Football's 'hard man' to open sports pavilion and pitches

Tigers legend Billy Whitehurst will unveil the facilities at South Cave Sporting Club at 1pm in a ceremony also being attended by the Bishop of Hull, Richard Frith, who will bless the new building.

The ceremony will be followed by a community celebration and six-a-side tournament at the 650,000 development, which was made possible by a 414,000 grant from the Football Foundation.

Club secretary Matt Simpson said: "We are all very excited by the impact that this facility will have for the village and local community.

"A dream has come true for the volunteers who have put endless hours in to get to the stage we are at now.

"We are sure that this pavilion and the grounds surrounding it will be home to stars of the future and our strong links with the local primary school, scouting network and community clubs means that literally thousands of people will have the opportunity to use the facility.

"This really will be a grass roots scheme for everyone."

Mr Whitehurst made more than 200 appearances for City in two spells at the club in the 1980s, and was adored by fans and feared by opponents for his whole-hearted and uncompromising performances, which combined physical power with aggression and courage.

Other football "hard men" such as Vinnie Jones rated the strapping Whitehurst as the toughest player they came across – an opinion that was also shared by a more cerebral contemporary, Alan Hansen.

Ex-Liverpool defender Mr Hansen, now a respected TV pundit, once told viewers on Match of the Day that it was not so much what Mr Whitehurst did to opposing players as what he said that was so unnerving.

Mr Whitehurst, who will be 51 on Thursday, played semi-professional football for three Yorkshire clubs before being signed by City in 1980.

He scored 47 times in a five-year spell before adding five goals in 36 appearances when he rejoined the club for two years in 1988 after spells at Newcastle, Oxford, Reading and Sunderland. He was forced to retire by a knee injury.