A question someone just asked me at work and which I was unable to answer - If Assem sells up at any point (whenever that may be), what would happen in terms of the SMC? Could he still retain control of that or would that automatically be included in any sale of Hull City? Just curious, as the question was asked and I realised I haven't a clue what the implications would be to the ownership/management of the SMC. Anyone?
It would be sold with the club, nobody is going to pay the sort of money he's after without getting control of the stadium.
The club doesn't have control of the stadium... Control implies ownership or at least the ability to make changes.
The council own the freehold, but have no say in the day to day running of the stadium. The SMC has a fifty year lease, they decide what goes on inside the stadium for the next fifty years, they're the only ones with any control over it.
Wasn't Adam Pearson going to build a casino on the land the SMC was leasing from Hull City Council? The SMC own the lease, they can do anything they want as long as it's within it's terms. Haven't they recently installed new fences and turnstiles?
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/football/fa-sheffield-united-hull-city-2786226 Good. Hopefully they will find the current ticketing and crowd arrangements to be not fit for purpose. I hate the Sheffield ****s, but what were they supposed to do when they only got allocated under 3,000 tickets for a stadium that is barely a third full and where there is non existent security? The only thing they did wrong was openly celebrating in a confrontational and provocative way. Hopefully the SMC and Humberside Police can explain why those knowingly entering Home areas were not arrested and prosecuted, as their behaviour inevitably led to violence and fighting? Aren't the police and the SMC supposed to work together to prevent these situations occurring? Or will we have the usual whitewash, the usual 'looking into it' prevarications and lack of accountability, facilitated by the local media? I'm expecting a Millwall 2009 re-run where poor policing and visitor misbehaviour results in local people having their collars felt.
I said in a previous post that would happen. Be interesting to see if any court appearances and banning orders result from the world famous derby. Doubtful as previous incidents haven't lead to any.
The thing is the papers are showing faces of those caught up in the fighting and no doubt the police will now feel obliged to 'take action' and nab them, thus gulling the know-nowt media that they have been on the ball and competent, whereas we know the opposite to be the case. But it could be any random City fans 'caught up' in the fighting. You are in your usual spot in the area reserved for home fans and all of a sudden some coked up SY slackjaws inc one or two Bobby Knutt types start giving it large in your face. It goes off as more and more people get sucked in, photographers take pix, papers print em and all of a sudden you're a 'soccer yob' - all thanks to the incompetence of the SMC and Humbs OB. .
I **** myself after the Huddersfield car park incident of a few years ago expecting an early morning call because I was on the CCTV shown all over the place and totally by accident. I left the ground as usual after the final whistle and walked home my usual way across Walton Street car park and suddenly I was smack bang in the middle of a battlefield. I had no idea of who was who at first and from nowhere a huge bloke comes running at me throwing punches, so I smacked him first. It was him or me and we both fell to the floor. I didn't know who he was but I could see a couple of fans laid out in the muck around me. It was obviously a free for all and your survival instincts take over. I quickly realised who were the aggressors and who were fighting them off but in the heat of the moment you are suddenly on camera. It shows the action but with no explanations as to why it happened. This is the same scenario to those captured on camera in the North Stand. When you are suddenly confronted with the unexpected in an aggressive way a moment captured on camera can portray anyone is a completely different light. In the case above it was bordering on the criminal that Humbs police concentrated only on rounding up Hull lads and making an example of them whilst letting the aggressors totally off the hook ( I think one token arrest) I can see a similar scenario about to unfold after this one.
A mate of mine was on the carpark that day and pulled a young 14 year old lad out of a kicking he was getting. My mate got a 3 year ban for his efforts.
Unusually wandered across the car park that game (can’t remember why now come to think of it) First thing I knew was a Huddersfield shirt wearing fan coming up to ask for help, he was bleeding, then realising we were City and legging it A video would have shown me and others with hands up, possibly even on him (telling him it was ok and seeing if he was hurt) and him trying to turn away bleeding! Context is everything
