Slightly o/t but still pretty relevant to us given they own the company that runs the stadium. I read the "open letter" from the allams to the people of Hull in the wail today. Copy [url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276270/binaries/EhabAllamLetter.pdfHERE[/url if you want to read.

What does everyone think of his stand point? (Ignore what he's done previously and who he is). Does the fact he has saved city and propelled them into the PL give him the right to change the club name? I can't imagine they're putting themselves in the firing line unless there is a genuine benefit to the name change. I personally think the letter is interesting and if there are genuine opportunities for commercial income increases due to it then why not? I'd not be averse to AP changing our club name if it ultimately resulted in more financial stability and the chance of more success (As long as it wasn't another fishy one).

I think the city fans are over reacting on this one myself and if allam had been a bit more sensitive and open from the off then maybe they'd have had much less opposition. I also think that a financially sound football club is a benefit to us

I notice that the official Hull City twitter account has over 80,000 followers but the "No to Hull Tigers" account only 6,000.

If you read who signed it its actually ehab but in the end it has come a few months too late. If they had come out and said we are thinking of doing this what do you think they may be received a bit better than the rants to council picturegate and all that. At £30 a game don't get to city as much as i did but any higher prices and i will be definitely not going and sure won't be the only one. See where they are coming from but totally the wrong way about it. Too far gone now with people like ctwd

I've no idea what his agenda is now. He said if he didn't get the KC stadium he'd move City to Melton, but he didn't. To me the Tigers thing seems more about control/winning a pointless argument than the underlying issue, but I struggle to see commercial benefits of the size he claims from a rebrand.

dont trust him as far as i could throw him, bully boy

He's also given away some clues to their current income, saying it's 7% of gate receipts.

So if every match, plus a few cup games, attended by 25000 passholders, averaging say £350 per season,
would give a total of around £9m, which equates to around £125m annual income. Serious money already!!

He's also threatened to increase prices by 50% if he doesn't get his way.

(Sums may be way off the mark.)

What I found interesting in his open letter was the part stating that another club had made an application to the FA for the name 'Hull Tigers', thus forcing their hand to apply earlier to the FA for the name change. Seems odd that this came about at the same time Mr Allam wanted to change the name himself.

firstly we had tickets for tenner then moving to melton then walking away then ticket prices going up, blokes only looking after himself. he couldnt give 2 monkeys about hull

I wondered if some supporter group was behind it to stop him doing it or maybe it just isn't true

It was a deliberate act by one of the Hull City aficionados. A group of them came up with the theory that the name-change coup would be scuppered if the Hull Tigers name was already spoken for. One of the group proceeded to attempt just that, and applied to the FA to register the name of the local amateur club he is involved with as Hull Tigers. Happened as all this was first kicking off, I believe.

I think the open letter is very patronising. "Now hush, you ignorant supporters, and leave the business side of things to the owners. If you don't, we're off again." Apart from the undeniable facts that they've still not provided evidence of sponsors only interested in the Hull Tigers brand (surely still marketable as a nickname and image just as much as the official name would be) and that as such wonderful businessmen they've increased Hull City's debt from £30M to £100M in two years (a far worse record than Bartlett), and run the SMC into the ground with vast losses - the first owners to achieve this incomprehensible feat.

Until they provide tangible proof that [ionly[/i changing the name to Hull Tigers will bring the revenue they crave why should anyone give the "wet finger in the air" story lip-service? The letter is much politer, though, hence Ehab's name against it in an attempt to mitigate himself from his shrieking, insulting father. Too little too late, I reckon. I bet they've got wind that noises coming from the FA aren't favourable.

Don't forget the Allam golden rule - everything he says and does is with one motivation, acquisition of that stadium. Nowt's changed there, it's the only thing that'll get him out of the financial nightmare he's found himself in. They're desperate. I still believe this whole crazy Tigers thing is some bizarre plot to get the fans back clamouring against the council. Problem is, even the most vehement council-haters amongst the fans (our very own scooter-boy being one of them) are now in sympathy with HCC and can finally see through Allam's crude 'Sporting Village' smoke and mirrors. Ironically, it is the Hull Tigers thing that has dashed the scales from their eyes. Many of them want him out, even if it means condemnation to the lower leagues again.

The whole thing has been a PR disaster for them, if they had released that letter when the idea first raised it head they still wouldn't have got every fan on board, but there would have been a lot more fans willing to give it a go.

If I was a City fan i'd be praying that they stay up, as if they go down I can see the whole club collapsing like a pack of cards...he has massively increased the wage bill, and you can't see Tiger Beer, Tiger Airlines or whoever it is he thinks he can attract being interested in Championship football.

I don't believe he seriously expects to find the sponsorship necessary to compensate for the revenue the freehold of the stadium would had given him from companies purely interested in the Tiger brand. What sort of business targets sponsorship solely from one tiny percentage of what's available? It's like me deciding to buy a new car. I am open to all makes, models, colours etc, and just want the best deal. So instead of perusing the whole market, I just choose a Seat catalogue and pick from there.

