Hradec Králové first played in the
Czechoslovak First League in 1956. They were relegated after two seasons, but returned for the
1959–60 season, winning the league that same season. They went on to compete in the
1960–61 European Cup, being eliminated by
Barcelona in the quarter-finals, a team which would go on to reach the final. Hradec Králové were again relegated in 1963. They enjoyed four more spells in the First League, each lasting only one or two seasons. Their last promotion to the Czechoslovak top tier came in 1990. Hradec then played in the newly formed
Czech First League from its inception in 1993 until being relegated at the end of the
1999–00 season. Their best league finish in this time was 8th place, which they achieved in the 1998–99 season. The 1990s also saw the club triumph in the
Czech Cup, winning the competition in 1995. This achievement saw the club qualify for the
Cup Winners' Cup, where they were eliminated in the round of 16 by
Dynamo Moscow. The club returned to the top flight in 2001 after winning the
Czech 2. Liga at the first attempt, securing promotion with four games to spare. After just two seasons though, the club again finished in the relegation places and were relegated back to the second tier. This time it was seven seasons before the club would achieve promotion, winning the
2009–10 Czech 2. Liga to secure their status in the top flight once more. Hradec equalled their best Czech First League finishing position of 8th in the 2010–11 season. ==Historical names==