MKM Stadium

The MKM Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kingston upon Hull, England. It has a current capacity of 25,586. The stadium is home to both association football club Hull City A.F.C. of the EFL Championship and rugby league club Hull F.C. of the Super League.

It was previously known as the KC Stadium, but was renamed the KCOM Stadium as part of a major rebrand on 4 April 2016 by the stadium's sponsor KCOM. In June 2021, it was renamed to its current name, the MKM Stadium, as part of a five-year sponsorship with MKM Building Supplies. During UEFA competitions, the stadium is known as the Hull City Stadium due to sponsorship regulations.

Conceived in the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. The stadium is owned by Hull City Council and operated by the Stadium Management Company (SMC), who have previously considered expanding the stadium capacity up to 34,000. The bowl-shaped stadium contains a continuous single tier of seats with a second tier on the west side.

The stadium occasionally hosts international association football and rugby league competitions and acts as a venue for concerts by musical artists. Previous performances at the stadium include Elton John and The Who.

History

The idea of a new stadium for Kingston upon Hull, whose professional football club Hull City had played at Boothferry Park since 1946, was first mooted in 1997. However, funds to finance such a project only became available when the city council sold a portion of its holdings in Kingston Communications. The council provided most of the funds, more than £42 million, with the rest stemming from government single regeneration budget grants and from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund.

The council appointed John Topliss to head the stadium construction project. He and his team partnered with consulting firm Drivers Jonas to explore preliminary issues such as stadium location, seating capacity, and facilities offered. Topliss stated that his team had "a totally blank canvas" and by working with consultants they made "a thorough assessment" of what was needed.

The project team considered over a dozen sites, inside and outside of the city, before settling on The Circle in West Park. Factors contributing to the decision include transport guidance, central government planning guidelines, existing athletic facilities, isolation from residential areas, and council ownership. The stadium site is located around from the original 'Circle' Stadium, one of Hull City's previous home grounds.

The final recommendation of Drivers Jonas included additional facilities for both indoor and outdoor sports for the people of West Hull in addition to the main stadium, planned to seat from 25,000 to 30,000 spectators. Professional services firm Arup Associates provided initial concept proposals for the stadium. The Miller Partnership, an architectural and interior design firm, adopted these proposals during the stadium's design. The construction work was undertaken by Birse Group.

There were a handful of obstacles during the course of the project, including Hull City A.F.C.'s receivership in 2001, just after the granting of planning permission. Despite this, the stadium complex was completed on time after fourteen months of work and on budget, sitting at approximately £44 million. The stadium officially opened its doors on 18 December 2002.

That day, there were 22,467 spectators in attendance as Hull City beat Sunderland A.F.C. 1–0 in a friendly match to mark the occasion. Steve Melton scored the only goal of the game, consequently the first at the new stadium. Furthermore, the clubs contested for the 'Raich Carter Trophy' in honour of the late Raich Carter, who played for both of the clubs during his playing career, eventually also managing Hull between 1948 and 1951.

Twenty years later, almost to the day, on 17 December 2022, the clubs met again at the now MKM Stadium in the EFL Championship. Both sides agreed to recontest the Raich Carter Trophy to mark two decades at the Tigers' new stadium. The game ended 1–1 with Hull retaining the trophy, in front of a crowd of 18,120 spectators.

Structure and facilities

The all-seater stadium consists of a single-tier, asymmetrical bowl that can seat approximately 20,000, with a second tier on the West Stand that can seat approximately 5,000. The stadium's current capacity is 25,586. Plans have previously been prepared for the potential extension of the stadium following Hull City's promotion to the Premier League. A further 4,500 seats could be added to create a second tier to the East Stand, whilst there is also a possibility of adding extensions to both the North Stand and the South Stand of around 2,000 seats each. This would make the stadium a completed two-tier bowl with an overall capacity of approximately 34,000 seats.

Each stand has a name for corporate sponsorship purposes. On 4 July 2011, Hull City revealed that the stadium's West Stand would be sponsored by the local Cranswick plc under a two-year agreement, which was extended on 26 July 2013.
On 10 July 2013 it was announced the East Stand would be sponsored by Ideal Standard and become known as the Ideal Standard Community East Stand. Ahead of the home fixture against West Bromwich Albion on 5 March 2022, the stand was renamed the Chris Chilton Stand, in honour of Hull City's all-time record goalscorer, Chris Chilton.

Corporate hospitality is provided by 28 executive boxes located between the two tiers of the Cranswick plc West Stand, while security of the stadium is handled using 57 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that cover the stadium. Over the summer of 2007, SMC installed an LED screen in the Smith & Nephew North Stand to replace the old electronic scoreboard. The screen has an area of approximately 40 m² (430 ft.²) and displays such content as live home game feeds, match highlights, interviews, and action replays.

