(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
On the face of it, you would have thought my club, Hull City, would at least be a consideration for players.
But no. You would have thought it was. Hull is in the best league in the world, it has enough resources to offer substantial contracts (the Jimmy Bullard contract is testament to that) and a solid and loyal fan base.
However it seemed in the last transfer window (and now in this one) that players were reluctant to make the move to East Yorkshire.
As a Hull fan this doesn't sit well with me but as a fan of a smaller club (not one with the riches of Chelsea or Liverpool) that Hull just isn't a fantastic prospect.
The Location
This is a important factor to consider. Hull, since the 1960s, has had a negative connotation. At lot of factors contributed to this but mainly it was the destruction of social infra-structure after the heavy shelling during World War 2.
Whatever caused the negative view it happened and now Hull City AFC find it very hard to attract the talent it needs to survive because it is affiliated with the city.
Now this factor might not apply to foreigner players because of their unfamiliarity with the city. However, certainly for British players, this is certainly an influence.
"Small Club" Status
This may seem surprising since Hull is the 10th largest city in England. But yes, Hull is considered one of the underdogs in its league. This is one reason for this, the club's near meteoric rise to the Premier League.
Back-to-back promotions to the Championship and then a surprisingly quick promotion to the EPL means that Hull has had a very short time to adapt to the league it now finds itself in.
In many ways a slow rise is better than a fast one because of the fact that a club can establish itself in a league, find a place in the Top 10 and sign players that could take them to the next level. In this way, clubs are much much more prepared for surviving the post promotion season.
My point here is Hull, because of the fact that it is a relative newcomer to the top flight, are still considered a risky transfer move. This is because the prospect of a relegation.
EPL Record
Last season, Hull's finish was great. They stayed up. But the way they went about staying up was ignominious to say the least. If the season's record had been reversed - instead of a good run then a very bad run but the other way around then Hull City would have seemed like footballing masterminds.
But no. The fact that Hull clung on by the skin of its teeth implies to a prospective player that something went very wrong at the club.
Therefore an assumption might be made that Hull will have a dismal season next year...and be avoided because of that.
Overall
In conclusion, these three main factors combine to create a situation in which a player will more often than not choose the "other" club.
This can be seen right now with Fortune picking Celtic over Hull when AS Nancy chairman said Hull was the favourite, and Frazier Campbell mulling over a move to Sunderland.
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