This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
Hull City's owners remain committed to changing the name of the club to Hull Tigers despite stiff opposition from fans' groups and yesterday reiterated their threat to walk away from the club if their plans are blocked.
In an open letter published in the Hull Daily Mail, vice-president Ehab Allam said the Premier League outfit needed to become financially self-sustainable as his family had "nothing left to give" in terms of future financial investment.
The Allams have already changed the company name to Hull City Tigers but they need the permission of the FA Council to change the club's playing name.
A formal application was submitted to the FA in December but the high-profile City Till We Die supporters' group is strongly opposing the plans, and it is far from certain the governing body will sign off the proposal in April.
A statement on the City Till We Die website outlines the reasoning behind the campaign: "Changing our name will break with 109 years of history and tradition.
"Hull City AFC is the thread which connects Boothferry Park, the KC Stadium and Wembley.
"That links Raich Carter, Chris Chilton and Ken Wagstaff to Ian Ashbee, Dean Windass and the team of today. It represents our community."
Ehab Allam's open letter reiterated their desire to push the name change through and that the implications could be severe if they don't get their own way.
"We feel that now is the right time to reassure our fans of the reason for the application," the letter said.
"With our family having lived in the area for 40 years, we decided to invest £24 million of our own money to save the club from liquidation, and probable extinction, in 2010.
"Since this point we have invested a further £50m to get the club into the Premier League.
"We have nothing left to give, and this is the reason why the club has to become financially self-sustainable.
"For the club to become sustainable we need further investment in the form of increased sponsorships and partnerships, and by utilising the global pull of the Premier League this is possible."
