 The following season saw Hull struggle for consistency, before recovering well in the second half of the season to finish a respectable 8th place.This form was not carried forward into the 1979–80 season, however, and manager Ken Houghton was sacked in December 1979 after a two-month winless run left them near the bottom of the table.Wales manager Mike Smith was recruited to take over, and a strong end to the season saw Hull avoid relegation by a single point.