Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterWhen Hull City won the play-off final and reached the Premier League 18 years ago, Dean Windass was the hero.Windass struck a sensational volley for his local club to down Bristol City at Wembley, then was part of the squad that went into the top flight for the 2008-09 campaign.Hull were tipped for instant relegation, but shocked everyone by winning six of their first nine games following up an opening day win over Fulham with triumphs at Newcastle, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.Hull City: fast startersHistory has been repeating itself in the opening weeks of the current campaign after victory over Middlesbrough in Mays play-off final, the Tigers beat Manchester United in their first game back in the Premier League, then won at Coventry City to make it six points out of six, ahead of this Saturdays home match with Aston Villa.The best thing you can do is play a top team at home in the first game, Windass tells FFT. Everyone has a clean slate, but nobody expected Hull City to win. You may like Hull City's return to the Premier League was borderline miraculous, but a far more absurd feat will be the requirement to stay up - Hull City 2026-27 season preview Hull City are playing Premier League Monopoly - it can only go extremely well or catastrophically "It was a season where most of what we touched turned to gold" Matt Grimes and Gordan Strachan on how Coventry City ended their 25-year Premier League exile The pressure was on Man U, who didnt know what Hull City were like. I was at the game and Man U were very poor you could tell that they were trying to gel together with Youri Tielemans and their new signings.To have a great start like that was fantastic. I knew that Coventry would be a harder game, but they came through it and won 1-0.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.But my advice to Hull City fans and all my mates when they go to the gym is its a long season. Villa will be a tough test every game is a tough test in the Premier League.When I went up with Bradford, I remember Paul Jewell saying to us If we finish fourth from bottom in the Premier League this year, its a massive achievement, anything above that is a bonus, and weve got to win the majority of our home games.I know Lewie Coyle, Oli McBurnie and Matt Crooks there now, and Ive heard on the outside as a supporter that theyve got a good changing room. What to read next Coventry City fought valiantly to make it back to the Premier League, but will surviving the drop prove to be an even greater task? - Coventry City 2026-27 season preview Here's why Ipswich Town can avoid becoming a yo-yo club West Ham will be everyones cup final in the Championship. Even little Lincoln will fill the away section at the London Stadium Tony Gale on what relegation means for his old side A famous teamtalkTheyve brought a lot of players in, but it doesnt matter about the price tag, theyre not proven Premier League players, so theyre going to find it hard.But Stuart McCall at Bradford used to say Weve got a good changing room, weve got a good chance of staying up.Bradford did indeed stay up in their first year in the Premier League, as did Hull in 2008-09, prompting Phil Brown to grab a microphone and sing to the fans on the pitch.Windass went out on loan to Oldham in the second half of that campaign 39 by then, his game time proved limited in the Premier League but he saw enough to know that the Tigers unity played a big part in their survival that season.That was tested by a poor run of form, then a 5-1 defeat at Manchester City on Boxing Day Hull were 4-0 down at half-time and Brown responded by keeping the players on the pitch at the interval, giving them a dressing down in front of the away supporters.If there was perhaps a perception that the manager lost the dressing room by doing that, Windass doesnt think that was the case. He was subbed at half-time and it would turn out to be his last appearance for the club, but the players stuck together and the club ultimately stayed up.He kept us out on the pitch, and that was his choice, says Windass, speaking in association with betTOM. Hed given Christmas Day off because it was a Boxing Day game, and we were fifth in the table, something like that, I cant remember.Youre playing Man City, Robinho was playing for them, Vincent Kompany, they had a decent team. You put your hands up, youre getting beat by a quality team, and what Phil did was his choice.It didnt dampen the changing room. The lads stuck together. I was coming to the end of my career anyway, I knew that I wouldnt be playing, theyd bring me on every now and then.Phil got the last laugh, by singing on the pitch and staying up, and we had a good changing room.We had George Boateng, Paul McShane, Ian Ashbee, Nick Barmby, good pros. No matter what division youre in, if youve got a good changing room, youve got a great chance of success.TOPICSDean WindassPhil BrownPremier LeagueChris FlanaganSocial Links NavigationSenior Staff WriterChris joined FourFourTwo in 2015 and has reported from more than 20 countries, in places as varied as Ivory Coast and the Arctic Circle. He's interviewed Pele, Zlatan and Santa Claus (it's a long story), as well as covering the World Cup, AFCON and the Clasico. He previously spent 10 years as a newspaper journalist, and completed the 92 in 2017.
