Key details regarding the Tigers ahead of the upcoming Sky Bet Championship campaign
Hull City
Home ground: KC Stadium
Capacity: 25,450
Manager: Steve Bruce
2014/15 league position: 18th (Premier League)
2014/15 top goalscorer: Nikica Jelavic (eight in all competitions)
Having seen their second stint in the Premier League ended last year after just two seasons, Hull City will be among the favourites to achieve promotion as they look to secure an immediate return to the top-flight this time around.
Twelve months on from their narrow 2014 FA Cup Final defeat against Arsenal, a final day 0-0 draw at home to Manchester United sealed the Tigers’ fate, despite a big-spending summer the year before.
With Europa League football to look forward to, Hull were the biggest spenders in the Premier League outside of the eventual top seven as Michael Dawson, Mohamed Diame, Abel Hernandez, Tom Ince, Jake Livermore, Harry Maguire, Andrew Robertson and Robert Snodgrass all arrived at the KC Stadium.
However, an early European exit at the hands of Belgian side Lokeren was a sign of things to come as injuries wreaked havoc with Hull’s season.
Recording just three league victories during the first half of the season, the Tigers also suffered early exits from both the Capital One Cup and FA Cup at the hands of West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal respectively.
Entering the new calendar year outside of the bottom three on goal-difference alone, Senegalese striker Dame N’Doye arrived from Lokomtiv Moscow in January and made an instant impact, scoring on his full debut in a 2-0 home victory over Aston Villa.
The forward continued to impress as he took his tally to five strikes from ten games as the Tigers ended April with morale-boosting back-to-back victories over Crystal Palace and Liverpool.
However, Hull’s record of never winning a Premier League match in May continued as they ultimately failed in their efforts to avoid the drop.
But despite suffering relegation, owner Assem Allam has kept faith with manager Steve Bruce – a man who has won promotion to the Premier League on three previous occasions.
With the start of the 2015/16 Championship season now less than four weeks away, the majority of Hull’s top-flight squad remains intact with no new arrivals and minimal exits.
Whether that continues to be the case come August 8 remains to be seen, but, having led Hull into the Premier League in 2013, Bruce will be hoping lightning does strike twice with Tigers fans keen to enjoy only a brief return to the second tier.
FIXTURES V BOLTON IN 2015/16
Saturday 12 December 2015 – 3pm kick-off at the KC Stadium
Saturday 30 April 2016 – 3pm kick-off at Macron Stadium
RESULTS V BOLTON IN 2012/13
Hull City 3-1 Bolton Wanderers – 1/9/2012
Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Hull City – 23/2/2013