Phil Brown Sacked - The Story Unfolds

Last updated : 16 March 2010 By Andy Beill

Shortly before 11am on Monday 15th March, breaking news appeared on Sky Sports and was promptly confirmed in a Club Statement on Hull City's official website that "Phil Brown has been relieved of his managerial duties at the club and has been placed on gardening leave with immediate effect."

Rumours had in fact started three days earlier, with City Independent claiming that City could play Arsenal on Saturday without Brown in charge. Bookmakers slashed their odds on him getting the sack. That didn't quite prove to be accurate, and Adam Pearson subsequently told BBC Radio Humberside on Monday night Sports Talk that discussions - between all members of the board - resulting in the decision to sack Brown started on Sunday. It would seem unlikely that changing the manager has never been contemplated in boardroom discussions before, though.

Soon after the announcement, Brown released a statement through the League Managers Association, his only comments so far, saying he is "obviously very disappointed with the Club's decision and the fact that I will now not have the opportunity to secure Hull City's status in the Barclays Premier League for a third consecutive season."

People with prior connections to the club have given their opinions. Dean Windass told his new employers Sky Sports: "He's done a fantastic job the time he has been there... But all good things come to an end." 'Deano' also played down any significance of the infamous half-time teamtalk at Manchester City on Boxing Day 2008, which has been dragged up again in the past day's news reports.

Former chairman Paul Duffen also spoke to Sky Sports News, praising Brown and saying: "These things rarely happen as knee-jerk decisions. Some of the bookies slashed the odds last week for Phil to be sacked and I'm sure there will have been conversations and movements going on in the background long before today."

Peter Taylor, manager between 2002-06, was complimentary towards Brown but said a "last throw of the dice" like this can pay off: "It's just sometimes a change of face all of a sudden lifts the club." The recently appointed Bradford City manager also said he didn't expect to be a contender to swap West Yorkshire for East.

No leading candidate has really emerged to take over. The Daily Star claims that Pearson has already failed to get any of his three favourites for the job, Alan Curbishley and Terry Venables having no interest and Bolton requiring compensation for Gary Megson, as well as him being in hospital with kidney stones. The Telegraph says that Venables is still in the running, while Pearson has said Curbishley isn't on his list.

Pearson said yesterday that talks have already begun with potential replacements but nobody had yet been offered the job, which is likely to run until the end of the season, initially. That contract will come with a £1million bonus if the new manager keeps City in the Premier League, according to today's Hull Daily Mail.

"About five" people are on Pearson's shortlist. Today's HDM puts Iain Dowie at the top of that list. The national Daily Mail says that Mark Hughes and Paul Jewell turned down approaches last week, but Pearson will meet Hughes to try to persuade him. Doncaster Rovers' Sean O'Driscoll, Portsmouth's Avram Grant, and Kevin Keegan are outside bets.

Pearson expects to make a decision by Tuesday night or Wednesday at the latest to start work by Thursday preparing the team for Saturday's game at Portsmouth.