The stadium's seats are mostly black, with a band of white and amber seats around the circumference. White and amber seats form the word ''Hull'' in both the North Stand and the South Stand. In the Ideal Standard Community East Stand, the seats form an image of a coronet, a symbol of the city that also appears in the club crest for Hull F.C. and in the coat of arms of the city council. Black, white, and amber were chosen to remain neutral toward the colours of its two tenants: black and white for Hull F.C. and black and amber for Hull City A.F.C. The blue and gold of owner Hull City Council appear in the stadium's four external columns.

The size of the playing surface is 114 x 74 metres (125 x 81  yd) and made of rye grass with a 3% additive of artificial grass. This provides ample room for a FIFA-regulation association football pitch of 105 x 68 metres (115 x 74  yd) and a standard rugby league football pitch of 100 x 68 metres (109 x 74  yd). The playing surface has an automated watering system and below-surface heating.

Set within Hull's West Park, the stadium is the first in England to be built in a parkland setting. The stadium complex also includes the 1,500 capacity Bonus Arena, a skate park, two multi-use all-weather pitches, a community learning zone complete with classrooms, a health & fitness suite, a cyber cafe, and a library.

The stadium has received several honours. It was named the chief new development in Yorkshire at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Pro-Yorkshire Awards. It was also on the shortlist for the Prime Minister's Award for Better Public Building and received a high commendation in the British Construction Industry Awards in the Best Value category. In a 2005 poll that was carried out by Drivers Jonas and decided by football fans from across the country, the KC Stadium was rated highest in comfort, services and view among all grounds in the Football League and was also rated the most-improved venue.

In 2011, the then-Hull City owner Assem Allam announced that he wanted to buy the stadium freehold so he could develop, as he stated, "a sports park" on the site. After Hull City Council refused, Allam stated "I had in mind £30 million to spend on the infrastructure of the club, to increase the stadium by 10,000 and to have commercial activities around the stadium – cafeterias, shops, supermarkets – to have all this to create income for the club so that in the future it can be self-financing and not relying on me."

On 13 August 2013 a Goal Decision System by Hawk-Eye was installed in the ground ahead of the 2013–14 Premier League season which requires the use of goal-line technology to indicate if a goal is scored.

On 25 June 2021, it was announced that local firm MKM Building Supplies had agreed a five-year sponsorship deal for the stadium's naming rights, leading to the new name of the MKM Stadium.

In February 2023, Tan Kesler, Hull City's vice chairman, announced that the club were exploring the plans that had been made during the stadium's construction to upgrade the area surrounding the ground. These plans included "community pitches" and "multi-dimensional sports facilities", similar to those seen at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, albeit on a smaller scale. Kesler stated that the club would work closely with the local council to ensure that the Hull Fair would not be impacted by any upgrades, as it occupies an area of land that could be used for potential development. However, in September 2024, the fair's organisers deemed the early plans to upgrade the area as "unacceptable" and that they were even willing to begin a boycott in retaliation, if action was not taken to change the plans.

Tenants

Hull City

Hull City moved into the stadium upon its opening and it soon became the backdrop for the club's rapid climb through the Football League. It first hosted the Tigers' home games during the second half of the 2002–03 season, with the first competitive match against Hartlepool United, a game that City won 2–0. The Tigers attracted an average attendance of almost 17,000 in their first full season at the then-KC Stadium, the 2003–04 season. This figure was more than three times the average attendance for Third Division sides that season, and was only matched or exceeded by clubs in the Premier League and the First Division. The stadium hosted Premier League football for the first time in the 2008–09 season, with all 20,500 available season tickets selling out shortly after Hull City's play-off victory at Wembley Stadium.

Attendances for Hull City's league games at the stadium have averaged above 16,000 in each full season they have played there, apart from a five year period between 2017 and 2022, where a mixture of protests against Assem Allam's ownership of the club and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced crowds significantly. The club has seen an upturn in home attendances since the sale of the club to Acun Ilıcalı, with an average of 17,973 supporters attending City games during the first full-season with Ilıcalı as owner, the 2022–23 campaign. The following year, the 2023–24 season, the average home attendance grew yet further to 21,980.

Allocated segregation between home and away fans prevents the stadium's full-stated capacity from ever being reached. As a result, the record attendance set at the MKM Stadium is 25,030, which was recorded on 9 May 2010 for City's last match of the 2009–10 season against Liverpool, which ended 0–0. This marginally beat the previous record of 25,023, set just under two months earlier on 13 March 2010 in the 2–1 defeat to Arsenal. While playing in the Championship, the record stands at 24,605, set on 9 March 2024 when Leicester City drew 2–2 with the Tigers.

Hull F.C.

