Only in
When Saturday Comes was 17th place mentioned. The two fanzine editors interviewed by the magazine about the Tigers' chances in their debut Premier League season claimed that "seventeenth is a realistic target and will do us nicely".
Everyone else claimed we would finish below 17th, some with an added sneer about beating Derby's record for lack of points, others were wildly optimistic. The
Hull City chairman said on the Wembley pitch that we would finish higher than 17th.
But 17th it was.
By one point.
It all got a bit hairy, but we made it.
The emotions of the season are as varied as any self-respecting pic 'n' mix selection. Until Christmas, Hull City were commanding immense respect worldwide for their style of play, their nerve and, of course, for the points amassed as a consequence. Never lower than seventh, joint top for 24 hours, it was an incredible achievement. Supporters wandered out of away ends with expressions that were both gleeful and dumbfounded.
Phil Brown was enjoying himself, charismatic and friendly when the microphones and cameras headed his way. He received plenty of praise about his attitude, his refreshing approach, his personality, his likeability. He and we could do no wrong.
City began stunningly, winning against
Fulham at the KC Stadium when all attention was on them. That the team managed it after going a goal down in the first ten minutes was all the more special.
Geovanni drilled home an excellent equaliser, then subs
Craig Fagan and
Caleb Folan combined late on for the latter to earn a magical three points.
Richard Garcia's contrived but impeccable looping header then added another point to the tally when City got a 1-1 draw
at Blackburn Rovers. A second string went out of the
Carling Cup at Swansea City in a rather limp manner, despite a heroic, bittersweet penalty save from
Matt Duke, then the detractors quickly pointed fingers and laughed when a disjointed City, robbed of new signings through injury and ineligibility, fielded a Championship side and were thumped 5-0
at the KC by Wigan Athletic. The "I told you so" and "wake up call" clichés were quickly grasped by the less articulate pundits. It was a horrific afternoon and one we would have probably expected at some point during the season, but it happened early enough to put it right, and thanks to the earlier brace of results, was well timed enough to not rob the team of belief.
The response was exceptional. An international break permitted the return to fitness of the absentees and City went
up to Newcastle United and won 2-1, far more due to the quality of football and togetherness from the Tigers than any discontentment in the Geordie ranks.
Marlon King opened his Tigers account by scoring both - a penalty and a fine breakaway goal - and the headlines were black and amber again, even though City were dressed predominantly in Newcastle's spare kit. Such was the frustration among the Newcastle ranks that Danny Guthrie savagely booted Fagan across the legs in injury time, leaving the chippy City striker with a broken leg.
The following weekend City defied more odds and even left the KC Stadium disappointed, thanks to a 2-0 lead being clawed back to 2-2 by an impressive
Everton team.
Michael Turner scored his first Premier League goal and a comic Phil Neville own goal made it two early in the second half. Tim Cahill and Leon Osman struck in the last 20 minutes as the Toffees recovered and ultimately City were hanging on for their share. But hang on they did, with a point definitely precious as a daunting
trip to Arsenal was next.
The occasion at the Emirates Stadium will be discussed and reviewed around Hull City's portals for as long as the club exists. The teatime kick off and television audience added to the atmosphere and a tight occasion saw the deadlock eventually broken by loanee
Paul McShane's unlucky own goal. The world kicked off its shoes in preparation for an Arsenal goalfest; instead, Geovanni hammered in a 30 yard shot of such beauty that the Gunners found themselves in shock. For all the glory of
Daniel Cousin's clinching header soon afterwards, and the heroic defending and goalkeeping which prevented an Arsenal equaliser, it was that goal from the Brazilian which was discussed and rewatched countlessly afterwards. It simply had no equal in terms of glamour, importance and quality, and the globe adored the Tigers when the final whistle went.
September came to an end and only one gaffer was ever going to clutch the
Manager of the Month award. As if to prove his effort at Arsenal was no fluke, Geovanni returned to North London the following weekend and swerved in a fine free kick in the opening ten minutes, which proved enough to beat
Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. It was another confident, beautiful performance, combining skill and craft on the ball with real endeavour and fearlessness when defending and it earned the Tigers their first Premier League clean sheet, something which Brown was keen on achieving. Spurs were in freefall and their management team would soon change, but the reason they lost had nothing to do with their own incompetence.
