 1989-90 proved another very inconsistent season, with Colin Appleton returning for a second stint as manager, only to resign after just five months, following the club's worst-ever start to a league campaign.Stan Ternent took over from Appleton, and oversaw a remarkable upswing in form that saw the team manage a respectable 14th-place finish.This proved a false dawn, however, and Hull's start to the 1990–91 season was almost as bad as the previous one, including a humiliating 7-0 thrashing by West Ham.