Hull

Hull City Association Football Club was founded on 28 June 1904. Due to the popularity of rugby league in Kingston upon Hull, previous attempts to found an association football club in the city had proved difficult.^[] By 1904, both Hull F.C. and Hull K.R. were already well-established sides with passionate local backing.^[] The desire for a third team to represent the city in competitive sport was not particularly present at the time, but support would soon grow. The club faced some initial disruptions after foundation, as they had been unable to apply for membership of the Football League for the 1904–05 season and instead played only in friendlies. The first of these matches was a 2–2 draw with Notts County on 1 September 1904, with a crowd of 6,000 in attendance.^[] These early matches were played at Hull F.C.'s home, the Boulevard. The club's first competitive football match was in the FA Cup preliminary round, drawing 3–3 with Stockton on 17 September, but they were eliminated after losing the replay 4–1 on 22 September.

After disputes with landlords at the Boulevard, Hull City temporarily moved to the Circle, a cricket ground in West Park.^[] After having played 44 friendly fixtures the previous season, Hull City were admitted into the Football League Second Division for the 1905–06 season.^[] Other teams competing in the league that season included Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as Yorkshire rivals Barnsley, Bradford City and Leeds City. Furthermore, Grimsby Town, from the southern bank of the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, were also in the Second Division.^[][] Hull and Grimsby were the only two professional teams who were granted official exemption from playing league football on Christmas Day because of the demands of the fish trade. Hull defeated Barnsley 4–1 at home in their first game, and ended the season with a solid 5th-place finish.^[]

In March 1906, a permanent home ground was opened for Hull City just across the road from the cricket ground, known as Anlaby Road.^[][] It would house the team until 1939.^[] Under the guidance of player-manager Ambrose Langley, Hull continued to finish consistently in the top-half of the table.^[] They came close to promotion in the 1909–10 season, recording what would be the club's highest-ever league finish for nearly a century. Hull had ended the season level on points with Oldham Athletic, but finished below the Latics due to goal average, where a narrow margin of 0.29 of a goal had meant the Tigers missed out on promotion.^[]

Hull would continue to regularly finish in the top-half of the table prior to the suspension of English football during the First World War, but their momentum had gone after its restart in 1919. The Tigers began to struggle, finishing in the bottom half of the table in seven seasons out of the next eleven. This culminated in relegation to the Third Division North following the 1929–30 season.^[] Despite the league campaign ending in relegation, Hull found much better luck in the FA Cup. Prior to 2014, Hull's greatest result in any cup competition was achieved in the 1929–30 FA Cup.^[] The Tigers began with victories over the eventual champions of the Third Division, Plymouth Argyle and the eventual champions of the Second Division, Blackpool.^[] They then overcame Manchester City to meet Newcastle United in the quarter-finals. The first game at St James' Park finished as a 1–1 draw, but, in the home replay, Hull beat Newcastle 1–0. This meant Hull played the semi-finals, where they were paired with Arsenal, in a game held at the neutral venue of Elland Road in Leeds.^[] The semi-final ended 2–2, and, so, was replayed at Villa Park in Birmingham four days later.^[] Arsenal won the semi-final replay 1–0, thus ending Hull's cup run.

Hull would eventually be promoted back to the Second Division after they won their first-ever league title in the 1932–33 season.^[] Managed by Haydn Green, they had finished above 2nd-placed Wrexham by just 2 points, mainly due to the goals of Bill McNaughton who was the league's top-scorer that season with 39 goals.

After the Second World War, the club moved to another new ground, Boothferry Park. In the 1948–49 season, under the tutelage of former England international and now player-manager Raich Carter, Hull won promotion from the Third Division North as champions.^[] "Yo-yoing" between the second and third tiers of English football, City had promotion seasons from the Third Division to the Second Division again in 1958–59 and 1965–66, winning the Third Division title in the latter-season.^[] For the majority of the 1960s, Hull was managed by Cliff Britton, who has since achieved cult-status with supporters of the club for the successes he achieved, especially the Third Division title win in 1966.^[] The side that year featured record club appearance-maker^[] Jock Davidson and record club goal-scorer^[] Chris Chilton as well as striker Ken Houghton and a young Ken Wagstaff, among others. It is widely regarded^[] as one of the best squads the club has ever had.

