With Hull City’s campaign to change the Club’s playing name now seemingly over, the Hull City Supporters’ Trust is today announcing its move into a new phase of collaborative working with the Club, in line with its stated purpose to represent supporters and build relationships with stakeholders. To make this happen, and building on our significant contribution to the Fans’ Working Group, the Trust has today written to Ehab Allam to begin an improved dialogue with the Club’s management on a variety of matters that are important to supporters – including the reversal of the previous rebranding and reintroduction of the playing name “Hull City” into the lexicon of day-to-day Club communications and publications. (See the letter here - http://hullcitysupporterstrust.com/wp-content/uploads/HCST-E-Allam-160815.pdf.) The Trust is already taking forward a number of initiatives that respond to previous requests for action from shareholders. We are launching some simple products that will allow supporters to reverse the rebrand for themselves. We are investigating the sponsorship of a Hull City player in order to raise the profile of the Trust on matchdays. We are progressing a public art project that will celebrate the football club’s heritage at its original Anlaby Road Ground home. And we are supporting national campaigns that will improve the match day experience for all supporters, including City’s. But that isn’t enough for us. The Trust wants to hear from all of its shareholders and members, as well as other supporters of Hull City, to guide its work in the future where a name change campaign is no longer always on the horizon. Please contact us on [email protected] with your thoughts, they will shape our communications with the club. The Trust is keen to move forward on a positive footing and enter a new period of constructive communication and co-operation with the management of Hull City. We think it’s time to let bygones be bygones and move on. We will report back with developments over the coming weeks. In the meantime, let us know what you want from your Trust going forward – it’s what we are here for! Mike Scott, Secretary
Interesting you have chosen to write to the Vice-Chair rather then the Chairman. And maybe a small gift should have been included, perhaps Mark Gretton's hip flask.
I've asked time and again and got a number of answers that didn't actually stack up but why do you keep just limiting things to private emails? Why not have a full open discussion, so you can demonstrate that you're actually listening to to fans and it is theirs, not the committee's agenda that is being moved forward? It's been said in the past that these discussions take place on twitter and facebook, but I couldn't find anything to support that. This is the largest on-line collection of Hull City supporters, why not have some here?
Nothing's limited, anyone can discuss anything they like. If people want to discuss things openly on here, rather than emailing, then I'd welcome it and put forward anything raised.
So why not, not only make that explicitly clear in the communications, but also actively carry it out? By that I mean facilitate discussions, encouraging comments and showing that thoughts are considered and built upon, not just dismissed with abuse? It'd be good to see some actions initiated by fans/members, rather than a committee telling people what's happening and asking them to like it. There's a good depth of knowledge and experience on a variety of topics among our supporters, it'd be beneficial if these could be utilised. I feel that would help recruitment and limit people expecting others to do things for them. Things raised don't necessarily have to go to the committee. They don't need to be arbiters and judges.
Unfortunately, given the fact that the Allams won't even attend matches, I highly doubt they will engage in any kind of collaboration or dialogue with the supporters group that thankfully fought successfully against them twice, the group that represents the supporters the Allams so clearly despise...
Just as a side issue, the trust received this, let me know if anyone fancies it... Hello, Hope you are well. I work on the production team at Football League Tonight and we’re looking to get some fans to be a part of our live studio audience this Saturday. Do you think any Hull City fans would be keen to come along after the Charlton game? Each person will be provided with a beer (fans need to be 18 or over to attend, although I’ll let you know if that changes) and we’ll make sure everyone is looked after. The show is filmed at Sky’s studios in Osterley (Grant Way, Isleworth, TW7 5QD) and we would need the audience there from 8-10.30pm. If you thing this is something that any of your members would be interested in then please just let me know. Kind regards, Alex
I actually prefer the simplicity of the new badge but would suggest that the word City could replace 1904, with everything else remaining the same. I remember a time when Terry Neill was manager having a Tiger on plain amber shirts at least one season so it is not that revolutionary.
I have to say that if I was Ehab Allam it would wind me up enormously to see the name Mark Gretton as Chairman of the HCST, it certainly wouldn't endear the group to me. Just saying.
Whilst I admire any attempt to build bridges, I'm not sure laying out a list of demands is the best approach, plus posting it on the internet before any reply feels a little confrontational too. I realise if you get rebuffed it will all be about the Allams but at some point you'll need to acknowledge that Mark and his hip flask is not the best man to be chairman. As said above, if I was Ehab, until the chairman changed I'd have nowt to do with hcst. Still, good luck.
I also admire attempts to build bridges but conciliation works both ways. As much as there could be a problem with Mark Gretton and his hip flask there are also issues with the very public words that have emerged from the mouths of the Allams. If HCST are prepared to put the good of the club before all else, then it's only right that the club board do the same.
Can we have sensible prices? Can we have decent forks to eat the pies with? The cheap plastic things are ****e.
The owners comments were largely taken out of context but in any case were no where near as specific as Grettons hip flask which was rude and offensive and extremely personal. If hcst wanted to put the good of the club before themselves they'd have a new chairman.
To be fair the Allam's only need to be asked one question 'how can we jointly move forward to the long term benefit of the club?' The ball is then in their court, let them send it back with suggestions, from there you'd have a platform on which to build.