List of Hull City A.F.C. seasons
Hull City Association Football Club, an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, was founded in 1904. The team's first competitive matches came in the FA Cup, being beaten 4–1 by Stockton in a replay following a 3–3 draw,[1] before they were elected to the Football League Second Division ahead of the 1905–06 season.[2] Hull missed out on promotion in the 1909–10 season, having an inferior goal average to Oldham Athletic and finishing in third.[3] The 1929–30 season saw Hull relegated to the Third Division North after 21 seasons in the Second Division while reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup, where they were beaten by Arsenal after a replay.[2] Promotion back to the Second Division was achieved three years later, with the Third Division North championship becoming the club's first major honour.[2] However, they were relegated in the 1935–36 season and it was 13 years before another return to the Second Division was made, when, under the player-management of former England international Raich Carter, the Third Division North title was won.[3] Relegation back to this division came in the 1955–56 season and following League reorganisation implemented for the 1958–59 season Hull won promotion in the Third Division's inaugural season, although they were relegated after one year.[2]
The Third Division championship was won in the 1965–66 season and Hull remained in the Second Division for 12 years before relegation in 1978.[3] Hull reached the semi-final of the Watney Cup in the tournament's inaugural staging in 1970, where they were beaten by Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out; this was the first game in English football to be decided by this method.[4] The Final of this competition was reached in 1974, where Hull were beaten by Stoke City.[5] Relegation to the Fourth Division for the first time in the club's history came in 1981 and a return to the Third Division was secured two years later in the 1982–83 season.[2] The season after, Hull reached the final of the Associate Members' Cup in its inaugural season and were beaten by AFC Bournemouth.[2] Promotion to the Second Division came the following season, although relegations in the 1990–91 and 1995–96 seasons saw the club return to the fourth tier.[3]
Hull's first play-off campaign ended unsuccessfully, being beaten by Leyton Orient in the semi-final in the 2000–01 season.[3] However, successive promotions in the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons saw Hull rise from the fourth tier to the second tier in a space of two years.[2] After 104 years of existence, Hull were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history, beating Watford in the play-off semi-finals and Bristol City in the 2008 Football League Championship play-off final.[3] Hull's first Premier League season saw safety from relegation ensured on the last day of the season,[6] although the club was relegated the following season after finishing 19th in the league.[7] Three years later, Hull returned to the Premier League after finishing the 2012–13 season as Championship runners-up.[7] In the 2013–14 season they achieved their highest ever league finish of 16th[7] and were runners-up to Arsenal in their first ever FA Cup Final appearance.[8] Since then, they have been relegated to the Championship[9] and promoted again.[10]
Since their election to the Football League in 1905, Hull have spent 5 seasons in the first tier, 62 in the second, 30 (plus the abandoned 1939–40 season) in the third, and 10 in the fourth (current to the end of the 2022–23 season).[2][7] The table below details Hull City's achievements in senior first team competition from the 1904–05 season to the end of the most recently completed season.
Key
1st | 2nd | ↑ | ↓ |
Champions | Runners-up | Promoted | Relegated |
Top scorer shown alongside # when he was also top scorer in that division.
Division shown alongside † when it changes due to promotion, relegation or reorganisation.
League results shown in italics for competitions abandoned due to war.
