[Archived] Race To The Premiership

[iamarover]

I am roughly aware of the size of both the towns, I was merely surprised at the amount of glory boys they both took to Wembley.

Grimsbys average attendance this season is 4,219.

MK Dons average attendance this season is 8,811.

That leaves around 43,000 extra on top of the averages.

When the Rovers reached Wembley for the Full Members Cup (Colin Hendry winner), we took 28,000 - more than to Old Trafford last season, when our average was less than 10,000. We're all glory boys in the end

[Ozz]

I'm not!

[1864roverite]

Your just a lovely boy Ozz, Olive made that clear in French lessons !!!

[1864roverite]

WBA missed the chance to make one of their games in hand count last night by drawing at Cardiff.

It is all getting very interesting

[CircoWill]

April 19th could be interesting....

Sheff Utd v Hull

Stoke v Bristol City

Watford v Crystal Palace

Wolverhampton v Ipswich

[they_think_its_all_rover]

I enjoyed reading this profile of Hull City in the Guardian.

It's nice to finally see something positive wrote about my hometown.

found this quite a good read regarding JayJay Okocha...

How Jay-Jay Okocha has helped lead Hull to the brink of joining football's elite

Exclusive by Mike Walters 28/03/2008

Surely it would be the greatest result on Humberside since Eighties warblers the Housemartins named their chart-topping album London 0 Hull 4.

And arguably Hull hasn't known such excitement since Del Boy and Rodney set sail for Holland to smuggle diamonds - in Uncle Albert's rusty bathtub moored on the city's fishing quay.

In a classic episode of Only Fools and Horses entitled To Hull And Back, everyone's favourite dodgy market traders returned from Amsterdam with a fistful of sparklers.

But the Trotters' loot was small change compared to the lovely jubbly awaiting Hull City if they win promotion to English football's promised land for the first time in the club's history.

At £60million-a-season, Premier League football would be worth more to former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's constituents than 10 years' toll charges to cross the Humber Bridge.

But never mind Two Jags, Hull's surge towards the elite has coincided with the arrival of Two Jays - Nigerian import Jay-Jay Okocha, so good they named him twice.

Okocha's stellar influence has helped to turn a cultural desert where the M62 runs out, and the best cabaret in town is an evening with Tigers cult hero Billy Whitehurst, into a sporting hotbed.

Tomorrow the Tigers are at home to Watford in one of the Championship's most pivotal promotion clashes of the season, and it's such a big game that BBC Radio 5 Live are parking their caravan at the KC Stadium for the day.

Okocha, whose left-hand drive tank has been a popular attraction with autograph hunters at Hull's Cottingham training ground, will be absent after picking up a knee injury in training.

But Tigers manager Phil Brown - with whom he worked at Bolton for two years - has no doubt the Nigerian midfielder has been a major factor in sprinkling stardust on the biggest city in Europe never to have a top-flight football club.

Brown said: "Jay-Jay has brought to this club a belief that we can play at a higher level.

"What he can do with a football in training on a daily basis, and occasionally in a Hull City shirt, sends shivers down your spine.

"He has also brought an awareness to the outside world that Hull exists.

"He lives on the international planet, and it has been a bit strange for people here to have camera crews from Qatar and Nigeria camped on our doorstep.

"And I can't believe there have been many Hull players in demand before as commentators at the Africa Cup of Nations, but that's a measure of the stardom the name Okocha brings to the table.

"Unfortunately he hasn't played that regularly because of injuries and, more recently, the first red card of his career against Burnley, which hurt him deeply because he is a very religious man. He got sent off by Mike Riley for raising his hand above headhigh to a 5ft 6in player, whose antics were unforgivable, and Jay-Jay is such a placid man that he took it very personally.

"If you look at the video of that incident, he stood there subserviently, hands behind his back in front of the referee, praying he was not going to get a red card. It's such a pity because we're talking about a player whose gift has been to put a smile on people's faces all over the world, and he gets treated like that."

Brown believes winning promotion could help cure the city's image problem.

The Humber Bridge may be a doppelganger for the Golden Gate on America's west coast, but Hull's dreary skyline is light years from San Francisco.

Geographicallyit is closer to Denmark than Liverpool at the opposite end of the M62, but bigots who have never been east of Doncaster continue to sneer at Hull with disdain bordering on snobbery.

