City trailblazers including ‘father of modern football’ honoured in walking tour

A SERIES of trailblazers – from the man who first wrote down the rules of football to the first British artist to enter the US Top Ten – are celebrated in a new walking tour of Hull.

The ‘Hull Firsts’ tour which starts at the city’s Paragon Station – the first port of call for 2.2 million new arrivals – was created by volunteers and funded by the National Lottery as part of City of Culture 2017.

It should take about two hours and is designed to open the eyes, as well as exercise the legs, of even those who think they know the city well.

They include Ebenezer Cobb Morley, inset, who is regarded as the father of the Football Association, and David Whitfield, the largely forgotten crooner whose hit Cara Mia saw him become the first British male singer to earn a gold disc for one million record sales in the UK, and whose statue stands outside the New Theatre. Liz Shepherd, chair of the Carnegie Heritage Centre, said: “In this special year for Hull, we wanted to do a project which everyone at the centre could be involved in, and which would celebrate the uniqueness of the city.” The trail – being launched next Tuesday – was researched and devised by volunteers at the centre. It will be available from outlets including museums and galleries and there is also an accompanying website which will allow users to complete the trail using their phone or tablet.