Fixtures

England FA Cup 01/12 12:00 9 Hull vs Doncaster - View
England Championship 01/18 12:30 27 Millwall vs Hull - View
England Championship 01/21 19:45 28 Hull vs QPR - View
England Championship 01/24 20:00 29 Sheff Utd vs Hull - View
England Championship 02/01 15:00 30 Hull vs Stoke - View
England Championship 02/08 15:00 31 Cardiff vs Hull - View

Results

England Championship 01/04 15:00 26 [22] Hull v Leeds [1] D 3-3
England Championship 01/01 17:30 25 [21] Hull v Middlesbrough [6] L 0-1
England Championship 12/29 15:00 24 [5] Blackburn v Hull [22] W 0-1
England Championship 12/26 15:00 23 [18] Preston v Hull [21] L 1-0
England Championship 12/21 12:30 22 [24] Hull v Swansea [10] W 2-1
England Championship 12/14 12:30 21 [17] Coventry v Hull [24] L 2-1
England Championship 12/11 19:45 20 [24] Hull v Watford [7] D 1-1
England Championship 12/07 15:00 19 [22] Hull v Blackburn [8] L 0-1
England Championship 11/30 12:30 18 [6] Middlesbrough v Hull [22] L 3-1
England Championship 11/26 19:45 17 [22] Hull v Sheff Wed [15] L 0-2
England Championship 11/23 15:00 16 [21] Luton v Hull [19] L 1-0
England Championship 11/10 13:00 15 [19] Hull v West Brom [8] L 1-2

Stats

 TotalHomeAway
Matches played 55 27 28
Wins 15 4 11
Draws 16 12 4
Losses 24 11 13
Goals for 63 31 32
Goals against 80 38 42
Clean sheets 8 3 5
Failed to score 19 9 10

Wikipedia - Hull City A.F.C.

Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. They play their home games at the MKM Stadium, after moving from Boothferry Park in 2002. The club's traditional home colours are black and amber, often featuring in a striped design on the shirt, hence their nickname, The Tigers. Hull also contest the Humber derby with both Grimsby Town and Scunthorpe United.

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.

History

Foundation and early progress (1904–1945)

Hull City Association Football Club was founded on 28 June 1904. 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.[] By 1904, both Hull F.C. and Hull K.R. were already well-established sides with passionate local backing.[] 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. 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. 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.[] These early matches were played at Hull F.C.'s home, the Boulevard. 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.

After disputes with landlords at the Boulevard, Hull City temporarily moved to the Circle, a cricket ground in West Park.[] After having played 44 friendly fixtures the previous season, Hull City were admitted into the Football League Second Division for the 1905–06 season.[] Other teams competing in the league that season included Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as Yorkshire rivals Barnsley, Bradford City and Leeds City. Furthermore, Grimsby Town, from the southern bank of the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, were also in the Second Division.[][] Hull and Grimsby were the only two professional teams who were granted official exemption from playing league football on Christmas Day because of the demands of the fish trade. Hull defeated Barnsley 4–1 at home in their first game, and ended the season with a solid 5th-place finish.[]

In March 1906, a permanent home ground was opened for Hull City just across the road from the cricket ground, known as Anlaby Road.[][] It would house the team until 1939.[] Under the guidance of player-manager 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 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.[]

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.[] 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.[] The Tigers began with victories over the eventual champions of the Third Division, Plymouth Argyle and the eventual champions of the Second Division, Blackpool.[] 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.[] The semi-final ended 2–2, and, so, was replayed at Villa Park in Birmingham four days later.[] Arsenal won the semi-final replay 1–0, thus ending Hull's cup run.

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.[] 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)

After the Second World War, the club moved to another new ground, Boothferry Park. In the 1948–49 season, under the tutelage of former England international and now player-manager Raich Carter, Hull won promotion from the Third Division North as champions.[] "Yo-yoing" between the second and third tiers of English football, City had promotion seasons from the Third Division to the Second Division again in 1958–59 and 1965–66, winning the Third Division title in the latter-season.[] For the majority of the 1960s, Hull was managed by Cliff Britton, who has since achieved cult-status with supporters of the club for the successes he achieved, especially the Third Division title win in 1966.[] The side that year featured record club appearance-maker[] Jock Davidson and record club goal-scorer[] Chris Chilton as well as striker Ken Houghton and a young Ken Wagstaff, among others. It is widely regarded[] as one of the best squads the club has ever had.

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.[]

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 the Third Division followed in 1983, with a young team featuring such players as future England international Brian Marwood, future England manager Steve McClaren, forwards Billy Whitehurst and Les Mutrie, and Hull-born future captain Garreth Roberts.

