Ahead of Brentford’s trip to Hull, Billy TheBee Grant catches up with Tigers fan Imo Prescott in Part 1 on The Beesotted Podcast Hull City v Brentford match preview to explore the shared history, fierce loyalty and remarkable parallels between two unfashionable clubs who’ve battled through tough times to reach the Premier League – and refuse to know their place
Two unfashionable clubs. Two sets of supporters who’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly. And two teams who once again are looking to upset the Premier League establishment
It’s funny how football works. I picked up the phone to Hull City supporter Imogen ‘Imo’ Prescott ahead of Brentford’s trip to Hull, thinking we’d have a good old catch-up. It was only then that I realised we hadn’t actually spoken for eight years
Eight years. And quite a lot has happened in that time
When we last crossed paths regularly, Brentford and Hull were Championship rivals
Since then, Brentford have established themselves in the Premier League while Hull have taken the scenic route including a rather painful detour into League One before fighting their way back
But chatting to Imo reminded me just how much our two clubs have in common
Neither Brentford nor Hull are particularly fashionable. We’re not the clubs the television companies build their schedules around. We don’t have the global fanbases – although we did discover that we do both seems to have a splattering of rather enthusiastic international supporters – or the enormous sense of entitlement that comes with being one of football’s big boys
What we do have is history, character, supporters who care deeply about their clubs and a healthy refusal to accept that we should simply know our place
And that’s what made this conversation so enjoyable
Imo has followed the Tigers home and away since she was a kid. She’s seen Premier League football, an FA Cup final, European adventures and some extraordinary highs. But she’s also witnessed the other side of football – relegation, financial difficulties, controversial ownership and supporters having to fight for the very identity of their club
Just like Brentford have
We got into some proper supporter issues, too. The attempt to turn Hull City into Hull Tigers. The removal of concession tickets. Fans boycotting their Wembley playoff appearance during what should have been one of the happiest moments in the club’s history
No To Hull Tigers
It brought back memories of Brentford’s own struggles. The years when we were skint. When we sold our best players. When promotion seemed to slip through our fingers every time we got close. And when simply keeping the club moving forward felt like a victory in itself
There was plenty of laughter along the way. We revisited some old Championship battles, a certain Steve Bruce-related Brentford grudge, and the infamous Spygate saga involving Hull City. We even pondered whether the whole affair helped unsettle Middlesbrough in the build-up to the play-off final, ultimately playing a part in Hull securing their place in the Premier League.
But the more we chatted, the more I realised just how similar our football journeys have been. Different clubs, different cities, but the same emotional rollercoaster. Years of frustration, moments of despair, battles to protect the clubs we love and, eventually, those extraordinary days when everything we’ve been through suddenly feels worth it
And now Hull are back in the Premier League, having fought their way through the play-offs. Once again, they’re being asked whether they can survive among the giants
Sound familiar?
Brentford have spent years upsetting the established order, proving that clever recruitment, organisation, togetherness and a bit of bloody-mindedness can take you a long way
Hull are hoping to write their own version of that story
Whether they can do it is another question. Imo and I get into how the Tigers are approaching life back at the top, the challenges ahead and what Brentford might expect when the two sides meet
It’s a conversation about far more than Sunday’s football. It’s about what makes clubs like ours special – and why, in a Premier League increasingly dominated by money and power, there’s still something deeply satisfying about watching a David give a Goliath a bloody nose every now and again
Check it out. It’s a proper football supporters’ conversation, and a thoroughly enjoyable sit down
Listen to Part 1: Imo Prescott Talks Spygate, Play-Off Glory & The Tigers’ Premier League Return – Hull v Brentford Preview
Coming next: Part 2 of the Hull City v Brentford preview podcast, with Billy ‘The Bee’ Grant and Laney, JB with his facts and funk, The Gowler with a statistical and tactical preview of Hull City and Imo makes another appearance. You can find it live on PrideOfWest.London by Friday drive time
