An open letter from Ehab...

[City Man]

People attend - or don’t attend - football matches for all kinds of reasons. If you are searching for a common thread that links all the decisions made, you won’t find one.

The question is surely this - what are the Allams doing to get fans back behind City? People like you who won’t be cowed into not attending are the minority - what are the Allams doing to attract the majority?

Not very much, that I can see.

Zilch in fact.

They have no interest in doing so, and are clueless anyway about how to start.

They never had or will have the 'common touch', and distrust anyone who does.

Only with new owners might (almost said 'will' there !) attempts be made to reverse the tide.

 

[GerryHatrick]

It’s that bit where you hand over your cash & it goes to them.

It’s a principle & value thing, they have none that are in line with mine. From the name change to the Airco to concessions it’s all been a self centred strop, childishly & petulantly targeting those who can’t fight back making them undeserving of my hard earned.

I’m doing what’s morally right for me. I don’t expect you to understand.

Beyond über fans to get this it appears.

Makes you no less a supporter if a supporter stays away and no more a supporter if you go.

RichardG's post sums it all up perfectly.

 

[GerryHatrick]

We had a glimmer of a chance. We went from 5,000 to 20,000 pretty quickly. When the new stadium was spoken of in the 1990s, my non-City supporting friends used to mock the idea of City having, or filling, a stadium bigger than 20,000.

We had a glorious decade or so when pretty much the whole region supported City. It felt that way anyway. When I was at school - Fifth Ave, Endike, Cooper - in the 1980s you knew the other City fans. We stood out. We were lost in a sea of Manchester United and Liverpool fans. Football was in the primacy at those schools back then, but the city's football club didn't really matter. This was when we had a half-decent team too. God knows what it was like in the 1990s.

Then we got Adam Pearson, the KC, Peter Taylor and the rest. I remember my cousin - who was going to Longcroft in Beverley at the time - telling me about her new boyfriend in about 2010. I asked her which football team. She looked shocked that I'd asked. "City" she replied, adding: "everyone at school supports City". I could have cried. It was everything I'd ever wanted for the club. I'd always slightly envied the likes of Derby and Sunderland who get huge attendances from relatively small cities/catchment areas. I saw that we had something approaching that in reach. It was tangible. You saw it in the city centres, on Newland Ave, Hessle Road, Holderness Road, Bransholme centre, everywhere. City shirts outnumbering all the other shirts combined, including the rugby teams. When there was a home game on, it was unmistakable. None of the gaggle of regulars barely filling the 23 as it made its way through North Hull Estate and Orchard Park. We were getting crowds in the late teens and early 20s, but if we could just hold on to it... If we could just create a situation where every mum and dad in Hull would take their son or daughter to games as a matter of course. Where the civic pride that so many talk of would involve ditching the Manchester United and Liverpool shirts and buying one coloured black and amber. If we could do that, then not immediately, but eventually, 30,000, even 35,000 might be realistic.

Then came the Allams.

Of all the things they've done, the alienation of some many diehards and the hurdles they've put in front of kids wanting to support City have been the hardest to take. All that progress was stopped in its tracks, all because of stupid egos, crass ideas and sheer contempt for the fans. There's been a bit of talk about forgiving and forgetting when it comes to issues with the Allams on Twitter recently. And I get why. But there are some things that will always grate with me. We had a glimmer of a chance of City moving up to something ridiculously special with regards to the club's standing in the region. And now it's gone. THAT is the Allams' legacy.

Me too.

 

[City Man]

.

Makes you no less a supporter if a supporter stays away and no more a supporter if you go.

Sure I've heard those words before somewhere.....

Think it was some Hull Red explaining his allegiance.

 

[tigerpete]

We had a glimmer of a chance. We went from 5,000 to 20,000 pretty quickly. When the new stadium was spoken of in the 1990s, my non-City supporting friends used to mock the idea of City having, or filling, a stadium bigger than 20,000.

We had a glorious decade or so when pretty much the whole region supported City. It felt that way anyway. When I was at school - Fifth Ave, Endike, Cooper - in the 1980s you knew the other City fans. We stood out. We were lost in a sea of Manchester United and Liverpool fans. Football was in the primacy at those schools back then, but the city's football club didn't really matter. This was when we had a half-decent team too. God knows what it was like in the 1990s.