On 1 August 1970, Hull became the first team in the world to be eliminated from a cup competition on penalties, beaten by Manchester United in the semi-final of the Watney Cup.^[]

By the early 1980s, Hull City were in the Fourth Division, and financial collapse led to receivership.^[] Don Robinson took over as chairman and appointed Colin Appleton as the new manager.^[] Both had previously held the equivalent roles with non-league Scarborough.^[] Promotion to the Third Division followed in 1983, with a young team featuring such players as future England international Brian Marwood, future England manager Steve McClaren, forwards Billy Whitehurst and Les Mutrie, and Hull-born future captain Garreth Roberts.

In February 1983, City fans Henry Priestman and Mark Herman worked under the pseudonyms 'Harry Amber' and 'Mark Black' (together as 'Amber and Black') to release the song "The Tigers are Back", with backing vocals provided by various members of the City squad. This was done to help raise funds in order to pay the players' wages, as the club's money struggles were still visible. Herman reworded the song "Out of Luck" by Priestman's previous band Yachts, to get the lyrics. Both the record sleeves and the records themselves contained the logo of the fictional record label 'Don Records' alongside the fictional issue number 'COL001'. These were in tribute to Don Robinson and Colin Appleton respectively.

After narrowly missing out on back-to-back promotions in May 1984, Appleton left his position at Hull, having been enticed to become the new manager of Swansea City.^[] His replacement was player-manager Brian Horton who would first join the Tigers on their summer tour of Florida the following month, where they visited Walt Disney World, and played the Tampa Bay Rowdies, managed by Rodney Marsh, in the return leg of the Arrow Air Anglo-American Cup.^[] Mark Herman would direct and edit a short documentary film of the tour, with Priestman composing its music. Herman released the finished version online in 2016, titled "A Kick in the Grass".^[] Promotion followed in the 1984–85 season under Horton,^[] with the young City squad now not only talented but experienced too.

Hull remained in the Second Division for the next six years before being relegated in 1991, by which time the club's manager was Terry Dolan.^[] It was during this period in the Second Division that Hull fielded a black player for the first time, when Ray Daniel made his debut on 23 August 1986 in a home game against West Bromwich Albion. He would make 58 league appearances for the Tigers before moving to Cardiff City in August 1989.

The Tigers finished 14th in the Third Division in the 1991–92 season, meaning that they would be competing in the new Second Division the following season.^[] In their first season in the rebranded division, Hull narrowly avoided another relegation, but the board kept faith in Dolan and over the next two seasons they achieved mid-table finishes.^[] Financial difficulties hampered City's progress, as key players such as Alan Fettis and Dean Windass had to be sold to fend off winding-up orders.^[] In the 1995–96 season, Hull were relegated to the Third Division.

The Tigers did not secure immediate promotion back to the Second Division in the 1996–97 campaign. In fact, they languished close to the bottom of the table, only ten points clear of relegation, finishing 17th. Despite this, the season was notable due to the arrival of three important players. Firstly, Mark Greaves was bought from non-league Brigg Town, before Gregor Rioch joined from Peterborough United. Midfielder Warren Joyce signed a permanent deal soon after, having been on loan at the club for a short time at the end of the previous season. In July 1997, former tennis player David Lloyd, who was the captain of the British Davis Cup team at the time, completed a takeover of the club. This ended the Needler family's ownership, which had lasted over 50 years. He also acquired Hull F.C. (then known as Hull Sharks) in the same month. Upon Lloyd's arrival, Dolan left. He was succeeded by former England international Mark Hateley, who acted as player-manager. In the 1997–98 season Hull finished in 22nd, albeit a large enough distance above last-placed Doncaster Rovers that they were never in any real danger of relegation.