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. 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'. These were in tribute to Don Robinson and Colin Appleton respectively.

After narrowly missing out on back-to-back promotions in May 1984, Appleton left his position at Hull, having been enticed to become the new manager of Swansea City.[] His replacement was player-manager Brian Horton who would first join the Tigers on their summer tour of Florida the following month, where they visited Walt Disney World, and played the Tampa Bay Rowdies, managed by Rodney Marsh, in the return leg of the Arrow Air Anglo-American Cup.[] Mark Herman would direct and edit a short documentary film of the tour, with Priestman composing its music. Herman released the finished version online in 2016, titled "A Kick in the Grass".[] Promotion followed in the 1984–85 season under Horton,[] with the young City squad now not only talented but experienced too.

Fall to the fourth tier (1985–2000)

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.[] 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. 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.[] 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.[] 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.[] In the 1995–96 season, Hull were relegated to the Third Division.

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.[] 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.[] 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". Despite this feat, Joyce was replaced in April 2000 by the more experienced Brian Little.[]

Despite briefly being locked out of Boothferry Park by bailiffs and facing the possibility of liquidation,[] Hull qualified for the Third Division play-offs in the 2000–01 season, losing in the semi-finals to Leyton Orient. 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.

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.[]

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[] defeats, which saw relegation look more likely[] than promotion, and Mølby was sacked in October as Hull were in 19th.[] 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.[] At the end of the season Hull finished 13th.

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. 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 (since 1989–90).[]

However, Taylor left the club to take up the manager's job at Crystal Palace, with Colchester United's Phil Parkinson confirmed as his replacement, but he was sacked on 4 December 2006 with Hull in the relegation zone, despite having spent over £2 million on players during the summer.[][] Phil Brown took over as caretaker manager,[] and took over permanently in January 2007, having taken Hull out of the relegation zone.[] Brown brought veteran striker Dean Windass back to his hometown club on loan from Bradford City,[] and his eight goals helped secure Hull's Championship status, with a 21st-placed finish.

Wembley Stadium before the Championship play-off final against Bristol City

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".[] 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.[] They beat Watford 6–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals and played Bristol City in the final on 24 May 2008. Hull won 1–0 at Wembley Stadium, with Hull-born player Dean Windass scoring the winning goal. 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).

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. It was their first Hull City song since 1983. It was later re-released just before 2014 FA Cup final.

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, 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. With only one defeat in their opening nine games, including away wins at Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, 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. 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.

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. On 15 March 2010, manager Phil Brown was put on gardening leave after a run of four defeats left Hull in the relegation zone. Former Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic boss Iain Dowie was appointed as the club's "Temporary Football Management Consultant" two days later. The appointment was met with some disbelief by supporters who were hoping for a stronger and more ambitious replacement. Dowie could not keep the Tigers up, with relegation confirmed on 3 May 2010, after a 2–2 draw away at Wigan Athletic. Both Brown and Dowie had their contracts terminated, and Nigel Pearson was appointed as the club's new manager on 29 June 2010, arriving from Leicester City.

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. 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. On 16 December 2010, it was confirmed that Assem Allam had become the new owner of Hull City, having promised to pay back club debts and eliminate any possibility of financial ruin. 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. 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. 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. On 15 November 2011, Nigel Pearson left the club to return to Leicester. 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. Barmby was sacked on 8 May 2012, after publicly criticising the club's owners in an interview. In the same month, the club's consultancy agreement with Adam Pearson was terminated.

On 8 June 2012, Steve Bruce was appointed the club's new permanent manager on a three-year deal, an appointment which would prove pivotal for the club's history. Bruce began by signing experienced defender Abdoulaye Faye from West Ham United, young winger Sone Aluko from Rangers, and technical midfielder Stephen Quinn from Sheffield United. Alongside then-loanee Ahmed Elmohamady, 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. Loans for Irish internationals Robbie Brady and David Meyler were both made permanent in the January transfer window, whilst striker Gedo was loaned in from Egyptian giants Al Ahly. He would hit the ground running in East Yorkshire, scoring five goals in his first six games.

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.

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, before signing Maynor Figueroa, Allan McGregor, and Tom Huddlestone 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. 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, and a narrow 3–2 defeat to Manchester United a few weeks later, 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. 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. 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.