Then we got Adam Pearson, the KC, Peter Taylor and the rest. I remember my cousin - who was going to Longcroft in Beverley at the time - telling me about her new boyfriend in about 2010. I asked her which football team. She looked shocked that I'd asked. "City" she replied, adding: "everyone at school supports City". I could have cried. It was everything I'd ever wanted for the club. I'd always slightly envied the likes of Derby and Sunderland who get huge attendances from relatively small cities/catchment areas. I saw that we had something approaching that in reach. It was tangible. You saw it in the city centres, on Newland Ave, Hessle Road, Holderness Road, Bransholme centre, everywhere. City shirts outnumbering all the other shirts combined, including the rugby teams. When there was a home game on, it was unmistakable. None of the gaggle of regulars barely filling the 23 as it made its way through North Hull Estate and Orchard Park. We were getting crowds in the late teens and early 20s, but if we could just hold on to it... If we could just create a situation where every mum and dad in Hull would take their son or daughter to games as a matter of course. Where the civic pride that so many talk of would involve ditching the Manchester United and Liverpool shirts and buying one coloured black and amber. If we could do that, then not immediately, but eventually, 30,000, even 35,000 might be realistic.

Then came the Allams.

Of all the things they've done, the alienation of some many diehards and the hurdles they've put in front of kids wanting to support City have been the hardest to take. All that progress was stopped in its tracks, all because of stupid egos, crass ideas and sheer contempt for the fans. There's been a bit of talk about forgiving and forgetting when it comes to issues with the Allams on Twitter recently. And I get why. But there are some things that will always grate with me. We had a glimmer of a chance of City moving up to something ridiculously special with regards to the club's standing in the region. And now it's gone. THAT is the Allams' legacy.

Great post...

Nothing prouder than seeing kids actually wearing there home teams kit instead supporting another another city because uncle John does....
UTT

 

[John Ex Aberdeen now E.R.]

Absolutely superb post. Nailed it.
And this ....... " I remember my cousin - who was going to Longcroft in Beverley at the time - telling me about her new boyfriend in about 2010. I asked her which football team. She looked shocked that I'd asked. "City" she replied, adding: "everyone at school supports City". I could have cried. It was everything I'd ever wanted for the club.".
That's me too. 100%.
Same was happening in Driff (and much further afield). Just how it should be. It was beautiful.
Slight correction to your ending though ....... "we had more than a glimmer of a chance of City moving up to something ridiculously special with regards to the club's standing in the region. And now it's gone. THAT is the Allams' legacy".
It's so, so sad. But then it's 'only' football I guess.

As Bill Shankly once said.

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.

 

[City Man]

As Bill Shankly once said.

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.

As I'm sure any Hull Red will tell you, Shanko retired a year or two too early, regretted it, and the architect of the modern LFC identity was left kicking his heels as life at Anfield went perfectly well without him.

He ended up spending his days watching EFC train and chatting with the folks down there at Bellfield.

You'll Never Work Again

 

[Barchullona]

It was about half our home support...in the month of December when money is tight. An exceptional following but there were plenty of disincentives to attend that night, but if the will is there, people can often find a way.

"I'm not attending any more, the owner is still steadfastly refusing to apologise for some heartless words 5 years ago" would never influence my decision to attend or not.

We took the largest following to Newcastle since Brighton years before when the won promotion to Division 1.
As many as we were getting at home. The usual excuses for not going to home games when we were doing badly, and even in the PL, it is too costly, it is mid week can’t get from work, will late home and have to be up the next morning for work, past the kids bed time they can’t go as they have to be up for school, were forgotten as people paid to travel and forked out twice as much for a ticket as we paid for a home game on top (seem to recall my ticket was £23 and it was a long time before City tickets reached that level to sit behind a goal) and then got home in the early hours.
Similar with Liverpool for a tie beyond us. Not affected by people saving up for Hull Fair or them being skint after Hull Fair, another reason given for poor home game turn outs. And at Villa, despite it being just after Christmas, an excuse for small home crowds.Massive turnout for the Thrilla At The Villa as Fieldhouse described wide eyed fans setting off for a once in a lifetime experience like we were some small, hick town off for a first visit to a big city.Some of us older ones had experienced previous lifetime and younger ones have experienced a few lifetimes since.

 

[Barchullona]

As I'm sure any Hull Red wull tell you, Shanko retired a year or two too early, regretted it, and the architect of the modern LFC identity was left kicking his heels as life at Anfield went perfectly well without him.

He ended up spending his days watching EFC train and chatting with the folks down there at Bellfield.

You'll Never Work Again

Shankly was poorly treated by Liverpool. Even if you could understand them not wanting him hanging around the training ground. Didn’t even get a ticket when the reached the European Cup Final.Hard to credit it. Owners of football clubs treating past employees badly, isn’t it?