The next campaign was a lot less comfortable. The relationship between the club's supporters and Lloyd had soured following the unveiling of plans to move the Tigers back to the Boulevard after nearly a century away. Furthermore, Lloyd also wanted to merge City and F.C. together to generate more income, a proposal that did not sit well with either fanbase. In a League Cup fixture away at Bolton Wanderers on 15 September 1998, Hull's travelling fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch to delay the game and show their disapproval for how their club was being run. This is often cited as the first instance of a tennis ball protest in football. The club was eventually sold in November 1998, although Lloyd retained ownership of Boothferry Park. The new owners were a consortium from Sheffield, and headed by businessman Nick Buchanan. Their first decision was to sack Hateley, and promote the now 34-year-old Joyce to replace him as player-manager. When Joyce took over, the club were rooted to the bottom of the Football League. After a hard-fought second half of the campaign, they avoided the drop by five points. As a result, the 1998–99 season is now referred to as "the Great Escape" by supporters.

In October 1999, Hull signed two Jamaica internationals in Ian Goodison and Theo Whitmore. Joyce had remembered the pair's impressive performances at the 1998 World Cup, and when he was presented with an opportunity to sign them, he took it. In the fourth tier, they were unstoppable. Goodison helped to anchor Hull's defence, whilst Whitmore's creativity and flair from midfield dazzled opponents. Despite their talent, they could not save Joyce from losing his job. In April 2000, he was sacked and swiftly replaced by former Aston Villa striker Brian Little. Within a few weeks of Little's appointment, the 1999–00 campaign was over, and Hull had climbed the league as high as 14th. However, soon after the season's conclusion, Lloyd exercised his control over Boothferry Park. Due to rent issues and outstanding financial figures, he called in the bailiffs and locked the club out of their own stadium. Following a short legal battle, Hull were allowed back in the ground ahead of the upcoming 2000–01 season.

That year, the Tigers greatly improved. They achieved a play-off finish, only to lose to Leyton Orient in the semi-finals. By this time, a takeover by former Leeds United director Adam Pearson had been completed and eased the club's precarious financial situation. Pearson began funding Hull upon his arrival, allowing Little to rebuild the team ahead of the 2001–02 season. An overhaul amongst the attack followed, with the additions of Gary Alexander, David Beresford, Lawrie Dudfield, and Ryan Williams. On top of this, Faroese international Julian Johnsson was signed to bolster the midfield, whilst Ben Petty joined from Stoke City to strengthen the defensive line. These new signings initially oversaw success, with Hull occupying a play-off spot for much of the campaign. However, following a rocky start to the new year, Little was dismissed as manager on 27 February 2002. In the time it took to find his replacement, interim Billy Russell lost five out of his seven games in charge. Jan Mølby, coincidentally Hull's first non-British or Irish manager, was eventually appointed on 4 April 2002. Despite the former Liverpool midfielder's arrival, he could not recover the club's waning form as they slumped to 11th at the season's close.

The 2002–03 campaign was much the same as its predecessor. Despite its mediocrity, two key signings were made during the prior summer transfer window. Future Hull City Hall of Fame inductees Ian Ashbee and Stuart Elliott arrived from Cambridge United and Motherwell respectively. On 11 October 2002, Mølby was sacked, with Peter Taylor replacing him the next day. The highlight of the season, though, was the change in stadium. After 56 years at Boothferry Park, the Tigers played their final match there on 14 December 2002, a 1–0 loss to Darlington. On 18 December 2002, Hull played their first game at the new KC Stadium, a 1–0 friendly win over Sunderland. Steve Melton scored the first goal at the new ground. The first competitive match came a week later, on 26 December 2002, a 2–0 win over Hartlepool United in the league. There was a crowd of 22,319 spectators in attendance. By the end of the season, there was nothing to play for, with the Tigers finishing 13th.

