Boyhood Dreams: Pivotal

Monday 23 February 2009

Pivotal

This week could yet take Hull City to the cusp of Premier League survival, not to mention the quarter finals of the FA Cup, or it could leave us in serious bother and disillusioned at exiting the Cup to a lower division side.

The KC Stadium hosts three matches in six days - Tottenham Hotspur tonight, then Sheffield United in the Cup replay on Thursday, and Blackburn Rovers at Sunday lunchtime.

Six points and progress to the sixth round would be perfect. Four points and progress would be excellent. Four points without progress would be acceptable, if a little tainted. Three points, with or without progress, would not be the end of the world. Anything else points-wise would be worrying, and at this point progress in the FA Cup would become a mere sideline.

The fact that the results of the weekend means the likely survival threshold is now down to around 37 points makes this week all the more of a tempter. Get it right and we are one win away from guaranteeing safety for another season, barring freaks. The incentive is right there before the team's very nose.

What They Said - 2008

"Dean Windass's wonderful, magical goal - the cleanest and purest of strikes - has meant that his boyhood dreams, and that of a footballing city, have come true here in north London this afternoon."
Bill Leslie, Sky Sports commentator

"At some stage, somebody was going to win the game, and how fitting for Dean Windass to get the winner. These boys have played their heart out all season for me. Now we need a big effort in the Premier League."
Phil Brown, Hull City manager

"It's a fantastic achievement. This is a history-making day for the city and the football club and I think it's important to remember those generations of Hull City fans who never saw us at Wembley and have never seen us in the Premier League, so this is on behalf of the Tiger Nation, past and present."
Paul Duffen, Hull City chairman

What They Said - 2009

"Let us not forget some of the great things Hull have given us this season - the win at Arsenal, the win at Tottenham, the draw at Liverpool, the three goals at Manchester United. It's been a bad second half of the season but they stay up because of a wonderful first half of the season, and fans young and old can celebrate."
Jeff Stelling, Sky Sports presenter

"It's about 38 games and the boys deserve to be in the Premier League for what we've put in this season."
Phil Brown, Hull City manager

"You can't take away the incredible performance this squad of players has put in this season. They've been the underdogs since the beginning of the season, they were written off early on. It's great for all of them. For the whole football club to be doing it for a second time in 106 years is a very sweet feeling."
Paul Duffen, Hull City chairman

They bled black and amber... (heroic former players up to May 2010)