The club was founded in 1904 and was then admitted into the Football League a year later. They remained in the Second Division until relegation in 1930. Hull won the Third Division North title in 1932–33, but were relegated three years later. They won the Third Division North under the stewardship of Raich Carter in 1948–49, and this time remained in the second tier for seven seasons. Having been promoted again in 1958–59, they were relegated the following season and remained in the Third Division until they were promoted as champions under Cliff Britton in 1965–66. Twelve seasons in the second tier culminated in two relegations in four years by 1981. They were promoted from the Fourth Division at the end of the 1982–83 campaign and were beaten finalists in the inaugural Associate Members' Cup in 1984.
Hull were relegated in 1991 and again in 1996, but secured back-to-back promotions in 2003–04 and 2004–05. The club went on to win the 2008 play-off final against Bristol City to win a place in the Premier League for the first time. They were relegated after two seasons, but were promoted again from the Championship in 2012–13. Hull played in their first FA Cup final in 2014, who despite scoring twice early on, lost 3–2 to Arsenal after extra-time. Relegated from the Premier League the following year, they returned for a third time with victory in the 2016 play-off final. They were relegated again from the top-flight just a year later, before dropping into the third tier in 2020. Hull secured immediate promotion as champions of League One at the end of the 2020–21 campaign.
Hull City Association Football Club was founded on 28 June 1904.[6][7][8] Due to the popularity of rugby league in Kingston upon Hull, previous attempts to found an association football club in the city had proved difficult.[failed verification] By 1904, both Hull F.C. and Hull K.R. were already well-established sides with passionate local backing.[failed verification] The desire for a third team to represent the city in competitive sport was not particularly present at the time, but support would soon grow.[7] The club faced some initial disruptions after foundation, as they had been unable to apply for membership of the Football League for the 1904–05 season and instead played only in friendlies.[9] The first of these matches was a 2–2 draw with Notts County on 1 September 1904, with a crowd of 6,000 in attendance.[failed verification] These early matches were played at Hull F.C.'s home, the Boulevard.[3] The club's first competitive football match was in the FA Cup preliminary round, drawing 3–3 with Stockton on 17 September, but they were eliminated after losing the replay 4–1 on 22 September.[10]
In March 1906, a permanent home ground was opened for Hull City just across the road from the cricket ground, known as Anlaby Road.[vague][failed verification] It would house the team until 1939.[failed verification] Under the guidance of player-managerAmbrose Langley, Hull continued to finish consistently in the top-half of the table.[failed verification] They came close to promotion in the 1909–10 season, recording what would be the club's highest-ever league finish for nearly a century. Hull had ended the season level on points with Oldham Athletic, but finished below the Latics due to goal average, where a narrow margin of 0.29 of a goal had meant the Tigers missed out on promotion.[failed verification][11]
Hull would continue to regularly finish in the top-half of the table prior to the suspension of English football during the First World War, but their momentum had gone after its restart in 1919. The Tigers began to struggle, finishing in the bottom half of the table in seven seasons out of the next eleven. This culminated in relegation to the Third Division North following the 1929–30 season.[failed verification][11] Despite the league campaign ending in relegation, Hull found much better luck in the FA Cup. Prior to 2014, Hull's greatest result in any cup competition was achieved in the 1929–30 FA Cup.[failed verification][13] The Tigers began with victories over the eventual champions of the Third Division, Plymouth Argyle and the eventual champions of the Second Division, Blackpool.[additional citation(s) needed] They then overcame Manchester City to meet Newcastle United in the quarter-finals. The first game at St James' Park finished as a 1–1 draw, but, in the home replay, Hull beat Newcastle 1–0. This meant Hull played the semi-finals, where they were paired with Arsenal, in a game held at the neutral venue of Elland Road in Leeds.[additional citation(s) needed] The semi-final ended 2–2, and, so, was replayed at Villa Park in Birmingham four days later.[additional citation(s) needed] Arsenal won the semi-final replay 1–0, thus ending Hull's cup run.[11]
Hull City squad in 1936
Hull would eventually be promoted back to the Second Division after they won their first-ever league title in the 1932–33 season.[citation needed] Managed by Haydn Green, they had finished above 2nd-placed Wrexham by just 2 points, mainly due to the goals of Bill McNaughton who was the league's top-scorer that season with 39 goals.
Lower-league success and financial crisis (1945–1985)
On 1 August 1970, Hull became the first team in the world to be eliminated from a cup competition on penalties, beaten by Manchester United in the semi-final of the Watney Cup.[additional citation(s) needed][17]
In February 1983, City fans Henry Priestman and Mark Herman worked under the pseudonyms 'Harry Amber' and 'Mark Black' (together as 'Amber and Black') to release the song "The Tigers are Back", with backing vocals provided by various members of the City squad.[18] This was done to help raise funds in order to pay the players' wages, as the club's money struggles were still visible. Herman reworded the song "Out of Luck" by Priestman's previous band Yachts, to get the lyrics. Both the record sleeves and the records themselves contained the logo of the fictional record label 'Don Records' alongside the fictional issue number 'COL001'.[18] These were in tribute to Don Robinson and Colin Appleton respectively.[18]
Hull remained in the Second Division for the next six years before being relegated in 1991, by which time the club's manager was Terry Dolan.[failed verification] It was during this period in the Second Division that Hull fielded a black player for the first time, when Ray Daniel made his debut on 23 August 1986 in a home game against West Bromwich Albion.[20] He would make 58 league appearances for the Tigers before moving to Cardiff City in August 1989.
