Have you ever met someone who you simply could not like, even though they did good things for some folk and made themselves very popular by their generosity and magnanimous actions and statements? Because I have, the trouble is that I had that gut-feeling that what-you-see is only a short-term what-you-get; it’s like that old catch-phrase from a TV show – Will the real Assem Allam please stand up!
Why is it that those big actions and statements concerned me? Simply put, they seemed as self-serving as they could get, the arguments about how altruistic they are didn’t stack up (in the case of Hull City AFC, at least – even the other stuff seemed more tactical than saintly), and there was a game-plan, make no mistake about it.
Do you recall the statements of how all of this was some crazy reward to the people of Hull, the city that made him welcome and where he made his fortune? So why is it now very clear that he has nothing but contempt for those people (a broad-brush statement, but reasonably accurate), why is it that he holds his business nous above our heritage and social dignity? Well, those of us that has some.
He comes out with this remarkable statement:
"From day one when I took over the club, which was facing a winding-up petition, I said, to the Football Association and the fans, I was doing so as a businessman, that I would be running a business," Allam argues. "Nobody said: 'Go away, we want somebody who runs it as a football club.'
What I don’t understand is why he fails to recognise that he not only runs a sports business, but he also owns a football club; the two are inseparable and the fact that he has made the decision (it’s not really a misunderstanding) to ignore the football club element simply outlines his arrogance directed at those good folk he was supposed to be helping and honouring.
Is this statement tongue-in-cheek, or does he speak with the sincerity of a fool?
"In a few years many clubs will follow and change their names to something more interesting and I will have proved I am a leader – remember this discussion," Allam predicted. "City, Town, County: these are meaningless. In marketing the shorter the name the more powerful - think of Coca Cola, Twitter, Apple. By next year I will change the name to Hull Tigers. If I were the owner of Manchester City I would change the name to Manchester Hunter – you need power. In time I would suggest names for all the clubs called City, but I do not have the time."
Is City, as a term associated with our football club, a term that offers Kudos and acknowledges its historic achievements, no more credible than the farcical Doctor that he so pompously adopts? Is this about a name or about power and how he enjoys exercising it?
From the get-go I voiced my concerns, I also said that it was instinctive and I therefore gave him the benefit of the doubt; that changed some time ago. The Barmby / Pearson fiasco simply threw up some smoke and mirrors.
Our club, if left to this fool, will lose not only its true identity, but also its credibility and heritage. If this happens then I will have nothing to be a supporter of, I will have no club as the club I identify with will be extinct and a business franchise will have taken its place; my football life has no place for that. Non-league football, struggling clubs of all age groups, who play with passion and pride, beckon; I will fight for my club, but only to a point as it is a part of an organisation (PL) akin to a gang that is out of control and bleeding its own neighbourhood, family and friends.
The beautiful game gets uglier by the day; there are many good things to be won and enjoyed and I am not so sure this war is worth the hassle, as Allem is only one of many raping our countries football clubs.