Category: Press Releases/Statements

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HCST Stand beside Reading Fans

Hull City Supporters Trust stands in solidarity with the supporters of Reading FC and all fans who have seen their clubs badly damaged by inappropriate or incompetent ownership.

As Tigers fans we have had our fair share of incompetent ownership; we too came perilously close to losing our club. Remember, also, that the current Reading owners were the preferred buyers proposed by our previous owners – how lucky are we to have dodged that bullet and ended up with the current owners?

In the 16th minute of games on Friday and Saturday, fans of all clubs are encouraged to stand and clap in solidarity with Reading and show the EFL that football fans stand together. Reading has been docked 16 points by the EFL due to the appalling actions of the owner. Once again it is the club and the fans that suffer from the actions of bad owners.

We are asking all members of the #OneFamily to stand and clap at Sunderland in the sixteenth minute on Friday. Reading fans deserve better. Football fans deserve better. Football is not just any business, it lies at the heart of communities.

#HullCityST #hcafc #SellBeforeWeDai

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Increase in Anti-social Behaviour

The Trust is monitoring closely the troubling rise in anti-social behaviour in, and around, the MKM Stadium, and at away games.

We have had discussions with the club on this topic and are aware that they are working closely with football authorities and police forces to do everything they can to combat this rise and provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all spectators.

At the same time, we, as fans, also have a duty to support the club, and we would ask all supporters to report details of any discrimination or anti-social behaviour to the club so that more targeted action can be taken.

Supporters can report incidents of discriminatory and anti-social behaviour on home matchdays by using the free text messaging service. Please text the word HULL followed by details of the issue and where it occurred to 60066. All texts will be treated in the strictest confidence.

We re-iterate our stance that such behaviour has no place around The Beautiful Game. We applaud the actions that the club is taking and will continue to work with them in our drive to eradicate antisocial behaviour from the game.

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HCST Statement against Online Abuse of Hull City Officials and Players

Hull City Supporters’ Trust is deeply concerned following the massive rise in online abuse against officials and players of Hull City AFC.

From Andy Flounders to Tom Eaves with Damien Delaney in between we have seen and heard players become boo boys with sections of our crowd.

We understand that Hull City fans are passionate and whilst losing is no fun and Sunday’s performance was below the expectations of many, the Supporters’ Trust does not accept abuse and the unwarranted heckling of players.

The Club is going through a period of change and, in a time when the pressure is on and the confidence of some players is low, we should be looking to encourage players rather than kick them when they are down.

Criticism is a normal part of life, but it is unacceptable for anyone, never mind football players, to face abuse at their place of work, and we would therefore ask all supporters – remember that a supporter is someone who is actively interested in, encourages, and wishes success for a particular sports team – to stand behind the Club and the team.

Only together can we move forwards and upwards… fans, management, players, and staff.

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HCST Statement regarding the possible sale of Hull City AFC.

There has been a lot of discussion in recent days  regarding the possible sale of the club.

The Trust wish to clarify our position on this matter.

The purpose of Hull City Supporters Trust is to work constructively on behalf of our members, ( and the wider fanbase, ) with whoever are  the owners of Hull City AFC.

This has been our aim in the past and will continue to be so in the future.

If a sale does occur, then we will open communication channels with the new owners.

Independently of any changes which may happen, we welcome the thoughts of our members on how to improve relations with the club, encourage fans to return to the stadium, improve the match day experience and build ties with the local community.

Please email your thoughts / ideas to contact@hullcityst.com

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HCST Statement

As has been his intention for some time Geoff Bielby has today announced he has stepped down as Chairman of Hull City Supporters Trust (HCST) with effect from today, 20th August.

Geoff was appointed to the role of Chairman in March 2016 and had originally intended to serve in that role for three years. At the Board Meeting in June following the AGM, Geoff agreed to stay on as Chairman as a temporary measure until the uncertainty around the club’s position was resolved.