A third London club in a row was put to the sword in more grafting circumstances when Turner's header was enough to see off
West Ham United at the KC, though the visitors were impressive and found the Tigers' woodwork on a couple of occasions. Still, it meant four London sides had been beaten by City, heralding a spot of manipulation of a famous album cover, replacing Paul Heaton's finger-clicking pose with that of Geovanni's celebration at Arsenal.
Hull City were massive news. Every nation with an interest in the Premier League were telling their viewers about this new footballing phenomenon. Brown was enjoying the attention, doing features with broadsheet newspapers and any number of television appearances beyond his duties at press conferences. The sun was shining on City.
The momentum continued with a stunning win
at West Bromwich Albion, the so-called "footballing" club of the three promoted the year before. Second half goals in quick succession from new signing
Kamil Zayatte, Geovanni and King gave the Tigers a fourth straight win and a third straight clean sheet. With the two clubs ahead of City in the table not playing until the next day, for a short but glorious period the name of Hull City was, jointly, at the top of English football. Brown said the Tigers had achieved more than anyone expected in the opening ten games - cleverly discounting the tenth, which was still to come. It was
Chelsea at home.
And didn't we know it. Some said it was a fluke and the game never got a chance to become a competition as a consequence, but Frank Lampard's gorgeous third-minute chip rendered City dead. Second half goals from Nicolas Anelka (via a hopeless miscommunication in City's defence) and Florent Malouda made it comprehensive and the Tigers felt chastened and schooled by such a defeat.
A
visit to Manchester United three days later represented a further hiding to nothing - and had also been written off subtly by Brown in his media briefings - but it nearly turned into a most unlikely spot of banditry. The champions led early on, but after Cousin responded to the big occasion with another header to level up, Manchester United took it to 4-1. Instead of trying to avert a cricket score, City stepped up the pace and
Bernard Mendy scored one, then won a penalty for Geovanni to convert, and the game ended with world superstars in red kicking the ball into the crowd to waste time as the Tigers pressed further.
A defeat, but it gained more plaudits than most Premier League victories ever would. What mattered now, however, that losing didn't become a habit when so-called lesser teams came within City's sights.
Bolton Wanderers visited the KC and the Tigers battered them hard and true, only for Jussi Jaaskelainen to put in one of those goalkeeping performances of invincibility that all keepers dream of. Matt Taylor's scruffy goal early in the second half was both against the run of play and crucial to the outcome. The following weekend, City faced
Manchester City at home and soon led when Cousin latched on to a weak backpass, yet Stephen Ireland's brace - one from an error, one a divine cornered shot - gave the visitors a half time lead. Geovanni scored a deflected free kick against his old club to equalise and earn a point, satisfactorily so.
The rot had been stopped, albeit to the tune of just a point, but there was a feeling that the rest of the division were beginning to cotton to City's endeavours. Throughout this purple patch Brown had selected the same formation - a fluid 4-3-3 - and the same players to fill each role wherever possible, aside from
Ian Ashbee's enforced absence at Old Trafford due to suspension.
City
travelled down to Portsmouth and in a display of real character, came back from a goal down twice to earn another 2-2 draw. Turner headed in his third of the season and then
Dean Windass, peripheral and publicly scathing of being such, attained what would be his last goal for the club - and his only Premier League strike for the Tigers - in deeply suspect circumstances, with the initial issue of an own goal overturned by the dubious goals panel probably more on sentiment than anything else, as the veteran City striker blatantly got no worthwhile touch on the ball. Windass would contribute again at the Britannia Stadium a week later by receiving a booking while not actually partaking in the game by deliberately doing his stretching exercises in front of
Stoke City's long throw exponent Rory Delap while he measured his run up. King's exquisite turn and shot was cancelled out by the dodgy penalty won and scored by Ricardo Fuller, and City had yet another draw.
