Sky Jinx To Be Broken?

Eight times the Sky cameras have visited Hull City and broadcast the match to the viewing public – and eight times they have watched Hull City lose or draw…Can we finally win and break this jinx?

When I say they have watched Hull City lose or draw, perhaps that was generous since the team have lost seven of those eight games with the solitary point being a bore nil-nil draw away at Doncaster Rovers in 2003.

Even worse is that City rarely seem to score in front of the Sky cameras. In the past eight games stretching over sixteen seasons, only two games have seen City score a goal. The first game televised on Sky involving Hull City saw the team lose to Middlesbrough 3-1 in November, 1990.

The only other game which has seen a City player score in was a 5-1 Worthington Cup Round Two defeat against Liverpool. After falling two goals behind, a second half strike from David Brown gave City a chance but the strength of Liverpool proved too much for a then struggling Division Three side.

If the last player to score for City was David Brown, it must be a long time since our last goal – seven years in fact!

Peter Taylor suffered a torrid time whenever the Sky camera’s arrived to watch his team. Last season saw City play in-front of the camera’s three times, all resulting in one nil defeats.

In September, Luton Town traveled to the KC in a battle between two promoted sides enjoying differing fortunes in their first Championship seasons. With Luton flying high at the top of the table and City struggling in a relegation battle, a late winner from Steve Howard six minutes from time earned the Hatters all three points – an opponent who always seems to score against us and one who is coming to the KC tomorrow evening!

A couple of months later and City traveled to Turf Moor to take on Burnley. A cold November night saw City void of any sort of luck as a single Ade Akinbyi strike earned Burnley all three points. A strike mid-way through the first half was enough to gain the advantage but despite City having numerous chances the ball wasn’t going to go into the net – the Sky curse had struck again…

What made the result worse was the fact Burnley striker Ade Akinbyi had scored the goal, a player that peter Taylor was slated for buying for £5 million during his tenure at Leicester City – not good enough for the Premiership but proved last year he was a very good Championship striker…how he will get on at Sheffield United in the premiership is unknown?

The dreaded cameras arrived again in January after Hull City had drawn a tasty FA Cup third round tie with Premiership side Aston Villa. A disappointing performance added to the one nil defeat – a deflected strike from Gareth Barry after beating three City players from the half-way line. City ended the match with a whimper and although the cameras managed to stay away from the club for the rest of the season, they are now back!

Of course, it wasn’t just last season where the jinx affected us – this has been going on for seventeen seasons now! Two years ago, the club’s promotion from League 1 was affected by the Sky cameras. An early season Yorkshire derby against Bradford looked like a lively encounter but a single long range strike from Darren Holloway fourteen minutes from full-time meant the Tigers were again left pointless.

Worse results have followed in the past, most noticeably a three nil defeat against Rochdale in Division 3 during the 1998/99 season. Tomorrow sees the ninth visit of the Sky cameras when Derby County visits the KC Stadium.

Phil Parkinson can finally change this Sky curse tomorrow evening but it will be a difficult challenge – especially as Derby County are tipped to have a successful season. Why City continually lose with the cameras on is unknown but hopefully it will stop tomorrow…

Will the curse be broken…? If it continues, the club will have another chance a month later when the Yorkshire derby at the KC against Sheffield Wednesday will be televised.

By September, I have a feeling this ‘Sky curse’ will be no more!