Championship club release statement after former Leeds United man caught up in city centre confrontation

Hull City have confirmed they are looking into a video which appears to show former Leeds United defender Lewie Coyle caught up in a city centre confrontation.

A video taken on Sunday evening has circulated across social media appearing to show Coyle caught up in a skirmish just 24 hours after his Hull side secured their Championship status for the 2025/26 campaign. A point at Portsmouth was enough to keep them up on goal difference, with Luton Town joining Plymouth Argyle and Cardiff City in the drop zone.

The former Leeds defender was out with his two brothers, 35-year-old former professional boxer Tommy Coyle and 18-year-old Rocco. In the video, recorded by a passer-by, Rocco appears to be leading away a topless Coyle with traffic stopped as the incident unfolded.

A Hull City club statement read: "Hull City is aware of a video currently circulating on social media and has launched an investigation into the matter. The club will refrain from making further comment until the investigation has been concluded."

Hull City ‘launch investigation’ after video

It is unclear what caused the incident, which is believed to have started inside a pub or bar before spilling out onto the street, but Lewie’s older brother Tommy Coyle was admitted to hospital as a result. He also released a statement regarding what happened on Tuesday.

In a post on X, the former boxer, who won 25 of his 30 pro fights at lightweight and light-welterweight, wrote: “As many of you have now seen, I was the victim of a vicious unprovoked assault early on Sunday evening in Hull City Centre. It is very sad that I cannot share an evening out with my brothers without attracting this sort of attention.

“I spent the day in hospital yesterday [Monday] being checked over and fortunately there’s no lasting damage. I would like to thank everyone for their good wishes and support on behalf of my family.”

Coyle has been at Hull since 2020 and was appointed club captain ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, a role he has kept ever since. The defender featured in all but two of this season’s league fixtures, including home and away against former club Leeds, and has been a teammate to current on-loan Whites youngster Joe Gelhardt, as well as another former Elland Road prospect Cody Drameh.

The 29-year-old, who is from Hull originally, came through the Leeds academy as a youngster before earning a first-team debut in 2014. He played 23 times in all competitions across two campaigns in West Yorkshire, with time spent on loan at Harrogate Town and Fleetwood Town.

He joined the latter permanently in 2019 but spent just one more year with the League One club before joining boyhood club Hull. The former Whites prospect still has 12 months left on his contract at the MKM Stadium.

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