Club legend Andy Dawson has challenged Hull City to keep their momentum going into the Premier League, after earning a sensational promotion at Wembley Stadium.
Written off by many at the start of the season, the Tigers secured promotion after beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Championship play-off final, just 12 months on from surviving relegation to League One on the final day of last season.
Dawson was a part of Phil Brown’s promotion-winning side in 2008, and he’s desperate to see a club he holds close to his heart kick on and make the most of their achievement, having been on Sergej Jakirovic’s backroom team over the past year.
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“Honestly, it’s just incredible. The highs and lows that we’ve had at the football club, this is what we do for, isn’t it?” Dawson told Hull Live.
“This is what we’re involved in this for. This is what everybody sacrifices for, days like this, because the last two days have been incredible. When that final whistle went, the effort that the lads put in, the staff put in to go and enjoy it, it’s just for everybody, the players, the staff, the fans, you guys (the media). Everybody came together this year, and it’s been a season to cherish, it really has.”
The highs and lows of football come and go quickly, but Dawson says it’s important everybody associated with City cherishes the memories made in May, as he praises the culture Jakirovic has fostered.
It all started with a dramatic win over Norwich City on the final day of the season to secure a play-off place, before going to Millwall and winning 2-0 in the semi-final second leg, and Oli McBurnie’s dramatic stoppage-time winner in the final.
“I think as you get older and the years go by, you realise that in this game, the only thing you’ve really got to take out of it is memories, and when that whistle went on Saturday night, the memories and the emotions, one brought back to me what we achieved in 2008, but two, what it means to everybody and how it’s brought everyone together,” he continued.
“This season has just been incredible, it really has. The staff, the players, it’s a pleasure coming into work every day, it really is, and that’s not always the same, and inevitably, that’s why football clubs are successful.
“It’s really important that we keep continuing this because it’s something special that this year has built, and the people who are involved in it.”
Comparisons have been made throughout the season about the similarities with Phil Brown’s promotion-winning team of 2008, which Dawson was a part of, and he can understand why those have been made.
“Yeah, probably. It’s exactly the same. Were we the best, most fluent football team in the world? Probably not. But when you get a group of individuals who will fight and scrap for every little detail that they want and what they want to get. When you’ve got a group of winners together, it’s amazing what you can achieve.
“And that’s not just players, that’s staff as well, the manager, staff coming in and everybody that was already here with Jared (Dublin) and the chairman and Hodgey (Martin Hodge), it’s a great place to be at the moment and that culture, whatever you want to call it, that’s been created, we have to strive to keep it. We’ll need it next year, that’s the reality, because the Premier League’s a completely different sport.”
Celebrations will continue across the city for some time yet, and Dawson is keen for the fans to revel in the success of Jakirovic’s side after being rewarded for their backing, especially now the fixtures have been released, and things start to become very real.
“Let’s enjoy it now. It’s an incredible achievement,” he continued. “These don’t happen very often, these moments in life, never mind football. What everyone’s done this year, from day one of pre-season, everyone enjoys their day in the sun, the really hot sun. I hope everybody celebrates and has a really good day, and that’s the fans because they’ve been with us from minute one through the highs and the lows, and this is for them as well.”
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