KCOM Stadium is also known as Hull City Stadium and it is a multi-purpose ground that is found in Kingston upon Hull. It has undergone a number of name changes over the years. The stadium was only built during the 1990s, having finished in 2002 and cost about £44 million in total.
The Hull City Council is the owner of KCOM Stadium and there are new plans to increase the capacity from its current 25,400 up to 32,000. The stadium is a bowl shape and as well as being the home ground for Hull City Football Club, it also holds games for the Hull FC rugby league team.
This is the biggest stadium for rugby league games in the nation. Over the years, there have been international rugby league and football games held at the KCOM Stadium, as well as hosting music concerts for the likes of The Who and Elton John.
History of KCOM Stadium
Hull City FC had previously played at Boothferry Park beginning in 1946. Plans for a new stadium were announced in 1997 after the city council sold some of its position in Kingston Communications. This allowed them to finance most of the £42 million needed as part of this project. There were also contributions from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund and government grants.
There were more than a dozen sites considered before deciding on one. There were numerous hurdles that had to be negotiated during the development process. For example, Hull City AFC went into receivership shortly after getting planning permission for the stadium in 2001.
Despite these issues, the KCOM Stadium was finished on budget and on time. It was on December 18, 2002, that the stadium opened for the first team with a friendly match against Sunderland.
The layout of KCOM Stadium
KCOM Stadium is an all-seater and it holds up to 25,000 people. There are plans to add a second tier to the East Stand that would add an extra 5,000 setting capacity.
All of the names of the stands are named for corporate sponsors. There are a total of 28 executive boxes at KCOM Stadium. There is a ryegrass playing surface at the stadium, with 3% of it being artificial grass.
The watering system is automatic and there is heating below the surface. The stadium is the first parkland setting for a pitch in all of England.
As well as the football facilities, there is a skate park, a bonus arena, all-weather pitches, a community centre, a library and a cyber cafe at the site. KCOM Stadium has won numerous awards over the years for its architecture, as well as its level of service.
Hull City Football Club key dates
- 2002: Hull City has been playing at KCOM Stadium since the second half of 2002/2003. The average attendance of the home games in this initial season was about 17,000. When the team was playing in the Third Division. At that time, the average attendance for games in the league was less than a third of this attendance.
- 2008: The team managed successive promotions in back to back years before getting to the Premier League for the first time for the 2008/2009 season. For a number of years, they were yo-yo-ing between the top flight and the second tier of football in England.
- 2019: They got relegated from the Championship in 2019/2020. The team had never been in the top flight of English football before 2007/2008, with its best Premier League finish being 16th place.
Betting on games at KCOM Stadium
The games at KCOM Stadium are always well attended no matter how good the team is doing. Naturally, the attendances will be bigger when the team is in the Premier League, but there is a loyal fan base in Hull. If you are betting on Hull City games, you have plenty of different online betting sites to check out.
There are reviews for each of these options on Roger.com. Look through these options, identifying a sportsbook that fits your eye the best. The signup process takes just a few minutes and you can get a free bet welcome offer when you get started.
