Away Day Guide: Hull - Where is canny for a sup, and what can we expect from the City of Culture?

How Do I Get There?

There’s no way of sugar-coating it - if you can’t get to Hull from Sunderland, you’re a bit of an idiot. Launch yourself down the A19, merge onto the A1(M) and after just under eight miles, hop onto the M62. You’ll stay on there until you reach the A63 and that takes you into Hull, where the KCOM Stadium will begin to be sign posted.

Easy as that.

You can park really close to the ground as well, in a huge car park just off Walton Street. At £5, it’s priced fairly reasonably and means that you don’t have stagger very far after consuming gallons of culture.

Where Can I Get The Sesh Started?

If you do park close the stadium, The Brickmakers Arms is a handy boozer, especially given it’s proximity to the KCOM. It’s probably the Hull equivalent of The Colliery Tavern, so that does mean it gets pretty busy, so get there early if you want a seat and it does end up getting a bit lively as well. From memory, they do have a few big screens dotted around the gaff so you should be able to take in the early kick off if Crystal Palace vs. Southampton tickles your fancy.

Fancy going a little further afield? Not a problem. Only a fifteen minute walk away from the ground you’ll find Princes Avenue, which has ample opportunities for a couple of jars. These include The Bowery and Garbutts, so you can’t really go wrong if you take a journey along that way.

Don’t forget old favourite Ye Olde White Harte either! We mentioned this one last time we travelled to Humberside but you always have to give a shout out to a pub from 16th century, which has all the ales you could dream of.

I’m Staying Over, Is There Owt Else I Can Do?

Is there anything else you can do? It’s the city of culture mate, get amongst it!

Go and see some beautifully carved wood at the Humber Woodcarvers Summer Exhibition. What a fine way to spend your pre-match morning, looking at a log that has been transformed into a horses head. According to their summary, the exhibition features three kinds of “relief”, from “light” all the way through to “deep.” I’m not exactly sure what that means so one of you will have to go so you can report back to me.

Hull also boasts an a aquarium! A bloody aquarium! Get a bag of cans and take it to The Deep. It has sharks that are as dangerous as a Billy Jones first touch, penguins that are as cute as Donald Love and green sawfish that are as radge as a Lee Cattermole reducer.

Failing that, if the match is shite, you can always leave early to go and take in some ballet at Hull Minster. It’s free entry and the movement of it might make you understand some of Brendan Galloway’s questionable positioning.

What’s The Stadium Like?

For a new build, I’ve always thought the KCOM has a bit of distinctiveness to it and doesn’t feel like it’s identical to loads of other modern stadiums. Maybe I feel like this due to the fact that we’ve got some pretty decent memories of the place. Aside from playing in its inaugural match, there was Ross Wallace’s last gasp winner/sending off for jumping in the crowd when he wasn’t allowed, a 4-1 win when Steed Malbranque absolutely tortured The Tigers and who can forget Lee Cattermole & Andrea Dossena both getting red cards before half time?

Photo by Tim Keeton/Getty Images

The Red & White Army will be housed in the North East corner of the KCOM which can accommodate just over two and half thousand visiting fans. Since it’s a new stadium, the view is canny from wherever you’re sat/stood and there’s usually a decent atmosphere since it’s a short journey and people tend to take advantage of the extra time for lad cans.

Hopefully we’ll keep the twenty-or-so thousand Hull fans quiet, as Grayson’s Black Cats tickle The Tigers tummies.