The starting line-ups for the 2014 FA Cup Final

The Tigers' form dropped in January, losing all four of their league matches in the month. However, they beat Middlesbrough and later Southend United to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup. It took two legs to defeat Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion, before a 3–0 home victory over Sunderland and an entertaining 5–3 win against Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium, saw Hull reach their first FA Cup Final in history. 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. 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. 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. It would be the first time that the club competed in a major European competition.

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 and semi-prolific goalscorer Fryatt, 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. Not long after, Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince arrived from Norwich City and Blackpool respectively. Then, the double signing of Harry Maguire and Andrew Robertson was announced on 29 July 2014. Two days later, Hull made their debut in European football, a 0–0 draw away to Slovakian side AS Trenčín. 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. There, they were drawn against Belgian club K.S.C. Lokeren. However, after a 1–0 defeat in the first leg, a 2–1 win at home was not enough to progress due to the away goals rule, and Hull were eliminated from the competition.

At the end of the summer the Tigers made a flurry of new signings and loan deals. Defender Michael Dawson, Uruguayan international Abel Hernández, and midfielder Mohamed Diamé all arrived permanently in the last week of the window. Furthermore, Premier League talents Gastón Ramírez and Hatem Ben Arfa both arrived on loan. 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. 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. 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.

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. This came a week after their League Cup penalty-shootout win over eventual Premier League champions Leicester City, which took the Tigers to their first-ever quarter-final appearance in the competition. That appearance, on 1 December 2015, saw Manchester City beat Hull 4–1 at the Etihad Stadium. Coincidentally, the Citizens would go on to win the cup later that season. 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. 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.

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. 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, mainly due to the failed suggestion for the club to be rebranded as Hull Tigers.

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. 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, whilst a permanent replacement for Bruce was still yet to be found. 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. However, this was abruptly blocked by the Welsh FA on 2 August 2016.

Hull City 2–1 Leicester City, 2016

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, 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. 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. Two days later, Marco Silva was appointed as the club's new manager, but he was unable prevent relegation at the end of the season.

Following relegation Silva resigned, and on 9 June 2017, the club announced Leonid Slutsky as the new head coach. 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. He was replaced by former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins, who led the team to avoid relegation and finish 18th at the end of the season. Despite being in the relegation zone after 19 games of the following season, the 2018–19 campaign, 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.

On 21 June 2019, Hull appointed Grant McCann as head coach on a one-year rolling contract. 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. 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. 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. 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. On 22 July 2020, after losing 3–0 away to Cardiff City, Hull were relegated to League One. It would be the first time the club had played in the third tier of English football in 15 years.

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. 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.

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. On 25 January 2022, Grant McCann was sacked, but he was quickly replaced by Shota Arveladze as the new head coach two days later. The former Georgia international helped Hull achieve Championship survival in the 2021–22 season in relatively comfortable fashion, before he too was sacked, on 30 September 2022, after four consecutive league defeats.

On 3 November 2022, the club announced former player, Liam Rosenior, as head coach, on a two-and-a-half-year deal. 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. Despite Rosenior overseeing a very positive 2023–24 campaign, one where he was nominated for the EFL Championship Manager of the Season award and had brought the Tigers within three points of a play-off place, he was sacked on 7 May 2024. 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.

With Rosenior sacked, much of the previous season's playing squad left. Among these, young talents Jacob Greaves and Jaden Philogene were now considered ready for the Premier League, and were soon bought by Ipswich Town and Aston Villa respectfully. Other notable losses were the end of loans for Fábio Carvalho, Liam Delap, and Tyler Morton, whilst cult hero Ozan Tufan returned to his native Turkey with Trabzonspor. Greg Docherty and Matt Ingram, both key members of the squad who won promotion from League One in 2021, also left.

During this period of transition, Tim Walter was appointed as Rosenior's replacement, beginning his new role on 1 July 2024. 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. At the time, Hull were 22nd in the Championship, sat just inside the relegation zone. 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.

Hull City Association Football Club, commonly known as Hull, is a professional soccer team based in Hull, England. The team was founded in 1904 and currently competes in the English Football League Championship, the second tier of English soccer.

Hull plays their home matches at the KCOM Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 25,000. The team's colors are black and amber, and they are nicknamed "The Tigers" due to their distinctive striped kit.

Over the years, Hull has had its fair share of success, including winning the Football League Third Division title in 1966 and the Football League Championship play-offs in 2008. The team has also had several stints in the Premier League, most recently in the 2016-2017 season.

Hull has a passionate fan base and a rich history, making them a well-respected and competitive team in English soccer. With a talented squad and dedicated coaching staff, Hull continues to strive for success and aims to secure promotion back to the Premier League in the near future.