The decision to step down now is prompted by the recent call for a unified supporter base by HCST earlier this month with our Amber Ribbon campaign, mirrored by a call for Unity by the Vice Chairman of the Club recently.

Geoff has advised the Club earlier this week of his intentions which followed personal correspondence with the owners in November and December last year. He has now called on the Club to again meet HCST formally.

HCST is the only membership group fully affiliated to the Football Supporters Association and as such can continue to represent supporters in an informed and professional way adding value to Club /Supporter dialogue. This is needed more than ever as Clubs prepare for the safe return of fans following games behind closed doors.

Geoff will remain as a HCST Director until the 2021 AGM when he is due to seek re-election. Geoff will also remain on the FSA National Council until their next AGM which has been delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Graham Cannon will take the role of Interim Chairman with immediate effect until that appointment is ratified by the full Board of Directors at the next Board meeting.

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Statement – Hull City Supporters Committee

The Hull City Supporters Trust (HCST) Board would like to explain to Trust members and the wider Hull City fan base the reason behind our non-representation at the Supporters Committee meeting being hosted by Hull City AFC on Monday 29th October, despite having had Director attendance at every previous meeting.

In May 2018, the majority of the HCST Board members received a direct e-mail from a Club employee that outlined several allegations against a Senior HCST Board member, and suggested the individual was in breach of the Trust Board Membership & Conduct Policy. (Accessible at www.hullcitysupporterstrust.com)

A meeting was arranged in June between 2 Senior Club officials and 2 members of the HCST Board, during which the details of the Club’s concerns was discussed and even though the HCST representatives did not agree with the allegations documented, as way of compromise for an undefined period of time, it was suggested that the Senior HCST Board member named should not represent HCST with matters directly hosted by the Club.

A separate internal investigation was conducted by relevant members of the HCST Board which established there was ‘no case to answer’ by the Senior Board Member named. Details of the allegations and subsequent investigation were forwarded to representatives of Supporters Direct, (of which HCST are a full member), who confirmed that the HCST Board findings were correct, based on the evidence provided.

In an attempt to find a suitable solution to both parties, a separate channel of communication was established directly between a Senior Club Official and Richard Mathers, (HCST Secretary), but despite several calls and e-mail exchanges, the Club have refused the offer of compromise by HCST to enable representation by other Trust Directors and/or Secretary and have insisted that the Senior HCST Board member was removed from their role.

Eventually an e-mail was received by HCST from a Senior Club Official on August 17th, which included an attached document, (dated August 15th and signed ‘For and Behalf of Hull City’), that stated the Club would no longer continue in ‘formal dialogue’ with HCST unless the Trust Board ‘reconsidered its position’.

The matter was escalated by HCST to senior management of the Football Supporters Federation, (FSF), Supporters Direct, (SD), and the English Football League, (EFL), all of whom have recognised the efforts made by HCST find a solution to the issue and further that the compromise offer was fair and balanced.

HCST have twice raised documented concerns with the Club on various matters affecting or on behalf of Trust Members and Hull City fans on August 15th, (2 days prior to the Club retracting formal contact), and also on 6th September.

Unfortunately, the Club have failed to acknowledge or reply to these concerns, both of which have been shared with the national organisations named above.

HCST were informed by several sources almost 3 weeks ago that e-mails had been sent out by the Club to supporter groups/individuals who have been invited to attend the Supporters Committee meeting on Monday 29th October.

Unsurprisingly, HCST have not received such an e-mail, despite being the largest membership supporter’s organisation connected to Hull City AFC and also the most proactive representatives at the 2017/18 Supporters Committee meetings.

A further phone call was made to a Senior Club Official as recently as Thursday 25th October to re-consider the compromise offered for HCST representation, but this was again declined, with a reiteration that the Senior HCST Director needed to be removed from their role for the Club to formally engage with the Trust again.

