WHEN Steve Bruce walks down the Oakwell tunnel this afternoon and out into a cauldron of noise, he will be able to turn over his left shoulder and find 5,700 Hull City supporters applauding his entrance.
Just 90 minutes are all that now stands between City and the Premier League. A win at Barnsley today will be enough to fend off the last assault of third-placed Watford and cement the Tigers' ascent back to the big time.
As City's would-be promotion king, this afternoon could also be Bruce's crowning glory.
Less than 10 months after his appointment at the KC Stadium, Bruce can become only the second figure in the club's 109-year history to bring top-flight football inside the boundaries of East Yorkshire with a victory at Oakwell.
The 52-year-old admits nothing in his managerial career could top promotion with the Tigers.
And though such a conclusion owes much to the long odds City have overcome to get this far, it is also a reflection of the battles Bruce has won all on his own.
Cruelly depicted as a coaching dinosaur when sacked by Sunderland in November 2010, a hugely-successful debut campaign with City has given Bruce quiet satisfaction.
"Certainly when you get sacked or you lose a job in the Premier League, it hurts," said the City boss.
"I know how awful it is when you get the sack. People think 'It doesn't matter, they get paid lots of money' but it's still a public sacking.
"Everyone has seen someone they know lose their job and it's one of the most degrading things that can happen to you. People are essentially questioning you and saying you're not capable. That's not easy to take."
To find a City supporter willing to suggest Bruce lacks the wherewithal to manage would be a hopeless challenge.
Forty four Championship games have returned 24 wins and 78 points. Never before in City's history has such a juicy haul been amassed in the second tier of English football. City's rich fortunes have also reinvigorated Bruce.
During his unwanted sabbatical from management, the former Manchester United captain tried several means of occupying the mind.
In January 2012 he toured Dubai for England's Test series against Pakistan, fulfilling a personal ambition of a cricketing winter. There was also media work when covering Chelsea's Champions League triumph last May for BBC Radio 5 Live. Nothing lit his candle quite like management, though, and the opportunities seized with the Tigers are credited with restoring his smile.
Bruce added: "When I look back to last summer the big question was whether I still had the enthusiasm? Could I give it everything I had and do the job justice? It wasn't about building myself up, it was more about being fair to Hull City. But in all honesty I couldn't really have envisaged it going this well.
"It's got the football club back on a high and it's got me back up and running. I've really enjoyed myself.
"Although the Premier League is a great division, unless you're one of the big boys it's a fight just to stay there. I had that with Birmingham, Sunderland and Wigan, and it becomes tedious after a while.
"Here we've played good football and won over half of our games. It's been a lot of fun."
All that remains is for Bruce to enjoy the final leg of City's promotion bid. With an invading army behind him, it promises to be quite the occasion.
More on Hull City's big day• Team news for Barnsley v Hull City at Oakwell
• Just one more win: Bruce confident Hull City will deliver at Barnsley
• Hull City's Corry Evans ready for long-awaited crack at Premier League
• Ian Ashbee: Hull City must be patient at Barnsley
• Hull City will be rewarded with £120m windfall in Premier League