Boothferry Park in March 2008
The Tigers finished 14th in the Third Division in the 1991–92 season, meaning that they would be competing in the new Second Division the following season.[vague][11] 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 mid-table finishes.[citation needed] Financial difficulties hampered City's progress, as key players such as Alan Fettis and Dean Windass had to be sold to fend off winding-up orders.[failed verification][21] In the 1995–96 season, Hull were relegated to the Third Division.[3][22]
In 1997, former tennis player David Lloyd purchased the club. Lloyd sacked Dolan as manager, and replaced him with Mark Hateley, after Hull finished 17th in the league table.[failed verification][11][23] Hull's league form steadily deteriorated to the point that they faced possible relegation to the Football Conference. Lloyd sold the club in November 1998 to a South Yorkshire-based consortium, but retained ownership of Boothferry Park.[failed verification][23] Hateley departed in November 1998, with the club at the foot of the table.[failed verification] He was replaced by 34-year-old veteran player Warren Joyce, who steered the club to safety with games to spare.[vague][failed verification] Hull City fans refer to this season as "The Great Escape".[24] Despite this feat, Joyce was replaced in April 2000 by the more experienced Brian Little.[failed verification][3]
Despite briefly being locked out of Boothferry Park by bailiffs and facing the possibility of liquidation,[failed verification][21] Hull qualified for the Third Division play-offs in the 2000–01 season, losing in the semi-finals to Leyton Orient.[11] A boardroom takeover by former Leeds United commercial director Adam Pearson eased the club's precarious financial situation, and all fears of closure were banished.[3]
Rise to the top-flight (2000–2008)
The new chairman funded the club, allowing Little to rebuild the team. Hull occupied the Third Division promotion and play-off places for much of the 2001–02 season, but Little departed two months before the end of the season and Hull slipped to 11th place under his successor Jan Mølby, incidentally the club's first non-British or Irish manager.[failed verification][3]
Chart showing the progress of Hull City's league finishes since the 1905–06 season
Hull began the 2002–03 season with a number of[quantify] defeats, which saw relegation look more likely[to whom?] than promotion, and Mølby was sacked in October as Hull were in 19th.[failed verification]Peter Taylor was named as Hull's new manager, and, in December 2002, just two months after Taylor's appointment and after 56 years at Boothferry Park, Hull relocated to the new KC Stadium.[additional citation(s) needed][3] At the end of the season Hull finished 13th.[11]
Hull were Third Division runners-up in 2003–04 and League One runners-up in 2004–05. These back-to-back promotions took City into the Championship, the second tier of English football.[11] The 2005–06 season, the club's first back in the second tier,[when?] saw Hull finish in 18th place, 10 points clear of relegation and their highest league finish for 16 years (since 1989–90).[close paraphrasing][3][11]
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".[citation not found][29] 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.[failed verification] They beat Watford 6–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals and played Bristol City in the final on 24 May 2008.[30] Hull won 1–0 at Wembley Stadium, with Hull-born player Dean Windass scoring the winning goal.[31] Their ascent from the bottom division of the Football League to the top division of English football in just five seasons was the third-fastest in England, behind joint-first Swansea (1977–81) and Wimbledon (1982–86).[32]
On 1 January 2008, midway through Hull City's promotion season, 'Amber and Black' (now stylised as 'Amber & Black'), released the song "The City's on Fire" on MySpace.[33][34] It was their first Hull City song since 1983.[33] It was later re-released just before 2014 FA Cup final.[18][35]
Phil Brown and players celebrate on promotion to the Premier League in 2008
Premier League football and "yo-yo" years (2008–2016)
Despite being a firm candidate for relegation ahead of the 2008–09 season,[36] Hull began life in the Premier League by beating Fulham 2–1 at home on the opening day, their first-ever top-flight fixture. Having gone 1–0 down inside 10 minutes, Geovanni scored Hull's first-ever top-flight goal to equalise, curling a shot low beyond Mark Schwarzer from outside the box. Caleb Folan then won the match late on, after Craig Fagan capitalised on a defensive mishap by Paul Konchesky.[37] With only one defeat in their opening nine games, including away wins at Arsenal[38] and Tottenham Hotspur,[39] the Tigers temporarily found themselves joint-top of the Premier League table (albeit sat in 3rd place due to goal difference) following a 3–0 away victory over West Bromwich Albion.[40] Hull's form never replicated the highs of the early autumn, as they only won two more games over the remainder of the campaign, but secured their top-flight status on the last day of the season despite losing, thanks to other results going in their favour.[41][42]
On 29 October 2009, chairman Paul Duffen resigned his position with the club, and was replaced by former chairman Adam Pearson on 2 November 2009.[43][44] On 15 March 2010, manager Phil Brown was put on gardening leave after a run of four defeats left Hull in the relegation zone.[45] Former Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic boss Iain Dowie was appointed as the club's "Temporary Football Management Consultant" two days later.[46] The appointment was met with some disbelief by supporters who were hoping for a stronger and more ambitious replacement.[47] Dowie could not keep the Tigers up, with relegation confirmed on 3 May 2010, after a 2–2 draw away at Wigan Athletic.[48] Both Brown and Dowie had their contracts terminated,[49][50] and Nigel Pearson was appointed as the club's new manager on 29 June 2010, arriving from Leicester City.[51][52]