It is noted that the Club have stated that only 2 Supporters Committee meetings will take place during the 2018/19 season, (despite having arranged 4 last season), along with a newly formed committee of stand representatives, both of which go against the recommendations made by the Football Supporters Federation in their meeting with the Club in June.

It is hard therefore, not to conclude that this is a continued and deliberate delaying tactic by the Club to avoid meaningful dialogue on some of the major issues that have upset thousands of Hull City supporters in recent years, which is increasingly evident by the declining attendance figures at home matches.

Whilst disappointed with the current stance taken by the club, we wish to remind our members, (and the wider Hull City fan base), that HCST is an independent organisation, fully affiliated to both the FSF and SD, (of which we are grateful for their guidance and feedback in recent months), and cannot allow the Club to dictate its Board structure and operation.

We are hopeful that the forthcoming Supporters Committee meetings prove to be more productive to the newly elected attendees than was evident from the meetings last season, and result in genuine actions and resolutions of the numerous, well documented issues that continue to affect Hull City supporters.

Finally, HCST look forward to working positively with any new, responsible owners at the Club and remain committed to representing Trust Members and the wider Hull City fan base in the near and long term future.

Hull City Supporters Trust

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SportyCo – Hull City Proposal

Following on from the press release issued at 5pm on Monday 8th October about a potential bid for Hull City Fo犀利士
otball Club, the Hull City Supporters Trust (HCST) would like to issue some clarity on the situation.

HCST have and remain focused on improving the Club – supporters’ relationship on numerous issues, all of which have been well documented previously.

The Trust Board have been aware of various levels of interest from 3rd parties for a considerable period of time in making approaches to purchase the Club, and earlier this year, HCST were approached by a representative on behalf of SportyCo in relation to their own proposal.

SportyCo were keen to understand the background to the current issues affecting the supporters and discussed a model that could result in an opportunity for Hull City supporters to invest in the Club to generate funds and an element of fan ownership, as well as a place on the Club Board for supporter representation.

HCST understands that there is funding available from SportyCo and other US & UK based investors to facilitate the purchase price offered. Blackbridge Sports are actively working with all parties to support the process.

The meetings and negotiations with the Allam family will be led wholly by SportyCo and their representatives, and only when any deal reaches an agreement between both parties will the opportunities for supporter investment materialise.

HCST have not used any funds as part of the process to date, nor have we been asked to and at the current time there is nothing to consult with our valued members on as the offer to the Allam family is purely a proposal.

As we have repeatedly stated, HCST will always wish to promote a positive supporter’s relationship with the Club and remain open to doing so with any responsible future owner whom we hope are in place over the coming months.

We welcome the direct approach made by SportyCo to assist them in their proposal and are encouraged by their willingness to offer greater supporter representation than the current owners and hope this is a move that is replicated by alternative owners should their offers be accepted by the Allam family.

SportyCo and their representatives will present their proposal to the Allam family over the coming weeks, and until the outcome of those negotiations are known, further details of potential working capital and investment opportunities will not be available.

We wish all interested parties currently bidding for Hull City Football Club well with their negotiations and look forward to working positively with any new owners in the future.

Hull City Supporters Trust

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HCST Statement: The Membership Scheme 2017/18

HCST is disappointed yet unsurprised by Friday’s reveal of the latest version of Hull City’s Membership Scheme.

Despite what has obviously been a season of poor attendances at the KCOM Stadium (particularly compared to previous seasons when Hull City played in the Premier League), which has seen many lifelong fans being forced out of watching their local football team, the club has again shown its utter contempt towards fans of Hull City AFC.

What Happens Next?

HCST will have a senior representative at the Premier League fans meeting on April 25th where concessions (in particular those at Hull City) are on the agenda and Chief Executive Richard Scudamore will be in attendance. We will also be writing to the Premier League again this week to confirm whether or not these ticketing arrangements for next season have been approved by the Premier League or not.

We will also be continuing to try to arrange a meeting with the club. It was hoped that issues like this could be discussed at the Fans Forum which was due to be set up by the club by the end of January – unsurprisingly this has not been forthcoming.

