Hull City has had quite a tough time of it down the years, but has managed to survive its financial struggles. The main reason for all its ups and downs, is the football club has had to compete in the only part of the country that seems to think that rugby is a more beautiful game than footy. I think it’s safe to say that Hull Kingston Rovers have a higher profile than Hull City FC, and they are not the only rugby club in the area. Just to confuse matters there is a Hull FC, but Hull Football Club are not a football club, they are a rugby league football club. Thanks for that bit of info Phil, and for fixing my Firefly! Anyway, despite being in river of rugby wider than the Humber, survive they have, since they formed in 1904. Playing their games in the beginning, at The Boulevard, home of the Hull Rugby League Club, and they have been swimming against the rugby tide since. However, since the 2008/09 season, which found Hull City gracing the top flight of football, as well as their appearance in an FA Cup Final during the 2013/14 season, losing to habitual FA Cup winners Arsenal 3-2, they have managed to kick rugby into touch.
The club play in black and amber stripes, giving them the nickname “The Tigers”, and it is the tiger that has featured on most of the club badges since. The present badge, or a form of it, came about from the result of a competition held in the spring of 2001, in the matchday programme, and on the club’s website. It is made up of a shield, and inside is a snarling tiger, with the club’s name at the top, and nickname on the banner at the base. (PIC1) The present badge is very much the same with the banner and nickname removed in favour of the much tamer date of formation. (PIC 2)
A previous badge was not that well received by the fans, and so did not have a very long life-span, unlike that of the Humber Bridge, which has a hell of a span, but I like it as it has the look of a good badge, and has elements of the city of Hull, as well as keeping the tiger emblem. (PIC 3) It was designed by the son of a chap called Stephen Hinchcliffe, who was part of a consortium that bought the club from former tennis player David Lloyd. Hinchcliffe Junior, a graphics design student at the time, took the club from the 20th into the 21st Century, with his shield of club colours, out from which stares a menacing look from the tiger, with its jaws ajar, above the banner or scroll containing the club’s name, and year established. At the top of the shield in the area called the chief are three crowns, a symbol of the city of Hull, and taken from the Kingston upon Hull coat of arms. (PIC 4) These arms were certified in 1879, but were used on the city seals back in the fifteenth century. The three ducal crowns are believed to refer to the legend of the Three Kings, Melchior, Balthazar and Casper, or the Magi as they are also known. There is no foundation to the fact that these kings existed and made their way to the birth of Jesus. Their names do not appear in the Bible, and Magi means astrologer. So the, the next time a carol singer starts singing “we three Kings from the Orient are” at your front door, you can tell them “no your not”, and make them go away by explaining to them why they are not, and if that does not work then tell them this. The Gospels were originally written in Greek, and the Greek word Ma’gio means, one having knowledge of astrology, as a wise man would have, and not a king, hence their knowledge of the star. Also, the Bible states that the Magi visited Jesus at a house when he was a young boy, not in a stable when he was a baby. So, it would have been some time after his birth, and this is why it is known as the legend of the Three Kings, because it is not a fact. Matthew 2:1-13. That should see them off, and if not tell them the star they followed should not be deemed holy and stuck atop their tree, because the magi were sent by Herod to find the baby Jesus so he could be killed. God would not assist the murder of his son by sending a star to guide them, but Satan the Devil most certainly would, as that was his biggest desire. That should see the Pagan singing devil worshipers off.
Now, where was I? Oh yes. The three crowns are used widely across Europe by towns, as a motif representing trade with far off nations, and below the crowns is the image of the Humber Bridge. Opened by the Queen in 1981. It held the world record for the longest single-span suspension bridge for the next 17 years. (PIC 5) Well, as I said, I liked this badge as it has more elements to it than just Tony “They’re grrrreat”!!! the Tiger. (PIC 6) But the powers that be, and the fans said it is not grrrreat, or funny, and so it had to go. Other various badges that did get full approval, included the uninspired, HCAFC initials in the 1970s and 1980s, and the ever-present tiger. Note to the designer of the next badge, if using the tiger emblem, making it look like a very angry comic version of Terry Thomas will not fly when you get it up the flagpole. (PIC 7)
It was common amongst some clubs to move the badge from the usual place on the left breast to the middle of the shirt, and Hull also followed this trend. The late 1980s through to the early 1990s saw the tigers head surrounded by Hull City AFC at the top, and The Tigers at the bottom in the roundel. (PIC 8) This brings us back to the badge designed in the late 90s by Stephen Hinchcliffe.
The name Hull is from the Anglo-Saxon hyll, and refers to people dwelling on a hill. I would like to thank, Mike Peterson, for all his help after I contacted him. Thanks for all the info and images, Mike. Thanks, also go to Andy Beill for his help and feedback. Mike used to go and watch his team play at former golf course Boothferry Park, until they moved into their new home in December 2002. The £43m, 25,404, capacity Kingston Communications Stadium or KC Stadium for short, is now known as the KCOM Stadium. Two club’s share the ground one is football and the other, rugby. The local rivals of Hull City are Grimsby, and if you want to hunt down more on “The Tigers” then prowl your way to www.hullcitytigers.com
