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Hull: We've Had No Bullard Enquiries
Hull: We've Had No Bullard Enquiries
Monday, 16th May 2011 09:26

Hull City’s director of football operations Adam Pearson says the Tigers are yet to receive any enquiries regarding Town loanee Jimmy Bullard. Blues boss Paul Jewell recently said that he had spoken to his former Derby colleague about the 32-year-old Town Player of the Year and also that he understood that there was interest from other clubs.

Pearson is desperate to offload the two remaining years of Bullard’s £45,000-a-week contract, which accounts for 21% of his club’s wage bill, and is hoping that the midfielder’s performances for Town attract some interest: "He's obviously done well down at Ipswich, he's played some games and hopefully that gets him back in the shop window.

"Hopefully, we will get a club interested in him. That hasn't happened as yet. We've had no enquiries whatsoever."

Jewell, who worked under Pearson during their time together at Pride Park, recently said that he had spoken with the Hull chief and was under the impression that other sides, including Premier League clubs, had shown interest.

QPR have been linked on a number of occasions, while Wigan and West Ham were claimed to be amongst Bullard’s suitors in one paper, prior to the Hammers’ relegation on Sunday. One somewhat spurious looking report over the weekend claimed interest from Coventry.

Pearson also dismissed Bullard’s claim last week that he had taken a pay cut to join the Blues on loan in January: "His wages are obviously very, very high but no professional footballer takes a pay cut.

"I keep hearing about pay cuts but I've never heard of that in my life. I don't understand why a player would take a pay cut.

"He's got another two years and that has a value to it so I'm sure that any player wouldn't be leaving for a penny less."

Previously, Pearson was in disagreement with Town regarding the level of Bullard’s wages the Blues were paying during his time on loan.

Hull are reportedly willing to allow Bullard, who cost them £5 million from Fulham in May 2006, to move on for free if his new side take on what remains of his contract in its entirety. It's unlikely that any Championship club would be in a position to do this.

As reported last week, another loan is also an option, although Hull are likely to want to exhaust all other alternatives before looking in that direction.

Town would probably prefer to do a permanent deal with the Blues paying a fee which would go towards the Tigers settling the remaining two years of the one-time England call-up’s contract, something which could be a possibility if Bullard is, as he says, willing to take a pay cut.

Meanwhile, Exeter City are likely to be keeping a close eye on developments regarding the Blues’ chase for Doncaster midfielder James Coppinger.

When the 30-year-old joined Rovers from the Grecians for a fee which eventually rose to £35,000 in 2004, a 15% of profit sell-on clause was included in the deal.

Last Friday, Doncaster chairman John Ryan confirmed that his club had turned down Town's £300,000 offer for the midfielder and also a £2.3 million bid for striker Billy Sharp.

Coppinger was a team-mate of Blues coach Sean McCarthy during the early part of his career at St James’ Park.


Photo: Action Images



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AmberAndBlack added 11:37 - May 16
SouperJim

OK lets take your points in turn.

Nobody involved with Jimmy Bullards purchase is still at the Club. If the fans had been aware of the risk we took in signing him, they would have been up in arms. So I don't know what relevance your comment "it's your club who gave Jimmy this rather daft contract" has to anything.

Secondly, I have NEVER said Bullard is the devil incarnate, indeed I have often said who, in his shoes, would do different as far as his contract is concerned. What I do find distasteful are his comments about taking wage cuts to play for you which is a lie if referring to the past and is disrespectful to his parent club if referring to his future. HCFC deserve more respect from him than that, he has been on the injury table for the last 2 years and we have funded his salary for no return. That he is contractually entitled to, but I think most reasonable people would say also warrented more respect than to pour scorn on his parent club for a financial situation he is partly responsible for (ie. relegation).

Thirdly, Pearson is not being economical with any truth. He has been at our club for a number of years now and I am telling you he is as honest as the day is long. He is a Yorkshireman. They are either your best friend or your worst enemies. What Bullard did to Adam Pearson with regard to the Celtic loan was a disgrace and Adam will do everything in his power now to get rid of Bullard.
You say, "it looks like he is happy to take a more sensible contract beyond his current one". Where is the evidence for that then?

