TIGERS EARN THEIR STRIPES

Hull City's first ever appearance in an FA Cup Final came about after the exciting 5-3 win over the courageous Sheffield United side, who have lost in a semi-final five times since 1961. This was only Hull's second semi-final in 84 years. An aggregate score of 8 goals in a semi-final has occurred only three times since the 19th century; 1958 Manchester United v Fulham 5-3, 1899 Sheffield United v Liverpool 4-4, 1892 West Bromwich v Nottingham Forest 6-2. A serious half time re-adjustment of his failing team by manager Steve Bruce, changed the nature of the game, as Nigel Clough's steel like Blades almost caused an upset, fighting till the last minutes of an exciting contest.

Hull City was founded in 1904, playing friendly games at The Boulevard (the home of the Hull Rugby League Club), Anlaby Road Cricket Ground and Dairycoates.  A year later they were elected to the Second Division of the Football League. The club moved to a new home on Anlaby Road where it remained until 1941 when wartime games saw a brief return to The Boulevard. When League football recommenced in 1946, the Tigers played under a new manager, Major Frank Buckley and equally as important,  a new ground, BoothferryPark, which had been built on the site of an old golf course. Frank Buckley goes down in history as the first scientific strategist in football, who analysed games and methods of scoring goals. He had much to do with the POMO method playing adopted effectively by Wimbledon FC in their pomp.

Season 1947-48 saw the arrival of one of the greatest players ever to wear the Tigers colours: Horatio Stratton Carter. His debut was on 3 April 1948 and Raich Carter's influence on the club helped him gain international honours with England.

More recently, with Boothferry Park out of the club's ownership and in need of repair, the move to the state-of-the-art 25,400 capacity all-seater arena could not have come at a better time. Indeed, the Tigers were returning home as the KC Stadium is within a goal-kick of the old Anlaby Road Ground.