Despite heavy financial constraints following relegation, Pearson worked astutely to bring in a handful of transfers and loan signings upon his arrival, in a bid to strengthen the squad for the upcoming 2010–11 campaign.[53] The highlight of these incomings was the permanent signing of West Bromwich Albion midfielder, Robert Koren, who had just captained Slovenia at the 2010 World Cup.[54][55] On 16 December 2010, it was confirmed that Assem Allam had become the new owner of Hull City,[56] having promised to pay back club debts and eliminate any possibility of financial ruin.[57] This allowed Hull to spend more money in the upcoming January transfer window, which included reuniting Pearson with his star striker from his time at Leicester, Matty Fryatt, who arrived for £1,200,000.[58] The newly revitalised team set a new club record on 12 March 2011 with 14 away matches unbeaten, breaking a previous record held for over 50 years.[59] The streak was finally broken at 17 matches when Bristol City beat the Tigers 3–0 on the last day of the season at Ashton Gate.[60] On 15 November 2011, Nigel Pearson left the club to return to Leicester.[61] Former player and Hull local Nick Barmby was appointed as his successor, initially as a temporary player-manager, but later as the full-time head coach, after retiring from professional football in January 2012.[62] Barmby was sacked on 8 May 2012, after publicly criticising the club's owners in an interview.[63] In the same month, the club's consultancy agreement with Adam Pearson was terminated.[64]
On 8 June 2012, Steve Bruce was appointed the club's new permanent manager on a three-year deal,[65] an appointment which would prove pivotal for the club's history. Bruce began by signing experienced defender Abdoulaye Faye from West Ham United,[66] young winger Sone Aluko from Rangers,[67] and technical midfielder Stephen Quinn from Sheffield United.[68] Alongside then-loanee Ahmed Elmohamady,[69] this quartet would be amongst the backbone of Bruce's promotion push in his first season as manager, the 2012–13 campaign. After a 2–1 victory away at Derby County on 21 December 2012, the Tigers found themselves in the league's top two for the first time that season.[70] Loans for Irish internationals Robbie Brady and David Meyler were both made permanent in the January transfer window,[71] whilst striker Gedo was loaned in from Egyptian giants Al Ahly.[72] He would hit the ground running in East Yorkshire, scoring five goals in his first six games.[73]
Bruce would eventually guide Hull back to the Premier League, after a nervy final day of the season at home to newly crowned league champions Cardiff City on 13 May 2013. The Tigers came from behind to lead 2–1, before Nick Proschwitz had the chance to finish the game off with a penalty in the dying embers of the match. The German saw his effort saved by David Marshall, allowing the Bluebirds to spring a counter-attack. The champions then won a penalty of their own, which was duly converted by Nicky Maynard. Hull would now have to rely on their Yorkshire rivals Leeds United to beat third-placed Watford at Vicarage Road. A lengthy-stoppage for an injury to Watford goalkeeper Jonathan Bond meant the game in Hertfordshire was 15 minutes delayed, leaving Hull in jeopardy as they were forced to wait to find out if they had done enough for automatic promotion. With the score level at 1–1 in added time, Ross McCormack attempted to chip substitute goalkeeper Jack Bonham, and thanks to Bonham mishandling the ball, it dropped into the net, securing Leeds the win and Hull a return to the top-flight in dramatic fashion.[74][75]
Following promotion, Bruce set about improving the squad so it was fit to compete in the Premier League. He started by making the loans of Elmohamady and George Boyd permanent,[76][77] before signing Maynor Figueroa,[78]Allan McGregor,[79] and Tom Huddlestone[80] throughout the summer transfer window, among others. Furthermore, Jake Livermore, who had made his England debut the previous year, was loaned in for the entirety of the 2013–14 campaign.[80] The Tigers began the season slowly, but there were clear signs of progress. A 3–1 home victory over title-chasing Liverpool on 1 December 2013,[81] and a narrow 3–2 defeat to Manchester United a few weeks later,[82] put Hull in a good position for their upcoming home fixture against Fulham. On 28 December 2013, Hull recorded their biggest-ever Premier League win, thrashing the visitors 6–0 and lifting them into 10th place.[83] The game is well-remembered for Huddlestone celebrating his goal (Hull's fourth), by cutting a lock of his hair for charity having promised to grow it out until his next goal.[84] The promise had lasted two years, as Huddlestone had not scored since 20 April 2011, when playing for his old club, Tottenham Hotspur, in their 3–3 draw with arch-rivals Arsenal.[85]
The Tigers' form dropped in January, losing all four of their league matches in the month. However, they beat Middlesbrough[86] and later Southend United[87] to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup. It took two legs to defeat Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion,[88] before a 3–0 home victory over Sunderland[89] and an entertaining 5–3 win against Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium, saw Hull reach their first FA Cup Final in history.[90] Meanwhile, in the league they had suffered greatly since the turn of the year. Yet, despite losing their final three games of the campaign, Bruce's side avoided relegation by four points, finishing in 16th, the club's highest-ever league finish.[91] On 17 May 2014, Hull contested the 2014 FA Cup Final with Arsenal. The Gunners were the favourites heading into the game, so when James Chester broke the deadlock inside five minutes, Arsenal were stunned. Curtis Davies doubled this lead moments later, leaving the opponents on the verge of capitulation. However, manager Arsène Wenger lifted his team back off their feet and their quality eventually shone through, with Aaron Ramsey completing an incredible 3–2 comeback deep into extra-time.[92] Hull may have been beaten finalists, but their consolation prize was a place in the following season's Europa League third qualifying round. This was because cup winners Arsenal were already set to compete in the Champions League.[93] It would be the first time that the club competed in a major European competition.[94]
