The 2020–21 season is Hull City's first season back in League One, the third tier of English football, and their 117th year in existence. Alongside League One, the club participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
Background Hull were relegated to League One having finished bottom of the Championship in the 2019–20 season. The delayed end to the 2019–20 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had a knock-on to the 2020–21 season start which was scheduled for the weekend of 12 September 2020.
Events On 5 July 2020, Jon Beale announced his departure from the post of academy manager after six years in the role, Richard Naylor took over the role. On 23 July 2020, the club announced the release of Will Mannion, Robbie McKenzie, Kevin Stewart and Jon Toral. On 23 July 2020, Angus MacDonald was offered a new contract, but on 15 August 2020 he signed a two-year contract with Rotherham United. On 7 August 2020, Lewie Coyle joined on a three-year deal from Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee. On 7 August 2020, Josh Emmanuel joined on a two-year deal from Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer. On 11 August 2020, Richie Smallwood joined the club on a two-year deal from Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer. On 20 August 2020, Elliot Bonds joined Cheltenham Town on a season-long loan, but this was cut short when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the game against Scunthorpe United on 20 October 2020. On 20 August 2020, Greg Docherty of Rangers signed a three-year deal with the club for an undisclosed fee. On 27 August 2020, Richie Smallwood was appointed as captain for the season. On 2 September 2020, Ryan Tafazolli signed a three-year deal with Wycombe Wanderers for an undisclosed fee. On 4 September 2020, Alfie Jones of Southampton signed a one-year deal with the club for an undisclosed fee. On 10 September 2020, Leo Lopes left the club to join Belgium club Cercle Brugge for an undisclosed fee. On 14 September 2020, Thomas Mayer joined on a two-year contract from Austria Lustenau on a free transfer. On 16 September 2020, following a successful application to the EFL, the match against Crewe Alexandra was selected as a test event for the return of supporters following the COVID-19 restrictions. But Hull City Council would not grant permission for the pilot as there had been a significant increase of coronavirus infection rate in the area during the previous week. On 24 September 2020, Hakeeb Adelakun of Bristol City signed on loan for the rest of the season, but was recalled by Bristol on 4 January 2021. On 30 September 2020, Regan Slater joined on a season-long loan from Sheffield United. On 16 October 2020, Keane Lewis-Potter was named the EFL Young Player of the Month award for September. On 12 November 2020, Jacob Greaves signed a new three-year contract with the club. On 27 November 2020, Billy Chadwick signed a new one-and-a-half-year deal with the club. On 30 November 2020, Brandon Fleming signed a new two-and-a-half-year deal with the club. On 19 December 2020, Billy Chadwick joined FC Halifax Town on a month-long loan, but was recalled on 14 January 2021. On 6 January 2021, Callum Jones signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract. On 13 January 2021, Jordan Flores joined on a free transfer from Dundalk, signing an 18-month contract. On 14 January 2021, Jordy de Wijs moved on loan to Queens Park Rangers for the remainder of the season. On 14 January 2021, Gavin Whyte joined on loan from Cardiff City for the rest of the season. On 18 January 2021, Daniel Crowley joined on loan for the remainder of the season from Birmingham City. On 18 January 2021, Keane Lewis-Potter signed a new contract until summer 2023. On 18 January 2021, Max Sheaf went on loan to Torquay United until the end of season. On 1 February 2021, Martin Samuelsen moved on loan to Aalborg BK for the rest of the season. On 1 February 2021, Max Clark returned to Hull City on a short-term deal to the end of the season from Vitesse. On 1 February 2021, Jordan Hickey left the club after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent. On 1 February 2021, David Milinković's move to Vancouver Whitecaps was make permanent after a clause in his loan contract was triggered. On 1 February 2021, Daniel Batty moved to Fleetwood Town after his contract was terminated by mutual consent. On 2 February 2021, Danny Lupano moved on loan to Derry City until the end of season. On 2 February 2021, Harvey Cartwright signed a new three-year deal with the club. On 12 February 2021, Grant McCann was named EFL League One Manager of the Month for January. On 5 March 2021, Sean McLoughlin, signed a new three-year contract with the club. On 5 March 2021, Billy Chadwick returned to FC Halifax Town for a month-long loan spell, which was extended to the end of the season on 29 March 2021. On 23 March 2021, Ahmed Salam signed a new one-year contract with the club. On 24 April 2021, City secured an immediate return to the EFL Championship, with two games to play, after a 2–1 win against a Lincoln City. On 29 April 2021, at the EFL Awards ceremony, Grant McCann secured the EFL League One Manager of the Season award, while Callum Elder and George Honeyman were included in the EFL League One Team of the Season. On 1 May 2021, Hull's 3–1 home win against Wigan Athletic secured the league title, their first in 55 years. On 7 May 2021, Grant McCann was named EFL League One Manager of the Month and Josh Magennis was named EFL League One Player of the Month for April. On 10 May 2021, Harry Wood signed a two-year contract with the club. On 13 May 2021, Jordy de Wijs signed permanently for Queens Park Rangers on a three-year deal. On 18 May 2021, the club announced that they had exercised the option of a one-year contract extension for Josh Magennis and Alfie Jones. While all other first-team players were to be retained, apart from Max Clark who would leave at the end of the season. New contracts were under discussion with George Long, Reece Burke and Elliot Bonds, while Matty Jacob has signed a one-year contract extension with the club. On 24 May 2021, Grant McCann was named League One Manager of the Year by the League Managers Association. On 25 May 2021, it was announced that George Long had opted not to sign a new contract with the club and instead signed for Millwall on a free transfer. On 2 June 2021, it was announced that Reece Burke would join Luton Town next season on a free transfer. On 7 June 2021, George Moncur signed, from Luton Town, on a two-year deal with the option of a further year. On 9 June 2021, Alfie Jones signed a new two-year deal with the club. On 16 June 2021, Andy Cannon signed a two-year deal with Hull City, the club holding an option for a further year. On 16 June 2021, it was announced that Callum Jones would join Morecambe on a season-long loan. On 17 June 2021, Randell Williams signed a two-year deal with Hull City, the club holding an option for a further year. On 22 June 2021, Jordan Flores signed a season-long loan deal with Northampton Town. On 25 June 2021, Nathan Baxter of Chelsea, signed a year-long loan deal with the club.
