When Saturday Comes Anger as owners change Hull City's "lousy" name No consultation over rebranding 10 August ~ When the sign above the football reception door at the KC Stadium was altered subtly towards the end of last season, the managing director of Hull City assured concerned fans there was no issue. "Hull City Tigers" was now the name that adorned the entrance, fuelling rumours that the Egyptian owners of the club, the Allam family, were starting to venture into the murky territory of renaming. Yesterday, Assem Allam, the chairman, finally confirmed his intentions after a summer of stealth alterations, spin and denials from the club. He intends to change the name to Hull City Tigers, ultimately hoping to shorten it further to Hull Tigers. In a remarkably indiscreet newspaper interview, he describes the word "City" within a football's club name as "common", due to its prevalence elsewhere in football, and claims that the name "Hull City AFC", in existence since the club's inception in 1904, is "lousy" and "irrelevant". The reaction has been apoplectic, as much about the timing as the decision itself. Nine days before the first game of a new Premier League season, with season pass renewal cash already acquired, and merely 24 hours before Andy Dawson's testimonial game, the Allams made themselves look foolish, sly, ignorant and dictatorial. Despite the drip-feeding – after the sign change came an alteration to the club email header, the sign at the training ground and the wording on the badges given to members of the corporate facility at the KC on matchdays – no opinion of the Hull City support was ever sought, probably because they knew that it would be almost unanimously against the idea. Allam's reasoning, beyond his pejorative phrasing in the local rag, is that the new name will attract interest and investment from foreign markets, where the relevance of a recognisable "brand" is apparently crucial to successful development. As a Premier League club, City are in a position to make such inroads into overseas markets, especially in the Far East, but the Allam ideal fails to realise that the club's future as a member of the elite in England is far from secure, with the Tigers widely tipped, not without justification, for a relegation scrap that could lead to a quick return to the Championship and a sudden decline in further interest from home and abroad. Unfortunately, not everyone is raging at the idea – a spokesman for the official supporters' club, an organisation renowned for blowing smoke up every backside that has seated itself in the Hull City boardroom over the decades, has approved of the change. Even given their sheep-like outlook of this, this endorsement came as a surprise and a disappointment. The benevolence of the Allam family – they put £50m into the club when it was about to die – has so far allowed them lots of leeway when it comes to some of their more outlandish decisions and statements. Some claim that as they saved the club, they can do what they like with it, identity and all. However, they are about to learn just how vocal and belligerent a wronged set of supporters can be towards an owner, something Hull City fans have had to be on too many previous occasions to mention. Whether they listen or not is, of course, another matter entirely. Matthew Rudd http://www.wsc.co.uk/wsc-daily/1165...angry-as-owners-change-hull-city-s-lousy-name
A fair and accurate article for the most part, and when I first heard the OSC comment I decided not to comment at all on it, because I'm often skeptical about the OSC, however, in this instance, whilst I disagree with his choice of words, I'm lead to believe he had a valid defence for not being openly hostile. According to the discussion on WHCR, the OSC had been sat with the Club that week discussing re-branding and were lead to believe it wasn't imminent as Hull University were to be approached to carry out some research first. I reckon people in the OSC could offer a better defence, but the outcome seems to be a disillusioned OSC committee.
Wait till we get more reports/articles in - by amateurs or professionals - before you're so dismissive. I only started the post with that article.......
The research Hull University did was with a group of about 10 fans and asked them to put in order how they saw the clubs as brands. That was about it, that was done on Wednessday night i believe. I hardly think the Allams took any notice of that marketing information, i bet they had already decided.
I think some naughty folk from other clubs have been voting in that poll. I note that it has now swung in favour of no name change. It's clearly a worthless poll as anyone can vote in it and several times. This Mathew Rudd article will ensure 'the club's own fans were in favour of the name change' **** will get used by dimbo journalists now.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1733685-hull-city-tigers-and-5-premier-league-owners-who-have-broken-with-tradition
Cheers, I was purely going on my takeof the little bit mentioned on the radio discussion, I got the impression the Wednesday night thing was the "which car are we" and we were a Skoda, but thought there was something further being looked at by Hull Uni?
I think our club is reaping the whirlwind of the press for being at the forefront of change, but once the mould is broken others will probably follow. Cardiff City Dragons are the next favourites and when this type of re-branding becomes more common no one will bat an eyelid.
First they came for the Cardiff Dragons, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Bluebird. Then they came for the Leeds Red Bulls, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a vermin. Then they came for the Hull City Tigers, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't lucky enough to be born a Tiger. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.
Some naughty people have indeed been skewing the poll! THIS is why you can't trust polls like that one... http://www.wanderersways.com/forum/topic/79175-tigers-tigers-rar-rar-rar/
Oh do **** off. Every news outlet is taking the piss. Everyone who gives a **** about football has acknowledged this is a total farce, with the only exception being the small group of City fans who are apathetic no matter what happens, seemingly just to irritate the rest of us. The football world is united in the knowledge that our name change is a total ****ing joke. As for the OSC - Bernard Noble the press officer of the OSC was interviewed immediately after the news broke, he'd only just found out about the change and gave an interview pretty much stating that whilst he was against it as a traditional man, we had to respect the Allams' decision etc. The problem is the OSC being the official supporters' club can't go against the football club. They're official, they're supposed to act like an arm of the club and they're **** scared of offending the club because the club are always threatening to cut members' benefits and stuff.
I'm not apathetic, I'm in favour of the change to 'Hull City Tigers' and if there had been a poll to vote for it on here I would have. Also when did you survey the supporters to determine the numbers for and against? Your post is arrogant because you condemn people for expressing an opposite opinion to yours.
My apologies if I missed it earlier, and feel free to link me to a previous response, but what are your reasons for being in favour?