Hull's squad would need another rebuild if it was to maintain stability in the Premier League and qualify for the group stages of the Europa League. With two signings made under Pearson leaving, the now-captain Koren[95] and semi-prolific goalscorer Fryatt,[96] depth was becoming a problematic issue that Bruce would need to resolve. After a successful loan spell, the first piece of business the Tigers did that summer was bringing Livermore back on a permanent deal for a reported club record fee of around £8,000,000.[97] Not long after, Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince arrived from Norwich City and Blackpool respectively.[98][99] Then, the double signing of Harry Maguire and Andrew Robertson was announced on 29 July 2014.[100] Two days later, Hull made their debut in European football, a 0–0 draw away to Slovakian side AS Trenčín.[94] The home leg saw their first European victory, a 2–1 win on 7 August 2014. Goals from Elmohamady and Aluko were enough to advance to the final play-off round.[101] There, they were drawn against Belgian club K.S.C. Lokeren. However, after a 1–0 defeat in the first leg,[102] a 2–1 win at home was not enough to progress due to the away goals rule, and Hull were eliminated from the competition.[103]
At the end of the summer the Tigers made a flurry of new signings and loan deals. Defender Michael Dawson,[104]Uruguayan international Abel Hernández,[105] and midfielder Mohamed Diamé[106] all arrived permanently in the last week of the window. Furthermore, Premier League talents Gastón Ramírez and Hatem Ben Arfa both arrived on loan.[106] Although Hull had not been a success in Europe, they had started well back on home soil, being ninth place in the league after their goalless away draw with Liverpool on 25 October 2014.[107] However, by the time Bruce signed his second three-year deal with the club on 11 March 2015, they had dropped to 15th and were just sat above a relegation dogfight.[108] The situation soon became uncomfortable and Hull slipped into the relegation zone, before having their fate sealed on the final day after drawing 0–0 at home to Manchester United, with other results failing to go their way.[109]
Bruce stayed in spite of relegation and largely managed to keep the same squad going into the 2015–16 season. After the 2–0 victory away at Brentford on 3 November 2015, Hull found themselves atop of the Championship table.[110] This came a week after their League Cup penalty-shootout win over eventual Premier League champions Leicester City,[111] which took the Tigers to their first-ever quarter-final appearance in the competition.[112][113] That appearance, on 1 December 2015, saw Manchester City beat Hull 4–1 at the Etihad Stadium.[114] Coincidentally, the Citizens would go on to win the cup later that season.[115] Hull would also taste glory in the 2015–16 campaign, overcoming Derby County 3–2 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs.[116] In the final, on 28 May 2016, a long-range effort from Diamé was enough to beat Sheffield Wednesday, securing the Tigers an immediate return to the top-flight.[117]
Supporter unrest and steady decline (2016–2020)
On 22 July 2016, Bruce resigned from his position as manager due to an alleged rift with the club's owners and Mike Phelan was appointed interim manager.[118][119] Steve Bruce's four-year tenure as Hull City manager was one of the most successful in the Tigers’ history, as his team achieved two promotions to the Premier League, including the club's highest-ever league finish, as well as an FA Cup final and European football. By the summer of 2016, supporters had already become frustrated and disillusioned with the Allam family's ownership of the club,[120] mainly due to the failed suggestion for the club to be rebranded as Hull Tigers.[121][122]
Fans' desires for the club to be sold only increased after Bruce's resignation, and worries about the upcoming season were made more apparent by the fact that there had been no new first team signings since promotion. It was that point in particular that garnered the attention of social media and national news outlets after nine of the 13 remaining fit senior players at the club jokingly posed for a squad photo whilst on their pre-season tour of Austria.[123] At the time of the photo, Diamé, who had scored Hull's promotion-winning goal just over two months earlier, had left the club to join Newcastle United,[124] whilst a permanent replacement for Bruce was still yet to be found.[123][125] An approach for then-Wales boss Chris Coleman had reportedly been made, in response to him guiding his nation to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 earlier that summer.[126] However, this was abruptly blocked by the Welsh FA on 2 August 2016.[127][128]
By the time the 2016–17 season was underway, Phelan was still in charge as interim manager. Despite low attendances at home games in protest of the Allams' ownership,[129] on-pitch results were surprisingly good considering the club's uncomfortable situation. This was highlighted by an unlikely opening day 2–1 win at home to Leicester City, the reigning Premier League champions at the time.[130][131] Although good results continued until September, Hull's form drastically dipped. Despite this, on 13 October 2016, Phelan became Hull's permanent head coach, but was sacked less than 3 months later, on 3 January 2017, after little improvement.[132][133] Two days later, Marco Silva was appointed as the club's new manager,[134] but he was unable prevent relegation at the end of the season.[135]
