Brian Horton glad Man City hoodoo over at last

Up to 14th in the Premier League, next stop Europe.

Once upon a karaoke, Hull’s superb win against moneybags Manchester City would have been enough to make their manager Phil Brown burst into song.

But as Brown’s players unfurled the most compelling evidence yet that they are still prepared to bust a gut for him, the sultan of sunbeds sent his assistant Brian Horton to spread the gospel.

Horton had to wait 15 years to enjoy three points at the expense of the club who sacked him in 1995, despite him commanding a healthy respect among the fans.

He said: “I still enjoy going back there - a lot of my friends are City supporters and I left when the fans didn’t want me to leave, so I go back smelling of roses - you don’t always get that as a manager, do you?

“Of course it’s always nice to beat one of your old teams, but I’m sure they will become a force in the next couple of years.”

Memo to Horton: Better give Eastlands a miss for City’s home game with Bolton tomorrow night, just to be on the safe side.

Horton, 61 last week, conceded City  had changed beyond all recognition since his tenure, adding: “I was their manager in a different era, but it’s a new era now and it’s beyond comprehension.

“To put a lot of players together very quickly isn’t always easy, so that will take a bit of time for them.

“I’m not bothered whether they could have done more - we didn’t let them play. That’s four points against two of the top sides in the country, and you can’t ask for much more than that, but that’s a measure of the spirit within this club.

“Without a shadow of doubt it’s been our best week of the season, but we’ve got to come back in on Monday and prepare for Blackburn.”