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MKM Stadium
(Hull City)
Address: Walton Street,
Kingston upon Hull,
East Riding of Yorkshire,
England,
HU3 6HU
Capacity: 25,586 (All-Seater)
A very practical multi-purpose facility, the MKM Stadium is a ground fit for modern, professional sport.
Constructors first broke ground here in December 2001 and completed it within 14 months.
Hull City Association Football Club have called this place their home since 2003, and it has also been used by Rugby League side Hull Football Club since that same year.
Known first as the KC Stadium between 2002 and 2016, the ground took the name KCOM Stadium for the next five years. It has been known as the MKM Stadium since 2021.
Location and Getting There
The MKM Stadium is located just over one mile west of Kingston upon Hull City Centre, and sits within a park that has New Walton Club in the northwest corner, Hymers College in the northeast corner, the Carnegie Heritage Centre in the southwest corner and the Hull Royal Infirmary over by the southeast corner.
The stadium is accessible by both car or public transport, with street parking available in the residential areas nearby, though these are still a fair walk from the ground itself. The stadium's car park rings around the entire vicinity of the ground.
The closest train station is Hull Paragon Interchange, the city’s main station, and a 20-25 minute walk away from the MKM Stadium. You’ll pass the ground on the train as you make your way to the Interchange.
An alternative to walking from the station is to take one of several bus routes from Anlaby Road (A1105), getting off at the stop near the Carnegie Heritage Centre and continuing through the park to the stadium.
Outside the Stadium
The West Stand, known for sponsorship reasons as the Cranswick plc West Stand, has the most appealing exterior design. It is also the tallest stand of the four because the cantilever roof slants up here, though it still remains connected to the rest of the stadium, creating a bowl shape as a result.
The Cranswick plc West Stand's exterior is made up mostly of large silver panels, but there are four brick towers protruding out which are decorated with advertisements for the stadium’s sponsor, using images from both Hull City AFC and Hull City FC to give them a bit of colour.
The Main Reception and Hospitality Entrances are based inside this stand, with turnstiles spread across the base.
Continuing round in a clockwise direction brings you to the North Stand, better known for sponsorship reasons as the Smith & Nephew North Stand.
The exterior here follows a similar design to the adjacent Cranswick plc West Stand, though it is not as tall.
Turnstiles leading inside are based in the northeast and northwest corners of the stadium, with a small entrance in the centre leading to a Learning Zone connected to the local Hull College.
The access road to the row of parking spaces that ring around the MKM Stadium is out beyond the Smith & Nephew North Stand.
The northeast corner holds the Away Turnstiles, and you may find that this area is fenced off to segregate home and away supporters. If you can come through here though, you will arrive at the East Stand which is named after Chris Chilton.
Born in Sproatley on 25th June 1943, Chilton spent 11 years at his hometown club between 1960 and 1971. He scored a club record 222 goals for the Tigers in 477 appearances, later playing for Coventry City, Bridlington Trinity and Highlands Park.
Long associated with Hull City even after retiring as a player, Chilton passed away on 20th May 2021 at the age of 77. The East Stand at the MKM Stadium has been named after him since March 2022.
The exterior of the Chris Chilton Stand is very similar to the Smith & Nephew North Stand, with the key difference being what you can find along the base. Entrances to the Pitch Side Education Centre are housed next to the Away Turnstiles, and in the centre of the stand are the Club Shops for Hull City and Hull FC, with the Ticket Zone next door.
The turnstiles leading into the Chris Chilton Stand are based towards the southeast corner.
The South Stand is known for sponsorship reasons as the MKM South Stand and is very similar in design to the Smith & Nephew North Stand opposite.
There are a couple of turnstiles along this southern side's base, but most of the space is taken up by business and executive entrances, with The Dugout Bar based in the very centre.
Inside the Stadium
The Cranswick plc West Stand is the only one at the MKM Stadium that is made up of two tiers, with the bottom tier larger than the one above, and a row of executive boxes in-between.
Most of the seats inside this stand are black, though there is a strip of white and orange seats made out across some of the blocks in the lower tier. Two large Ks, similar to the ones that appear on the KCOM logo, are made out of white seating in the upper tier, with a viewing platform for disabled supporters underneath each one. There are two more viewing platforms down in the lower tier, and the central blocks are used for executive and director's seating.
Hull's changing rooms are based inside the Cranswick plc West Stand, with the dugouts and tunnel down the front.
There are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above and so your view from anywhere inside the stand is perfectly clear, with good protection from the wind as well due to the stadium's enclosed shape.
The Smith & Nephew North Stand consists of a single tier of black seating.
The blocks next to the northeast and northwest corners have a strip of white and orange seats running through the middle, whilst the letters HULL are spelt out in white across the central blocks. A sliver of orange seating is used to give each of these letters a 3D effect.
You can find a viewing platform for disabled supporters either side of these central blocks, with the stadium control box and a large electronic screen up behind the very back row.
Your view is perfectly clear from anywhere inside the Smith & Nephew North Stand as there are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above.
The Chris Chilton Stand is single tiered and the exact same height as the adjacent Smith & Nephew North Stand.
The white and orange strip continues along the middle of the seating area, and in the very centre is a large crown, similar to the one which appears on Hull FC's club crest. There's a viewing platform for disabled supporters either side of this crown.
Your view from anywhere inside here is perfectly clear as well since there are no supporting pillars coming down from the roof above.
The MKM South Stand is almost an exact carbon-copy of the Smith & Nephew North Stand.
Single-tiered with a strip of seating and the letters HULL made out across the middle, the main difference is that these letters are made up mostly of orange seating, with a sliver of white used to give each letter a 3D effect.
A viewing platform for disabled supporters is in place towards both the southeast and southwest corners, with a large electronic screen placed up behind the very back row.
Much like the rest of the MKM Stadium, your view from anywhere inside is perfectly clear as there are no supporting pillars coming down.
The lower tier of the Cranswick plc West Stand is the same height as the stadium's northern, eastern and southern sides, forming a continuous ring of black seating blocks as a result.
This gives the MKM Stadium a nice balance and you will only find the blocks in the West Stand's upper tier open when very large crowds are expected.
Away Fans
Away fans are housed in the northeast corner between the Smith & Nephew North Stand and the Chris Chilton Stand.
Smaller crowds take up a few rows towards the back whilst larger crowds take up the entire corner, with the very biggest being given part of the Smith & Nephew North Stand as well.
Hull use stewards and large sheets to segregate this section from home supporters sat either side of it.
Your view from inside this corner of the stadium is perfectly clear, although the pitch is further away from you here than it would be if you were in one of the stands either side of you.
It still provides a decent matchday experience however and the MKM Stadium can easily accommodate both very large and very small away followings.
Matchday Pubs
Pubs available to supporters on a matchday include:
-The Admiral of the Humber (1 Anlaby Road, HU1 2NR) (A JD Wetherspoon Pub, Typically Home and Away Supporters)
-Bowery (30-32 Princes Avenue, HU5 3QA) (Away Supporters Welcome)
-The Park View (57-65 Walton Street, HU3 6JB) (Away Supporters Welcome)
-The Pitch Side (Away Supporters Only) (Located at the MKM Stadium itself) (Only serves alcohol during build-up to the game)
-The Silver Cod (506 Anlaby Road, HU3 6SZ) (Home Supporters Only)
Overview
The MKM Stadium ticks all the boxes for a stadium fit for the modern game.
Home and away crowds are treated to a good, clear view of the action from any seat and with plenty of viewing platforms in each stand, disabled supporters are able to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere on a matchday.
Worth coming to check out first-hand.
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