Following relegation Silva resigned,[136] and on 9 June 2017, the club announced Leonid Slutsky as the new head coach.[137] He would not last long in Hull though, with the Russian leaving by mutual consent on 3 December 2017 after a poor run of results.[138][139] He was replaced by former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins,[140] who led the team to avoid relegation and finish 18th at the end of the season.[141] Despite being in the relegation zone after 19 games of the following season, the 2018–19 campaign,[142] an upturn in form saw the Tigers finish in 13th place. However, Adkins resigned at the end of the season after rejecting a new contract.[143]
On 21 June 2019, Hull appointed Grant McCann as head coach on a one-year rolling contract.[144] The Tigers began the 2019–20 season well, finding themselves in 8th place after a 1–0 away win over Sheffield Wednesday on 1 January 2020.[145] However, McCann's reliance on wingers Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki would prove fatal after both were sold by the end of that month's transfer window.[146][147] Bowen in particular was crucial to the team's success, having scored 16 goals in 29 games so far that campaign prior to his move to West Ham United.[148] In a season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hull lost 16 of their last 20 games, a run that included the club's joint-worst league defeat ever, when they lost 8–0 away at Wigan Athletic.[149][150] On 22 July 2020, after losing 3–0 away to Cardiff City, Hull were relegated to League One.[151] It would be the first time the club had played in the third tier of English football in 15 years.[149][152]
Return to the Championship and new ownership (2020–present)
Despite relegation, McCann continued as head coach for the 2020–21 season. This decision would prove successful, as Hull were promoted back to the Championship at the first time of asking. After a 2–1 victory away at Lincoln City on 24 April 2021, promotion was confirmed.[153] A week later, on the final day of the campaign, a 3–1 win at home to Wigan Athletic saw the Tigers crowned League One champions. It was only the fourth-ever league title that the club had won, and the most recent since the victorious 1965–66 Third Division campaign, 55 years prior.[154]
On 19 January 2022, Turkish media mogul Acun Ilıcalı and his company Acun Medya completed a takeover of Hull City, ending the club's controversial 11-year ownership under the Allam family.[155] On 25 January 2022, Grant McCann was sacked,[156] but he was quickly replaced by Shota Arveladze as the new head coach two days later.[157] The former Georgia international helped Hull achieve Championship survival in the 2021–22 season in relatively comfortable fashion,[158] before he too was sacked, on 30 September 2022, after four consecutive league defeats.[159]
On 3 November 2022, the club announced former player, Liam Rosenior, as head coach, on a two-and-a-half-year deal.[160] Having strengthened both the team's defensive record and the team's away record since his arrival, Rosenior guided Hull to a 15th-placed finish at the end of the 2022–23 season.[161] Despite Rosenior overseeing a very positive 2023–24 campaign, one where he was nominated for the EFL Championship Manager of the Season award[162] and had brought the Tigers within three points of a play-off place, he was sacked on 7 May 2024.[163] Owner Ilıcalı swiftly explained that Rosenior had been dismissed on good terms and that the departure was due to a difference in "football philosophy", with the Englishman unwilling to play the aggressive attacking style that Ilıcalı was demanding.[164]
During this period of transition, Tim Walter was appointed as Rosenior's replacement, beginning his new role on 1 July 2024.[173] However, he was removed from his post on 27 November 2024, after enduring a league run of four straight defeats and nine games without a win.[174] At the time, Hull were 22nd in the Championship, sat just inside the relegation zone.[175] On 6 December 2024, Rubén Sellés was appointed as head coach of the club on a two-and-a-half-year deal, taking up his position from 9 December.[176]
For most of the club's history, Hull have worn black and amber shirts with black shorts.[improper synthesis?] These black and amber colours are where Hull's nickname, The Tigers, originated from.[3] However, in the club's first match against Notts County in 1904, white shirts were worn, with black shorts and black socks.[clarification needed] 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 the 1935–36 season, in which they wore bright blue shirts.[clarification needed][9]
Following the end of the Second World War, Hull wore sky blue home shirts for the 1946–47 season, but changed to plain amber shirts, which they wore until the early 1960s, when they swapped back to stripes. During the mid-1970s, and early 1980s, the strip was constantly changing between the two versions of plain shirts and stripes.[clarification needed] During the late 1980s, red was added to the kits but its duration went no further than this.[clarification needed] The early 1990s featured two distinctive "tiger skin" designs, which have since featured in several articles listing the "worst ever" football kits.[failed verification][9]
The 1998–99 season introduced a kit with cross-fading amber and white stripes, another experiment that proved unpopular.[improper synthesis?] After the start of the 21st 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 previously.[improper synthesis?][9]
In 1935, Hull City's introduced its first-ever shirt crest, which mirrored the familiar three crowns civic emblem of Kingston upon Hull.[failed verification] This was displayed on the bright blue shirts worn in the 1935–36 season.[clarification needed] Following that season, the team went without a crest until 1947, when a tiger's head in an amber shield was used.[improper synthesis?] In 1957, it changed again, this time to just the tiger's head.[clarification needed] This was worn for another three years, until the shirt returned to having no crest. Then, in 1971, the club brought back the tiger's head on the shirt, which was used for four years.[9]