Hull F.C. moved into the stadium two months after the football club did, ahead of the 2003 Super League season. On 9 February 2003, they played their first match at the then-KC Stadium, a 24–16 fourth round Challenge Cup victory over Halifax in front of 15,310 spectators. In the Black and Whites' first four seasons after they left the Boulevard, they maintained good results. In 2003, the team narrowly missed out on the play-offs, before a third-placed finish in 2004 and a fourth-placed finish in 2005. However in the latter year they won the Challenge Cup, beating Leeds Rhinos 25–24 in a thrilling final. They came agonisingly close to victory again the following season, reaching the Super League Grand Final but ultimately losing 26–4 to St Helens. Aside from back-to-back Challenge Cup wins in 2016 and 2017, more recent years have been much less successful for the Black and Whites, only managing to reach the league play-offs three times since 2014, winning on none of those occasions.

The average attendance of rugby league games at the MKM Stadium are often significantly lower than the football games played there. This is largely explained by the fact that Kingston upon Hull as a city is home to two separate professional rugby league sides, the other being Hull Kingston Rovers. Therefore, half of the city's rugby league fanbase does not follow the Black and Whites, unlike in the football where there is only one professional side. However, the stadium does in turn see a rise in attendance when the Hull derby is contested. It is therefore unsurprising that the highest attendance for a Hull F.C. game at the MKM Stadium was on 2 September 2007, when Hull K.R. thrashed the home side 42–6 in front of 23,004 spectators.

In April 2024, Hull F.C. chairman Adam Pearson discussed the possibility of the club leaving the MKM Stadium, as attendances for the Black and Whites' games have generally averaged far below full capacity since arriving. Pearson admitted that although he would be happy to explore the proposed idea of having a smaller stadium that was owned by the club, it was simply a "pipe dream" and not a currently viable option. He noted that if it were to happen, the new ground could be built similarly to both the Halliwell Jones Stadium and the York Community Stadium, at a suitable site in Hull like the Costello Stadium.

Other sporting events

Association football

The MKM Stadium has previously hosted five England U-21 matches, four of which came relatively soon after the stadium's opening. Most recently, the Young Lions played Kosovo U-21 in front of a crowd of 15,225 spectators in 2019.

In 2009, the then-KC Stadium was shortlisted as a possible venue for games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup should England win the right to host it. However, when the finalised list of venues was announced on 16 December 2009, the stadium was not among those included in the bid.

Rugby league

The MKM Stadium has previously hosted several rugby league matches at international level. These include one match at the 2013 Men's Rugby League World Cup, two at the 2021 Men's Rugby League World Cup and one at the 2021 Women's Rugby League World Cup.

The MKM Stadium has become an occasional host venue for international rugby league games, including Great Britain matches in both the Tri-Nations and the Ashes competitions. The stadium hosted the 2004 Tri-Nations match in which New Zealand lost by a score of 26–24.
The stadium also hosted the Tri-Nations game between Great Britain and Australia in 2005; the final score was 26–14 to Australia.

On 9 November 2013, the stadium hosted its only game of the 2013 Men's Rugby League World Cup. Hosts England beat Fiji 34–12 in front of a crowd of 25,114. Before the match, there was a minute's silence, followed by a spontaneous applause, to mark the sudden death of former Hull F.C. and England player Steve Prescott who had died earlier that day.

Due to the unavailability of its usual venue of Old Trafford, the stadium also hosted the 2020 Super League Grand Final.

Concerts

As well as serving as a sporting venue, the MKM Stadium also hosts musical events, including such artists as Sir Elton John, Bryan Adams, Neil Diamond, R.E.M., Bon Jovi, and The Who.

JLS have also performed here in front of 20,000 fans as part of their 2010 JLS Tour.

Rod Stewart performed at the stadium on 14 June 2016 and Jeff Lynne's ELO played at the stadium on 1 July 2017.

Gallery

File:KC South Stand.JPG, The South Stand
File:KC West Stand.JPG, The West Stand
File:KC North Stand.JPG, The North Stand
File:The KC Stadium, Hull - geograph.org.uk - 897474.jpg, The stadium's exterior decorated in the City Council's colours
File:Hull City Football Club, KC Stadium - geograph.org.uk - 3904606.jpg, A view of the stadium from the surrounding West Park
File:MKM Stadium North Stand View.jpg, A view of the North Stand from the South Stand before the match against Norwich City on 13 August 2022.
File:KC Stadium before Hull v Burnley.jpg, A view of the South Stand from the North Stand before the match against Burnley on 4 March 2008.
File:KC Stadium 24 May 2015.jpg, A panorama taken from the West Stand before the match against Manchester United on 24 May 2015.
File:KCOMStadiumPanorama.jpg, A panorama taken from the East Stand during the match against Nottingham Forest on 24 November 2018.

Notes

References

External links

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Rugby league stadiums in England
Rugby League World Cup stadiums
Football venues in England
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull F.C.
Premier League venues
Multi-purpose stadiums in the United Kingdom
Sports venues in Kingston upon Hull
Squash venues
Sports venues completed in 2002
2002 establishments in England
English Football League venues