Hull City Association Football Club was founded in June 1904. For some years previously, attempts had been made to found a football club, but this proved difficult because the city was then dominated by rugby league teams such as Hull FC and Hull KR.[2]
Hull City's first season as a professional football club consisted only of friendly matches; because of the date of its founding, the club was unable to apply for membership of The Football League for the 1904–05 season.[3] These early matches were played at The Boulevard, the home of rugby league club Hull FC.[4] On 1 September 1904, Hull's debut match took place against Notts County; with 6,000 in attendance at The Boulevard, Hull held County to a 2–2 draw.
Hull's first competitive football match was in the FA Cup, but they were eliminated, after a replay, in the preliminary round against Stockton, the score was 7–4 on aggregate. After disputes with landlords at The Boulevard, Hull City moved to Anlaby Road Cricket Ground.[2] After having played 44 friendly fixtures the previous season, Hull City were finally admitted into the Football League Second Division for the 1905–06 season.[5] Other teams competing in the league that season included the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as Yorkshire rivals Leeds City, Bradford City and Barnsley. Hull faced Barnsley in their first game, a fixture which Hull won 4–1.[6] Eventually, Hull would finish the season in fifth place.[5]
The following season a new ground was built for Hull City across the road from the cricket ground. Still under the managership of Ambrose Langley, Hull continued to finish consistently in the top half of the table. They came close to promotion in the 1909–10 season, recording what would be their highest finish until they matched it in 2008. Hull finished third, level on points with second placed Oldham Athletic, missing promotion on goal average by 0.29 of a goal.[5] Hull regularly finished in the top half of the table prior to the First World War, but after the war the team finished in the bottom half in seven seasons out of eleven, culminating in relegation to the Third Division North in 1930.[5]
[edit] Mid-20th century
Hull City squad of 1936
Hull's greatest achievement in cup competitions was in 1930, when they reached the FA Cup semi-finals.[7] The cup run saw Hull knock out the eventual champions of the Second and Third Divisions; Blackpool and Plymouth Argyle respectively. They then knocked out Manchester City, to meet Newcastle United in the quarter finals. The first leg at St James' Park finished as a 1–1 draw, but in the replay Hull beat Newcastle 1–0. The semi-final match against Arsenal took place at Elland Road in Leeds, the game ended 2–2, and was taken to a replay. Arsenal knocked Hull out at Aston Villa's home ground, the game ending 1–0.[5]
After the Second World War, the club moved to another new ground, Boothferry Park.[8] In the 1948–49 season, managed by former England international Raich Carter, Hull won the Third Division North.[9] "Yo-yoing" between the second and third tiers of English football, Hull City had promotion seasons from the Third to the Second Division again in 1959 and 1966, winning the Third Division in the latter season.[10][11] Hull also became the first team in the world to go out of a cup competition on penalties, beaten by Manchester United in the semi-final of the Watney Mann Invitation Cup on 1 August 1970.[12] By the early 1980s, Hull City were in the Fourth Division, and financial collapse led to receivership.
Don Robinson took over as chairman and appointed Colin Appleton as the new manager. Both had previously held the equivalent roles with non-league Scarborough. Promotion to Division Three followed in 1983, with a young team featuring the likes of future England international Brian Marwood, future England manager Steve McClaren, centre-forward Billy Whitehurst, and the prolific goal-scorer Les Mutrie. When Hull City missed out on promotion by one goal the following season, Appleton left to manage Swansea City.
