The fall and rise of Hull City Football
October 2002; After six months in charge, Jan Molby was sacked from his post, After City made a terrible start to the 2002-03 season falling to Jeff Green Jersey19th in what was then called Division three. Conference football was not a po sibility. City would have to appoint someone With great experience, Someone who knows Football inside-out. It was easier said then done.Two months later. City appointed ex-England Manager Peter Taylor. Not only did Taylor pull City out of the Relegation scrap. City established themselves into a comfortable 13th position.Boothferry to KcOn the 14th December 2002 The Tiger faithful said a tearful goodbye to Boothferry park after 56 years, To move to a state of the ark all-seater 25 000 stadium. It was the start of a new era for Hull City Football club.The Kingston Comminucations.Succes atlast?Things started to take a turn for the better with the new stadium as they won back-to-back promotions under Peter Taylor. They became Division three runners up in 2003-4 season and league one runners up in the 2004-05 season.The main objective in the second tier of English football was to survive. They did it with ease finishing in 18th place a comfortable 10 points clear of relegation, And there highest position for 16 years.The Tigers suffered a set-back however when Peter Taylor left the club in June 2006 to take up the role of the Crystal Palace Manager. Phil Parkinson took over with little experience having only been a sistant manager at Charlton Athletic.The lack of experience proved costly for Parkinson as he was sacked after only being in the job for le s than five months, As City were in the Relegation zone. A North-easterner who went by the name of Phil Brown took over as caretaker manager, A man who also had little experience in managing, Having only been a sistant Manager at Bolton under Sam Alladyce, And had a brief and unsucce sful spell at Derby County.After a string of good results and taking Hull out of the Relegation zone, BrownBruce Brown Jr. Jersey was awarded the job full-time in January 2007.One of his first signings was Dean Winda s on loan from Bradford City. Brown had brought Winda s home and back were he belonged, He scored eight goals to secure Championship football for another season and the veteran was awarded with a permanent contract.Dare to dreamIn June 2007 Hull City chairman Adam Pearson the man who had taken Hull City to the second tier of English football sold the club to a consortium led by a man called Paul Duffen. Pearson clamed that he had taken the club as far asBrooklyn Nets T-Shirts he could. Pearson resigned from the board on 31st July 2007.Duffen gave Brown the funds he required by signing the likes ofCaleb Folan for one million pounds from Wigan and Wayne Brown from Colchester for 450 thousand pounds.The Tigers main aim for the 2007-08 season was to establish themselves as a Championship team and finish in a mid-table position. No one could of predicted what the outcome would be at the end of the season for City.Halfway through the season and City were lying in 11th position, Which would meet the expectations of the fans and the board.The month of March was a great one though for the Tigers with 6 wins in 8 games including a decisive win against fellow promotion chasing Watford. This put City into third place.1 point off the automatic promotion slot, With only 5 games to go.one win one drawone lo s in the next three games put City into Spencer Dinwiddie Jerseya difficult position.3 points behind automatic promotion with only two games to go.Five minutes to go and Hull city were drawing against play-off chasers Crystal Palace 1-1,Stoke City were leading Colchester 2-1.If results stayed as they were Stoke were heading for the Premier league, And City would have to settle for the play-offsHowever City were not finished just yet. The Tigers captain Ian Ashbee leading by example by slotting home to give City a 2-1 lead. Stoke would have to wait until the last game of the season to celebrate.The last game of the season and City would need a miracle if they were to get promoted without using the play-offs, They would have to beat Ipswich and hope that Stoke were beaten by Leicester.Unfortunately for Hull, Stoke had beaten Leicester and they were beaten by Ipswich, Which meant that Stoke would be promoted, And Jason Kidd Jerseyif City were to reach there Premier league dream they would have to do it with the play-off system.Citys opponents in the play-off semi finalwere Watford. They were no match for the Tigers with City beating them in the first leg 2-0 and the second leg 4-1 securing a play-off final against Bristol CityThe Tigers came in there numbers at Wembleyas they sold all of there remaining ticket allocations with ease.Dean Winda s proved to be the hero of Hull as his first-half volley proved to be the vital match winner. Sending his home town club into the Premier league for the first time in there 104 year historyThree games into there First Premier league campaign,And there are mixed feelings for the Tigers, A great win against Fulham, And a solid draw against Blackburn, Prove they can survive in the top flight, However a humiliating 5-0 hammering against Wigan, Will prove a concern for the Tigers.
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