December arrived and so did
Middlesbrough to the KC. Though the sequence of games had produced three straight draws, there had been no win since the destruction of West Bromwich Albion. It got more daunting for City when Tuncay flicked home from close range late on, spectacularly against the run of play, but Mendy equalised via a post and the shoulder of keeper Ross Turnbull (who was credited with an own goal) and then Geovanni was fouled by David Wheater as he chased - from a baldly offside position - a long goalkick. Wheater got an undeserved red card and King put away the undeserved penalty, but City's victory certainly was deserved. It was also a relief. And despite it being the first maximum haul in six matches, it kept the Tigers fifth in the table.
A
trip to Liverpool next, and with Arsenal beaten and Manchester United frightened on their own turfs, you'd expect the savvy Scousers to realise that there were no pushovers coming to play them at Anfield. These big clubs don't learn, really. McShane's tremendous stretching header and Jamie Carragher's panicky own goal earned the Tigers a stunning two-goal advantage, with Mendy's merciless treatment of Andrea Dossena proving one of the individual displays of the season. Sadly, it all fell to bits when McShane's double vision prompted a substitution that moved Mendy into defence, and two unnoticed fouls also added to the fraying of City's edges as Steven Gerrard took advantage to score twice before the break. The fact that it stayed 2-2 after a raucous and sporting second half endeared City to football even more. Another terrific point at a place where none could ever have been expected.
Sunderland came to the KC the following week, having just waved goodbye to Roy Keane, and waltzed off with the points after Kieran Richardson wildly deflected shot in the last ten minutes made it 2-1 and snapped the Tigers' spirit.
Nick Barmby's first of the season had previously levelled Steed Malbranque's excellent opener, but a second comeback was beyond the Tigers this time, especially when the recalled
Sam Ricketts was sent off for a second booking. Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse scored one apiece - and celebrated each in the most abysmally rehearsed manner - as the Black Cats stole a 4-1 away win and earned Ricky Sbragia a permanent crack at the manager's job.
City were in the top half of the table at Christmas but needing to re-assert themselves. Eastlands seemed as good a place as any to do this, but it was a Boxing Day Massacre as the Tigers fell 4-0 behind to
Manchester City at the break and Brown opted to reprimand the team in the glare of the public.
Ah, the notorious alfresco team talk. Everybody has expressed an opinion on it, and just about everybody who knows nothing about Hull City has chosen to suppose that City's rapid decline hails directly from this bit of wild motivation. Well, the facts don't back it up. City were far better in the second half - the game ended 5-1 - and given that seven goals had been shipped in 55 minutes of football, Brown had to do something. He certainly went overboard, but nobody can say with any certainty that the players were affected - four days later, City held and dominated a resurgent
Aston Villa at the KC prior to Zayatte's 89th minute own goal out of nothing enabling the visitors to thieve the points. The performance that evening did not suggest that the players had been insulted or deflated by Brown's spot of stealth team bonding. The main gripe from all the ex-players now employed by broadcasting organisations and newspapers was that players don't respect managers who dare insult them in public. However, nobody knows his players better than the manager - and the players know how Brown works very well indeed. Should the temptation ever arise it's unlikely Brown would do it again, but more because of the negative publicity and concentration on an irrelevant issue, never because he would believe it to be useless.
The Villa game also opened up a new debate about City's players - whether they had the bite within them to surround a referee when a bad decision goes against them. We're told that officials are beyond influence from screaming footballers, but Steve Bennett seemed perfectly calm and happy about his decision to give the Tigers an injury time penalty when Ashley Young appeared to handle the ball as it headed goalwards. That the decision was reversed following crazy Villa protests and a consequent consultation with an assistant said as much about big name footballers as it did about the potential weakness of seemingly stoic referees. The decision eventually given was correct, but it was essentially forced by the Villa players. One hopes that City's own squad noted that a referee could be swayed if the arguments are vociferous enough.