[edit] Decline in the late 20th century
Hull reached the Second Division in 1986 under player-manager Brian Horton. They remained there for the next five years before finally going down in 1991, by which time the club's manager was Terry Dolan. Hull finished 14th in the Third Division in the 1991–92 season,[13] meaning that they would be competing in the new Football League Division Two the following season. In their first season in the rebranded division, Hull narrowly avoided another relegation, but the board kept faith in Dolan and over the next two seasons they achieved several mid-table finishes. Financial difficulties hampered City's progress, as key players such as Dean Windass and Andy Payton had to be sold to fend off winding-up orders.[14] In the 1995–96 season Hull were relegated to Division Three.[4][15]
Boothferry Park in March 2008
In 1997 the club was purchased by former tennis player David Lloyd, who sacked Dolan as manager and replaced him with Mark Hateley after Hull could only finish in 17th place in the table.[16][17] Hull's league form was steadily deteriorating to the point that relegation to the Football Conference was looking a real possibility. Lloyd sold the club in November 1998 to a South Yorkshire based consortium, but retained ownership of Boothferry Park.[16] Hateley departed in November 1998, with the club at the foot of the table. He was replaced by 34-year-old veteran player Warren Joyce, who steered the club to safety with games to spare. Hull City fans refer to this season as "The Great Escape".[18] Despite this feat, Joyce was replaced in April 2000 by the more experienced Brian Little.[4]
Despite briefly being locked out of Boothferry Park by bailiffs and facing the possibility of liquidation,[14] Hull qualified for the Division Three playoffs in the 2000–01 season, losing in the semi-finals. A boardroom takeover by former Leeds United commercial director Adam Pearson had eased the club's precarious financial situation and all fears of closure were banished.[4]
[edit] The 21st century
[edit] Up the Football League
Graph showing Hull City A.F.C's progress through the English Football League System 1983–1984 to 2008–09 (last position shown: 29 September 2008, 6th in the Premier League)
The new chairman ploughed funds into the club, allowing Little to rebuild the team. Hull occupied the Division Three promotion and playoff places for much of the 2001–02 season, but Little departed two months before the end of the season and Hull slipped to 11th under his successor Jan Mølby.[4]
Hull began the 2002–03 season with a number of defeats, which saw relegation look more likely than promotion, and Mølby was sacked in October as Hull languished fifth from bottom in the league. Peter Taylor was named as Hull's new manager and in December 2002, just two months after his appointment, Hull relocated to the new 25,400-seater Kingston Communications Stadium after 56 years at Boothferry Park.[4]. At the end of the season Hull finished 13th.
Wembley Stadium before the Championship play-off final against Bristol City
Hull were Division Three runners-up in 2003–04 and League One runners-up in 2004–05. These back-to-back promotions took them into the Championship, the second tier of English football.[19][20] The 2005–06 season, the club's first back in the second tier, saw Hull finish in 18th place, 10 points clear of relegation and their highest league finish for 16 years.[4][21]
However, Taylor left the club on 13 June 2006 to take up the manager's job at Crystal Palace.[4] Phil Parkinson was confirmed as his replacement on 29 June 2006,[22] but was sacked on 4 December 2006 with Hull in the relegation zone,[23] despite having spent over £2 million on players. Phil Brown took over as caretaker manager,[23] and took over permanently in January 2007, having taken Hull out of the relegation zone.[24] Brown brought veteran striker Dean Windass back to his hometown club on loan from Bradford City,[25] and his eight goals helped secure Hull's Championship status as they finished in 21st place.[26] At the end of the season, former manager Brian Horton rejoined the club as Phil Brown's assistant.[27]
Adam Pearson sold the club to a consortium led by Paul Duffen in June 2007, stating that he "had taken the club as far as I could", and would have to relinquish control in order to attract "really significant finance into the club".[28] He resigned from the board on 31 July 2007, thus severing all ties with the club.[29]
Phil Brown and players celebrate on promotion to the Premier League in 2008
Under Paul Duffen and manager Phil Brown, Hull City improved greatly on their relegation battle of 2006–07 and qualified for the play-offs after finishing the season in third place. They beat Watford 6–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals and played Bristol City in the final on 24 May 2008, which Hull won 1–0 at Wembley Stadium, with Hull native Dean Windass scoring the winning goal.[30][31] Their ascent from the bottom division of the English Football League to the top in just five seasons is the third-fastest ever.[32]
[edit] Top flight football and beyond
Despite being one of the favourites for relegation in the 2008–09 season, Hull began life in the Premier League by beating Fulham 2–1 on the opening day in their first ever top flight fixture. With only one defeat in their opening nine games, Hull City found themselves (temporarily) joint top of the table, third on goal difference, following a 3–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion[33] - ten years previously they had been bottom of tier four of the league. Hull City's form never replicated the highs of the early autumn, winning only two more games over the remainder of the season.[34] Despite the drop in form and slow slide down the table, Hull City went into the final game of the season in 17th place and above the drop zone. They ultimately lost the game against Manchester United 0–1, however Newcastle United and Middlesbrough also lost their games against Aston Villa and West Ham United respectively, thus securing a second Premier League season for Hull City.
