Hull City fans battle against name change

Angry Hull City fans are hoping the Football Association will block any attempt by chairman Assem Allam to change the name of the 109-year-old club to Hull Tigers.

The Egypt-born businessman, who arrived in Hull as a 29-year-old student in 1968, changed the name of the club’s holding company from Hull City Association Football Club to Hull City Tigers in August.

Now Allam, who rescued the club from the brink of bankruptcy and has invested around £35 million in it, wants to change the name of the Premier League club itself.

Allam believes a ‘Tigers’ brand would have more of a “global marketing impact” having previously said he considered the word ‘City’ to be “lousy” and “common”.

However, Hull fans’ group City Til We Die are looking for help from the FA who have to approve any name change.

A statement on its website (www.ambernectar.org) reads: “Our group has already had extensive contact with key figures at the FA, and we anticipate they will take a dim view… of this announcement.

“We remain puzzled that Dr Allam cannot distinguish between the name of his holding company and the football name of the club he owns.

“Until he registers a new name with the Football Association, the club remains Hull City AFC. His belief that we are already called Hull City Tigers, a name ripe for shortening, is therefore spectacularly ill-judged and erroneous.

“Let us be clear – Dr Allam cannot change the football name of the club without approval of the FA, who in turn require consultation with fans.”

I wouldn’t be so sure. If the Hull City fans are pinning their hopes on the FA upholding tradition, things are not looking good for them. One just has to look at the mess they have made of their flagship FA Cup competition to appreciate how little they care for such things.