Welcome to The Trawler, your weekly submersion through the teeming waters of life in the Championship, League One and League Two. You might be surprised what you find down there.
Bruce takes over at Hull
Steve Bruce is back in management with Championship Hull City, and the former Manchester United defender has pledged to take the Tigers back to the big time.
"If I didn't think I had a chance of getting back into the top-flight with this club, I wouldn't have come," Bruce said. "No disrespect to Wigan, Southampton, Swansea and Norwich but if clubs like that can make it into the Premier League, then why not Hull?"
Bruce succeeds Nick Barmy at The KC Stadium, who was sacked after publicly challenging the club's transfer policy. According to The Sun, Bruce will be given funds to spend this summer and has already been linked with moves for free agent Emile Heskey and Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, whom he managed at Wigan and Sunderland respectively.
Cardiff fans see red
A group of disgruntled Cardiff City decided to hold a protest march on Sunday to dispute the decision to change the club's colours from blue to red and install a dragon emblem on their shirts.
"They are going to get rid of a lot of diehard supporters – to us our kit is special to us," Cardiff fan Elliot Cummings told the Echo. "We are blue, Swansea are white, Wrexham are red, Newport are amber. We are Cardiff: we are blue."
Cardiff's Malaysian owners believe the move will add to the club's marketing appeal, and while the move has attracted plenty of negative coverage, not all Cardiff fans are against it. In a poll conducted by WalesOnline, 60.9% were in favour of the new red strip. The new badge had a 52% approval rating.
Saints complete Rodriguez deal
Premier League returnees Southampton have completed the signing 22-year-old Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez on a four-year deal for a fee of £6 million.
"I'm really relieved that we've got it sorted now, and it's done," Rodriguez, who scored 15 times in the Championship last season, said. "This is a great club, a massive club, and they're where they belong. It's a squad I want to be a part of, and it's really exciting."
Pompey edge closer to salvation
Former Portsmouth owner Balram Chainrai has had a bid accepted to buy the club for a second time. Chanrai's company Portpin is seemingly the only interested party who've met the requirements and a proposal has now been sent to the club's creditors.
A statement at Portsmouth's official website read: "The offer from Portpin is conditional on creditors voting in favour of the CVA and certain players agreeing to compromise their future contractual entitlements."
Part of the potential deal offered to creditors will be a clause to make an additional £500,000 available should Pompey return to the Premier League within five years. Now in League One, and on the verge of going under, The Trawler would suggest Portsmouth could set that number at around £100 million without any cause for concern.
Di Canio corner
Swindon players are in for a treat this summer. Their manager Paolo Di Canio will be taking his newly-promoted League One squad to Lake Garda in Italy for their pre-season tour.
"Where we go is the best place in Italy," Di Canio said. "Derby County was there when they won the Championship a few years ago, Millwall, many British clubs. We will have three full football pitches with natural grass, one five-a-side, one eight-a-side, a little hill, a swimming pool, a gymnasium and the hotel inside the facilities."
That and a fruitcake of a manager called Di Canio of course.
New dawn at Barnet
Former West Ham and Charlton midfielder Mark Robson has taken over as the new manager of League Two Barnet. The job represents Robson's first role in coaching and Barnet have high hopes he'll be there for the long haul.
"In Mark Robson we have secured the services of a forward-thinking coach who will lead the club along a new and exciting pathway," Barnet's director of football, Paul Fairclough, said. "I truly see this as a new dawn for Barnet Football Club."
Bolton chief quits
Relegation is not all bad. Bolton may have plummeted from the Premier League in May, but as a consolation their fans will now benefit from regular coverage in The Trawler. Every cloud and all that.
The Trotters make their Trawler debut with the resignation of chief executive Allan Duckworth, who leaves his post after 14 years at the Reebok. "As the club begins a new chapter in its history, with Owen Coyle setting out the foundations of his plan for the long-term, it feels right for a change, for both myself and for the club," Duckworth said.
Cricket fans might make a Lewis joke here.