This whole 'Tigers is essential to attract sponsors' stuff is a massive red herring.

I understand the need to generate more income, after he has ploughed so much money into the club. But I think the fans would have been more easily persuaded, if he had done this name change thing correctly and asked the fans first or done research before storming in and demanding everyone to agree with him. PR disaster!

Will the name change really make that much of a dent in the bills? What are you looking to gain on top of your current sponsorship deals?

More worrying are the figures that they have released, outside of the Prem the club could be back to pre Allam days it will only take a bad run of results

I agree.
To what end? The K.C. can't hold a bigger crowd, an extension to the stadium wouldn't really make sense. So flogging the Tiger brand far and wide may generate some passing interest, but what financial gain could be made?

The letter is just another sorry chapter in the Allam saga. They've mortgaged City to the hilt while trying to gain the freehold of the KC. They've fallen out with the council so want City removed from the club name. The sponsorship side show is just another 'move to Melton' episode. Shambolic all round.

As the actual name change of the soccer club has NO RELEVANCE to the dealings of the SMC, and therefore NO RELEVANCE to Hull FC then whay is this being discussed on here ? I agree the OP did say "slightly O/T" but this is totally O/T.

personally I think the Allams are sulky, petulant and arrogant, but again that's not an opinion of relevance to this board. I can't stand Hull Sh1tty and don't want to read about or talk about them on here

reading between the lines I think the allams are wanting a way out and in todays climate that can't be good for city, the problem lies in the stadium capacity this been the reason he wanted to buy it. I can see city playing Shorpe and co in a couple of seasons with 4000 supporters watching them, Hull is a rugby city always has and always will be. I know city fans will be slagging me off for this but I watched city vs Newcastle at weekend and wasn't bothered who won, just wanted to watch a prem team at the kc. That doesn't make me a glory supporter just curious and will continue to renew my anfield season pass, its sad when there are more Liverpool and man utd fans in this city than actual city fans. At least allam wont be trying to screw fc out of more money in a couple of years.

If someone already has registered a change to Hull Tigers I suppose Dr Allam could try something else .

Hull Sharks maybe

That's the way i see it.

Fell out with the council so to annoy them they want to remove the word CITY from the teams name.

The sort of petulent thing they do.

Still no real proof that changing to Tigers will increase revenue.

Hull will be the CITY of culture in 2017. Surely they can use that to increase sponsorship etc??

After reading this 'open letter' nothing seems to have changed and underlying in the letter is the fact that the Allams still are of the mind set 'its our way or the highway'.

They have still yet to put any evidence/projections of extra revenue streams changing the name would make compared to leaving the name as is.

Yet again this is appauling timing for PR with the fact they have one of the most important games in the clubs history at the weekend for decades that being the FA cup tie at home. Instead of pushing and using this to market Hull City to potential sponsorship for next season they bring up the arguement and bad feeling again.

It all comes back to wanting rid of the word City due to Assem Allams fall out with the council and his petulant outburst and now they are just trying to cover it up with bad PR as something else.
As a business owner myself I wouldnt be to bothered about the name of a club if I wanted to sponsor as it would be more about what coverage I can get for MY company and the financial return for my outlay. The only hope City have got to significantly increase revenue from sponsorship is to earn it by becoming a successful club on the field and being contenders for trophies and staying at the top level. Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea etc have been the most successful clubs in England because of their history and success which has earnt them the returns from their names. Man Utd in the late 70's early 80's wouldnt suddenly have found untold riches by changing the name to Manchester Reds they got it from the success they have achieved over the years and most recently under Alex Ferguson, because of that companies were prepaid to pay top dollar to be associated with the club.

This I believe all smacks of the Allams wanting out as they can not get their hands on the prime asset (The KC) to build their retail development etc as their sole reason for buying City in the first place. This wouldnt suprise me as the first stage of an exit strategy to enable them to save face by putting the blame for their selling up on the Council and the supporters (CTWD) or both.

Lets face it they should be renamed the Melton Tigers by now and playing out their own Super Stadium next season

I think your sums are ok, but I think the 7% of total income coming via the gates is to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Everton announced their financials this week for their last accounting period in which they has a RECORD turnover of £87m. Thats a club who will average 10k fans more than City will

The letter in the HDM doesn't change anything, its a polite way of saying what the old man has come out with in the past in an abrupt way.

There is no proof what so ever that changing their name will attract bigger sponsors.

Getting more OT I know, but last years premiership club finances are [url=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/apr/18/premier-league-finances-club-by-clubhere[/url

They do vary massively, and clearly city's income is not £125m.

I can't understand why Allam has seen fit to make his statement now. He's said it all before.

If he knew already that his bid had been successful, then what's the point?

Couldn't give a toss.

They can go to the wall again for me.

Snap !!! I know he runs the smc but what's this got to do with hull fc or rugby league in general ?