Hull today relieved manager Phil Brown of his duties and placed him on gardening leave with immediate effect, the Barclays Premier League club have confirmed.

Torquay surprisingly dropped into Coca-Cola League Two today as MK Dons avoided a second-successive relegation thanks to a 2-1 win over Tranmere at the National Hockey Stadium.

Nottingham Forest booked their place in the second round of the Carling Cup on the night the club’s English top-flight record of 42 matches unbeaten was broken by Arsenal.