Bruce says promotion would be one of his best feats

The Tigers can tonight take a giant stride towards the Premier League by beating already relegated Bristol City at the KC Stadium.

A victory for Hull in front of Sky’s live cameras would leave Watford, the only side capable of catching the Yorkshire outfit, needing to take maximum points from tomorrow’s home clash with Blackburn Rovers to extend the race for automatic promotion into the penultimate weekend of the season.

Bruce, who twice took Birmingham City into the top flight, said: “It (promotion) would arguably be as big an achievement as I have had in management.

“No one gave us a hope in hell to start with. The bookies had us at something like 66-1 and they are never far wrong. To have achieved what we have in our first season together has been fantastic.

“I’d always thought we might have a chance (of challenging) or I wouldn’t have taken the job. Having finished eighth the year before (under Nick Barmby), I was just hoping to push on that little bit further and maybe get in the play-offs.

“We have managed that already so now we have to get over the line. No one’s counting their chickens, but it has been such an enjoyable season for us all.

“There have been so many pleasing aspects. The style we have played, and particularly when the pitches were good. Plus, doing it with the loss of Sone Aluko and Matty Fryatt – they are two of the best strikers in the league.

“We also had to bring a group together so quickly. We have had plenty of loan players and for it to gel as a team has been great. That is why it would certainly rank up there with anything I’ve done.”

If promotion is not clinched this weekend, the focus will move on to next Friday’s televised clash between Leicester City and Watford at the KP Stadium. The following day, Hull travel to Barnsley before rounding off their season at home to Cardiff City on May 4 as the Hornets host Leeds United.

Bruce, who will be on a scouting mission at Nottingham Forest versus Barnsley tomorrow, added: “I don’t care where I celebrate promotion so long as it happens. But the quicker, the better.

“I have actually said to the players, ‘Can we go and win against Bristol City to close the gap on Cardiff?’ Let’s not give up that fight yet.”

For Hull, promotion to the Premier League would cap a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for a club who were relegated just three years ago in a dire financial state.

An overspend by the previous board had seen debts soar to £30m plus and it took the takeover by the Allam family in December, 2010, to stabilise matters.

The owners have since poured more than £60m into the Tigers, first to keep the club alive and then, this season, to fund a promotion push on behalf of the city.

Bruce said: “I am well aware of how much it would mean to the people of Hull. It would be great for the city and the region.

“This is not the most affluent area and it is a struggle for people to find the money to come and watch football in this climate. It is hard enough paying your bills in the winter and there’s me harping on about bringing in the crowds.

“Things have not been easy in this region and it is only when you are here that you understand that.

“I am from a similar place in the north-east, where people have it tough.

“That is why I’d love to be able to put a smile on people’s faces and have the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea coming here. That would be exciting for everyone.”

Before anyone in Hull can think of the Premier League elite coming to the KC there is, of course, the small matter of clinching promotion.

Back-to-back games against the bottom two in the next eight days should suit Hull. However, the same could have been said ahead of Tuesday’s defeat at struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers, so Bruce is taking nothing for granted before tonight’s meeting with a team who were relegated to League One just three days ago.

He said: “Bristol City will come here and play with no fear. I am sure they have been playing with a cloud hanging over them for weeks. But, perhaps, that pressure is off them now.

“If we think they will come up here and surrender then we will be very mistaken. Bristol City will have some pride about them and their manager (Sean O’Driscoll) is the same.

“They will not want to come here and roll over, I am convinced of that.”

Bruce will have to make at least one change from the side that started at Molineux with Robert Koren having failed to recover from a calf strain that forced him out of the 1-0 defeat inside the first half hour.

Gedo is also struggling, meaning George Boyd could partner Jay Simpson up front. Matty Fryatt, however, is also an option after returning from Achilles surgery and may yet get the nod to start his first Championship game in 12 months.