 

[City Man]

We took the largest following to Newcastle since Brighton years before when the won promotion to Division 1.
As many as we were getting at home. The usual excuses for not going to home games when we were doing badly, and even in the PL, it is too costly, it is mid week can’t get from work, will late home and have to be up the next morning for work, past the kids bed time they can’t go as they have to be up for school, were forgotten as people paid to travel and forked out twice as much for a ticket as we paid for a home game on top (seem to recall my ticket was £23 and it was a long time before City tickets reached that level to sit behind a goal) and then got home in the early hours.
Similar with Liverpool for a tie beyond us. Massive turnout for the Thrilla At The Villa as Fieldhouse described wide eyed fans setting off for a once in a lifetime experience like we were some small, hick town off for a first visit to a big city.Some of us older ones had experienced previous lifetime and younger ones have experienced a few lifetimes since.

When I was younger, I figured we were massive but people got frustrated cos we were becalmed in the second tier, and our true level of support was much bigger

In 73, against WHU we got 32 290. Previous home game againt PNE was 9120 and next one against Millwall was 9821 (so we gained an extra 700 fans on the back of that stirring win in front of over 30K fans).

There are an awful lot of fickle fans or casual spectators round here. Just like SWFC fans at Wembley in 2016, thousands come our the woodwork when there is a big game, City's problem over the years is that there have not been enough big games to bed the spectating habit in.

When it was finally possible, say 2008 onwards, people could watch it on telly anyway.

 

[City Man]

Shankly was poorly treated by Liverpool. Even if you could understand them not wanting him hanging around the training ground. Didn’t even get a ticket when the reached the European Cup Final.Hard to credit it. Owners of football clubs treating past employees badly, isn’t it?

Bitd, there was Clough....there was Shankly ...naturals for tv, and the vermin had Revie with his blanket and bingo board

 

[Barchullona]

Bitd, there was Clough....there was Shankly ...naturals for tv, and the vermin had Revie with his blanket and bingo board

Funny, I met Revie a couple of times and although he inspired great loyalty and effort from his players he wasn’t an inspiring figure. Quiet and seemed very nervous and didn’t project himself. Whereas anyone who met Bobby Robson got a sense of his passion for the game you didn’t with Revie. His sidekicks, Cocker and Owen, were interesting to talk to. Quite happy to sit in a pub using ashtrays and beer mats to illustrate things to fans giving an insight into games fans wrapped up in the game wouldn’t have necessarily seen.

 

[City Man]

Funny, I met Revie a couple of times and although he inspired great loyalty and effort from his players he wasn’t an inspiring figure. Quiet and seemed very nervous and didn’t project himself. Whereas anyone who met Bobby Robson got a sense of his passion for the game you didn’t with Revie. His sidekicks, Cocker and Owen, were interesting to talk to. Quite happy to sit in a pub using ashtrays and beer mats to illustrate things to fans giving an insight into games fans wrapped up in the game wouldn’t have necessarily seen.

Revie used to live down Allbert Ave in a club house.

I believe it may well have been number 100 even.

SOCCER FACT

 

[Barchullona]

Beyond über fans to get this it appears.

Makes you no less a supporter if a supporter stays away and no more a supporter if you go.

RichardG's post sums it all up perfectly.

I am sure many will disagree with me but I certainly thought those of us going in the 80s and 90s in crowds of 3,000 and 4,000 were more of a supporter than those who didn’t go, or had different priorities as some excused their absence with, especially those supporters at a rugby match at Wembley whilst 3,200 were supporting City in a vital match to prevent a slide into Div 4 for the first time in our history.
Things are slightly different now, fans then weren’t going because of the dire football and lack of ambition. Now some aren’t going because they jumped on the success bandwagon which went along with a new stadium, witnessed the top flight and then decided that humdrum everyday football isn’t for them. Others are stopping away purely because of the owners, which didn’t happen previously because you still felt part of the club, no matter how crap the owners, something the Allams have driven out of many fans.
I consider the likes of BillyBigBollocks, who I have known for 50 years and is Hull City, and the city of Hull through and through, and Al Rawdah who I have never met but who travels from away every home game and to away games, more than a supporter than the likes of myself and others who don’t attend games. We may all love the club the same and it is still our club and we wouldn’t go watch anyone else, but if you are not attending matches you are not supporting the team.

 

[Barchullona]

Revie used to live down Allbert Ave in a club house.

I believe it may well have been number 100 even.

SOCCER FACT

Yes, a high fee when we signed him, might have been a record at the time. Revie was the first player to have £100,000 spent on him in transfers.

 

[AlRawdah]

Here we go again. In the binary world of these two clowns there are two types of City supporters. The ‘proper’ fans who go to every game, and have done for decades. And those who don’t and are subject to constant belittling and “Hull Reds” claptrap. The fact that one of these two individuals makes feeble excuses for never going to games these days makes it all the richer.

