There has been the odd title success, though so long ago that two of these three triumphs came in what was the old Third Division North.

There has also been a solitary FA Cup semi-final appearance way back in 1930 and a place in the first ever final of what is now called the Johnstone's Paint Trophy 54 years later.

Typically, the Tigers lost both with the club not even enjoying a trip to Wembley in the latter due to that inaugural final instead taking place at Boothferry Park – it being the following year when the final moved to the Twin Towers.

These rare successes apart, however, City's history has largely been a tale of unfulfilled promise with Hull, famously, being the largest conurbation in Europe never to have staged top-flight football.

The closest the club came to banishing that unwanted tag came almost 100 years ago with a third-placed finish, although the 1985-86 season did end with the Tigers sitting sixth in the old Second Division.

Unfortunately – though perhaps inevitably bearing in mind the club's fortunes down the years – the play-offs were still 12 months away from being introduced so Brian Horton's side were denied the chance of a second crack at winning promotion.

Could, however, that all be about to change?

Chairman Paul Duffen, whose arrival last summer triggered a significant investment that has seen the wage bill leap by £4.5m to more than £8.5 per year and the club smash their transfer record, is certainly hoping so after a run of just one defeat in 12 League outings.

City now sit just two points behind the play-offs with a game in hand – next month's trip to struggling Colchester – and although the rest of the country may be slow to appreciate the promotion credentials of Phil Brown's side, the good folk of East Yorkshire are talking of little else.

The excitement is understandable with last weekend's win at West Brom underlining the great strides made this season. Hull, crucially, possess a backline that, the odd collapse at Preston and Southampton apart, is as miserly as most in the Championship.

But perhaps the most pertinent question is whether they have the goals to realise their ambitions and that is why Dean Windass is likely to have as big a say as anyone in deciding his hometown club's fate.

The veteran striker, who will be 39 on April 1, has missed the last three games through injury and in his absence the partnership of Folan and Campbell has, admittedly, blossomed. The pair both scored in the 2-1 win over West Brom that has so fired supporter optimism.

However, there remains a nagging doubt that, without Windass, Hull may yet fall short with the 1-1 draw at home to Colchester earlier this month – the veteran being absent following knee surgery – being just the sort of result that, come the end of the season, could prove costly.

Not only that, Windass has the experience of winning promotion at this level after helping Bradford into the Premier League in 1999.

That year, it was Ipswich Town who the Bantams dramatically pipped to runners-up spot behind Sunderland on the final day of the season.

And who should it be that Hull visit on the final day of what is shaping up to be a thrilling campaign in the Championship? Play-off rivals Ipswich.

Could history be about to repeat itself?