Tigers confirm Brown exit

Tigers chief placed on gardening leave

Last updated: 15th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

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Hull City have confirmed Phil Brown has been relieved of his duties and been placed on gardening leave.

As revealed by skysports.com earlier on Monday morning Hull have decided to part ways with Brown as they look to secure survival in the Premier League.

Brian Horton and Steve Parkin have been placed in charge of first-team affairs following Brown's exit.

A club statement read: "Hull City AFC confirms that Phil Brown has been relieved of his managerial duties at the club and has been placed on gardening leave with immediate effect. Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will take charge of first-team duties until further notice.

Thanks

"We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Phil for the major success achieved during a period of four seasons in charge at the club and wish him every success for the future.

"Promotion to the Premier League in 2008 and retention of our status on the last day of the 2009 season are unique events in the history of Hull City AFC and both were achieved under Phil's stewardship during a period which will never be forgotten by all connected with the club.

"However, retention of Premier League status is paramount and the board believes that a change in managerial direction is the correct option at this time.

"The club will complete supporters up-to-date in respect of any managerial appointment but, in the meantime, Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will prepare the team for our important game at Portsmouth next Saturday."

Brown took charge of Hull in 2007 and guided them to the Premier League in his first full season in charge of the club.

After a stunning start to life in the Premier League the Tigers managed to avoid relegation on the final day of last season.

However, Hull have continued to struggle this season with the side finding themselves in the drop zone for most of the campaign.

Comments (107)

Alex Gates says...

Bad luck to Brown,but really his teams only play one way (i.e.Big Sam's way). I would feel sorry for him if Megson took over, as he has been sacked from every job he has had. Football management must be the best job in the world.You can bring a club to it's knees and then move on to a better,higher paid job (i.e. Brian Laws) every time!!. Still i wouldnt want Brown in charge of my team!

Posted 12:26 16th March 2010

Eugene Mcnamara (Leeds United fan) says...

Phil Brown deserves more respect from Hull city fans than what the Hull fan Mike has given.'Get your coat'.....are you having a laugh? PB deserves more respect than this.If it wasn't for him ye would be down in league 1 with Leeds.I agree with everything Steve Eastham has said on this,Adam Pearson is a clown.Good luck in the championship Hull

Posted 02:24 16th March 2010

Chris M (Arsenal fan) says...

Personally I was never a big fan of Phil Brown but Hull did enjoy some pretty good success under him. This season has been poor for Hull but considering the resources at the manager's disposal they aren't a team I would neccesarily expect to stay in the Premier League. I don't think anyone can just blame Phil Brown. If the board felt that Hull have to stay in the Premiership then I think Phil Brown has had enough time to demonstrate whever he could do that and sadly it looks like he couldn't that said I don't see who they expect to be able to wave a magic wand and get them out of the drop zone with the number of games left. Did the board make the right decision? Probably. Did the board time it right? Absolutely not. At this point in the season they should have stuck by Phil Brown they can't blame him all of a sudden for Hull's position they have been struggling for some time now and if the board failed to see that risk of being relegated until now then maybe they should ask questions of themselves. Ofcourse should his replacement manage to keep them up then I guess they will have proved me wrong. I think Hull wil go down but I can see them coming right back up.

Posted 00:14 16th March 2010

Mark Coverdale (Hull City fan) says...

This is the correct decision, but the timing is very questionable. Brown did a great job bringing us out of the relegation zone in the championship, guiding us to promotion and then keeping us in the Premiership for a second year...no doubt that was a great achievement. However, we need to look forward and he's just not allowing the side to get settled and in to any kind of form. wholesale changes every week does not help a side that is so inconsistent. We beat Man City and dew with Chelsea but then get thumped by the likes of Blackburn. Brown did well but it's time to change and look forward.

Posted 21:43 15th March 2010

Craig Williams (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Best thing that could have happened to phil, come home to bolton mate, team up with owen coyle and continue to live the dream pal !!!!!! We never forget our heros long live super John

Posted 21:33 15th March 2010

Bob Wallis (Hull City fan) says...

I was shocked and disappointed when I heard the news, he should have been given until the end of the season at least. I didn't agree with all his team selections and tactics but all fans think they know best. I think he would have kept us up with our home form. Thanks Phil for all the good memories (and the odd bizarre ones!). At least you got people talking about us. Up the Tigers.

Posted 20:29 15th March 2010

Mike Halm (Hull City fan) says...

To all those saying Brown was a great manager on limited resources, and that the club are ungrateful... sorry but look at the stats - in the PL we have amassed 58 points in 67 games, and in fact 38 points from the last 58 games. How many managers would have survived so long with that form? I'm afraid Brown was out of his depth: bizarre team selections, constantly falling out with players, inability to attract decent players, endless tinkering when we just needed a settled side... why he dropped Altidore after his first goal in the EPL having struck up a decent partnership with JVoH is beyond me. Thanks for the memories Phil, get your coat.