Players Current squad
Out on loan
Transfers
Transfers in Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 2 July 2020 CB Festus Arthur Stockport County Undisclosed 2 July 2020 LW Mallik Wilks Barnsley Undisclosed 7 August 2020 RB Lewie Coyle Fleetwood Town Undisclosed 7 August 2020 RB Josh Emmanuel Bolton Wanderers Free transfer 11 August 2020 CM Richie Smallwood Blackburn Rovers Free transfer 20 August 2020 CM Greg Docherty Rangers Undisclosed 4 September 2020 CB Alfie Jones Southampton Undisclosed 14 September 2020 RM Thomas Mayer Austria Lustenau Free transfer 13 January 2021 CM Jordan Flores Dundalk Free transfer 1 February 2021 DF Max Clark Vitesse Undisclosed
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 24 September 2020 RW Hakeeb Adelakun Bristol City 4 January 2021 30 September 2020 DM Regan Slater Sheffield United End of season 14 January 2021 RW Gavin Whyte Cardiff City End of season 18 January 2021 AM Daniel Crowley Birmingham City End of season
Transfers out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2020 CF Nouha Dicko Unattached Released 1 July 2020 CM Markus Henriksen Unattached Released 1 July 2020 CM Jackson Irvine Hibernian Released 1 July 2020 LB Stephen Kingsley Heart of Midlothian Released 1 July 2020 RB Eric Lichaj Fatih Karagümrük Released 23 July 2020 GK Will Mannion Pafos Released 23 July 2020 CB Robbie McKenzie Gillingham Released 23 July 2020 DM Kevin Stewart Blackpool Released 23 July 2020 AM Jon Toral Birmingham City Released 15 August 2020 CB Angus MacDonald Rotherham United Free transfer 2 September 2020 CB Ryan Tafazolli Wycombe Wanderers Undisclosed 10 September 2020 CM Leo Lopes Cercle Brugge Undisclosed 1 February 2021 MF Jordan Hickey Unattached Mutual consent 1 February 2021 MF David Milinković Vancouver Whitecaps Undisclosed 1 February 2021 MF Daniel Batty Fleetwood Town Mutual consent 13 May 2021 CB Jordy de Wijs Queens Park Rangers Undisclosed
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 20 August 2020 MF Elliot Bonds Cheltenham Town 6 November 2020 20 November 2020 MF Ryan Hanson Dover Athletic End of season 19 December 2020 MF Billy Chadwick FC Halifax Town 14 January 2021 14 January 2021 CB Jordy de Wijs Queens Park Rangers End of season 18 January 2021 AM Max Sheaf Torquay United End of season 1 February 2021 MF Martin Samuelsen Aalborg BK End of season 2 February 2021 CB Danny Lupano Derry City End of season 5 March 2021 MF Billy Chadwick FC Halifax Town End of season
Pre-season Pre-season training started on 10 August 2020 at the club's Cottingham training ground. A week long training camp followed at Oriam in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Competitions Overall
League One
The first matches of the 2020–21 season are scheduled to take place on 12 September 2020 with the season concluding on the weekend of 8 to 9 May 2021. The fixtures for the season were released at 9:00 a.m. on 21 August 2020, with Hull starting the season with an away match at the Priestfield Stadium to play Gillingham and ends with another away trip to play Charlton Athletic at The Valley.
Hull opened the season with 3 wins which equalled the record that has stood since 28 August 1948 when they beat Mansfield Town 3–0 in Division Three North.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the EFL changed the rules on substitutes from 20 November 2020, for the remainder of the season, to allow 7 substitutes to be named per match, with up to 5 being allowed to be used.
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches
FA Cup