The 2003–04 season saw the beginning of one of the club's best-ever eras. Before it began, that summer's transfer window saw the signing of another future Hull City Hall of Fame inductee, as Andy Dawson joined on a free from Humber derby rivals Scunthorpe United. Other important arrivals that window were Danny Allsopp, Richard Hinds, Jason Price, and Alton Thelwell. Later that season, young prospects Ryan France and Boaz Myhill both also signed for the club. After 17 games, Hull were sat 1st in the league table. They were eventually forced to settle for 2nd-place promotion behind Doncaster Rovers, largely due to dropping vital points either side of a strong Christmas period. The following year, in the 2004–05 season, the Tigers completed the impressive feat of back-to-back promotions. The most noteworthy addition to the squad had been Hull-born veteran Nick Barmby, who arrived on a free transfer from Leeds United.

The 2005–06 season was Hull's first in the second tier since the 1990–91 campaign. At the turn of the new year, they were in 17th-place, only falling to 18th-place by the end of the season, finishing above the drop by 10 points and securing survival. However, after the campaign's conclusion, manager Taylor left Hull for Crystal Palace. He was succeeded by Phil Parkinson, who struggled at his new job, having overseen previous success with Colchester United. On 4 December 2006, Parkinson was sacked with the Tigers in the relegation zone. His replacement would prove pivotal to the next few years of the club's history. Phil Brown was announced as the new manager on 4 January 2007, having worked as interim boss alongside his new assistant Colin Murphy since Parkinson's dismissal. In that time, Brown and Murphy had accelerated Hull up to 21st-place and away from immediate danger. On 17 January 2007, local legend Dean Windass made a return to the Tigers, joining on loan from Bradford City for the remainder of the 2006–07 season. His eight goals helped secure Hull's Championship status, with a 21st-placed finish.

Ahead of the 2007–08 campaign, Windass' move was made permanent. Other key signings made in the transfer window included forward Caleb Folan and Australia international Richard Garcia, with the latter arriving from Brown's old club, Colchester. The club only managed to afford these transfers through new ownership. On 11 June 2007, Adam Pearson had sold the club for a reported £13m to a consortium led by Paul Duffen. Russell Bartlett and Martin Walker were also involved in the takeover. In response to the news, Pearson said that during his tenure he "had taken the club as far as [he] could".

On the pitch, things started slowly. After 11 games, Hull were in 18th. However, after gaining momentum through the winter, the Tigers were in 8th-place after 33 games, and only one point off the play-offs. Since the start of the campaign, Fraizer Campbell had been loaned in to help push the team up the league and it was clearly working. By the close of the season, not only had Campbell had racked up 15 goals, but Hull had finished 3rd-place and qualified for the play-offs.

In the semi-finals, they faced Watford. Hull earned a 2–0 win away at Vicarage Road in the first leg, in part thanks to John Eustace receiving a red card and reducing their hosts to 10 men. In the second leg, Darius Henderson provided a scare as Watford went 1–0 up, only for the Tigers to score a late flurry of goals and win 4–1 on the night and 6–1 on aggregate. On 24 May 2008, Bristol City were the only thing between Hull and the Premier League. At Wembley Stadium, Phil Brown's men reached the top-flight for the first time in the club's history, after Dean Windass' incredible first half volley secured a famous 1–0 win. Hull's ascent from the fourth tier to the first tier in just five seasons was the third-fastest in English football history, behind joint-first Swansea City (1977–81) and Wimbledon (1982–86).

Amidst the promotion campaign, 'Amber and Black' (now stylised as 'Amber & Black'), released the song "The City's on Fire" on MySpace. It was their first Hull City song since 1983, and it was later re-released just before the 2014 FA Cup final.

