Late last year, I linked to a Guardian item in which Allam Marine magnate Dr. Assem Allam called the proposed name change of Hull City AFC to the Hull Tigers, “textbook marketing” (“The Former Hull AFC : Hoping Some Of That Frosted Flakes / Siegfried & Roy Glamour Rubs Off”). On Wednesday, a somewhat impatient Allam spoke with Sky Sports News and claimed he’d walk away from the club if “the community” or the England F.A. rejected his scheme. Keep in mind, this is the same owner who previously claimed, “I don’t mind them singing ‘City till we die’..they can die as soon as they want”. From the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards :
“No one on earth is allowed to question my business decisions. I won’t allow it,” Allam told Sky Sports. “I can give you my CV to give you comfort, for what I do in business, what I have achieved, but for someone to come and question me is not allowed.
“I’m here to save the club and manage the club for the benefit of the community. It will never, never be the other way round – that the community manage it for me. But if the community say go away, I promise to go away with 24 hours.”
Manager Steve Bruce has been trying to mediate in the dispute, and has repeatedly warned of the threat to Hull’s future if Allam decides he has had enough.