Posted 18:24 15th March 2010

Steve Eastham (Manchester City fan) says...

In the last month or so, Hull City have beaten Man City, drew with Chelsea and pushed Arsenal all the way despite playing over half the game with 10 men - a tremendous effort against clubs with much greater resources than Hull.It is laughable that Phil Brown is rewarded for these outstanding achievements with the sack! The Hull chairman Adam Pearson has previously demonstrated at Derby that he lacks any basic football knowledge by pre-maturely removing Billy Davies of his duties - it now looks like he will drag poor old Hull into relegation battles in the Championship just like he did with Derby.

Posted 18:19 15th March 2010

Dave Worrall (Manchester United fan) says...

Personally i think it's a big mistake for any team to dispense with their manager at such a late stage of the season, Phil Brown did an alright job at Hull, lets be honest he wasn't given a huge transfer kitty to bolster his small squad so to be in the situation Hull are in, fighting at the bottom of the pile is no real surprise. Who Hull will get to save them from relegation this late in the season is a mystery. Hard luck, Phil. All the best to you!

Posted 17:53 15th March 2010

Adeyemi Alao (Arsenal fan) says...

In my opinion, Hull City board were unfair to Phil. How on earth could he have been sacked after that splendid performance against Arsenal?

Posted 17:51 15th March 2010

Steve Holmes (Hull City fan) says...

The timing of this is really puzzling, maybe a new face can inspire 3 wins and a couple of draws. Our Home form WILL keep us up this year but away is awefull i can't see a win at all away, all these Arsenal fans are so embarresed we beat them at the Emirates last season and that they needed an extra time goal against 10 men at the KC at saturday night, i cant wait to keep winding you all up next season because we aint going nowhere we are here for the long haul and i love the fact it winds you Arsenal fans up, your pathetic. I also love the fact that Wayne Rooney is on fire so close to the world cup and it means Arsenal will win ABSOLUTELY NOTHING this season AGAIN ha ha ha. All the best to Phil Brown for the future.

Posted 17:49 15th March 2010

John Bellanca (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Hard luck Phil, with the financial budget he had available, I hough he performed heroics in doing as well as he did. In my opinion, it is a abd decision and bad tining to relieve him at this critical time of the season. If you are bored in the future, come and join your big mate (Big Sam) as part of his backroom team

Posted 17:36 15th March 2010

John Bellanca (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Bad decision and bad timnig in my opinion.. On the budget he had available to him, I though he worked wonders in keeping Hull in the premier league for as long as he did. When we played Hull at our place this season, we were fortunate to get the 3 points and we played against 10 for most of that game. Hard luck Phil, come and join Big Sam on the backroom team.

Posted 17:30 15th March 2010

Tony Coyne (Arsenal fan) says...

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke, his footballing mentality won't be missed thats for sure. He was too interested in the spot light.

Posted 17:23 15th March 2010

Bucks Spur says...

It doesn't make any difference whether you have 8 or 18 games left to go - if the manager is dragging the team down then he has to go to give the team a chance.

Posted 16:56 15th March 2010

Duke Barbosa (Hull City fan) says...

Now of course the talk turns to Brown's successor. Well I have it on pretty good authority that Adam Pearson has already approached Paul Jewell to take over the helm until the end of the season. Horton will be kept on as First Team Coach but Stuart McCall will be brought in as Jewell's assistant. Of course, Pearson is already familiar with Jewell from his days at Derby County and Jewell lives locally over in Leeds so wouldn't have to relocate for such a short-term contract. However, the board are keen to capture Alan Curbishley for the new season and so it is likely that Jewell will be gone by May 10th.

Posted 16:53 15th March 2010

Christian Fox (Arsenal fan) says...

All down to the story of the young player Phil has been LEGALLY barred from speaking to... Goodbye dressing room = goodbye job. thats all the board will see. Shame as i thought he had done a fantastic job with a shoe-string budget.

Posted 16:37 15th March 2010

Derek Gransaull (Arsenal fan) says...

I believe Hull will go back down to the Championship, but we have not seen the last of Phil Brown in the Premiership. Chin up Phil.

Posted 16:21 15th March 2010

John Tring (Manchester United fan) says...

At least he managed to beat Rafa Benitez at the sack race. Pearson has more guts than those stooges at Liverpool...then again, let Rafa continue his systematic destruction of one of our rivals..

Posted 16:13 15th March 2010

James O hanlon (Manchester United fan) says...

Disgrace! Brown pulled of the miracle of getting Hull to the prem and look what happened. I could maybe understand this decision 10 games ago but what is the point of sacking their manager with like 10 games left, who are they going to get now. Hull enjoy the prem, ur for the championship next season!

Posted 16:12 15th March 2010

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