Throughout the summer of 2008, Brown worked hard to secure new signings to improve squad depth. Craig Fagan returned from Derby County for his third stint with Hull, whilst former Barcelona midfielder Geovanni arrived from Manchester City. Furthermore, three internationals joined the club, namely George Boateng, Péter Halmosi, and Bernard Mendy. Loans were also agreed for a number of players. Marlon King and Paul McShane became Tigers for the season, whilst deals for Anthony Gardner and Kamil Zayatte were both made permanent during the campaign. Daniel Cousin was the last major incoming transfer of the window, signing from Rangers on 11 September 2008.

Despite their strong transfer business, Hull were seen by many as a firm candidate for relegation. However, on 16 August 2008, the Tigers achieved a 2–1 home victory over Fulham on the opening day. Having gone 1–0 down inside 10 minutes, new signing Geovanni scored Hull's first goal ever in the top-flight to equalise, curling a low shot beyond Mark Schwarzer from outside the box. Caleb Folan then won the match late on, after Fagan capitalised on a defensive mistake from Paul Konchesky. The Premier League debutants then went on an impressive run into the early autumn, losing only one of their first nine games. This period included shock away wins over both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. In addition, after a 3–0 win away to West Bromwich Albion, Hull temporarily found themselves joint-second in the table, level on points with Chelsea and only three more behind Liverpool. The Tigers had initially appeared to prove their doubters wrong, only to win just twice more all season. However, after a 1–0 home loss to Manchester United on the final day, Hull escaped relegation thanks to other results going in their favour.

On 29 October 2009, chairman Paul Duffen resigned from his position, likely due to off-the-pitch constraints and having lost the backing of the board. His predecessor, Adam Pearson, was reinstated to replace him on 2 November 2009. By this point, the club's performances were very reflective of their financial situation behind the scenes. At the time of Pearson's return, Hull were sat 19th and with the worst goal difference of any team in the league. Very little had changed by 15 March 2010, the day manager Phil Brown was put on gardening leave after a run of four straight defeats. Brown's replacement was former Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic boss Iain Dowie, who was announced as the club's "Temporary Football Management Consultant" two days later. The appointment was met with some disbelief by supporters who were hoping for a stronger and more ambitious replacement. Dowie could not keep the Tigers up, with relegation confirmed on 3 May 2010, after a 2–2 draw away at Wigan Athletic. Both Brown and Dowie had their contracts swiftly terminated after the season's conclusion.

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson was appointed as the Tigers' next permanent manager on 29 June 2010. With yet more financial worries as a result of relegation, Pearson was forced to be frugal in the transfer market ahead of the 2010–11 campaign. A handful of free transfers were made to cover the gaps left by departing members of the first team. The highlight of these was the acquisition of West Brom midfielder Robert Koren, who had just captained Slovenia at the 2010 World Cup. On 16 December 2010, it was confirmed that Assem Allam had become the new owner of Hull City, having promised to pay back club debts and eliminate any possibility of financial ruin. This allowed Hull to spend more money in the upcoming January transfer window, which included reuniting Pearson with his star striker from his time at Leicester, Matty Fryatt, who arrived for £1,200,000. The newly revitalised team set a new club record on 12 March 2011 with 14 away matches unbeaten, breaking a previous record held for over 50 years. The streak was finally broken at 17 matches when Bristol City beat the Tigers 3–0 on the last day of the season at Ashton Gate. On 15 November 2011, Nigel Pearson left the club to return to Leicester. Former player and Hull local Nick Barmby was appointed as his successor, initially as a temporary player-manager, but later as the full-time head coach, after retiring from professional football in January 2012. Barmby was sacked on 8 May 2012, after publicly criticising the club's owners in an interview. In the same month, the club's consultancy agreement with Adam Pearson was terminated.

