By Chris Dyer
Following the release of the all-amber away kit for the forthcoming season, it has received positive feedback on City’s social media channels. With its popularity, there has even been a clamour among some supporters for it to be installed as the home kit. But does recent history suggest it is wise to opt for amber rather than a black and amber stripe design?
As a member of the loyal Tigers faithful born since the 1990s, I’ve scrutinised our fortunes both with and without stripes on the home strip.
The beginning of the 1990s saw City donning black and amber stripes between 1990-1992 during a period where the Tigers suffered relegation from the second to third division (modern day Championship to League One).
A switch to the iconic or infamous tiger/leopard print design between 1992-1995 coincided with an initial relegation scare followed by a pair of mediocre seasons in the third tier of English football.
The 1995/96 season saw City wear predominantly amber during a season of disappointment with relegation to Division 3 (League Two in today’s current league structure).
During the four following seasons in the fourth tier City wore stripes for the vast majority, one of which ironically was amber and white stripes during the much heralded “Great Escape” season of 1998/99.
The turn of the new Millennium saw instability at the club with The Tigers being locked out of Boothferry Park in 2001 before being salvaged through Adam Pearson’s takeover. The change of ownership saw a significant upturn in fortunes both on and off the pitch with a move across Hull from Boothferry Park to the KC Stadium as it was originally known.
City wore predominantly amber throughout the early 2000s including the 2003-04 season during which promotion was achieved back to the third tier after an eight-year absence.
Back-to-back promotions were secured the following season in 2004-05 from the newly rebranded League One to the Championship when City reverted back to black and amber stripes.
Two seasons of consolidation and narrowly escaping relegation followed in the second tier with the black and amber stripes maintained before the historic 2007-08 season. After the takeover led by Paul Duffen in the summer of 2007, City went back to all amber as the City of Kingston-upon-Hull could finally bask in the glory of reaching the top table of English football with victory in the play-off final at Wembley in 2008.
The first season in the Premier League saw City choose stripes once again and the club managed to survive relegation in nail-biting fashion on the final day. In the following season, amber shirts were back in the home changing room but the club witnessed relegation back to the Championship in 2010.
City spent the early-2010s in the doldrums and a perilous financial state after the excessive spending during the Premier League before The Allam Family took over in late 2010. The return to the second tier saw the players enrobed in stripes before returning to the Premier League in 2013 in a mostly amber design under the stewardship of Steve Bruce.
Black amber and black stripes were worn at home in the following two seasons in the Premier League. This period saw City survive relegation and reach the FA Cup Final in their first season, qualifying for European football in doing so before the despair of relegation in 2015.
The 2015-16 season saw an immediate return to the holy grail of English football with amber shirts back on display on the pitch.
City were unable to repeat the feats of their two previous voyages in the Premier League in avoiding relegation after the first season. 2016-17 saw the Tigers go straight back down in stripes. Stripes were kept for the two subsequent seasons during a period of malaise with many fans becoming increasingly disillusioned with the path the club was taking as attendances began to dwindle.
Relegation to the third tier in 2020 saw City wear mostly don amber with a tiger stripe pattern, something of an ode to the 1992 shirt but it did not bring good fortune. The season also took place during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A season played entirely behind closed doors to City supporters at the MKM Stadium in 2020-21 season was to be one of the greatest in recent memory with the League One title secured in black and amber stripes.
With the hotly anticipated return of fans to stadia across the country amidst easing of COVID-19 restrictions in 2021/22, City reverted to an amber shirt with black sash design and a season of consolidation was secured under the stewardship of Grant McCann and latterly Shota Arveladze following the euphoric atmosphere circling the MKM with Acun Ilicali’s takeover in early 2022.
Last season saw City go back to stripes but a season which promised so much with heavy investment in the squad and a promising start to the season was not reflected in late autumn with the club slipping closer to the relegation zone. Thankfully, under the tutelage of current boss Liam Rosenior, City steered clear of the drop and even flirted with a brief play-off chase before ultimately finishing comfortably in mid-table.
Which brings us finally to the present day. The choice of black and amber stripes as the home kit and an all-amber away kit has been broadly welcomed across the fan base.
From the last 30 years, success tends to happen more often for City in predominantly amber-only shirts at home. With the choice of shirts on offer this season, we can only hope the positive past in both amber and stripes can yield further success for the Tigers.