On 10 June 2009, Hull City were officially announced as part of the Barclays Asia Trophy 2009.[35] In this 4-team tournament Hull City competed against two other English sides, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, as well as local side Beijing Guoan, who they beat 5–4 in a penalty shoot out after a 1–1 draw.[36] On 31 July 2009, Hull City faced Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Barclays Asia Trophy and were defeated 3–0.[37] On 6 August 2009, Hull City acquired American international striker Jozy Altidore on loan from Spanish side Villarreal, with an option to buy him after the 2009-10 season.[38]
On 29 October 2009 chairman Paul Duffen resigned his position with the club[39] and was replaced by former chairman Adam Pearson on 2 November 2009[40][41] and on 15 March 2010 manager Phil Brown was relieved of his duties after a run of four defeats left Hull in the relegation zone.[42] Brown's replacement was former Crystal Palace and Charlton boss, Iain Dowie and the appointment was met with some disbelief by supporters who were hoping for a "bigger name" replacement. Dowie's first move as manager was to bring Tim Flowers and Steve Wigley onto his backroom staff, with former Hull City manager Brian Horton joining Phil Brown on gardening leave.[43]
Hull City's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on 3 May 2010, after a 2–2 draw at Wigan Athletic.[44]
[edit] Colours and crest
Old club crest
For most of the club's history, Hull have worn black and amber shirts with black shorts. These black and amber colours are where Hull's nickname, The Tigers, originated from.[4] However, in the club's first match against Notts County in 1904, white shirts were worn, with black shorts and black socks. During their first season in the League, Hull wore black and amber striped shirts and black shorts, which they continued to wear until the Second World War with the exception of one season, in which they wore sky blue shirts.[45] Following the end of the Second World War, Hull spent another season wearing sky blue, but changed to plain amber shirts, which they wore until the early 1960s, when they swapped back to stripes.[46]
Original kit colours
During the mid 1970s and early 1980s, the strip was constantly changing between the two versions of plain shirts and stripes. During the late 1980s, red was added to the kits but its duration went no further than this.[47] The early 1990s featured two "tiger skin" designs, which have since featured in several articles listing the "worst ever" football kits. The 1998–99 season introduced a kit with cross-fading amber and white stripes, another experiment that proved unpopular.[48] After the turn of the century, the club wore plain amber shirts until 2004, when the club celebrated its centenary by wearing a kit similar to the design of the one worn 100 years ago.[49]
Hull City did not wear a crest on their team shirts until 1947. This crest depicted a tiger's head in an orange-shaded badge, which was worn up until 1955, when it was changed to just the tiger's head. This was worn for four years, when the shirt again featured no emblem. Then, in 1971, the club returned to showing the tiger's head on the shirt. This was used for four years, until the club's initials of HCAFC were shown for five years. After this, a logo with the tiger's head with the club's name underneath was used from 1980 until 1998. The next logo, which as of 2009 is the club's current logo, features the tiger's head in an amber shield with the club's name, along with the club's nickname, The Tigers.[50]
Hull City's first season as a professional football club consisted only of friendly matches; because of the date of its founding, the club was unable to apply for membership of The Football League for the 1904–05 season.[3] These early matches were played at The Boulevard, the home of rugby league club Hull FC.[4] On 1 September 1904, Hull's debut match took place against Notts County; with 6,000 in attendance at The Boulevard, Hull held County to a 2–2 draw.
Hull's first competitive football match was in the FA Cup, but they were eliminated, after a replay, in the preliminary round against Stockton, the score was 7–4 on aggregate. After disputes with landlords at The Boulevard, Hull City moved to Anlaby Road Cricket Ground.[2] After having played 44 friendly fixtures the previous season, Hull City were finally admitted into the Football League Second Division for the 1905–06 season.[5] Other teams competing in the league that season included the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as Yorkshire rivals Leeds City, Bradford City and Barnsley. Hull faced Barnsley in their first game, a fixture which Hull won 4–1.[6] Eventually, Hull would finish the season in fifth place.[5]
The following season a new ground was built for Hull City across the road from the cricket ground. Still under the managership of Ambrose Langley, Hull continued to finish consistently in the top half of the table. They came close to promotion in the 1909–10 season, recording what would be their highest finish until they matched it in 2008. Hull finished third, level on points with second placed Oldham Athletic, missing promotion on goal average by 0.29 of a goal.[5] Hull regularly finished in the top half of the table prior to the First World War, but after the war the team finished in the bottom half in seven seasons out of eleven, culminating in relegation to the Third Division North in 1930.[5]
[edit] Mid-20th century
Hull City squad of 1936
Hull's greatest achievement in cup competitions was in 1930, when they reached the FA Cup semi-finals.[7] The cup run saw Hull knock out the eventual champions of the Second and Third Divisions; Blackpool and Plymouth Argyle respectively. They then knocked out Manchester City, to meet Newcastle United in the quarter finals. The first leg at St James' Park finished as a 1–1 draw, but in the replay Hull beat Newcastle 1–0. The semi-final match against Arsenal took place at Elland Road in Leeds, the game ended 2–2, and was taken to a replay. Arsenal knocked Hull out at Aston Villa's home ground, the game ending 1–0.[5]
After the Second World War, the club moved to another new ground, Boothferry Park.[8] In the 1948–49 season, managed by former England international Raich Carter, Hull won the Third Division North.[9] "Yo-yoing" between the second and third tiers of English football, Hull City had promotion seasons from the Third to the Second Division again in 1959 and 1966, winning the Third Division in the latter season.[10][11] Hull also became the first team in the world to go out of a cup competition on penalties, beaten by Manchester United in the semi-final of the Watney Mann Invitation Cup on 1 August 1970.[12] By the early 1980s, Hull City were in the Fourth Division, and financial collapse led to receivership.