Into 2009, and after a limp and listless goalless draw with
Newcastle United in the FA Cup, the Tigers
travelled to Everton. The game at Goodison Park was hideously one-sided and the home side rarely needed to get out of first gear. Marouane Fellaini was offside when he headed Everton ahead - and should have been sent off for a vicious pair of elbows on Turner as the Tigers defender marked him at a set-piece, but while irritating, these incidents would not have changed the pattern of the game. City looked disorganised and tired, and Mikel Arteta's stunning free kick made sure that a two goal advantage was in place before the break, making the second half a procession.
City defeated a wretched
Newcastle at St James Park for the second time this season thanks to Cousin's late winner and earned a
home tie with Millwall in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Bigger fish were ready to be fried, however.
Arsenal's visit to the KC was a splendid game, though it was only fleetingly that City looked capable of apeing the wonderful result at the Emirates. Cousin was again a goalscoring hero with his stooping header from Mendy's cross cancelling out Emmanuel Adebayor's headed opener, but late strikes from Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner spared the Gunners' blushes. Another defeat, perhaps again not unexpected, but the vultures with an interest in form tables were beginning to form a circle.
Ryan France's surprise starting role in midfield, having been entirely unused in the Premier League, enabled him to become the fourth City player to appear for the club in all four divisions of the game.
The circle didn't quite close when the Tigers, who had already acquired experienced Irish midfielder
Kevin Kilbane from Wigan and Angolan centre forward
Manucho on loan from Manchester United, announced their big January investment -
Jimmy Bullard had been purchased at great expense, with no little risk and certainly no lack of excitement, from Fulham. He was unable to play in the Cup tie due to a cold but would be ready for when Premier League action returned to the agenda. Meanwhile, King had partaken in one bust up too many and, while the club cited a virus, was moved away from the KC and embarked instead on a fresh loan deal with Middlesbrough. Windass, too, was on his way, going to Oldham on loan after saying just a little too much to rile his manager.
Bullard was introduced to the KC faithful prior to the FA Cup tie, when Millwall's players went for shins and skulls and their fans ripped out seats and turned over pubs. Goals from Turner and Ashbee (whose strike was a blinder) were the main stats that mattered as City waltzed with comfort into the last 16 of the FA Cup for the first time in precisely 20 seasons. The draw
sent us to Sheffield United, where our recent record in all competitions was terrible. But before all that, there was the prospect of
a visit to West Ham United on a Tuesday night, and Brown sprung a surprise by dropping
Boaz Myhill and putting Duke, who had only featured in cup competitions thus far, in goal. The alteration seemed to be heralding a move for Myhill to Newcastle before the window snapped shut, but Duke didn't need a reason to impress, brilliantly saving a penalty from
ex-City midfielder Mark Noble. The performance was poor overall though, with the Hammers winning 2-0 and Bullard's debut as a sub not proving too eventful. Or so we thought.
West Bromwich Albion's visit to the KC at the weekend was overshadowed by news that Bullard needed to see the specialist in the USA who had treated his bad knee. The information from the club was mixed, contradictory and seemed to be hiding something. Bullard had been clattered on the knee at Upton Park by Scott Parker while trying to collect a bit of a hospital ball from Ashbee. He finished the game without struggle but, like Fagan at Newcastle, the later prognosis was far worse. the only problem was that nobody at the club seemed to want to admit to it.
Distracted, City let a glorious chance for three points slip by conceding two equalisers to West Brom, who were by now marooned at the foot of the table and certain for the drop. Mendy's terrific solo goal was cancelled out by Jay Simpson's crisp finish; then a lovely diving header from Fagan was almost instantly rendered meaningless when Zayatte conceded a penalty which Chris Brunt steered in. Another 2-2 draw, and easily the most unwelcome one so far, even though it had halted six losses on the spin.
A victory was also deemed to be vital as few held much hope regarding City's next foray. The
trip to Chelsea, however, was a superb exercise in patience and industry and the Tigers very nearly took advantage of a rough Chelsea side that was unable to react to Luiz Felipe Scolari's tactical vacuum. Fagan, Kilbane and
Dean Marney all came close, and the goalless draw was greeted, correctly, with the same exultation as the win at Arsenal four months and one lifetime earlier. Scolari was sacked the following week.