Meanwhile, the rest of us support our club how we see fit. You know, like it’s a free country or something.

 

[Chazz Rheinhold]

I wonder how big a part the advance of social media has played in the situation.
In the “old days” people just stopped going to city. And that was it you weren’t a fan anymore.
Now social media allows you to continue commenting moaning advising how the club should do this that or the other.
Lots of bad decisions and no pr from the Allams don’t get me wrong, but with these last lot of changes I really don’t see how people are still so absolutely offended by them that they won’t go. Yes they are ****s who should go but they arent are they and they certainly seem to have a strategy of if we drop down we’ll cut our cloth accordingly and they won’t lose out.
You’re not putting money in their pockets you’re putting it into the team.
Is how I look at it.

 

[Sir Cheshire Ben]

I wonder how big a part the advance of social media has played in the situation.
In the “old days” people just stopped going to city. And that was it you weren’t a fan anymore.
Now social media allows you to continue commenting moaning advising how the club should do this that or the other.
Lots of bad decisions and no pr from the Allams don’t get me wrong, but with these last lot of changes I really don’t see how people are still so absolutely offended by them that they won’t go. Yes they are ****s who should go but they arent are they and they certainly seem to have a strategy of if we drop down we’ll cut our cloth accordingly and they won’t lose out.
You’re not putting money in their pockets you’re putting it into the team.
Is how I look at it.

This works both ways, especially since they let cantankerous old ****s be part of the internet community. They can now moan about people's excuses for not going whilst, for some, not actually going themselves.

They're just ****s who are not worthy of my money whether it goes to the team or not. It's not about them offending me it's about me offending me. I'd feel like a **** if I went, although I didn't when I broke my absence & attended a game.

 

[Real ale tiger]

We had a glimmer of a chance. We went from 5,000 to 20,000 pretty quickly. When the new stadium was spoken of in the 1990s, my non-City supporting friends used to mock the idea of City having, or filling, a stadium bigger than 20,000.

We had a glorious decade or so when pretty much the whole region supported City. It felt that way anyway. When I was at school - Fifth Ave, Endike, Cooper - in the 1980s you knew the other City fans. We stood out. We were lost in a sea of Manchester United and Liverpool fans. Football was in the primacy at those schools back then, but the city's football club didn't really matter. This was when we had a half-decent team too. God knows what it was like in the 1990s.

Then we got Adam Pearson, the KC, Peter Taylor and the rest. I remember my cousin - who was going to Longcroft in Beverley at the time - telling me about her new boyfriend in about 2010. I asked her which football team. She looked shocked that I'd asked. "City" she replied, adding: "everyone at school supports City". I could have cried. It was everything I'd ever wanted for the club. I'd always slightly envied the likes of Derby and Sunderland who get huge attendances from relatively small cities/catchment areas. I saw that we had something approaching that in reach. It was tangible. You saw it in the city centres, on Newland Ave, Hessle Road, Holderness Road, Bransholme centre, everywhere. City shirts outnumbering all the other shirts combined, including the rugby teams. When there was a home game on, it was unmistakable. None of the gaggle of regulars barely filling the 23 as it made its way through North Hull Estate and Orchard Park. We were getting crowds in the late teens and early 20s, but if we could just hold on to it... If we could just create a situation where every mum and dad in Hull would take their son or daughter to games as a matter of course. Where the civic pride that so many talk of would involve ditching the Manchester United and Liverpool shirts and buying one coloured black and amber. If we could do that, then not immediately, but eventually, 30,000, even 35,000 might be realistic.

Then came the Allams.

Of all the things they've done, the alienation of some many diehards and the hurdles they've put in front of kids wanting to support City have been the hardest to take. All that progress was stopped in its tracks, all because of stupid egos, crass ideas and sheer contempt for the fans. There's been a bit of talk about forgiving and forgetting when it comes to issues with the Allams on Twitter recently. And I get why. But there are some things that will always grate with me. We had a glimmer of a chance of City moving up to something ridiculously special with regards to the club's standing in the region. And now it's gone. THAT is the Allams' legacy.

If Carling wrote hull city posts they would be like this. I hope rehab looks in to see what's been said

 

[Barchullona]

This works both ways, especially since they let cantankerous old ****s be part of the internet community. They can now moan about people's excuses for not going whilst, for some, not actually going themselves.

They're just ****s who are not worthy of my money whether it goes to the team or not. It's not about them offending me it's about me offending me. I'd feel like a **** if I went, although I didn't when I broke my absence & attended a game.

This works both ways, especially since they let us cantankerous old ****s be part of the internet community.

Corrected.