The Hull FC team that secured Super League survival against Sheffield in 1999

The 1999 season almost saw the unthinkable happen, with Hull FC cast into oblivion. Thankfully, and due to the tireless efforts of many, the club was saved, and here on the final day of a torrid season, their Super League survival was secured.

Hull's first ever Super League opponents, Sheffield Eagles, were the opposition again, with victory needed to leapfrog Huddersfield into 13th place. A nervy afternoon was ahead.

Yet Hull, under the Sharks banner for the final time and now coached by Steve Crooks after Peter Walsh's dismissal, ensured their topflight status with five tries scored through Logan Campbell, Karl Harrison, Gary Lester, Paul Parker, and Ian Pickavance. Steve Prescott added six goals, with Robert Roberts completing a 33-16 victory with a drop-goal in front of 5,447 fans at the Boulevard.

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Ironically, Huddersfield ended up staying in Super League despite finishing rock bottom, joining forces with Sheffield to become Huddersfield-Sheffield and the rest, as they say, is history. Hull would go to play Sheffield again in Challenge Cup meetings in 2003, 2007, 2015 and most recently, 2022.

Here, Hull Live looks at the Hull team that played against Sheffield back in 1999 and what happened to them next.

Steve Prescott
The popular fullback played in Hull's Super League debut against Sheffield and spent the 1998 and 1999 seasons with the club before moving to Wakefield Trinity. However, less than a year later, he was back in East Yorkshire under Shaun McRae as the Black and Whites were finding their feet again.

Prescott stayed with Hull until a broken leg playing for Lancashire ended his career. He was then diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer in 2006 and sadly passed away in 2013. Today, his memory lives on through the Steve Prescott Foundation and the Steve Prescott Cup, which Hull and St Helens contest every season.

David Baildon
The winger was one of many Hull players to debut at Whitehaven back in 1998, having joined Hull from Workington Town. He spent two years at the Black and Whites and the Sheffield game was the last of his professional career.

Paul Parker
Parker was a young outside back making his name in 1999. A try scorer in the final round clash, he spent three more years with Hull and scored the club's final try at the Boulevard against New Zealand. He then moved to Hull KR in 2003.

Logan Campbell
A Kiwi centre or back rower, Campbell joined Hull in the promotion year of 1997 and had two spells at the club. He left after 1999 but, like Prescott, returned in 2001 to finish his career.

Craig Poucher
Poucher was one of many young Hull-born players to debut in 1999. He went on to play for Hull until 2002, and joined Hull KR for the 2003 season.

Rob Nolan
A classy centre or off-half, Nolan played for Hull throughout the 1990s, having debuted in the 1988–89 season. He was a Premiership winner with the club in 1991 and stuck through some tough times. He played at stand-off against Sheffield in the final game of 1999 and finished his career over the river at Hull KR.

Gary Lester
Lester finished the 1999 season as Hull's top scorer, with his tenth and final try of the year coming on the final day. A perfect ending to his stay at the Black and Whites, Lester was here for three years before returning to Australia.

Karl Harrison
Harrison first spent two years with Hull, winning the Premiership at Old Trafford in 1991. He returned for a second spell with the club in 1999, finishing his career with the Black and Whites. The prop forward then went into the coaching game with Keighley and has also been in the hot seat at Salford, Batley and Halifax, not to mention a spell in charge of England in the mid 2000s.

Paul King
Debuting in 1998, King is one of the most decorated Hull players of the Super League era. Making 253 appearances, the prop, or in this case, hooker, played for the Airlie Birds until the end of the 2009 season. A Great Britain international in his early days at Hull, King, who was also a Challenge Cup winner with the Airlie Birds in 2005, moved on to play for Wakefield for two years before ending his career at York. A true club stalwart of the 2000s.

Ian Pickavance
A loan signing from Huddersfield, the team that would end up finishing bottom, Pickavance was a try scorer on the final day. St Helens born, the prop forward had played for his hometown club for five years before finishing his career at Swinton in the 2000 season.

Michael Smith
Another Kiwi, Michael Smith played for Hull in the 1999 season, having made his name with the Canterbury Bulldogs. He also featured for Castleford before signing for the Black and Whites. After heping Hull stay up, the back rower played for York before re-joining Castleford. He finished his career with Hull KR.

Robert Roberts
A prop or back rower who loved a drop-goal or two, Roberts played just one season with Hull and departed after the Sheffield game. He went on to play for several clubs including Halifax, Hunslet, Huddersfield, Leigh, Oldham, and Barrow. He retired in 2010.

Andrew Purcell
Capable of playing numerous positions, Purcell lined up at loose forward on the final day. Like many in this team, the Australian's time at Hull was short-lived and he played just one season at the club. Purcell, who was signed from Illawarra Steelers, went on to play for Castleford Tigers in 2000 before finishing his career with Scotland in the Rugby League World Cup.

Matt Schultz
Helping Hull to promotion in 1997, Schultz was one of the club's Super League debutants at Sheffield in 1998. He left Hull in 2000 and also played for Hull KR before becoming a fireman with the Humberside Fire Service after his playing career.

Richard Fletcher
The Hull youngster debuted in 1999 and went on to play for the club until the end of 2004. He featured in the first game at the MKM Stadium against Halifax in 2003, and after his Black and Whites playing days, he moved to Brisbane-based Eastern Suburb Tigers in the Queensland Cup. Returning to England, Fletcher then played for Castleford again in Super League before playing spells at Whitehaven, Widnes, and Barrow. He finished his career at Dewsbury.

Steve Barrow
Barrow signed for Hull on loan from Wigan in 1998 and made the move permanent in 1999. He helped the club to stay up before moving on to London Broncos in 2000.

Andy Ireland
Ireland signed for Hull after spells with Widnes and Bradford. He was part of the promotion team in 1997 and left Hull in 1999. He finished his career at Rochdale.