Last summer's floods didn't help, but Brown said: "I think we can play a part in changing the perception of Hull.

"We need to change the thought processes of outsiders, and worldwide exposure of Hull City in the Premier League would benefit the city.

"After I left Derby (his first job after leaving Bolton, where he was Sam Allardyce's No.2), I had eight bleak months out of work and I feared my time had come and gone as a manager.

"But I've always believed I could manage a football club and now I'm hopefully on the verge of proving it with Hull."

Do not trifle with Brown.

His office at Hull's training ground is sandwiched between two conference rooms called The Bunker and The War Room.

And if Watford don't survive their battle tomorrow, next season it may be the Premier League's hoi poloi who replicate Del Boy's journey to Hull and back.

THE HULL OF FAME

1. The M62, the Humber Bridge and the ferry to Zeebrugge (a bit choppy when it's windy).

2. The Housemartins (Caravan Of Love, Happy Hour), Fat Boy Slim, Fine Young Cannibals.

3. John Prescott M (left), ex-Deputy Prime Minister - don't mention the secretary.

4. Steve McClaren. Not born in Hull, but a popular Tigers midfielder 20 years ago.

5. Every train to Kings Cross on May 1, 1982 - packed with Hull and Hull KR fans off to Wembley for the Challenge Cup final.

6. Actress Maureen Lipman, actor John Alderton.

7. Rugby league star Clive Sullivan.

8. Roy North, Basil Brush's old sidekick. Boom boom!

9. Former England striker Stuart Pearson.

Although the journo hasn't really done his homework in that Jay Jay hasn't really featured that much & his ending list is a bit poor...

could have used; the citys contribution to mathmatics, abolishing slavery, LCD screens, The Dutchess of York living here for the past few months connected with the Hull scientists diet plan she's being using (she's doing a TV programme on it), the home of Hovis & Comet, The most poetic city in England...

Still they're starting to get a bit more positive after the sh*te "Location, Location, Location" sprout about the place... it'll be good if Hull City finally get into the Prem as it annoys me soo much how bad peoples perceptions are of Hull... yet most who have a view on the place have never been!

maybe with them in the Prem the city will get shown in a better light and more people will actually se it's not a bad place.

[92er]

Wasn't the independent phone company supposed to be really good?

[Exiled_Rover]

Kingston Communications? It's alright.

It would be nice to see Hull in the Premiership, though to call City's promotion push the catalyst into turning the city into a sporting hotbed is absurd. It's a rugby league town through and through.

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Yeah Kingston Communications.... more advanced than BT.

All the newest council houses got installed with KCtv(an interactive channel)... allowing people's kids to go on the BBC bitsize website for free and it had a 24 hour local news channel.

Hull get's called an unfashionable rugby league town.... simply because it has 2 major rugby league teams... yet if you look at attendances, the football beats the rugby hands down.

Hull City had over 23,000 against Watford last week. Hull Fc had 14,000 & Hull KR had 7,000.

[FourLaneBlue]

An unusual point about this year´s Championship is that the top-placed side, Bristol City, have actually scored less goals than the bottom side Colchester. City have 49 goals so far while United have 55.

I think that shows the lack of quality in the division...it is all much of a muchness. After fighting relegation all season Preston have put a few wins together and now are only 8 points off the play-offs.

Next season the promoted three while be even heavier favourites to go down than usual.

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Bristol have just been really lucky ALL season... snatching 1-0'ers or snatching a late equaliser... nothing that has really made them stand out as better than any other team.

[1864roverite]

Stoke currently losing 1-0 at home to Palace.

Are Palace the play off dark horses ? I wonder...

They have got a couple of potential stars in the making. Soares is looking a class act. Moses looks like lightening down the left flank. Hudson is looking good across the middle whilst Sinclair (Chelsea) is having a ball on the right wing.

[1864roverite]

2-0 half time to Palace. Fully deserve their lead.

[LeChuck]

Next season the promoted three while be even heavier favourites to go down than usual.

If West Brom manage to make it I think they'll survive, but the rest won't have a chance at all. Watford may be an exception as they've had recent experience, and history shows that teams who can come back up at the first time of asking tend to do quite well.

