Apr 23

Squad sheets: Hull City v Sunderland

Hull’s relegation from the Premier League will effectively be sealed with defeat, if it is coupled with a West Ham win over Wigan, because of their vastly inferior goal difference. The latest effort to avert the catastrophic financial consequences of the drop must be carried out with limited striking resources – Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink ruled out following his midweek head injury. Sunderland will field two of the players who delivered top-flight football to Hull for the first time in their history two years ago – defender Michael Turner and striker Fraizer Campbell – as they seek elusive back-to-back league wins. Richard Gibson

Venue KC Stadium, Saturday 3pm

Tickets £28-33 (01482 505600)

Last season Hull 1 Sunderland 4

Referee P Walton

This season’s matches 24 Y60, R4, 2.67 cards per game

Odds Hull 13-10 Sunderland 9-4 Draw 12-5

Hull

Subs from Myhill, Mouyokolo, Kilbane, Cairney, Ghilas, Olofinjana, Barmby, Cooper, Altidore

Doubtful Mouyokolo (knee)

Injured Vennegoor of Hesselink (concussion, 3 May), Marney (ankle, 9 May), Zayatte (knee, 9 May), Ashbee (knee, Aug), Garcia (knee, Aug), Hunt (foot, Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide LDLLWL

Disciplinary record Y65 R5

Leading scorer Hunt 6

Sunderland

Subs from Carson, Fulop, Bardsley, Kilgallon, Da Silva, Mensah, Meyler, Cattermole, Zenden, Benjani, Liddle

Doubtful Cana (groin), Cattermole (calf), Mensah (hamstring)

Injured McCartney (hamstring, Aug), Reid (hamstring, Aug)

Suspended None

Form guide WLWLDW

Disciplinary record Y74 R6

Leading scorer Bent 23

Match pointers

• Sunderland have won their last five meetings with Hull, scoring 12 goals in the process

• Hull have let in 18 goals in the last 10 minutes of games – six more than any other side

• Sunderland have played 55 times since they last won two consecutive top-flight games

• Kamil Zayatte scored at both ends when these sides met at Sunderland earlier this season and also scored an own goal at the KC Stadium in 2008-09

• Fraizer Campbell has scored four goals in his last eight appearances after failing to find the net in his first 20 games for Sunderland

Premier LeagueHull CitySunderlandguardian.co.uk

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Apr 22

Former Hull City chairman hits back over Adam Pearson attack

• Paul Duffen defends his record at the KC Stadium
• Current chairman had attacked ‘poor business sense’

The former Hull City chairman Paul Duffen has responded to criticism of his KC Stadium tenure from his successor Adam Pearson. Pearson used his programme notes ahead of last night’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa to attack Duffen, who resigned in October, allowing Pearson to return to the role he had held between 2001 and 2007.

“In my personal opinion, the decisions made by Mr Duffen were extremely short-sighted and lacking in business sense and specific football knowledge,” Pearson wrote. “He seems, albeit with the advantage of hindsight, to have had no understanding of the industry, Hull City AFC or the city of Hull itself.”

He went on to accuse Duffen, who led Hull into the Premier League, of “poor business sense” and a “lack of moral responsibility” while describing the money spent on agents as “morally abhorrent”.

With Hull looking set for relegation after two seasons in the top flight, there are concerns the club may be forced into administration. Duffen, though, said Hull have “one of the lowest squad wage bills in the Premier League and amongst the lowest levels of debt”.

He added: “The successes were not achieved through financial muscle but through partnerships, ambition, team spirit, collective positive attitude and a stubborn refusal to fail. I firmly believe that if those qualities remain at the club then Hull City have every chance of playing a third season in the Premier League and I wish them well.”

Hull CityPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk

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Apr 21

Football: The best images of tonight’s domestic and European action

Images of two critical matches – Bayern Munich v Lyon in their Champions League semi-final first leg, and Hull v Aston Villa in the Premier League

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