In 1975, the tiger's head was granted as a heraldic badge by the College of Arms to the English Football League for use by Hull City, blazoned as a "Bengal tiger's head erased proper".[177] Subsequently, the club's initials of HCAFC were shown for four years on the shirt. After this, a crest with the tiger's head with the club's name underneath was used from 1979 until 1998.[failed verification] The next crest, which was in use throughout Hull's historic rise from the fourth tier, featured the tiger's head in an amber shield with the club's name, along with the club's nickname, The Tigers.[failed verification][9]
The club would change their crest again in June 2014, but this version was not well-liked among supporters and so from the close of the 2017–18 season a supporter-led process of redesigning the club crest took place. The new crest was to be used from the start of the 2019–20 season, being revealed in February 2019. This would be similar to the previous design but with the return of the club name at the top and a different shaped shield.[failed verification][178]
Kit manufacturers and sponsors
1904 home colours
1935 home colours
1946 home colours
Home colours worn throughout much of the 20th century
Hull City initially played their home games at rugby league ground, the Boulevard, before briefly relocating to the Circle, a local cricket ground.[3][7][188] Eventually, Anlaby Road would be built to become the club's first permanent home, opening in March 1906.[189] The Tigers played there until they were forced to suspend their operations in 1941 due to the Second World War.[189]
When league football resumed in 1946, Hull moved into the newly built Boothferry Park.[14] First planned in 1929, the stadium had seen slow development due to financial difficulty and the impact of the war on the city, particularly the Hull Blitz.[190] In 1951, Boothferry Halt railway station opened to serve supporters travelling to the stadium. It would ultimately close in 1986 because of safety concerns.[191]
Boothferry Park would be the Tigers' home for 56 years before they left for the new KC Stadium in December 2002.[14] By this time, the old ground had fallen into disrepair and the Taylor Report had enforced its ruling that clubs in the top two divisions of English football must have all-seater stadiums.[192] Although Hull fell outside the restrictions at the time, playing in the fourth tier, it showed the club's ambition to progress.
City were joined at the new ground by Hull F.C. of the Super League. In 2006, the stadium was named "Best Ground" at the inaugural EFL Awards.[193] When its sponsor, the KCOM Group, rebranded in 2016, the stadium was renamed to the KCOM Stadium.[194] It was again renamed in 2021, becoming the MKM Stadium when MKM Building Supplies bought the stadium's naming rights.[195]
Rivalries
Hull City supporters at the celebrations on the team's promotion to the Premier League in 2008Hull City supporters prior to the 2014 FA Cup Final against Arsenal
The club also has a minor rivalry with Sheffield United.[irrelevant citation][197] This goes back to 1984 when United won promotion at Hull's expense.[improper synthesis?] With the teams level on points and on goal difference, they were only separated by goals scored.[failed verification][198] 33 of United's goals were scored by former Hull striker Keith Edwards. Hull's final game of the season against Burnley had been rescheduled due to bad weather and took place after their promotion rivals had finished their campaign. This meant Hull went into the game knowing that a three-goal victory would mean promotion, but in front of a crowd which included a number of United fans, they could manage only a 2–0 win, ensuring that United went up instead.[199][200]
Additionally, the 2003 poll found that Lincoln City and non-league York City fans considered Hull to be amongst their rivals.[196]
According to Andy Nicholls and Nick Lowles, in their book Hooligans: The A–L of Britain's Football Hooligan Gangs, the club's main hooligan firm appears to be the Hull City Psychos, dating back to the 1960s.[201]
Name change
2013: Initial application
In August 2013, owner Assem Allam announced that the club had re-registered as "Hull City Tigers Ltd," and that the team would be marketed as "Hull City Tigers," removing the "Association Football Club" that had been part of the name since the club's formation in 1904.[202][203] Vice-chairman Ehab Allam said "AFC" would remain on the club badge for the 2013–14 season, but be removed after.[close paraphrasing][204]
In response, a Premier League spokesman said, "We have not been informed of a change in the name of the actual club. They will still be known as Hull City as far as the Premier League is concerned when results or fixtures are published."[citation needed]
According to its chairman, by 2014, the club would be further renamed "Hull Tigers," because, as he claimed, "in marketing, the shorter the name the more powerful [it is],"[205] while "Association Football Club" made the name too long. Allam stated he dislikes the word "City", as it is too "common" and a "lousy identity", since it is associated also with other clubs, such as Leicester City, Bristol City and Manchester City.[failed verification] He told David Conn of The Guardian that "in a few years many clubs will follow and change their names to something more interesting and I will have proved I am a leader,"[205] adding that if he were the owner of Manchester City, he would change their name to "Manchester Hunter."[205]
Allam justified the intended name change as part of his plans to create "additional sources of revenue" for the club, after Hull City Council refused to sell him the stadium freehold so he could develop, as he had stated, "a sports park" on the site.[citation needed] The council has refused to sell in order, as they stated, "to preserve the annual Hull Fair held on the adjacent car park."[citation needed] After the collapse of the negotiations, Allam stated: "I had in mind £30 million to spend on the infrastructure of the club, to increase the stadium by 10,000 and to have commercial activities around the stadium — cafeterias, shops, supermarkets — to have all this to create income for the club so that in the future it can be self-financing and not relying on me." He asked rhetorically, "What if I dropped dead tomorrow?"[citation needed]