That's a really interesting stat regarding Bristol's scoring. They actually have a goal difference of zero at the moment, I'd wager a fairly large amount that they're the only professional team in Europe to be topping their division without making it in to positive goal difference.

[Paul]

Next season the promoted three while be even heavier favourites to go down than usual.

This is a serious issue for the PL. I haven't seen any Championship football this season but imagine WBA and Watford would have a chance of surviving in the PL. The other top six sides - Bristol, Stoke, Hull, Palace - plus the other likely play-off candidate, Wolves, appear to have little chance.

If the current top three are promoted (last season's FLC positions), Bristol City (promoted from FL1) , Stoke (8th), Hull (21st), this could make the PL effectively a "no relegation" league for the existing PL clubs. It would also mean a club like WBA, who have recent PL experience, lose touch and might not gain promotion in the future. If Bristol, Stoke and Hull are promoted this will reduce further the competitiveness of an already non-competitive league. Those clubs would be very foolish to do anyhting other than make a couple of additions to their squads, the £30m they receive will be a drop in the ocean comapred to the money which needs to spent on the PL survival gamble.

The gap is widening all the time and three relegation fodder clubs being promoted each season may benefit the PL clubs in securing their status but it does nothing for the game. But who amongst us would deny those fans their moment of glory, albeit fleeting followed by a season of probable humiliation?

[Hughesy]

Agree totally Paul - I cant see one outstanding Championship side that would come up and make a big impact. Watford or West Brom might do ok, but the others look very weak.

[tcj_jones]

I've backed West Brom for promotion all season and I'm backing them to stay up next season as well. The rest? Well I don't think they have a chance.

[MarkBRFC]

Excellent to see Stoke lost last night, they are the last side i want to come up.

[mjs]

Excellent to see Stoke lost last night, they are the last side i want to come up.

They are the nearest thing to Wimbledon/Cambridge I have seen for many seasons (apart from Wonky Wanderers that is).

[Paul]

Excellent to see Stoke lost last night, they are the last side i want to come up.

Interesting that. I wonder how old you are. I'm not trying to have a dig but I have a real soft spot for Stoke going back many years. Great shirts, the Victoria Ground (what a dump), foggy, smoky nights..........I hope they come up but I think they will suffer badly if they do and the Britannia stadium just ain't the same.

[CircoWill]

Interesting that. I wonder how old you are. I'm not trying to have a dig but I have a real soft spot for Stoke going back many years. Great shirts, the Victoria Ground (what a dump), foggy, smoky nights..........I hope they come up but I think they will suffer badly if they do and the Britannia stadium just ain't the same.

Agreed. I'd love Stoke to come up. Think they might have blown it though. They always seem to choke.

[MarkBRFC]

Interesting that. I wonder how old you are. I'm not trying to have a dig but I have a real soft spot for Stoke going back many years. Great shirts, the Victoria Ground (what a dump), foggy, smoky nights..........I hope they come up but I think they will suffer badly if they do and the Britannia stadium just ain't the same.

25.

Anywho, nothing really to do with the team its just where i live, this town is bloody full of potters fans and they really are unbearable at the minute.

Plus you just know they would take points off us next season if they were to come up, dont think i would be able to show my face for a year with the amount of abuse i'd get!

On the plus side if they did come up though, its only 10 mins away for me on the train.

[waggy]

who ever comes up this season are going straight back down

[Scotty]

who ever comes up this season are going straight back down

I don't think West Brom would. Their style of play is probably more suited to the Premier League than the Championship. If they bought a couple of decent players they could do surprisingly well.

[they_think_its_all_rover]

Have any of you seen much Championship football this season?

Watford having a chance of staying up in the Prem!?? you're having a laugh! one of the worst teams I've seen live this season... they were worse than Colchester! (bottom of the league).

IF Hull go up, I don't think they'd "do a Derby" the whole team really want it and I could see em fighting it out and showing they want to stay up, but it'd be tight.

West Brom are soo hit n' miss it's hard to tell how they'd do in the Prem, though they do have some Prem quality players. Think they'll be top of the CCC by tonight though, after being knocked out in the Semi's of the cup, they might give Blackpool a thumping.... but like I said, they're hit n' miss.

Stoke are just big n' solid... lump the ball up and use their strength to score type of team. Lawrence is soo out of place there.

Bristol would be most likely to "do a Derby" out of the top 6.