Key to league record: |
Key to divisions:
|
Key to rounds:
|
Seasons
Footnotes
- Includes goals scored in the Football League (including play-offs), Premier League, FA Cup, Football League Third Division North Cup, EFL Cup, Watney Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup, Football League Group Cup/Football League Trophy, Associate Members' Cup/Football League Trophy and Full Members' Cup. Sources: 1904–05 to 1998–99,[15] 1999–2000 onwards.[16]
- Hull were elected to the Football League Second Division for the 1905–06 season.[2]
- 31 goals in the Second Division.[17][18]
- Hull missed out on promotion to the First Division due to having an inferior goal average to Oldham Athletic.[19]
- 32 goals in the Second Division.[17]
- 41 goals in the Third Division North.[17][20]
- Beat Carlisle United 11–1 at home to set a record league victory.[21]
- The 1939–40 season was abandoned with two matches played when the Second World War began.[2] Hull City do not include appearances and goals from those two matches in players' career records.[22][23]
- Although the Football League did not resume until the 1946–47 season, the FA Cup was contested in 1945–46. From the First Round Proper to the Sixth Round (quarter-final), results were determined on aggregate score over two legs.[2][11] However, Hull did not participate in the competition this season as the club did not have a ground available until Boothferry Park was built in 1946.[24][25]
- Set an all time record attendance of 55,019 against Manchester United in the FA Cup.[3]
- Hull were placed in the Football League Third Division on League reorganisation.[2]
- The League Cup competition started in the 1960–61 season.[26]
- Ken Wagstaff, who joined Hull from Mansfield Town during the 1964–65 season, was the Third Division top scorer with 32 goals; nine were scored for Mansfield and 23 were scored for Hull.[17][27]
- Hull's Watney Cup semi-final with Manchester United was the first game in English football to be decided by a penalty shoot-out, which was lost 4–3 after the game finished 1–1 after extra time.[4]
- Lost 2–0 to Stoke City.[5]
- The 1981–82 season saw the introduction of three points for a win instead of two.[26]
- Competed in the Football League Group Cup, a successor to the Anglo-Scottish Cup, failing to progress past the group stage in its two seasons.[28] The competition was renamed the Football League Trophy for its second season, but is often referred to as the Football League Group Trophy to distinguish from the more recent Football League Trophy, of which it was a forerunner.[29]
- Keith Edwards, who left Hull for Sheffield United during the 1981–82 season, was the Fourth Division top scorer with 36 goals; one was scored for Hull and 35 were scored for United.[17][30]
- Hull missed out on promotion to the Second Division due to having scored less goals than Sheffield United.[31]
- Lost 2–1 to AFC Bournemouth.[32]
- 26 goals in the Second Division.[17]
- When the newly formed FA Premier League split from the Football League, the remaining divisions of the Football League were renumbered upwards.[26]
- Lost 2–1 to Leyton Orient on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.[33][34]
- The Second Division was renamed League One as part of a rebranding exercise by the Football League.[26]
- 27 goals in League One.[17]
- Promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs, beating Watford 6–1 on aggregate in the semi-final and Bristol City 1–0 in the 2008 Football League Championship play-off final.[35][36][37]
- Club's best finishing position in the league.[2][7]
- Club's best performance in the FA Cup, reaching the final.[11]
- Promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs, beating Derby County 3–2 on aggregate in the semi-final and Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 in the 2016 Football League Championship play-off final.
References
- Peterson, Mike (1999). The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. Tony Brown. p. 13. ISBN 1-899468-13-7.
- "Hull City". Football Club History Database. Retrieved 30 June 2010. Covers seasons up to and including 2005–06.
- "History of the Tigers". Hull City A.F.C. 10 May 2011. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 74.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 77.
- Hughes, Ian (24 May 2009). "Hull 0–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- "Hull City : History 1975 to date". Statto. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- "Arsenal 3 – 2 Hull". BBC Sport. BBC. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- Stone, Simon (24 May 2015). "Hull City 0-0 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- Williams, Adam; Cartwright, Phil (28 May 2016). "Hull City promoted: Steve Bruce will take time to consider future as manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- "The FA Cup Archive". The Football Association. Retrieved 18 May 2014. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
- "Hull City 2006–2007 : Results". Statto. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2010. Access to Hull City results from other seasons via dropdown menu.
- "English Division Three North Cup 1936–1937 : Results". Statto. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2010. Access to Hull City results from other seasons via dropdown menu.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. pp. 74–94.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. pp. 13–102.
- "1999/00". Soccerbase. Retrieved 4 May 2013. Access to more recent seasons via dropdown menu.
- Ross, James M. (12 June 2009). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 15.
- Felton, Paul; Spencer, Barry (22 December 1999). "England 1909–10". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 40.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 5.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 114.
- Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 – 1939. Tony Brown. p. 161. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 48.
- "A History of Boothferry Park". Hull City A.F.C. 27 May 2010. Archived from the original on 13 February 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- "History of the Football League". The Football League. 16 June 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 68.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. pp. 85–86.
- Ross, James M. (20 December 2007). "Football League Group Cup/Trophy 1982–83". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 85.
- Jackson, Stuart. "Season 1983–84". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- Peterson. The Definitive Hull City A.F.C. : A statistical history to 1999. p. 87.
- "Eyre puts Hull on top". BBC Sport. 13 May 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- "Orient see off Hull challenge". BBC Sport. 16 May 2001. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- McKenzie, Andrew (11 May 2008). "Watford 0–2 Hull". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- McNulty, Phil (14 May 2008). "Hull 4–1 Watford (agg 6–1)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
- McNulty, Phil (24 May 2008). "Bristol City 0–1 Hull". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 June 2010.