On 8 June 2012, Steve Bruce was appointed the club's new permanent manager on a three-year deal, an appointment which would prove pivotal for the club's history. Bruce began by signing experienced defender Abdoulaye Faye from West Ham United, young winger Sone Aluko from Rangers, and technical midfielder Stephen Quinn from Sheffield United. Alongside loanee Ahmed Elmohamady, this quartet would be amongst the backbone of Bruce's promotion push in his first season as manager, the 2012–13 campaign. After a 2–1 victory away at Derby County on 21 December 2012, the Tigers found themselves in the league's top two for the first time that season. Loans for Irish internationals Robbie Brady and David Meyler were both made permanent in the January transfer window, whilst striker Gedo was loaned in from Egyptian giants Al Ahly. He would hit the ground running in East Yorkshire, scoring five goals in his first six games.

Bruce would eventually guide Hull back to the Premier League, after a nervy final day of the season at home to newly crowned league champions Cardiff City on 13 May 2013. The Tigers came from behind to lead 2–1, before Nick Proschwitz had the chance to finish the game off with a penalty in the dying embers of the match. The German saw his effort saved by David Marshall, allowing the Bluebirds to spring a counter-attack. The champions then won a penalty of their own, which was duly converted by Nicky Maynard. Hull would now have to rely on their Yorkshire rivals Leeds United to beat third-placed Watford at Vicarage Road. A lengthy-stoppage for an injury to Watford goalkeeper Jonathan Bond meant the game in Hertfordshire was 15 minutes delayed, leaving Hull in jeopardy as they were forced to wait to find out if they had done enough for automatic promotion. With the score level at 1–1 in added time, Ross McCormack attempted to chip substitute goalkeeper Jack Bonham, and thanks to Bonham mishandling the ball, it dropped into the net, securing Leeds the win and Hull a return to the top-flight in dramatic fashion.

Following promotion, Bruce set about improving the squad so it was fit to compete in the Premier League. He started by making the loans of Elmohamady and George Boyd permanent, before signing Maynor Figueroa, Allan McGregor, and Tom Huddlestone throughout the summer transfer window, among others. Furthermore, Jake Livermore, who had made his England debut the previous year, was loaned in for the entirety of the 2013–14 campaign. The Tigers began the season slowly, but there were clear signs of progress. A 3–1 home victory over title-chasing Liverpool on 1 December 2013, and a narrow 3–2 defeat to Manchester United a few weeks later, put Hull in a good position for their upcoming home fixture against Fulham. On 28 December 2013, Hull recorded their biggest-ever Premier League win, thrashing the visitors 6–0 and lifting them into 10th place. The game is well-remembered for Huddlestone celebrating his goal (Hull's fourth), by cutting a lock of his hair for charity having promised to grow it out until his next goal. The promise had lasted two years, as Huddlestone had not scored since 20 April 2011, when playing for his old club, Tottenham Hotspur, in their 3–3 draw with arch-rivals Arsenal.

The Tigers' form dropped in January, losing all four of their league matches in the month. However, they beat Middlesbrough and later Southend United to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup. It took two legs to defeat Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion, before a 3–0 home victory over Sunderland and an entertaining 5–3 win against Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium, saw Hull reach their first FA Cup final in history. Meanwhile, in the league they had suffered greatly since the turn of the year. Yet, despite losing their final three games of the campaign, Bruce's side avoided relegation by four points, finishing in 16th, the club's highest-ever league finish. On 17 May 2014, Hull contested the 2014 FA Cup final with Arsenal. The Gunners were the favourites heading into the game, so when James Chester broke the deadlock inside five minutes, Arsenal were stunned. Curtis Davies doubled this lead moments later, leaving the opponents on the verge of capitulation. However, manager Arsène Wenger lifted his team back off their feet and their quality eventually shone through, with Aaron Ramsey completing an incredible 3–2 comeback deep into extra-time. Hull may have been beaten finalists, but their consolation prize was a place in the following season's Europa League third qualifying round. This was because cup winners Arsenal were already set to compete in the Champions League. It would be the first time that the club competed in a major European competition.

