Live Through the Dream
The epic journey depicting Hull City's first ever season in the top flight of English football
by
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First and foremost, it is not written lightly what I am about to state next. This book truly wouldn’t be in your hands right now without the love, patience and understanding of one person. I am unequivocally indebted to my wife Suzy. I could not have fulfilled this lifetime ambition without her belief and support throughout this venture. Suzy made this happen. Suzy helped me chase my dream and realise it. I love you so much. To my children, I am fully aware that “Dad is away again this Saturday.” I am proud of your patience and understanding despite your tender years. Rest assured, the good times are now coming your way. My time is most definitely now yours.
Again, in no small part, I simply have to acknowledge my mother and father. Both have been a huge influence in bringing this book to your collection. At times of real need and hardship, for those snatched moments of peace and tranquillity in my old bedroom, I could not have pieced this work together without your commitment and guidance to help me complete one of my greatest ambitions ever and get this book written. I not sure how I can ever repay you, err… the cheque is in the post. Ahem… It is by no coincidence that all the greatest journeys undertaken by man are done with companions. Well, in my opinion that’s true. Life is for sharing. It’s the same with Hull City. Who really goes to football on their own? I have been privileged to undertake Hull City’s greatest journey with friends that have been plentiful, resilient and above all else as insane as me on the way to realising this Premier League dream. It would be no fun without you all, I promise. I firmly believe it’s the people that make the Hull City football experience what it is. Genuinely, the result is secondary – indeed forgotten in a fug of alcohol if it’s been a really bad weekend – but you simply cannot buy friendship like I have experienced through all the years travelling to City games. To those that have helped me on my way, that have driven to matches on my behalf – and sourced cheap travel to far flung places – those that have encouraged me to keep scribbling away, I salute you one and all and thank you for the memories that will undoubtedly stay with me forever. You all helped shape this book into what it is, please take a bow, you’ve earned it. At the risk of getting sentimental, I do need to pay tribute to my working partner in all of this. I don’t think either of us ever envisaged how far we could take the Hull City fanzine ‘City Independent’ when I clambered aboard nearly a decade ago, but what I have learnt in the countless years myself and Ian Farrow have worked on the magazine and websites together is; anything is possible with dedication and a desire to succeed. It may run into the witching hours at times, we may need to resort to unhealthy doses of caffeine – and then subsequently alcohol – dawn may indeed break before we’ve finished our wares, but together, we have overcome any given barrier or obstacle. I appreciate the support afforded to me from a good friend that simply stated when embarking on this project – “Go on just do the book, you’ve got to.” He was right. And neither did he waver from that stance either. Thank you, Ian. But of course, none of this would ever have been possible at all without the man managing our team, the chairman running our club and his backers and the players that stared destiny in the face in the name of Hull City back in May 2008 at Wembley and fearlessly grasped the biggest prize in football when the opportunity presented itself. To Phil Brown and all his backroom and playing staff, to Paul Duffen and his consortium, many, many thanks for turning our club around from Football League also rans into a fully fledged top flight club. You realised the dreams of thousands upon thousands of Hull City fans, of which I am unashamedly one. I’m sure I speak for all when stating we are eternally grateful for the achievements you brought our way and wish you every success in keeping up the fine work.
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About the Book
We’re leaving the Championship terminus now, but I’ll level with you; this is genuinely a journey into the unknown. Firstly, because I’ve never written on this type of scale in my entire life before – and secondly, I don’t know how on earth this book will be greeted by the reader. I just hope you enjoy it as much as I did preparing it all for you. I do know that many, many years later – perhaps even beyond my remaining years – a void in Hull City’s life as a football club will certainly need to be filled.
To this end, I hope what you are about to read contributes towards bridging any gap that appears and becomes one story of many that can be treasured by those that experienced the rich trappings of English top flight football for the first time ever in Hull City’s life. I’d like this book to be one that can reflect on our inaugural experience and provide just one insight to what it is like to support our great club amongst the cream of England’s finest teams.
From Saturday May 24th 2008 to the exact same point one year later, this is a 12 month voyage that will herald Hull City being in the Premier League for the first time ever. To the writer and the reader, neither one of us are actually aware of where this embarkation is taking us. Every account written is monitored as and when it happened.
All that remains to be stated before commencing your journey through this book is; you can be one hundred percent assured – “This is the best trip, we’ve ever been on.”
And that’s a fact.
About the Author
Only now, as I find myself putting pen to paper has it dawned on me why another of my lifetime ambitions has been left unfulfilled, namely to write a book. I often mulled over, then parked it and ultimately allowed the prospect of penning my wares to gnaw away at me silently in the background. It would get done. One day. But the fact is; it wasn’t getting done. Another time, another place maybe, it was always the same excuse. And anyway, despite my love for writing, I was getting my regular fix editing a website and scribing in the club’s fanzine City Independent. The book can wait. Always waiting...
But fate was soon to change all that. Cue Saturday May 24th 2008 at Wembley. In a St Paul on the road to Damascus type of experience – on a less meaningful scale, of course – these two ambitions of mine that were prominent in my life right now cataclysmically came together. The opportunity to fulfil both ambitions beckoned me. To resist this opportune moment would be folly on my part. Our first ever season in the Premier League…what better way to complete a life time’s ambition? I have got to do this. I must do this. I’m going to do this.
So here I am, effectively killing two birds with one stone. I’m setting out on a mission to go to every game and finally complete a full compliment of fixtures, while also documenting the journey along the way to produce my very own book. Me, yes me, finally writing a book. This was perfect… Despite failing to grasp my English O level, I know I could do this, I could do it. It sounds like a plan… indeed, it was a plan.
And so the journey begins…