For anyone who reads this blog regularly, or looks at the archived posts, I always try and follow up on stories I’ve blogged about before. Call it tying up loose ends or being like a dog with a bone, I like to plot progress. Especially when it comes to Hull.

Back in November I contemplated plans to incorporate a train station stop near the KC. At the time, I fell into the “not sure it would work” camp, which as it turns out, was the right side of the fence to fall.

Latest reports suggest that “hopes of developing a new rail halt next to the KC Stadium in Hull look certain to be dashed”, so it’s a good job I never got worked up about it anyway. The obvious reasons have been quoted – “little prospect of attracting funding”, “not a priority”, “over 5m costs to develop”, “running costs”, oh, and “technical problems.”

But let’s not forget the potential bigger problem? Good rugby crowds may be one thing, but is it justified for Championship football??? Ouch

I simply couldn’t believe it that Newcastle United pulled that result out of the bag last night. I just never seriously thought they would do it and was banking on a 1-1 draw.

So, Hull City’s fate now rests on Bolton, oh, and Man Utd winning the title before they play us so that Ferguson fields a baby team for the last match.

Predictions? 

It’s not looking good….

So Hull City’s fans are some of the quietest in the Premiership, according to Sky Sport’s Noise League.

Football Fans’ Decibels

I wasn’t even at the game against Man City on Saturday, but I could certainly hear the “Come on you Hull” chants, and as I drove past at the end of the game the general banter continued as the fans poured out of the stadium.

Admittedly, it wasn’t my greatest moment in terms of timing as I tried to navigate my car through everyone, crawling along because people were randomly crossing the road without even glancing my way. But it got me thinking about the plans to incorporate a train station stop near the KC and whether it would ease the post-game congestion deadlock.

A couple of blogs have also offered their opinion, but I’m in two minds. Would it work? Would people actually use it? It’s bad enough getting on and off busy trains at the best of times. At least bus stops have a “queue from here” philosophy whereas trains just tend to encourage people to pile in with little regard for the old lady/small child they happen to squash.

I think, as I’m writing this, I’m probably in the “no thanks, not a good idea” camp.

I guess all the cynics have been proved wrong when they suggested the Tigers might be the next “Derby” this season. Even I was accused of being so after this post here.

Even so, I’m not quite sure that anyone could have predicted Hull City being an amazing fifth in the table before the season started. It seems all cynics and supporters, however, are united in their criticism over the Danny Guthrie challenge, which certainly doesn’t quite fit into the FA’s Respect campaign as far as I can see.

Still, at least Hull can be celebrating in the meantime about their table position. We’ll check back again mid-season to see whether we can continue this surge.

From the Hull Daily Mail:

“Latest figures suggest up to 30,000 people in Hull need to become more physically active if the city is to close the gap on the healthiest places in Yorkshire.

The statistics also show 61.4 per cent of people in Hull are overweight or obese, while binge drinking is over twice the national average for men and women.”

Another glowing reference for Hull. But the report hits the nail on the head when it says that with our three top-flight clubs, we are in a great position to improve health and fitness. Hull’s sporting success has been front page news thanks to Hull City FC, Hull FC and Hull KR. What more inspiration do we need?

Keen to jump on the healthy bandwagon? You can find a list of gyms in Hull here

With the Tigers clinching promotion, having a Premiership side will be fantastic news for the City, adding to the already long list of sporting entertainment that locals can relish – derbies between Hull FC and Hull KR, Ice Hockey at Hull Arena, even the Darts Winmau World Masters at Bridlington, to name but a few.

Yet despite the dedicated fan base, I can’t help the slight nagging feeling that the Tigers’ rocketing rise in the football world might be too much, too soon. Will Hull have finally met their match now they have secured another promotion?

Life in the Premiership looks pretty brutal – ask any Derby fan. Could our fans cope with a season like Derby have had last year? With packed out games in the KC Stadium , the Club is pretty confident of wooing the fans throughout all of next season. Even with huge investment though, or loans from bigger clubs, many are reluctant to believe that a dedicated and solid fan base, or a fantastic KC Stadium, will be enough to see them through. Having made the year-on-year progress, consolidation may have been the name of the game rather than challenging the record for the worst number of points in the Premiership.

Then again, I remember when Wigan came up a few years back – most people were writing them off before they could say “Transfer Fee” and then predicting they would go straight back down. After three years in the Premiership, they may be battling hard but they have certainly proved their worth.

Can Hull follow in their footsteps? The general consensus is not, but wouldn’t it be great if they were all wrong. Here’s hoping the Tigers get straight on the warpath and have a roaring season ahead of them next year.