I'm on this thread because you are discussing OUR player, not yours. I'm not blubbing to anyone, I am simply telling you what the truth is, but it looks like, by your dismissive comments, SuperJim, "You can't take the truth"!
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Tractorog added 11:38 - May 16
This could be a preliminary announcement before a deal. This sends a signal to the Hull fans that the town deal is the best on the table and it says to the other clubs put in an offer or we will have to accept towns.
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SouperJim added 12:02 - May 16
AmberAndBlack you clearly have your own interpretation of the situation, but that doesn't make it the truth! I very much doubt you have the inside knowledge needed to pass judgement on Bullard's comments that he took a pay cut to go out on loan. You are rather predictably just blindly backing your club. If you think Pearson is never economical with the truth, even with his own fans, because he's from Yorkshire, again you are living in cloud cuckoo land son. I'm not calling him a liar, but keeping your cards close to your chest and using information to your advantage is par for the course within football.

In every comment I have read from Jimmy he has been nothing other than respectful to Hull City and has often been very diplomatic about his ambitions to play football wherever he can. He has also publicly stated that his next move will be motivated by a desire to pay football, not simply by money and that if offered a contract by us he would sign it. I'm sure Jimmy knows what we contributed towards his wages this season and that we are not in a position to improve much upon that in the future.

The difference between us is I'm willing to read between the lines and consider what is most likely to be going on and am willing to take Jimmy at his word until I know different, without club bias.
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AmberAndBlack added 12:11 - May 16
Fair enough SouperJim, lets see what happens. If Bullard isn't simply motivated by money and cares more about playing football, he will obviously sign for you on a reduced wage without any "pay-off" from us.

By the way, I never said Adam Pearson was not being economical with the truth because he's a Yorkshireman. Looks like you're not very good at reading the lines, let alone reading between the lines!! LOL!
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TurinBlue added 12:16 - May 16
AmberAndBlack is being perfectly reasonable. The problem exists because of past transactions at Hull FC - no one denies that. JK has a contract paying him 45k per week. He can't command anything like that now and his injury situation makes it likely that he will play only a proportion of the total games per season. Hull do not want him to play for them. Hull will have to take a financial hit. Max its £4.5M to pay off the two years remaining on his contract. (I assume 45K per week x 104 weeks). The best Hull can hope for is to save a proportion of that £4.5M. JB is most unlikely to settle for a deal which gives him less than the £4.5M. It comes down to a negotiation - How much is JB worth to ITFC over two years? Is he worth more to some other team? Do Hull accept thats the best they can do? I don't know the answer to any of those questions and I doubt any one else does either. Its all down to opinion which everyone is entitled too. Hull & ITFC's chairmen will have to share the same opinion for a deal to be done. Hull will have to hold out for the best deal they can get We will try and get the best deal we can. I suspect there is a considerable gap between the opinions at the present time and, as other posters have commented, this will run and run and won't be settled by the start of the season.
My opionion, for what its worth, is that, to us, JB is worth around £2M over two years - Thats salary plus any fee and I would expect him to play 25-30 games per season. Thats a pretty big hit for Hull to have to take but if thats the best deal around then thats the best business.
I don't think Pearson is lying - he will spin the presentation of the facts to suit his case - you must expect that - he's a good businessman who's inherited a big problem. He has to do the best he can for Hull. Who would want to be in his shoes?
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Keaneish added 12:17 - May 16
Mr Evans - i think that's still too much and something we couldn't meet. 22.5K is the sort of money we were paying when we were in the prem and the UEFA cup. All for a big signing on fee but the wages will have to come down more. I know we're reportedly paying about that much at the mo but that's a temporary cost not a fixed one over a 2 year period. If Bullard gets injured....then what?

With his injury record, i'd like another season long loan deal with no option of a recall. It depends what the other competition for his signature will be like. Warnock is sure to come in for him.
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Upbeat~ added 12:41 - May 16
AmberAndBlack I understand you want to defend Pearson's integrity, but your assertion that he would never be economical with the truth or spin a comment here or there is clearly being clouded by your respect / homoeroticism towards the man. It's a fact of business that each party defends their own interests - the press and club statements are forms in which this is most clearly demonstrated. I don't doubt Pearson's honesty in the main, but everyone's susceptible to indulging in a bit of pretense once every so often (even St Adam himself).
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AmberAndBlack added 12:48 - May 16
Upbeat_Blue_92

I never said he would never be economical with the truth.

I said "Pearson is not being economical with any truth" in other words HERE he is not being economical with the truth.



