was a mud ball of player and a bit of a joker when you spoke to him off the field, but no forward was too big for him to front up too although if I remember rightly he was only ten and a half stone wet. He played with other often unsung half backs of the time like Brian Hancock and Chris Davidson.
As has been said he was also the unsung hero of the Bunting years when he was assistant coach often doing the intermediary role between the players and the head coach. I have the minute books of that board from back then and it was often Kenny who pleaded the players cases and had often to take back the bad news to them. Arthur really rated him as his right hand man. That was however, Something he rarely got any praise for at all nor did ever appear to want any, doing the job right was good enough for him. .
So another one goes leaving brilliant memories behind him but we'll never forget people like Kenny and the way he played his heart out for us in some dark dark days. . RIP Kenny Foulkes.
A lovely tribute Wilf!
Sad news. I can’t really remember Kenny as a player. That JP Cup game v Saints was the first full game I went to, when I was 8. Think Hull won 5-3 that day. Saints won the Challenge Cup that season, so not a bad result for a Division Two side!!!
Obviously I remember Kenny more as Arthur’s loyal Assistant Coach. Several years of stability, success and wonderful memories for those of us lucky to witness that era.
Thoughts to Kenny’s family at this sad time.