Supporters' groups expressed opposition to the name change. Bernard Noble, chairman of Hull City's official supporters club said he was disappointed, although he agreed that Allam had saved the club from liquidation and that it was "his club".[citation needed] Blogger Rick Skelton called the name change "a pointless exercise" and said, "Mr Allam's assertion that the name 'Hull City' is irrelevant and too common, is as disgusting a use of the English language as his new name for the club."[citation needed] Before the first home match of the season on 24 August 2013, a group of supporters marched in protest against the name change, and unfurled a banner that read, "Hull City AFC: a club not a brand".[close paraphrasing][204] Allam dismissed complaints by fans, stating "nobody questions my decisions in my business."[close paraphrasing][206]
In a comment published on 1 December 2013 in The Independent in response to supporters' chants and banners of "City Till We Die", Allam said, "They can die as soon as they want, as long as they leave the club for the majority who just want to watch good football."[207] The supporters responded with chants of "We're Hull City, we'll die when we want" during that day's home match against Liverpool. Manager Steve Bruce credited the controversy for creating " a fantastic atmosphere" but added, "I have got to have a conversation with him because I don't think he quite understands what it means in terms of history and tradition."[208] However, Bruce also said that, because of the money Allam had invested in the club, "If he thinks Hull Tigers is his way forward then we have to respect it."[209]
On 11 December 2013, a spokesman for Hull City announced that the club had formally applied to the Football Association to have its name changed to "Hull Tigers" from the 2014–15 season onwards.[close paraphrasing][210] The FA Council, which has "absolute discretion" in deciding whether to approve the plan or not, stated the next day that it would follow a "consultation process" with stakeholders, "including the club's supporter groups".[211]
2014: Resistance and rejection
Some brand and marketing experts came out in support of the name change. Nigel Currie, director of sports marketing agency Brand Rapport, stated that "the whole process has been conducted badly with the supporters, but [the name change] is a pretty sound idea."[close paraphrasing][212] Simon Chadwick, professor of Sport Business Strategy and Marketing at the Coventry University Business School, opined that the objective of opening up lucrative new markets for shirt sales, merchandise and broadcast deals shows commercial vision and could bring benefits, but "this needs to be backed up by a proper marketing strategy and investment." He said, "it's no use thinking changing the name or the colour of the shirt will pay instant dividends."[close paraphrasing][212]David Stern, commissioner of the National Basketball Association in the United States, warned: "I would say a wise owner [of a sports club] would view his ownership as something of a public trust, in addition to the profit motive, and you really do want to allow the fans a little bit more input than I think is being allowed, with respect to Hull."[212]
On 17 March 2014, the FA membership committee advised that the name change application be rejected at the FA Council meeting on 9 April.[close paraphrasing][213] In response, the club published a statement saying the FA was "prejudiced", and criticised the committee's consultation with the City Till We Die opposition group.[214] The following week, the club opened a ballot of season ticket holders over the name change. Opponents of the name change criticised as "loaded" the questions, which asked respondents to choose between "Yes to Hull Tigers with the Allam family continuing to lead the club", "No to Hull Tigers" and "I am not too concerned and will continue to support the club either way", on the grounds that voters were not given the option to reject the name while keeping the Allam family as owners.[215] Of 15,033 season ticket holders, 5,874 voted in all, with 2,565 voting in favour of the change and 2,517 against, while 792 chose the "not too concerned" option.[216]
On 9 April 2014, the FA Council announced its decision, carried by a 63.5% vote of its members, to reject the club's application for a name change.[close paraphrasing][217] The club's owner, Assam Allem, responded by stating it would appeal the decision.[217] However, since there was no appeal process with the FA and its council, the decision was final. On 11 September 2014, Allam mentioned that an appeal against the FA's ruling was being sent to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He also held a news conference confirming the club had been put up for sale due to the English FA's decision on 9 April 2014.[additional citation(s) needed][close paraphrasing][218]
In October 2014, interviewed by the BBC, Allam confirmed that he would "not invest a penny more in the club" unless he is allowed to change the club's name to Hull Tigers.[clarification needed][219] In the same interview, Allam said, "I have never been a football fan. I am still not a football fan. I am a community fan."[219]
2015: Re-application
In March 2015, an independent panel appointed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the decision of the Football Association Council to block the name change "cannot stand" on account of the process having been "flawed."[failed verification][close paraphrasing][220]
In July 2015, the Football Supporters Federation confirmed that a 70/30 decision was made in favour of Hull City A.F.C. not changing their name after an FA vote.[221]
Finances
In the club's annual report for the 12-month period up to 31 July 2009, auditorsDeloitte stated that £4.4 million had gone out of the club and stadium company to owner Russell Bartlett's holding companies in loans, while at least £2.9 million of it was used in the take-over itself of the club.[222] A further £560,000 was paid, according to the audit, by the stadium company to Bartlett's holding companies in "management fees," while at least £1 million was owed to him personally as a "salary".[222] After the warning from Deloitte, Bartlett gave the club a £4 million loan,[vague][223] "which brought the money he had taken out and put in since taking over to about even."[222]