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Surco72 added 12:50 - May 16
Amber and Black how can Pearson have been at your club for a number of years but yet no one from the time that Bullard was signed is still at the club ? Bullard has only been with you for 2 years surely if Pearson came after that it is hardly a number of years or he was part of the board that agreed the signing ?
For me Pearson is trying to spin the facts that Hull quite clearly cannot afford to keep Jimmy and are going to take a massive hit on him ,which no chairman wants to say to the fans .If Pearson wants to get rid as badly as you say he will take this hit and move on
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bluestu71 added 13:05 - May 16
Children children can we please stop the mud-slinging its pathetic........ sign the player or not but lets move on as this is getting BORING.
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simonsays added 13:08 - May 16
They want Norris, we want Bullard. Lets just swap them. Simples!
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Help added 13:08 - May 16
Does nobody like selling us players?

Is it the way Evans/Clegg deal with other chairman, do they upset them or summin?


I am not concerned yet, but give it a few more weeks, and if we still have no definite signings I will be getting worried again
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Keaneish added 13:21 - May 16
Simonsays - not sure swapping an out of contract player for a player with 2 years left on his contract is that simple! I wish it was! Bye Norris, welcome Jimmy or Nugent!
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AmberAndBlack added 13:23 - May 16
Surco72

Adam Pearson borrowed money and bought HCFC in 2001. He managed the move from Boothferry Park to the New KC Stadium and presided over our rise from the bottom division to the Championship. In July 2007 he realised he didn't have the money to take the Club further and sold the Club to Russell Bartlett, a property millionaire from Essex. Bartlett appointed Paul Duffen, an associate and friend, as Chairman. Duffen and Phil Brown took HCFC to the Premiership the following season. It was Duffen who presided over the contracts and borrowing that came close to ending HCFC. Bartlett sacked Duffen and asked Adam Pearson to come back and sort out the financial mess left by Duffen, that was October 2009. We were relegated last season and Adam Pearson got the Club back into some kind of survival situation and resided over the sale of the Club to Assem Allam, a local millionaire. Pearson was then appointed to the board of the new company where he now controls all football operations.

As for being able to afford to keep Jimmy Bullard, Assem Allam paid off £40m worth of debts to buy the Club. He is now in negotiations with the council (who own the KC Stadium) to buy the ground and the surrounding land and build a £100m Sports Complex around it.

Now, in the overall scheme of things, do you really think that the monies contracted to be paid to Jimmy Bullard amounting to another £4.5m are anything more than an irritation?
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bluestu71 added 13:41 - May 16
Hey Amber enough already, this is BBBBBOOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGG!!!!!

Can we please have a constructive conversation about this player, if not then keep it shut.
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BongoSponglemeister added 13:51 - May 16
I am grateful to Jimmy Bullard for coming in this season and doing the mercenary bit. He is without doubt a quality player and was mainly injury free for us. However, I'd rather we were building an Ipswich Town side. I don't see how signing him is gonna fit in to that. Too many issues......issues that I cant see leading to a stable squad that can achieve as a squad.
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AmberAndBlack added 13:52 - May 16
OK bluestu71, here you go!

Coventry are now interested in Bullard.

That constructive enough for you?
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blues1 added 13:52 - May 16
amber & black, suffolk n proud gets his information frm same place you, do. from rumours. no fan knows the actual facts of everything that goes on at a club, so rely o n what they hear, me included. would prefer to believe what jimmy says than your loudmouth of a chairman who just seems to want to broadcast to ne1 thatll listen, stuff that no1 knows whether it rite or wrong
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bluestu71 added 14:05 - May 16
Yup Amber thats fine, let them sign him and take the gamble as I'm not bothered either way.
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Keaneish added 14:17 - May 16
Coventry!? That waste land!
Rubbish football club. The empty seats and the appointment of a manager like Aidy Hoofroyd says it all. Who's in charge there now anyway!? God help them...
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churchmans added 14:34 - May 16
bullard aint coming to town! short n sweet of it.
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Surco72 added 15:21 - May 16
Just hurry up and sign him ,my boy wants his name on the new shirt
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ITFC4daprem added 15:40 - May 16
this could be good and bad
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Ipswich24 added 16:12 - May 16
Can we just shut up about this until we or someone else sign him its getting very boring now!! Phil any news on the signing we are supposed to be getting this week?
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ITFC4daprem added 16:43 - May 16
ofer up to £2,000,000 and £20,000 a week + make him captian
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