Buoyed by this performance, City travelled to bogey ground Bramall Lane for the Cup tie with Sheffield United but could only eke out a 1-1 draw, with Zayatte equalising Greg Halford's early header. The quick turnaround and television whims meant that three games in six days were now ahead. starting with
the visit of a slowly recovering Tottenham Hotspur.
Aaron Lennon scored early on as City began a worrying habit of failing to spot potential short corners, and the England winger had time to pick his spot. But Turner got a hard-earned equaliser before the break, and a City-dominated second half provided no justice when, thanks to one brief lapse in concentration, Jonathan Woodgate was able to climb high and head home in the final ten minutes and earn Spurs the points.
It took Spurs further away from the relegation zone and dropped City a little closer to it. Respite of an emotional, if not physical, nature was available when
Sheffield United were, semi-controversially, beaten 2-1 at the KC three days later, earning City a place in the
quarter finals for the first time in 38 years, where Arsenal were deemed to be the likely opponents, depending on the way two further unplayed ties panned out. Soon it became obvious that the delay in these ties meant that City would be in the semi-final draw for the first time since 1930, simply because their tie with Arsenal would not have taken place by the time balls were emptied out again.
Another three days and it was back to the KC again, with
Blackburn Rovers visiting. They were in as much trouble as the Tigers but reacted to the pressure splendidly, with lax marking allowing Stephen Warnock and
ex-City midfielder Keith Andrews to score before half time. Each team traded red cards in the second half - City's came courtesy of Marney booting Morten Gamst Pedersen up the backside - before Ashbee reduced the deficit and gave the Tigers a fighting chance of rescuing a point. They never got it, and Ashbee's achievement in scoring for the club in all four divisions became notable but, in the grander scheme, merely incidental.
Now the times were tough. City had
to go to Fulham, whose home record was almost impeccable, on the Wednesday night after an arduous, near-calamitous two months of gentle but visible slippage. The evening at Craven Cottage was a close and tense affair, rarely entertaining but nonetheless fascinating, and a hard-earned point seemed to have been earned when subs Garcia and Manucho combined for the latter to score a 94th minute winner, his first for the club, sending the travelling Tiger Nation loopy. It was the first win since early December and it was impossible to word how vital it was. Hope that it would spark a sturdy revival were nullified when
Newcastle United came to the KC at the weekend and ground out a 1-1 draw - Geovanni's first goal in months, heading in Fagan's peach of a cross, cancelled out by a shinner from Steven Taylor.
The trip to Arsenal in the FA Cup followed, and Barmby's deflected shot made everyone wonder if another invaluable, outrageous win at the Emirates was on the cards. It didn't happen, largely due to some terrible refereeing which allowed a blatantly offside winner from William Gallas to stand after Robin van Persie had equalised. The after-match kerfuffle involving both managers, plus
Brian Horton and Cesc Fabregas, stuck to the club's battered image like discarded gum for weeks afterwards.
Still, the performance was superb and it provided fresh hope that a conversion of such form into the Premier League programme could swat away the relegation fears. This hope was then trampled upon when a rotten City display almost produced a point
at Wigan Athletic, until mistakes by Duke and Marney let Ben Watson loop in a sickening 84th minute winner.
Eight games remained, and City's only glimmer of light was that as they failed to gain points, so did the teams above and below them. One such team still scrabbling around for spoils was
Portsmouth, whose visit to the KC produced a deeply uncompelling goalless draw, rendered watchable only thanks to Glen Johnson's one-man red card hunt, as a series of fouls earned him the most telegraphed dismissal of the season. Two more teams trying to avoid the drop loomed on the horizon, with City knowing that one win from the trips
to Middlesbrough and
Sunderland would be vital. They lost both, playing abjectly at the Riverside, despite Manucho's butted equaliser briefly offering hope, and seeing King bite the hand that once fed him with the third, clinching Boro goal. Duke was so appalling that day that Myhill was restored to nets, in a long overdue move, for the Sunderland game. At the Stadium of Light, City played better but chances were created with little hope of anyone, in the absence of the injured Cousin, being able to put them away. An offside Cisse scored the only goal and earned his side a double for the season.
