City have been the forgotten party in Spygate and it’s not gone unnoticed in East Yorkshire
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic
Hull City will use the fire of being the forgotten victims of Spygate and a team everyone wrote off to drive their charge for the Premier League against all the odds and the expectation of most.
Hit with a transfer embargo to start the tenure of new manager Sergej Jakirovic and then with a procession of injuries throughout a memorable campaign, the club opposition fans love to dismiss and the anti-XG brigade use as their poster boys, are now potentially just 90 minutes from the promised land and a third promotion to the top-flight by way of victory at Wembley.
As over 30,000 City supporters get ready to descend on the capital bursting with a mixture of pride and nerves, a small part of Croatia has also packed up and headed to London. That’s because City’s always affable and increasingly comical manager is bringing family, friends and anyone that knows him over to Wembley to share with the Tigers’ fans what everyone hopes will be a special day.
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“I bought 70 tickets, I’m rich,” beamed Jakirovic, with his extended family desperate to see the Croatian deliver what would be an historic promotion.. “I’m very glad that they will be here. I’m very happy because all my family will be here, my friends, so now I must do my job.”
Getting the job done in the face of adversity has been a hallmark of the entire season, so while totally unwanted, the unprecedented nature of the past week and the fallout from Spygate almost feels fitting for a club that have not done anything the easy way all year.
City have been the forgotten party in Spygate. The upheaval caused to the manager and his team who had prepared for seven days to face Southampton wasn’t even an afterthought it seems to anyone outside of the East Riding, nor the concern placed on supporters with threats to move the game.
As with all obstacles faced, the Tigers appear to have emerged with their claws sharpened and their belief strengthened, with the attitude to the club and the contrasting attitude of the City fans, providing a genuine fuel, as if any extra motivation was needed.
“This is great motivation for all our team, for me, players and all people in the club,” added Jakirovic.
“If somebody has written you off, you have to prove everything on the pitch, which is perfect, especially in football. In football, you know, you can be an underdog, but you can still win the game, so this is why football is such an interesting game.
“I’m very proud of this group of players, and they deserve everything on the pitch. All season they’re fighting, they’re struggling with a lot of problems, and finally we are here, so we need one more step.”
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