Hull's squad would need another rebuild if it was to maintain stability in the Premier League and qualify for the group stages of the Europa League. With two signings made under Pearson leaving, the now-captain Koren and semi-prolific goalscorer Fryatt, depth was becoming a problematic issue that Bruce would need to resolve. After a successful loan spell, the first piece of business the Tigers did that summer was bringing Livermore back on a permanent deal for a reported club record fee of around £8,000,000. Not long after, Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince arrived from Norwich City and Blackpool respectively. Then, the double signing of Harry Maguire and Andrew Robertson was announced on 29 July 2014. Two days later, Hull made their debut in European football, a 0–0 draw away to Slovakian side AS Trenčín. The home leg saw their first European victory, a 2–1 win on 7 August 2014. Goals from Elmohamady and Aluko were enough to advance to the final play-off round. There, they were drawn against Belgian club K.S.C. Lokeren. However, after a 1–0 defeat in the first leg, a 2–1 win at home was not enough to progress due to the away goals rule, and Hull were eliminated from the competition.

At the end of the summer the Tigers made a flurry of new signings and loan deals. Defender Michael Dawson, Uruguayan international Abel Hernández, and midfielder Mohamed Diamé all arrived permanently in the last week of the window. Furthermore, Premier League talents Gastón Ramírez and Hatem Ben Arfa both arrived on loan. Although Hull had not been a success in Europe, they had started well back on home soil, being ninth place in the league after their goalless away draw with Liverpool on 25 October 2014. However, by the time Bruce signed his second three-year deal with the club on 11 March 2015, they had dropped to 15th and were just sat above a relegation dogfight. The situation soon became uncomfortable and Hull slipped into the relegation zone, before having their fate sealed on the final day after drawing 0–0 at home to Manchester United, with other results failing to go their way.

Bruce stayed in spite of relegation and largely managed to keep the same squad going into the 2015–16 season. After the 2–0 victory away at Brentford on 3 November 2015, Hull found themselves atop of the Championship table. This came a week after their League Cup penalty-shootout win over eventual Premier League champions Leicester City, which took the Tigers to their first-ever quarter-final appearance in the competition. That appearance, on 1 December 2015, saw Manchester City beat Hull 4–1 at the Etihad Stadium. Coincidentally, the Citizens would go on to win the cup later that season. Hull would also taste glory in the 2015–16 campaign, overcoming Derby County 3–2 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs. In the final, on 28 May 2016, a long-range effort from Diamé was enough to beat Sheffield Wednesday, securing the Tigers an immediate return to the top-flight.

On 22 July 2016, Bruce resigned from his position as manager due to an alleged rift with the club's owners and Mike Phelan was appointed interim manager. Steve Bruce's four-year tenure as Hull City manager was one of the most successful in the Tigers’ history, as his team achieved two promotions to the Premier League, including the club's highest-ever league finish, as well as an FA Cup final and European football. By the summer of 2016, supporters had already become frustrated and disillusioned with the Allam family's ownership of the club, mainly due to the failed suggestion for the club to be rebranded as Hull Tigers.

Fans' desires for the club to be sold only increased after Bruce's resignation, and worries about the upcoming season were made more apparent by the fact that there had been no new first team signings since promotion. It was that point in particular that garnered the attention of social media and national news outlets after nine of the 13 remaining fit senior players at the club jokingly posed for a squad photo whilst on their pre-season tour of Austria. At the time of the photo, Diamé, who had scored Hull's promotion-winning goal just over two months earlier, had left the club to join Newcastle United, whilst a permanent replacement for Bruce was still yet to be found. An approach for Wales boss Chris Coleman had reportedly been made, in response to him guiding his nation to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 earlier that summer, however, this was abruptly blocked by the Welsh FA.

By the time the 2016–17 season was underway, Phelan was still in charge as interim manager. Despite low attendances at home games in protest of the Allams' ownership, on-pitch results were surprisingly good considering the club's uncomfortable situation. This was highlighted by an unlikely opening day 2–1 win at home to Leicester City, the reigning Premier League champions at the time. Although good results continued until September, Hull's form drastically dipped. Despite this, on 13 October 2016, Phelan became Hull's permanent head coach, but was sacked less than 3 months later, on 3 January 2017, after little improvement. Two days later, Marco Silva was appointed as the club's new manager, but he was unable prevent relegation at the end of the season.

