Manchester City v Hull City - A Short History

Manchester City got back to winning ways at the weekend against Southampton and now, with City back at the top of the League, the focus turns to Hull City, and the League Cup. Manchester City have won this competition on three occasions, with the latest being in Manuel Pellegrini's first season with the blues. Other successes in this competition came in 1970 and again in 1976.

In 1970 Manchester City played Tuesday's opponents in another cup competition and beat them 1-0 away from home thanks to a Neil Young strike which would be the last time we would play Hull for 15 years. And, although the voyage in that FA Cup competition would end in the very next round, City still had the final at Wembley Stadium to look forward to, eventually beating West Brom 2-1.

The 1976 final is best remembered for the Dennis Tueart overhead kick and would be the last major trophy City would lift until Roberto Mancini and the 2011 FA Cup win. That game was a victory against Newcastle and then 38 years later City would get more League Cup glory against Newcastle's neighbors, Sunderland.

Hull City were formed in 1904 and we have faced the Tigers on a twenty seven occasions, winning just under half, thirteen. The amount of times lost total just 6 with the last being away from home on February 2010. If that win ratio wasn't a good enough statistic then you would have to go back to before World War 2 for the last time City lost to Hull on our own ground. Ernie Toseland scored our goal in that game on the wrong side of a 2-1 result. In fact that was in February, as was the 1-1 meeting with them at the Etihad, last season so, as we are playing this match in December I think that's another positive sign. In December games (because you know I looked) City have played Hull twice, scoring seven and conceding once.

One of the best memories involving City and Hull had to come at half time of the Boxing Day clash with then manager, Phil Brown, giving his Hull City side a team talk on the pitch. At this point his side were already 4-0 down and his talk gave fans something to look at during the break, although I am not too sure his players really appreciated the public dressing down. The next season, in the same fixture, a Jimmy Bullard penalty made sure City had to settle for a draw, their seventh league draw in a row, and saw Jimmy mimic Brown in his celebration.

Despite the limited amount of times the two have met I did manage to find some players who had played for both sides. Danny Allsopp was at City from 1998 to 2000 before being loaned out and eventually sold. He found his way to Hull City in 2003 and made over 60 appearances scoring over 20 goals in the process. With Manchester City for the push to the playoff final with Gillingham, Alsopp scored four times that year, but didn't feature in the final.

Peter Barnes, Manchester City legend, who was there, and played in that 1976 League Cup win put on the City shirt 115 times. He left for West Brom in 1979 and when he returned to City almost a decade later he didn't have the same impact. Loaned out several times before making a short stop at Hull City.

Of course the name some will remember, if only for the sweet goal against Manchester United in the season under Sven, is Geovanni. Scored on his debut, and the opening game against West Ham he cemented his place in City hearts with that goal. After he moved to Hull City he tainted that image a little when he scored against us though.

David Brightwell made a few appearances for both sides while Don Revie made a substantial amount for both, including winning the FA Cup with Manchester City in 1956.

Danny Mills played for City and was then loaned out to Hull in 2006 while Tommy Wright was on loan at both sides at one time before making the City move permanent in 1997.
Hull City also had on their books, at the same time as City were in the third tier of English football, a Mr Andy Oakes, nephew of City legend, and winner of everything going, Alan Oakes.

On the managerial side you have Brian Horton. Hull City manager from 1984 to 1988, as a player manager for two of those four years before taking the reigns at Manchester City ship. A few years later he was sacked as the new Chairman, Francis Lee, installed Alan Ball.