Hull City Association Football Club

Hull City AFC: A Brief Historical Lowdown of an Illustrious Yorkshire Club

Hull City AFC History and Highlights.

Founded in 1904, Hull City Association Football Club is based in Yorkshire, specifically, the East Riding of Yorkshire. The club plays in the EFL Championship after winning League One in the 2020/2021 season.

Club History

1904 to 1930: Early Years

The club was founded in June 1904 and played its first match, which was a friendly in September the same year, against Notts County. The match was played at The Boulevard, the club’s home ground, and ended in a 2-2 draw. The club played its first competitive game in the preliminary round of the FA Cup, drawing 3-3 with Stockton in the same month.

Admittance into the Football League

Due to the number of friendlies played over the months, Hull City AFC was accepted into the Football League for the 1905/1906 season and placed in the Second Division of the Football League. The club would finish fifth in the season, playing against Manchester United and Chelsea. The club also missed out on promotion to the first division in the 1909/1910 season in goal average. Hull City AFC consistently finished in the top half of the table every season before the first world war, but after the war, the team slumped and was finally relegated to the Third Division North in 1930.

1930 to 1985: An Era of Ups and Downs

Despite relegating in 1930, the club achieved one of its greatest cup runs, reaching the semifinals of the FA Cup in the same year. Football stopped for a moment during the Second World War, and when the league continued after the war, the club moved to a new ground known as Boothferry Park.

In the 1948/1949 season, the club won the Third Division North championship and promotion to the Second Division. Still, it didn’t stay long in the Second division before relegating back to the Third Division. Between 1959 and 1966, Hull City AFC had up and down the Second and Third Divisions. By the beginning of the 1980s, the club was relegated to the Fourth Division, and financial woes meant that the club had entered receivership.

In 1983, the club won promotion to Division Three after three years in the Fourth Division.

1985 to 2000: The Decline of the Late 20th Century

The Season of the Great Escape

In 1985, Hull City AFC made it to the Second Division, where it played for six seasons before relegating to Division Three in 1991. Due to financial problems and the resulting sale of key players, the club wasn’t able to cope and fell into the Third Division (which is now the fourth tier of English Football due to the breakaway of the First Division and formation of the Premier League) in the 1995/1996 season.

In 1997, the club’s ownership changed when David Lloyd bought the club, only to sell it a year later. The club was almost relegated to League One in the 1998/1999 season until Warren Joyce was hired and saved them from relegation, earning the term “The Great Escape.”

The Revival and Climb Up: 2000 to Date

The era started with the club moving to the KC Stadium in 2002. The club finished second in the Third Division for the 2003/2004 season and League One for the 2004/2005 season, earning a place in the Championship. In 2008, the club was promoted back into the Premier League after winning the playoffs.

The club only stayed in the Premier League for two years and was relegated in 2010. Again, the club played only two years in the Championship and won promotion to the Premier League in 2012 under Steve Bruce. The club made it to the final of the FA Cup in 2014, losing to Arsenal. Despite the loss, the club qualified for Europa League due to the failure of Everton to qualify. The foray into European Football didn’t last long as Hull City AFC was out of the competition in the second qualifying round.

Hull City was relegated at the end of the 2014/2015 season, only to return in 2016 after winning the playoffs. The club spent a season in the league and was relegated in the 2016/2017 season. In 2020, the club was relegated to League One but spent only a year in the league. It won its promotion back into the Championship in 2021, beating Wigan Athletic to win the EFL League One Championship.

Hull City Honors

Hull City AFC has won the following notable honors:

• Winner, Football League One: 1965/1966 and 2020/2021
• Winner, Football League Third Division North: 1932/1933 and 1948/1949