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Kingston Communications Stadium or KC Stadium is a new facility for the city of Hull hosting football, rugby league and a series of pop concerts. It is named after the stadium’s sponsors, Kingston Communications.

The stadium is home to Hull City A.F.C. (football) and Hull FC (rugby league), as well as hosting musical acts such as Sir Elton John, Bryan Adams and R.E.M. The seat colours are predominantly black with a white and amber band around the stadium and the word Hull depicted in amber and white. These colours being chosen to remain neutral to the black and white of Hull FC and the amber and black of Hull City. It is the first stadium in England to be built in a parkland setting.

The stadium has an all-seating capacity of 25,504, being designed as a single tier, asymmetrical bowl of approximately 20,000 seats with a second upper tier to the West Stand of over 5,000 seats.

Future expansion to around 35,000 is possible, either by building-up the North, East and South stands or the addition of a second tier on the East Stand. Work could start within months, though this would ultimately depend on a casino and hotel complex being built nearby to finance the work.

The stadium is owned by Hull City Council and run by the Stadium Management Company, headed by Adam Pearson. Also incorporated in the Stadium complex is the 1,500 seat Gemtec Arena sports arena (previously known as the Vulcan Arena), skate park, two multi-use all weather pitches, and a community learning zone, complete with classrooms, health & fitness suite, cyber cafe and library. In 2005 Gemtec Document Network replaced Vulcan Windows as the sponsors of the arena.

Construction of the stadium took 14 months to complete and the total project cost was approximately £44 million. The stadium opened its doors on Wednesday December 18, 2002 and Hull City beat Sunderland A.F.C. 1-0 in a friendly to mark the occasion.

The KC Stadium has become a regular venue for international rugby league, and has hosted Great Britain matches in both the Tri-Nations and the Ashes.

In a 2005 poll, carried out by property consultants Drivers Jonas and decided by football fans from across the country, the KC Stadium was judged to have the best access and facilities in the country, although this poll did not include some of the more recent stadiums

The KC Stadium has staged Hull’s recent climb throughout the English league. It first hosted the club’s home games during the second half of the 2002-03 season and the Tigers regularly attracted some of the best attendances outside the Premiership but the level of support was not matched by on-field performances. Hull finished 13th in their first season at the KC Stadium, but in 2003-04 (their first full season at the new ground) the Tigers won promotion as Division Three runners-up to secure their place in the newly-named League One (previously Division Two). Another promotion, again as runners-up, followed in 2004-05 and the KC Stadium is currently hosting Championship football. On its opening, the KC Stadium’s visitors included the likes of Boston United and Kidderminster Harriers. Just three years later, the likes of Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are being entertained there.

[Source: Wikipedia]