Brown takes on board advice

Hull manager Phil Brown has turned to former Bolton boss Sam Allardyce for some advice in the build up to Saturday's Coca-Cola Championship play-off final against Bristol City.

Brown is hoping some words of wisdom from his close friend Allardyce can inspire his side to a famous victory that would take them to the top flight of English football for the first time in their 104-year history.

"Sam is a very close ally of mine," said Brown, who worked as Allardyce's assistant at Bolton and played under him at Blackpool. "He just knows how I tick and one or two words of wisdom have been offered my way. We've talked all the way through the season. He's helped me along."

He added: "Obviously, I've got the experience of (assistant manager) Brian Horton and (first-team coach) Steve Parkin behind me as well and they know the football club more than what Sam does. Sam is speaking from the outside in now."

A fortnight ago Hull used Arsenal's training ground to prepare for the first leg of their semi-final clash at Watford and Brown believes being in and around an established Barclays Premier League club again can act as a major motivational tool for his squad.

"To have a Premier League surrounding can help to create a Premier League mentality and that could be a key factor," said Brown.

"We've just had a long weekend off and tried to make this week as normal as we possibly could. Routine has worked for us all season. You do things that you've done all season.

"The basics are good in this football club. As I said to the players before the second leg against Watford, whenever you get squeezed or whenever you get tension or whenever nerves kick in, it's what is inside you and the experiences that come out.

"If you've got good basics that stands you in good stead in terms of pressure."