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]

Hull City players and staff celebrate promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, which was achieved after victory in the 2008 Football League Championship play-off final.

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 City Performances from 1905 until 2023

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

1st2nd
ChampionsRunners-upPromotedRelegated

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.

Seasons

SeasonLeague[2][7]FA Cup[11]League
Cup
[2][12]
Other competitions[2][13][14]Top scorer(s)[a]
DivisionPldWDLGFGAPtsPos
1904–05Hull City did not play league football until 1905–06.PRGeorge Spence2
1905–06Div 2 †[b]38196136754445thR1Joe Smith16
1906–07Div 238157166557379thR1Jackie Smith19
1907–08Div 238214137362468thR2Jackie Smith #[c]32
1908–09Div 238196136339444thR1Arthur Temple18
1909–10Div 23823788046533rd[d]R1Jackie Smith #[e]32
1910–11Div 238141685539445thR3Tommy Browell16
1911–12Div 238178135451427thR1Tommy Browell
Arthur Temple
16
1912–13Div 2381561760563612thR2Stan Fazackerley20
1913–14Div 238169135337417thR1Sammy Stevens26
1914–15Div 238195146554437thR4Sammy Stevens30
The Football League and FA Cup were suspended until after the First World War.
1919–20Div 2421861878724211thR1Sammy Stevens20
1920–21Div 24210201243534013thR4Harry Sergeaunt9
1921–22Div 2421910135141485thR2Charlie Flood17
1922–23Div 24214141443454212thR1George Martin12
1923–24Div 24210171546513717thR1Paddy Mills12
1924–25Div 24215111650494110thR3Paddy Mills29
1925–26Div 2421691763614113thR3Paddy Mills17
1926–27Div 242207156352477thR5George Whitworth17
1927–28Div 24212151541543814thR3George Martin
Arthur Nelson
8
1928–29Div 24213141558634012thR3Ken McDonald25
1929–30Div 2421472151783521stSFStan Alexander19
1930–31Div 3N †422010129955506thR3Stan Alexander24
1931–32Div 3N40205158253458thR3Dally Duncan
Russell Wainscoat
19
1932–33Div 3N42267910045591stR3Bill McNaughton #[f]42
1933–34Div 2 †4213121752683815thR4Bill McNaughton16
1934–35Div 2421681863744013thR3Andy Duncan12
1935–36Div 24251027471112022ndR3Jack Acquroff13
1936–37Div 3N †421712136869465thR1Football League Third Division North CupR1Cliff Hubbard17
1937–38Div 3N42201398043533rdR3Football League Third Division North CupR1Jack Fryer
John McNeill
25
1938–39Div 3N421810148374467th[g]R2Football League Third Division North CupR2Arthur Cunliffe
Cliff Hubbard
21
1939–40Div 3N202033213th[h]Richard Lowe2
The Football League and FA Cup were suspended until after the Second World War.
1945–46DNE[i]
1946–47Div 3N421681849534011thR3Benny Lester17
1947–48Div 3N421811135948475thR3Norman Moore13
1948–49Div 3N42271149328651stR6[j]Norman Moore28
1949–50Div 2 †421711146472457thR4Raich Carter16
1950–51Div 24216111574704310thR5Alf Ackerman
Raich Carter
21
1951–52Div 24213111860703718thR4Syd Gerrie25
1952–53Div 2421482057693618thR4Syd Gerrie14
1953–54Div 2421662064663815thR5Alf Ackerman19
1954–55Div 24212102044693419thR3Alf Ackerman
Bob Crosbie
11
1955–56Div 2421062653972622ndR3Bill Bradbury9
1956–57Div 3N †462110158469528thR3Doug Clarke20
1957–58Div 3N461915127867535thR4Bill Bradbury25
1958–59Div 3 †[k]46269119055612ndR1Bill Bradbury30
1959–60Div 2 †4210102248763021stR3Roy Shiner8
1960–61Div 3 †4617121773734611thR3R1[l]Chris Chilton20
1961–62Div 3462081867544810thR2R3John McSeveney16
1962–63Div 34619101774694810thR3R3John McSeveney27
1963–64Div 3461617137368498thR3R3Chris Chilton24
1964–65Div 3462312119157584thR2R2Chris Chilton[m]27
1965–66Div 346317810962691stR6R2Ken Wagstaff31
1966–67Div 2 †421671977723912thR3R1Ken Wagstaff21
