JON Walters today gave his backing to his former club Hull City winning the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs and earning a £60million Premier League windfall.

Elvin King

JON Walters today gave his backing to his former club Hull City winning the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs and earning a £60million Premier League windfall.

Walters helped Ipswich Town beat the Tigers 1-0 at Portman Road on Sunday with the Blues just missing out on a play-off spot themselves.

Now Walters has turned his attention to wishing Hull well as they take on Watford in the two-legged semi-finals. Bristol City play Crystal Palace in the other semi with the first legs taking place this weekend.

“It is ridiculous that we missed out by just one point,” said Walters, who added the supporters' club player of the year award on Sunday night to the players' player of the year and corporate boxholders and sponsors accolades he had already pocketed.

“The play-offs are a lottery and it will be like three cup finals, but good luck to Hull and I hope they go up.

“With the wonderful home form we showed throughout the season we should have finished in the top two and gained automatic promotion.

“This is something we have to address next season.

“You can pick holes in so many games when losing out by just a point, but our poor away form and losing at leasing six vital points because of poor refereeing decisions played a significant part.

“I echo the manager's comments and stress that we will come back hungrier next season. We are down now, but we will take the rest over the new few weeks and come back in good shape.

“As I said when I received the players' award, I would have gladly swapped the trophies for a place in the Premier League.

“But this does not dim how proud I am to receive the awards both from the fans and my team mates, and I have the medical team at Portman Road to allow me to play for several months before having to undergo a cartilage operation.”