Brown hoping Hull emulate Royals

Hull City boss Phil Brown says he is taking Reading's successful first Premier League season as the model for the Tigers' current campaign.

The Royals won promotion to the top flight in 2005/06, then confounded expectations by finishing eighth.

"There are a lot of lessons you can learn from a club like Reading," Brown told BBC Radio Berkshire.

"They built their strategy on belief, ability and on maximising resources and they got the best out of the players."

"Where Steve Coppell is concerned, I have nothing but admiration for what he did"
Hull boss Phil Brown

Brown added: "I know Wally Downes [Reading first-team coach] very well. He's a great character in the game, he's always got joke a smile on his face he can light up a room. I talk to Wally on a regular basis.

"Where Steve Coppell is concerned, I have nothing but admiration for what he did," he added.

And Brown sees parallels between the clubs that extend beyond the field of play - both boast first-rate grounds and are built on sound financial foundations.

He paid tribute to Tigers chairman Paul Duffen - Hull's own John Madejski. "He bought a club that was on good financial footing and he's added to that," he said.

"He hasn't rested on his laurels, he's invested and reinvested in the squad. He's reinvesting at the moment in the training ground and the facilities at the KC Stadium."

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