Don Robinson took over as chairman and appointed Colin Appleton as the new manager. Both had previously held the equivalent roles with non-league Scarborough. Promotion to Division Three followed in 1983, with a young team featuring the likes of future England international Brian Marwood, future England manager Steve McClaren, centre-forward Billy Whitehurst, and the prolific goal-scorer Les Mutrie. When Hull City missed out on promotion by one goal the following season, Appleton left to manage Swansea City.
[edit] Decline in the late 20th century
Hull reached the Second Division in 1986 under player-manager Brian Horton. They remained there for the next five years before finally going down in 1991, by which time the club's manager was Terry Dolan. Hull finished 14th in the Third Division in the 1991–92 season,[13] meaning that they would be competing in the new Football League Division Two the following season. In their first season in the rebranded division, Hull narrowly avoided another relegation, but the board kept faith in Dolan and over the next two seasons they achieved several mid-table finishes. Financial difficulties hampered City's progress, as key players such as Dean Windass and Andy Payton had to be sold to fend off winding-up orders.[14] In the 1995–96 season Hull were relegated to Division Three.[4][15]
Boothferry Park in March 2008
In 1997 the club was purchased by former tennis player David Lloyd, who sacked Dolan as manager and replaced him with Mark Hateley after Hull could only finish in 17th place in the table.[16][17] Hull's league form was steadily deteriorating to the point that relegation to the Football Conference was looking a real possibility. Lloyd sold the club in November 1998 to a South Yorkshire based consortium, but retained ownership of Boothferry Park.[16] Hateley departed in November 1998, with the club at the foot of the table. He was replaced by 34-year-old veteran player Warren Joyce, who steered the club to safety with games to spare. Hull City fans refer to this season as "The Great Escape".[18] Despite this feat, Joyce was replaced in April 2000 by the more experienced Brian Little.[4]
Despite briefly being locked out of Boothferry Park by bailiffs and facing the possibility of liquidation,[14] Hull qualified for the Division Three playoffs in the 2000–01 season, losing in the semi-finals. A boardroom takeover by former Leeds United commercial director Adam Pearson had eased the club's precarious financial situation and all fears of closure were banished.[4]
[edit] The 21st century
[edit] Up the Football League
Graph showing Hull City A.F.C's progress through the English Football League System 1983–1984 to 2008–09 (last position shown: 29 September 2008, 6th in the Premier League)
The new chairman ploughed funds into the club, allowing Little to rebuild the team. Hull occupied the Division Three promotion and playoff places for much of the 2001–02 season, but Little departed two months before the end of the season and Hull slipped to 11th under his successor Jan Mølby.[4]
Hull began the 2002–03 season with a number of defeats, which saw relegation look more likely than promotion, and Mølby was sacked in October as Hull languished fifth from bottom in the league. Peter Taylor was named as Hull's new manager and in December 2002, just two months after his appointment, Hull relocated to the new 25,400-seater Kingston Communications Stadium after 56 years at Boothferry Park.[4]. At the end of the season Hull finished 13th.