It is clear the club has missed yet another opportunity to give the team and manager Marco Silva the support they deserve. The aim should be to fill seats by offering affordable tickets to all fans, including concessions to those that need them, not to take tickets off sale, close areas of the ground and alienate your own supporters.

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HCST welcomes new proposals for football fans’ engagement

An expert group put together by the Government to consider the relationship between football clubs and fans has today published its recommendations and agreed actions – as members of this panel, the Football League and the FA Premier League are committed to delivering these actions through their constituent clubs.

The recommendations include valuable commitments in relation to supporters’ ownership of clubs and supporters’ involvement in the management of their clubs.  This includes a formal recognition of the role of properly constituted Supporters’ Trusts such as HCST.  While these provisions are of little relevance to Hull City right now, with the financial future of club being at little immediate risk, they may be of relevance in the medium and long term should the darker days of our history over the last 30 years ever be repeated.

The recommendations also place a requirement on clubs for senior representatives (either club owners, directors and/or senior executives) to meet with their supporters – including the Supporters’ Trust – at least twice a year to discuss the strategic direction of the club and matters that are of particular importance to fans.  Hull City’s performance in this regard is patchy – the Fans’ Working Group is good practice, but hasn’t met for some time and has not considered recent changes at the club (after goal music, new ticketing arrangements) that would have benefited from early supporter engagement.

Finally, the recommendations discuss heritage matters in football – club assets that supporters value such as the club name, the home ground, club colours and the club crest or badge.  The existing FA regulations in relation to name changes were endorsed by the Expert Group – there is a process in place that may not be perfect but clearly manages to recognise the views of supporters, the successful campaign to resist the Hull Tigers name change proposal confirms this.  Similar provisions are in place to ensure supporters are heard when the relocation of a home stadium is being considered – an issue that may raise its head at Hull City in the future.  The Expert Group also makes a commitment to supporter engagement when colours and crests are to be changed – a welcome development that may come too late for Hull City and our new “1 904” badge, but will assist many other clubs in the future.

Hull City Supporters’ Trust fully supports the findings of this expert group, and we look forward to working with Hull City to put its recommendations into action.  This will require a change of approach by the management of Hull City, which currently does not communicate formally with the Trust.  We stand ready to build a positive relationship once the club changes its stance.

The full report can be found here.

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Buy a Season Ticket for Hull… something…

Supporters of Hull City who don’t wish to support a club called ‘Hull Tigers’ could be forced to renew season tickets before knowing the name of the team they’ll be supporting, or face being charged extra for waiting to find out.

In response to the latest application by the owners of Hull City to change the name of Hull City to Hull Tigers, The FA has begun a consultation exercise with interested parties, including HCST. Submissions from stakeholders are due in by Friday 8 May (the Trust’s will be submitted on the 5th).  However the timescales associated with the FA decision process are such, it seems probable that this could all drag on until the next full FA council meeting in July.

In recent weeks, many Hull City fans have suggested to us, media outlets and through social media that they won’t support a team called ‘Hull Tigers’. At a recent Fans’ Working Group (FWG) meeting, the club’s representative agreed that he was “minded to provide refunds” for those who want them should they buy season tickets and the name change situation continue.[1]

Yet the club’s announcement and literature regarding season ticket renewals features no mention of refunds, indeed recent correspondence from the club states that they have made no arrangements for refunds at this time.  The announcement did however state that fans renewing after May 23rd will be charged extra for doing so – well before the probable FA decision date for the name change.[2]

This means fans could be in the crazy situation of having to buy a season ticket before knowing the name of the team it is for, or pay even more for their season ticket. That is unacceptable, especially in light of price increases at a time when many are finding it harder and harder to finance their passion.

This situation is entirely down to the owners of Hull City. They’ve decided to go through with this process yet again, at this particular time of year when season ticket renewals are made. It’s therefore their responsibility to make arrangements for the season ticket sales process to fit around the process they’ve started with The FA, without penalising fans.