1967–68Div 24212131758733717thR3R2Ken Wagstaff20
1968–69Div 24213161359524211thR3R2Ken Wagstaff21
1969–70Div 24215111672704113thR3R3Chris Chilton
Ken Wagstaff
19
1970–71Div 2421913105441515thR6R2Watney CupSF[n]Chris Chilton26
1971–72Div 24214101849533812thR5R2Stuart Pearson15
1972–73Div 24214121664594013thR5R3Anglo-Italian CupGrpStuart Pearson17
1973–74Div 2421317124647439thR3R4Watney CupRU[o]Roy Greenwood
Stuart Pearson
12
1974–75Div 2421514134053448thR3R2Ken Wagstaff11
1975–76Div 24214111745493914thR4R4Anglo-Scottish CupGrpAlf Wood10
1976–77Div 24210171545533714thR3R2Anglo-Scottish CupGrpJeff Hemmerman7
1977–78Div 2428122234522822ndR3R4Anglo-Scottish CupGrpBruce Bannister
Alan Warboys
7
1978–79Div 3 †461911166661498thR2R1Keith Edwards25
1979–80Div 34612161851694020thR1R1Keith Edwards20
1980–81Div 3468162240713224thR4R1Anglo-Scottish CupGrpKeith Edwards17
1981–82Div 4 †46191215706169[p]8thR3R1Football League Group CupGrp[q]Les Mutrie[r]28
1982–83Div 446251567534902ndR1R1Football League TrophyGrp[q]Brian Marwood20
1983–84Div 3 †46231497138834th[s]R2R1Associate Members' CupRU[t]Brian Marwood16
1984–85Div 346251297849873rdR3R2Associate Members' CupR1NBilly Whitehurst24
1985–86Div 2 †421713126555646thR4R2Full Members' CupFNFrankie Bunn20
1986–87Div 24213141541555314thR5R3Full Members' CupR2Andy Saville11
1987–88Div 24414151554605715thR3R2Full Members' CupR1Alex Dyer9
1988–89Div 24611142152684721stR5R2Full Members' CupR1Keith Edwards #[u]30
1989–90Div 24614161658685814thR3R1Full Members' CupR2Andy Payton18
1990–91Div 24610152157854524thR3R3Full Members' CupR1Andy Payton25
1991–92Div 3 †4616111954545914thR3R2Associate Members' CupQFNLeigh Jenkinson9
1992–93Div 2 †[v]4613112246695020thR2R1Football League TrophyR2NGraeme Atkinson8
1993–94Div 2461814146254689thR2R1Football League TrophyGrpNDean Windass24
1994–95Div 2462111147057748thR1R1Football League TrophyGrpNDean Windass17
1995–96Div 2465162536783124thR1R2Football League TrophyR2NDean Windass8
1996–97Div 3 †4613181544505717thR2R1Football League TrophyR2NDuane Darby20
1997–98Div 3461182756834122ndR1R3Football League TrophyR2NDuane Darby15
1998–99Div 34614112144625321stR3R2Football League TrophyR2NDavid Brown14
1999–2000Div 34615141743435914thR3R2Football League TrophyQFNJohn Eyre12
2000–01Div 3461917104739746th[w]R1R1Football League TrophyR1NJohn Eyre7
2001–02Div 34616131757516111thR2R2Football League TrophySFNGary Alexander23
2002–03Div 34614171558535913thR1R1Football League TrophyR1NStuart Elliott12
2003–04Div 346251388244882ndR1R1Football League TrophyR2NBen Burgess18
2004–05Lge 1 †[x]46268128053862ndR3R1Football League TrophyR1NStuart Elliott #[y]29
2005–06Champ †4612161849555218thR3R1Stuart Elliott7
2006–07Champ4613102351674921stR3R3Dean Windass8
2007–08Champ462112136547753rd[z]R3R3Fraizer Campbell
Dean Windass
15
2008–09Prem †388111939643517thR6R2Geovanni8
2009–10Prem386122034753019thR3R3Stephen Hunt6
2010–11Champ †4616171352506511thR3R2Matty Fryatt9
2011–12Champ461911164744688thR4R1Matty Fryatt16
2012–13Champ46247156152792ndR4R2Robert Koren9
2013–14Prem †381072138533716th[aa]RU[ab]R4Matty Fryatt6
2014–15Prem388111933513518thR3R3Europa LeaguePONikica Jelavić8
2015–16Champ †462411116935834th[ac]R5R5Abel Hernández22
2016–17Prem †38972237803418thR4SFRobert Snodgrass9
2017–18Champ †4611161970704918thR5R2Jarrod Bowen15
2018–19Champ4617111866686213thR3R2Jarrod Bowen22
2019–20Champ461292557874524thR4R2Jarrod Bowen17
2020–21Lge 1 †46278118038891stR2R3EFL TrophyQFMallik Wilks22
2021–22Champ †461492341545119thR3R1Keane Lewis-Potter13
2022–23Champ4614161651615815thR3R1Óscar Estupiñán13

Footnotes

References

External links