On Norwich City OWS: THE CLUB can confirm that the services of defender Zak Whitbread and striker Aaron Wilbraham will not be retained next season and they will depart the Club.

www.canaries.co.uk/page/NewsDetails/0,,10355~2775462,00.html

With talk of Greg Abbott and Nick Barmby, who both ended their playing careers at Hull City, I got to wondering which other players’ careers ended here.

Of course, many went on to amateur level (went ON to?!) but who stopped playing altogether?

In the last 15 years I can think of Jay Jay Okocha and Tony Brien (the first time those two names have featured in the same sentence).

Neil Mann, although I think his last game was on loan at Scarborough.

Would that be carrying out the relegation job?

Former Hull City midfielder and professional boxer Curtis Woodhouse is the new manager of Sheffield FC.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17941178

Nick Barmby is leaving Hull City in a shock move after a row with the owners for cutting his budget – with Billy Davies lined up as his replacement.

The highly-rated young boss was fuming to find out that his payroll is to be slashed after performing heroics to keep the Tigers in promotion contention.

The former England striker has decided to go after a meeting with the Allam brothers – Hull’s owners – who want to reduce costs and may sell star players.

Hull are ready to accept a £1.5million bid for centre half James Chester from Leicester City, making Barmby’s position even more difficult.

Barmby wanted to keep his best talent and offer longer-term deals to his emerging players. But there is not enough cash in the plans.

The Hull owners were also upset that Barmby went public with his concerns, but the young boss – appointed earlier in the season – is in a financial position where he can walk.

Now Hull may turn to out-of-work Davies who has been available since leaving Nottingham Forest. He is rated by the Allams.

Significantly Adam Pearson, Hull’s director of football, is also set to quit. He clashed with Davies when they worked together at Derby County.

www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/nick-barmby-has-walked-out-of-hull-813001

Declining to put out a meaningful statement only allows for speculation and conclusion-jumping. Perhaps there is justification for what they’ve done (whatever it is they have done) but many will have already turned against them. I realise it may be in the hands of lawyers now but while saying nothing they’re finding themselves painted as the bad guys.

Then again, if their actions aren’t justifiable it makes no difference either way.

Brian Horton has left his position as manager of Macclesfield Town following their relegation from League Two.

Horton replaced Gary Simpson in March and was handed the task of keeping the Silkmen in the Football League.

But he failed to win any of his eight matches in charge and relegation to the Blue Square Bet Premier was confirmed with the 2-0 defeat by Burton Albion.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17868617

Rumour going around on Twitter is that at 2pm Ehab Allam told Nick Barmby he has been suspended by the club for his comments made to the press… and the Allams want out.

Info I have is that “(he) will not return whilst Allams own club, which is apparently up for sale”. Balls! #hcafc

— Andy (@jags1stcoach) April 30, 2012

Waiting for confirmation from Hull City that they have suspended manager Nick Barmby over comments to media. stay tuned #hcafc

— David Burns (@bbcburnsy) April 30, 2012

Does this protest by Sevilla fans at their late kick-off time bring back memories?

“Welshy is the one no-one speaks about, the invisible man who does the job well.
“Every week he goes about his job, covers a lot of ground, stops the opposition and does the simple things very well. You need someone who does that.”
- Tranmere manager Ronnie Moore

www.wirralnews.co.uk/tranmere-rovers-fc/tranmere-rovers-fc-news/2012/04/20/john-welsh-hopes-to-sign-a-new-deal-with-tranmere-80491-30799385/?

He was the invisible man for Peter Taylor’s Hull City too: rarely seen.

37 starts and 7 from the bench means he’s played in every league game so far this season.

12th top scorer in the Championship. www.hullcityafc.net/page/DivisionalScorers/0,,10338~20117,00.html

Only McCormack at Leeds (76) has had more shots on target than Fryatt in the Championship (equal with Lambert at Southampton, 65). Koren’s up there as well (57). www.hullcityafc.net/page/DivisionalShooting/0,,10338~20117,00.html

He’s been going through the wars in recent weeks. Although, or rather because, we don’t have a suitable replacement, we’d be best off resting him for the final two games to ensure he doesn’t get a serious injury that could run into pre-season. Garcia, Evans or young East would have to fill in.

How City will be ruing the missed opportunity of winning at Watford. We’d have been two points off the play-offs now with two games to go. Fryatt had a good chance at Watford he didn’t take, unlike last night.

Still, we’re not stringing ourselves along we’re going to make it.

Hull City’s solitary nomination in the 20 Seasons of Premier League shortlist is in the Best Goal Celebration category, for Jimmy Bullard’s at Manchester City, of course.

www.premierleague.com/en-gb/20-seasons.html

I guarantee that whenever “You are so southern, you’re practically French” is sung, you’ll hear a voice somewhere among the ensuing laughter say: “It was good when we sang that at Brighton.” I think it’s part of the song.

What’s happened to Chris Iwelumo then? With his past record he should be doing better than sitting on an average Championship side like Watford’s bench. He got a big cheer when he came on but hasn’t got near his usual goal tally for Watford.

We had the chances to give them a real thrashing but didn’t take them. Still, this was a much more entertaining game than I was expecting and I’d rather watch this kind of game on a regular basis – getting a result or not – than what I’ve become used to.

The two goals were very similar. Corner comes in, three defenders all go for it and miss it.

Kuszczak made two great saves in the first half, Chester from a corner again and Fryatt with a volley hit first time. The highlights on BBC perhaps show Fryatt’s was one you’d expect him to save, although Koren was unlucky to see the rebound go wide. Kuszczak’s out of contract in the summer, Bosman-watchers.

Fryatt had a better chance in the second half he should have hit first time. He did the same last week against Middlesbrough. The early shot if hit low doesn’t even require particular accuracy to beat the keeper, you can sweep it past him before he reacts, but take a touch and he’s ready for it. He needs the confidence and encouragement to have a go, most of the season he’s been too hesitant.

We had a number of chances in the second half where it just wouldn’t go, and Evans missed a gilt-edged header. Making those chances is a big improvement.

Rosenior had the best game I’ve seen him have for a while, getting down the wing a lot. I don’t know why we didn’t try changing to natural wingers instead of inside-out wingers once Watford were down to ten men, Brady came on but played on the right when you might have thought stretching the play would make it harder for Watford.

Cameron Stewart is still making poor decisions and his only development appears to have been changing from a one-trick pony (coming inside running at the defender at speed) to having no tricks at all. He tossed off our last chance of the game when he broke away from a couple of defenders on the half-way line and could only see the goal-of-the-season and not his teammates in better positions, wellying a long-range shot nowhere near the goal.