On an "Opacity Score" out of 100, where zero indicates complete openness and 100 complete secrecy, the company which owns the club has been rated by Christian Aid at 87.[222]
Hull City's corporate accounts, as of July 2013[update], showed a £25.6 million loss, on revenues of £11 million, after player and management costs of "just under £23 million."[227] The club has "future tax losses" available of more than £45 million.[227] Another Assam Allam company, Allam Marine, also wholly owned by Allamhouse Limited, revealed in its 2012 accounts that "utilisation of tax losses from group companies" reduced its tax liability by £3.8 million over 2011 and 2012.[227]
As reported,[by whom?]HM Revenue and Customs are in the process of[when?] an inquiry at Hull City AFC, as part of the British tax authorities' targeting of football clubs over "tax-free payments to players under image rights' deals and the provision of benefits in kind.[227] For Hull City AFC, the provision for benefits in kind was reported at £682,000 as of July 2011, growing to £810,000 by July 2012.[227]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^Hull City did not host an awards ceremony nor give out a Player of the Year award in the 2019–20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Hall of Fame
On 18 October 2017, Hull City announced the creation of its own Hall of Fame to honour the numerous legendary figures from throughout the club's history, with the first inductees to be decided in February 2018.[285]
Hull City Ladies F.C. are not a registered affiliate of Hull City A.F.C. and their men's team; however, they do play in the same colours with a similar club crest and name. As of the 2023–24 season, they compete in the FA Women's National League Division One North. The Tigresses, as they are known, play their home games at the Easy Buy Stadium in Barton-upon-Humber.[297]
Jock Davidson holds the record for the most appearances for Hull City. He featured 520 times for the Tigers in the league, and 579 times in all competitions. Garreth Roberts is second on the all competitions appearances list with 487, just ahead of Chris Chilton on 477. In the league alone, Roberts stands at 414, one behind Chilton on 415, who comes third. Between him and Davidson is George Maddison, with 430 league appearances.
The youngest debutant the club has seen was Matt Edeson. At 16 years and 60 days old, he came off the bench against Fulham on 10 October 1992.[a] Hull's oldest debutant is Andy Hessenthaler, who played against Chesterfield on 1 February 2005 at 39 years and 168 days old. However, Steve Harper was the oldest player to appear for the Tigers. On 24 May 2015, at 40 years and 60 days old, Harper was in goal for the 0–0 draw against Manchester United that saw Hull relegated from the Premier League.
Theodore Whitmore of Jamaica holds the record for the most international caps won whilst playing for Hull City. During his time in black and amber between 1999 and 2002, Whitmore amassed 28 caps for his nation.
^Hull City's website incorrectly records Edeson's debut as being on 10 December 1992 with him aged 16 years and 63 days old, neither of which is true[307]
Goals
Chris Chilton holds the record for the most goals for Hull City. He scored 222 goals in all competitions between 1960 and 1971, with 193 of those being league goals. Ken Wagstaff, Chilton's strike partner for much of that time, comes second on both lists, with 173 of his 197 goals in black and amber coming in the league. Sammy Stevens is third in the all competitions list with 116 goals, whereas Paddy Mills and his 101 goals ranks him third amongst the league goalscorers.
The club record for the most goals scored by a single player in a competitive fixture belongs to Duane Darby. Against Whitby Town in an FA Cup first round replay on 26 November 1996, Darby scored six times in an 8–4 goalfest at Boothferry Park. The club record for the most goals scored by a single player in a single season is the 42 goals Bill McNaughton scored in the 1932–33 season.
Scorelines
Hull City's biggest margin of victory in a competitive fixture was their 11–1 drubbing of Carlisle United at Anlaby Road on 14 January 1939. The Tigers' biggest competitive away win was their 8–2 thrashing of Stalybridge Celtic on 26 November 1932 in the first round of the FA Cup.
Hull have been beaten 8–0 twice in their history, which is their biggest ever losing margin in a competitive fixture. Firstly, they lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers on 4 November 1911. This humiliating defeat was then equalled over a century later when Wigan Athletic beat the Tigers on 14 July 2020.
Attendances
The record for the highest ever attended competitive fixture involving Hull City stands at 89,345 spectators. This was set on 17 May 2014 for the 2014 FA Cup Final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, which ended with the Tigers being beaten 3–2 in extra-time.
Hull's highest ever home attendance for a competitive fixture was recorded on 26 February 1949, when a crowd of 55,019 attended an FA Cup sixth round tie against Manchester United at Boothferry Park. Since moving to the MKM Stadium, the record stands at 25,030 spectators. This was set on 9 May 2010, when the Tigers played out a 0–0 draw with Liverpool on the final day of the 2009–10 season.
Transfers
The largest transfer fee Hull City have ever paid for a player is the rumoured £13 million they paid Tottenham Hotspur for Ryan Mason in 2016. The largest transfer fee the club has ever received is £22 million when West Ham United bought Jarrod Bowen in 2020.[308]
^"City Complete Fryatt Deal". Hull City Official Website. Hull City A.F.C. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
^Nicholls, Andy; Lowles, Nick (September 2005). Hooligans: The A–L of Britain's Football Hooligan Gangs. Wrea Green: Milo Books. p. 272. ISBN1-903854-41-5.
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