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Windass gives Hull ticket to top table

Premier League Hull City
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Sir Alex Ferguson felt fates were at work as his Manchester United side won the Champions League 50 years after the Munich air crash - so it was no surprise when veteran striker Dean Windass sent hometown club Hull into the Premier League.

Windass, 39 years young and a symbol of Hull's assault on top-flight football, struck in spectacular fashion to put Hull in English football's elite group for the first time in their 104-year history.

The questions will come quickly about whether Hull will survive more than one season at the top, but let's save those for later and allow a city to savour its greatest football moment.

Windass's voyage of discovery has taken in two spells at Hull as well as Aberdeen, Oxford, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Bradford.

But even a born optimist and enthusiast such as Windass could only have dreamed that the journey would end with a return to the Premier League.

And there is a story to be told by boss Phil Brown, who has rebuilt his reputation at Hull after being sacked following a brief, undistinguished spell in charge at Derby in January 2006.

Brown's assistant Brian Horton is also one of the game's enduring figures and many will be pleased he will enjoy an Indian summer in the Premier League at the back end of his career.

Once the champagne corks have stopped popping, Hull can plan for the great adventure and their future appears to be in safe hands.

Hull City chairman Paul Duffen has stated a contingency plan for the Premier League is already in place and manager Brown stood on the Wembley turf and made his own mission statement.

Brown says the model will be survivors such as Bolton, a format he knows well after assisting Sam Allardyce, Portsmouth and Reading in their first season.

There was no bitterness in his voice when he said he does not want to follow in the footsteps of the club that fired him, Derby County.

And Brown showed genuine dignity in his sympathy for Bristol City's players and manager Gary Johnson.

Hull will bring a healthy fanbase into the Premier League and the early signs are they will be a force for good.

Their promotion also reduces the list of pub quiz questions. No longer are they the biggest city in England never to have had its football team in the top tier of the game.

They will arrive with a fund of goodwill and a set of supporters who will savour every moment of the ride, however long it lasts.

The naysayers ready to write off their Premier League prospects should stay silent for now and let Windass, Brown and Hull enjoy their great moment.

And besides, after what the evergreen Windass has achieved this season, it might be a mistake to write them off too quickly.

Latest 10 comments

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posted May 28, 2008

Arsenal is not a place.

Anyway when Hull gets its 20 secs of play on MOTD every week the tourists will be flocking to the town in droves just as they do to Middlesbro.

But I wonder why you have this need to be noticed?

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posted May 30, 2008

Although Dean Windass's goal was well executed, spectacular and crucial, Fraizer Campbell build-up was infinitely more skilful.
He jinked and twisted, foiled attempts by several defenders to get the ball off him and drew them all away from Windass before delivering a superb inch-perfect cross under extreme pressure.
All Dean had to do, out in the open, was hit it at the right time in the right direction.
A great goal worked by two professionals, but let's make sure the hero worship is shared properly - I'd say 70% Campbell, 30% Windass.
Yet there's been virtually no media attention on Fraizer. It's all been on Windass, the "local boy" who loves Hull so much he lives in Ilkley, 75 miles away.

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comment by NeilG42 (U1826671)

posted May 30, 2008

Respect to Hull, Windas is older tham me !!

See you in 2009-2010 when you stay up and we get promoted.

CAERDYDD AM BYTH.

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posted May 30, 2008

True, T-N, so much media attention went to Dean- but it was heaven-sent for them; the stories virtually wrote themselves. Even the nationals' photographs featured him, but that was inevitable after the goal!
In the footage, Fraizer was as ecstatic as anyone, and not missing any attention. Let's not forget, he is a youngster (around twice Dean's age) with a fantastic career ahead of him- I only hope that his immediate future stays this side of the Pennines!

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posted May 30, 2008

Dean Windass played for Bradford and he probably likes the area where he lives. I don't know his personal circumstances but living 75 miles away doesen't seem to do him any harm.

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posted May 31, 2008

Deano is always doing stuff in Hull and can understand him keeping his family life seperate from his football life especially now hes a god in Hull i think it would be hell for his kids with all the attention etc?
Campbell has had plenty of credit getting man of the match almost every game sometimes unfairly he was getting embarrassed collecting the award at times.
Hull City need a talisman and Deano fits the bill - hopefully if we keep Campbell he can be our superstar!!! I feel like im reading out of a comic book strip like Roy of the Rovers - brilliant!!!

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posted May 31, 2008

We're 8th already - Europe here we come!

PREMIERSHIP 2008/9

1 Arsenal
2 Aston Villa
3 Blackburn Rovers
4 Bolton Wanderers
5 Chelsea
6 Everton
7 Fulham
8 Hull City
9 Liverpool
10 Manchester City
11 Manchester United
12 Middlesbrough
13 Newcastle United
14 Portsmouth
15 Stoke City
16 Sunderland
17 Tottenham Hotspur
18 West Bromwich Albion
19 West Ham United
20 Wigan Athletic

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posted May 31, 2008

campbell, deano and folan make a good prem strike force plus if we do get ryan taylor and ivan campo they are two good captures, plus lets sneak in to get ronaldinho from milans grasp. bring on ronaldo

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posted May 31, 2008

Ivan Campo has been fantastic for Bolton but he's slowed up and that's why they have released him. You never know he may be able to help you out short term but he's not the player he was two seasons ago.

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posted Jun 7, 2008

As a Tigger living in Ilkley it is good to have the old fella in the neighbourhood.
We will both be a lot handier for our north west fixtures this season.

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