"City owner Assem Allam says, "You preserve history and respect history, but you have to make new history, and we have done that" Comments (16) Owner Assem Allam is proud to have written a new chapter in the history of Hull City. However, he is already planning for next season and the challenges of Premier League survival and Europe, as Mark Fewings reports JUST over a week has passed since the biggest and most memorable day in Hull City's history. Okay, so the Tigers may not have brought the FA Cup back to East Yorkshire, but it's still been a season to savour. Having come so close to upsetting the 'mighty' Arsenal on Wembley's biggest stage, it's now firmly back to business for everyone inside the KC Stadium. But with plaudits and pleasantries still ringing in their ears, it is with a great sense of pride that Hull City owner Assem Allam has returned to work. Fresh from seeing Steve Bruce and his side deliver a record top-flight points total, a best-ever finish and an historic place in Europe, the Egyptian-born businessman is now figuring out how to improve that next season. As always, survival in the Premier League will be the number one priority. But he can see no reason why the Tigers should not be aiming to continually improve year on year. "You should always be working hard to make history, not just sitting back and worshipping it," he told the Mail, with a nod towards the fall-out from his failed bid to become Hull Tigers for next season. "We are pleased to be making history. "You preserve history and respect history, but you have to make new history, and we have done that. "Being in Europe is a massive achievement and we have added to the history of the club. "Being in the FA Cup final and doing that is our addition to the history of the club. I hope we keep making history." In a campaign which has seen City make too many headlines for off-the-field issues, the club's proud and valiant display in the 3-2 defeat by the Gunners has seen the region engulfed by a massive sense of pride. Bruce and his players have made people proud to be Hull City fans again. Allam himself has been inundated with messages from well wishers in Canada, Egypt, South Africa, America and Dubai, whilst Labour leader Ed Milliband was amongst the first to congratulate him for City's final heroics. But the 74-year-old is in no doubt about his abiding memory from an occasion he rates as one of the proudest in his life. "To be sat next to the future King was a great privilege, a fantastic experience," he said, having first been introduced to Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, at the pre-match banquet. "I enjoyed every minute. The Prince told me it was one of the best football matches he had ever been to. He said it was full of excitement from the first minute to the very last. "I think I would rank the FA Cup final as the most important function I've been to. "It's difficult to say that too because I have been invited to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen twice, but at Wembley I was representing the community, and with my whole family. "It was nice to share the day with the whole region. It was a very proud moment." That pride is still evident when talking to Allam, who enjoyed the whole FA Cup final experience in the company of his wife, Fatima, the first to console City's heroes after they made the long walk up Wembley's 39 steps. The pair and some of their children were also present at the London hotel, where City's players and their families were invited to look back on and celebrate their run to the final in the aftermath of the crushing extra-time defeat. Determined to soak up every last drop of the historic day, Allam made sure he was one of the last to leave when it finished at 3am. Fortunately, there was just enough time for a few hours of sleep before he had to be back in Hull to watch the final of the Allam British Open squash final, and hand out the equal prize money he has introduced for the mens' and womens' competition. With his son Ehab now devoting half of his week to club matters in his role as City's acting chief executive, these are busy times for the Allams. Five or six new signings are expected to be brought in over summer to deal with the rigours of a first campaign in Europe. After limping over the Premier League finishing line for a final standing of 16th, in a tail end of the season where one eye was always on Wembley, more will undoubtedly be expected in 2014-15. But despite being the owner of a club which has just reached the first major final in its 110-year history, Allam appreciates exactly how hard that will be. "We stayed up by right and the main achievement of Steve Bruce is that he has managed to make us fight on two fronts," he explained. "Usually the top eight clubs can go further in the FA Cup because it does not affect their safety in the Premier League, but in the bottom 12 that is not as easy. "So, to go this far in the Cup and not be in relegation trouble is a credit to Steve and his team. "It is a massive success to achieve that, especially with not as many resources as other big teams. "A 16th-place finish is a major achievement. We not only went to the FA Cup final, but we also maintained a good league position. "It would have been a massive achievement to have come back with the cup, but we have had a good season. A very good season." Fans, who are still dreaming of Europe, would not disagree." Clearly starstruck and living the dream in the Royal Box. Shove your Hull Tigers.
"Clearly starstruck and living the dream in the Royal Box. Why shouldnt he be silly **** its a great honour and it obviously means a lot to him.
He will have heard 26,000 Hull City fans echoing around Wembley 'Hull City................' Hope he got the message.
I doubt it. He has always craved public recognition, attention and awards etc. Meanwhile back in the real world, have he and the council been in touch to see how they can exploit this once in a lifetime publicity opportunity? Or are they both still sulking? The city is missing out and the chance is slipping away.
"I think I would rank the FA Cup final as the most important function I've been to." Yeah, thanks for that Assam.
Without Dr Allam we would be nothing. Without Steve Bruce we would be a championship team at best. Without a doubt these 2 gents deserve all the praise they get and deserve to also be the clubs History Makers and/or add to the clubs history. More please both of you.
Mr Allam gets all the derision he deserves. Let's just hope his polo playing international playboy son can emerge from his shadow once he "moves on".
No mention of the supporters, you know the one's at wembley who payed load's of money to be there and create the wall of black and amber singing Hull City song's in front of a world wide TV audience of how many million.
I just don't think he's that inspiring. Someone in another thread seemed to think the 'Premier League' brand that Sky created is somehow enough to get more flooding in, but I don't think so. It's if anything created even bigger inequalities within the top division and you probably get overkill with football matches not being played on the traditional time at 3pm on Saturday as much as they used to be. People will go when it's convenient for them, not when it's just convenient for Sky, and they want to see games where teams can be competitive.