Wembley Stadium before the Championship play-off final against Bristol City
Hull were Division Three runners-up in 2003–04 and League One runners-up in 2004–05. These back-to-back promotions took them into the Championship, the second tier of English football.[19][20] The 2005–06 season, the club's first back in the second tier, saw Hull finish in 18th place, 10 points clear of relegation and their highest league finish for 16 years.[4][21]
However, Taylor left the club on 13 June 2006 to take up the manager's job at Crystal Palace.[4] Phil Parkinson was confirmed as his replacement on 29 June 2006,[22] but was sacked on 4 December 2006 with Hull in the relegation zone,[23] despite having spent over £2 million on players. Phil Brown took over as caretaker manager,[23] and took over permanently in January 2007, having taken Hull out of the relegation zone.[24] Brown brought veteran striker Dean Windass back to his hometown club on loan from Bradford City,[25] and his eight goals helped secure Hull's Championship status as they finished in 21st place.[26] At the end of the season, former manager Brian Horton rejoined the club as Phil Brown's assistant.[27]
Adam Pearson sold the club to a consortium led by Paul Duffen in June 2007, stating that he "had taken the club as far as I could", and would have to relinquish control in order to attract "really significant finance into the club".[28] He resigned from the board on 31 July 2007, thus severing all ties with the club.[29]
Phil Brown and players celebrate on promotion to the Premier League in 2008
Under Paul Duffen and manager Phil Brown, Hull City improved greatly on their relegation battle of 2006–07 and qualified for the play-offs after finishing the season in third place. They beat Watford 6–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals and played Bristol City in the final on 24 May 2008, which Hull won 1–0 at Wembley Stadium, with Hull native Dean Windass scoring the winning goal.[30][31] Their ascent from the bottom division of the English Football League to the top in just five seasons is the third-fastest ever.[32]
[edit] Top flight football and beyond
Despite being one of the favourites for relegation in the 2008–09 season, Hull began life in the Premier League by beating Fulham 2–1 on the opening day in their first ever top flight fixture. With only one defeat in their opening nine games, Hull City found themselves (temporarily) joint top of the table, third on goal difference, following a 3–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion[33] - ten years previously they had been bottom of tier four of the league. Hull City's form never replicated the highs of the early autumn, winning only two more games over the remainder of the season.[34] Despite the drop in form and slow slide down the table, Hull City went into the final game of the season in 17th place and above the drop zone. They ultimately lost the game against Manchester United 0–1, however Newcastle United and Middlesbrough also lost their games against Aston Villa and West Ham United respectively, thus securing a second Premier League season for Hull City.
On 10 June 2009, Hull City were officially announced as part of the Barclays Asia Trophy 2009.[35] In this 4-team tournament Hull City competed against two other English sides, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, as well as local side Beijing Guoan, who they beat 5–4 in a penalty shoot out after a 1–1 draw.[36] On 31 July 2009, Hull City faced Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Barclays Asia Trophy and were defeated 3–0.[37] On 6 August 2009, Hull City acquired American international striker Jozy Altidore on loan from Spanish side Villarreal, with an option to buy him after the 2009-10 season.[38]
On 29 October 2009 chairman Paul Duffen resigned his position with the club[39] and was replaced by former chairman Adam Pearson on 2 November 2009[40][41] and on 15 March 2010 manager Phil Brown was relieved of his duties after a run of four defeats left Hull in the relegation zone.[42] Brown's replacement was former Crystal Palace and Charlton boss, Iain Dowie and the appointment was met with some disbelief by supporters who were hoping for a "bigger name" replacement. Dowie's first move as manager was to bring Tim Flowers and Steve Wigley onto his backroom staff, with former Hull City manager Brian Horton joining Phil Brown on gardening leave.[43]
Hull City's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on 3 May 2010, after a 2–2 draw at Wigan Athletic.[44]
[edit] Colours and crest
Old club crest
For most of the club's history, Hull have worn black and amber shirts with black shorts. These black and amber colours are where Hull's nickname, The Tigers, originated from.[4] However, in the club's first match against Notts County in 1904, white shirts were worn, with black shorts and black socks. During their first season in the League, Hull wore black and amber striped shirts and black shorts, which they continued to wear until the Second World War with the exception of one season, in which they wore sky blue shirts.[45] Following the end of the Second World War, Hull spent another season wearing sky blue, but changed to plain amber shirts, which they wore until the early 1960s, when they swapped back to stripes.[46]
Original kit colours
During the mid 1970s and early 1980s, the strip was constantly changing between the two versions of plain shirts and stripes. During the late 1980s, red was added to the kits but its duration went no further than this.[47] The early 1990s featured two "tiger skin" designs, which have since featured in several articles listing the "worst ever" football kits. The 1998–99 season introduced a kit with cross-fading amber and white stripes, another experiment that proved unpopular.[48] After the turn of the century, the club wore plain amber shirts until 2004, when the club celebrated its centenary by wearing a kit similar to the design of the one worn 100 years ago.[49]
Hull City did not wear a crest on their team shirts until 1947. This crest depicted a tiger's head in an orange-shaded badge, which was worn up until 1955, when it was changed to just the tiger's head. This was worn for four years, when the shirt again featured no emblem. Then, in 1971, the club returned to showing the tiger's head on the shirt. This was used for four years, until the club's initials of HCAFC were shown for five years. After this, a logo with the tiger's head with the club's name underneath was used from 1980 until 1998. The next logo, which as of 2009 is the club's current logo, features the tiger's head in an amber shield with the club's name, along with the club's nickname, The Tigers.[50]
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