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Hull City

Hull City will play their first season of top-flight English football in 2008/09.

Hull had a third place finish in Championship. They secured promotion by beating Bristol City in the Play-off Final at Wembley Stadium on 24th May 2008, Hull native Dean Windass' stunning 38th minute volley the only goal of the match. It is a superb achievement when one considers that the Tigers were only promoted to the Championship in 2005.

Manager Phil Brown

The Kingston Communications Stadium is their home ground. Club moved there in 2002, having left Boothferry Park where they had played since 1946.

Relegation favourites Hull City have been busy in the transfer market as they look forward to their first season in England’s top division.

Brazilian Geovanni, signed on a free from Manchester City, and French defender Bernard Mendy (Paris St Germain) are among seven new signings but relegation still looms.

Stoke City

The 2008/09 season will mark Stoke City's first appearance in the Premier League. Manager Tony Pulis and his players won promotion by finishing second in the Championship, two points behind champions West Bromwich Albion. A goalless draw with Leicester City was enough to send them up on the final day.

Manager Tony Pulis

This is Pulis' second spell in charge at the club. He originally parted company with the Potters at the end of the 2004/05 season. Dutch manager Johan Boskamp stepped in but left at the end of the season after a mid-table finish.

Boskamp's departure came as former-chairman Peter Coates was completing a takeover of the club and he reappointed Pulis who, after leading the club to eighth in the 2006/07 season, guided them to promotion.

Gudjon Thordarson, their first overseas manager brought them "The Auto Windscreens trophy" in 2000. It was their most recent victory. He led them to promotion into the First Division in 2001.

Source: www.premierleague.com