The Tigers’ narrow escape from EPL relegation last May proved a temporary reprieve as they largely continued the ghastly form of the second half of last season.

Although they were unlucky to lose to a freak late goal at Chelsea on the season’s opening day, they spent the season at the wrong end of the table.

They took eight points from four matches in an unbeaten November, which left them in 14^th place.

 

However, record signing Jimmy Bullard’s injury in the 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa in the first week of December was the starting point of an alarming slump in form.

Their next victory was a remarkable 2-1 home win over big-spending Manchester City in early February, which temporarily lifted them back to 14^th.

But they only won once more. And the long-overdue replacement of Phil Brown as manager in mid-March failed to halt the slide.

The nature of Brown’s departure highlighted the financial problems which overwhelmed the club.

Brown was placed on “gardening leave” as City couldn’t afford to pay-off his contract in full and replacement Iain Dowie had to take the title “football management consultant”

The dismissal of chairman Phil Duffen in October had also signalled that all was not well off the pitch.

Delayed accounts for 2008 contained auditors’ warnings that the club was in financial peril. And Duffen took public blame from his successor as chairman Adam Pearson.

The club took legal action against Duffen to over the former chairman’s financial dealings and eventually settled out-of-court.

But they ended the season in need of restructuring and searching for ways to slash the wage bill in order to avoid insolvency proceedings.