EPL Hull City Owner Assem Allam "has threatened to pull his money out and walk away from the club" if he is prevented from changing their name to the Hull Tigers, according to Luke Edwards of the London TELEGRAPH. Allam "remains determined to pursue his belief that Hull will be more marketable with a different name and able to attract better sponsors," even though fans have "reacted furiously to the proposal." The FA is "considering whether to allow the name change," but Allam has been "stung by the criticism he has received." Rather than scrap the idea, Allam "has warned he will quit if fans do not accept his decision" (TELEGRAPH, 1/14). REUTERS' Stephen Wood reported Allam wants to drop "City" from the 109-year-old name and "rebrand his Premier League club." Allam: "No one on earth is allowed to question my business decisions -- I won't allow it. And I'll give you my CV to give you comfort and show you what I have achieved. I'm here to save the club and manage the club for the benefit of the community ... But the community can say 'go away,' and I will go within 24 hours" (REUTERS, 1/14). Allam, who has lived in Hull for more than 40 years, had previously said the word "City" was ''lousy" and ''common" (PA, 1/14).
A FREE COUNTRY: SKY SPORTS reported when asked what would happen if the FA said he could not change the club's name, Allam said, "The same thing. It's a free country. There are no two ways about it -- I have never said something and then gone back on it. I don't think it's a big issue actually, it's a big issue in the media's mind and the media are aggravating the situation because it suits the media" (SKY SPORTS, 1/14).