The feeling now among the majority was that the Tigers would probably be relegated. The remaining fixtures didn't offer too much hope, and
Liverpool duly confirmed this belief with a 3-1 win at the KC, although City weren't disgraced and Geovanni's goal offered proper hope at 2-1, considering Folan had been sent off. Ashbee's season-ending knee injury in the opening ten minutes
at Aston Villa further dented the confidence, with John Carew's flicked finish from a borderline offside position earning the home side a win. The enemy of recent years,
Stoke City, pitched up at the KC in bullish mood, having all but secured their safety with some hellishly effective displays that exploited their strengths, and they outplayed and outpsyched City, winning the game with Fuller's twist and shot and Liam Lawrence's tremendous counter-attacked drive.
Andy Dawson's 95th minute free kick was always a mere consolation by the very nature of its timing, although Geovanni still had time to find the side netting from the restart. Stoke were now safe, and City were a game in hand away from the bottom three for the first time.
Newcastle duly overtook the Tigers with their win over Middlesbrough, and so with just two matches remaining it was now out of City's hands. Yet one overriding thought that maintained the last crumbs of belief was that the north east teams were capable of making a pig's ear of their chances, and Newcastle duly lost at home to Fulham while Fagan was robbing Danny Shittu of the ball
at Bolton Wanderers to earn a 1-1 draw that would have been so much more but, yet again, for Jaaskelainen. The last day of the season arrived with City one point and one place above Newcastle and the drop, though their goal difference was infinitely worse. Only victory for City or defeat for Newcastle would do; at the very least City needed to better or equal Newcastle's result. West Brom were already down, Middlesbrough as good as. Sunderland were still in trouble though nevertheless the clear favourites to stay up. The rest had clambered to safety.
Manchester United, champions again and awaiting the Champions League final in Rome, arrived at the KC and fielded an allegedly understrength team full of the talented youngsters usually reserved for Carling Cup ties. City were as strong as they could be but ultimately the inexperience of the visitors was shrouded by their expertise as footballers, and they could have won by far more than the one glorious long-range goal struck by Darron Gibson. As it hit the net, Newcastle were still drawing 0-0 at Aston Villa and so City were in the bottom three. But it only took minutes for the news to filter through that Villa had scored, and two entirely uneventful second halves followed prior to confirmation that, despite a seventh defeat in ten matches, the Tigers were safe.
It's probably the least convincing escape from relegation in Premier League history, and it's certainly true that ultimately, status was preserved by three other teams being even worse than a team who won just once since the new year chimes, and collected only eight of their 35 points in that time. However, the other 27 were collected before Christmas and that side of the season needs to be recalled too. If ever a season could be split into halves, this was it, but you can bet that Phil Brown and his players learned as much about how to survive in this division from the bad half as they did from the good.
Next season, with some fortune, a fully fit
Anthony Gardner, injured too much this season yet obviously a class defender when able to play, will be in cahoots with the flawless Turner, while Bullard will be able to come off the leash in midfield and do what £5million pays for. A major reworking of the squad elsewhere is required - proper full back cover, one more centre back, a midfield anchor and as many goalscorers as the budget can permit. Only two first team players who made contributions this season have been released by the club, so the other trimmings will have to come from selling off squad players with no real hope of reaching the required standards when the occasion demands it.
As for Brown, he took the praise and so needs to learn to take the stick too. Much of the criticism he got was deserved, though he was wrongly castigated for the team talk at Eastlands and daring to question the integrity of the major personalities at Arsenal, something which upstarts simply don't do to the establishment. Brown has charisma and a natural ease with the broadcast media but he needs to channel it correctly, lower his profile and do his celebrating in public - though preferably not by singing on the KC pitch again - and his crying in private.
He may have ruffled many feathers, but he's still the man who saved us from Championship relegation, took us to
Wembley for the first time and promotion to the top flight for the first time via that route, and now he has kept us in the Premier League. Brown is ours and he'll do for us.
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