Following relegation Silva resigned, and on 9 June 2017, the club announced Leonid Slutsky as the new head coach. He would not last long in Hull though, with the Russian leaving by mutual consent on 3 December 2017 after a poor run of results. He was replaced by former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins, who led the team to avoid relegation and finish 18th at the end of the season. Despite being in the relegation zone after 19 games of the following season, the 2018–19 campaign, an upturn in form saw the Tigers finish in 13th place. However, Adkins resigned at the end of the season after rejecting a new contract.

On 21 June 2019, Hull appointed Grant McCann as head coach on a one-year rolling contract. The Tigers began the 2019–20 season well, finding themselves in 8th place after a 1–0 away win over Sheffield Wednesday on 1 January 2020. However, McCann's reliance on wingers Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki would prove fatal after both were sold by the end of that month's transfer window. Bowen in particular was crucial to the team's success, having scored 16 goals in 29 games so far that campaign prior to his move to West Ham United. In a season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hull lost 16 of their last 20 games, a run that included the club's joint-worst league defeat ever, when they lost 8–0 away at Wigan Athletic. On 22 July 2020, after losing 3–0 away to Cardiff City, Hull were relegated to League One. It would be the first time the club had played in the third tier of English football in 15 years.

Despite relegation, McCann continued as head coach for the 2020–21 season. This decision would prove successful, as Hull were promoted back to the Championship at the first time of asking. After a 2–1 victory away at Lincoln City on 24 April 2021, promotion was confirmed. A week later, on the final day of the campaign, a 3–1 win at home to Wigan Athletic saw the Tigers crowned League One champions. It was only the fourth-ever league title that the club had won, and the most recent since the victorious 1965–66 Third Division campaign, 55 years prior.

On 19 January 2022, Turkish media mogul Acun Ilıcalı and his company Acun Medya completed a takeover of Hull City, ending the club's controversial 11-year ownership under the Allam family. On 25 January 2022, Grant McCann was sacked, but he was quickly replaced by Shota Arveladze as the new head coach two days later. The former Georgia international helped Hull achieve Championship survival in the 2021–22 season in relatively comfortable fashion, before he too was sacked, on 30 September 2022, after four consecutive league defeats.

On 3 November 2022, the club announced former player, Liam Rosenior, as head coach, on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Having strengthened both the team's defensive record and the team's away record since his arrival, Rosenior guided Hull to a 15th-placed finish at the end of the 2022–23 season. Despite Rosenior overseeing a very positive 2023–24 campaign, one where he was nominated for the EFL Championship Manager of the Season award and had brought the Tigers within three points of a play-off place, he was sacked on 7 May 2024. Owner Ilıcalı swiftly explained that Rosenior had been dismissed on good terms and that the departure was due to a difference in "football philosophy", with the Englishman unwilling to play the aggressive attacking style that Ilıcalı was demanding.

With Rosenior sacked, much of the previous season's playing squad left. Among these, young talents Jacob Greaves and Jaden Philogene were now considered ready for the Premier League, and were soon bought by Ipswich Town and Aston Villa respectively. Other notable losses were the end of loans for Fábio Carvalho, Liam Delap, and Tyler Morton, whilst cult hero Ozan Tufan returned to his native Turkey with Trabzonspor. Greg Docherty and Matt Ingram, both key members of the squad who won promotion from League One in 2021, also left.

During this period of transition, Tim Walter was appointed as Rosenior's replacement, beginning his new role on 1 July 2024. However, he was removed from his post on 27 November 2024, after enduring a league run of four straight defeats and nine games without a win. At the time, Hull were 22nd in the Championship, sat just inside the relegation zone. On 6 December 2024, Rubén Sellés was appointed as head coach of the club on a two-and-a-half-year deal, taking up his position from 9 December.