We call on Hull City to deal with the situation they’ve created by extending the deadline for renewals until after the name change process has been concluded or by providing a written guarantee of refunds upon purchase of season tickets which can be claimed if the name is changed to Hull Tigers.

[1] http://www.ambernectar.org/blog/2015/03/notes-from-the-latest-fans-working-group-meeting-3/– These notes were agreed as a true record of the meeting by James Mooney at Hull City.

[2] http://www.hullcitytigers.com/tickets/season-card

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For the love of City

HCST has today issued a press release calling on the Allams to take stock and call a halt to the divisive and pointless name change proposal, following its savaging by the FA and the arbitration report issued on Monday.

The press release can be read in full by clicking here.

The main body of its text is reproduced below.

 

Hull City Supporters’ Trust is delighted to learn that the club’s playing name will remain Hull City A.F.C. for the foreseeable future in spite of the arbitration process embarked on by the club’s owners, the Allam family, with the Football Association.

HCST urges the owners to abandon the name change application once and for all. It is clear from the evidence set out in the arbitration document that a strong and compelling case for change does not exist.

 

The FA has published a thirty-page arbitration document that describes why the FA Council’s decision to reject the club’s proposed name change has been “set aside” on a very minor technicality, having rejected most of the arguments offered by the club. The Trust is disappointed with this finding – the FA Council made a sound decision made in the interests of football in general, not just those of Hull City supporters.

We are dismayed to see in black and white the contempt held towards Hull City supporters by vice-chairman Ehab Allam. Mr Allam was quoted stating he wanted the FA to make its decision without fans’ views being taken into account, while the club took the position that its supporters were irrelevant.

It is, to say the least, disappointing that Ehab Allam thinks so little of supporters – who are the life-blood of the football club.

The arbitration document also reveals that the club agreed to present a business case for the change and then failed to do so. We believe this is because there is and has never been any evidence that “Hull Tigers” would generate a financial benefit. The report also stated that the heavily-weighted ballot of season ticket holders the club ran was “poor”, “unimpressive” and the outcome was “unconvincing”.

In what is something of an understatement, the document added that “Ehab Allam confirmed the club had not handled liaising with supporters or the public relations well“.

In setting aside the previous decision the arbitration panel says that the Allams could re-apply to change the name for the 2015/16 season. As they were entitled to do so anyway, this means nothing has changed. It does beg the question as to whether such a new application was the motivation behind the club’s reported attempts to demand that the FA delay announcing the arbitration. Such delay would have meant the application could have been re-submitted without the knowledge of the supporters. In any event, HCST wrote to the FA twice to remind them they agreed to inform supporters as soon as a decision was reached. We are pleased that the FA took note of this and published the arbitration promptly.

Assem Allam stated last September that there would be no further application to the FA, but the club’s statement issued on Monday was far from clear as to whether they will honour that pledge.

It is vital that the club makes clear its intentions for any re-application before supporters are asked to renew season tickets for the 2015/16 season.

Now is the time for the owners to show our City, our history and our supporters the respect they deserve and allow us to put this saga behind us, so we can unite as fans of Hull City A.F.C. and focus on keeping the club in the Premier League.

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Hull City’s Name

Like many supporters, the Hull City Supporters’ Trust has become increasingly concerned that the owners of Hull City AFC, in defiance of the English Football Association (FA), the fans and the dictates of common sense are continuing their pointless quest to change the historic name of our Club. We have seen this recently in the ongoing refusal to use the Club’s name; having already been dropped from the badge and removed from match day announcements it has now vanished from the match day programme. The name of the Club’s Facebook account has been changed. There has been an ill-judged attempt to attract people in India to a “Hull Tigers” brand with a visit to Mumbai “publicised” by a Twitter account that, judging by the followers it has attracted, has been an embarrassing – and presumably expensive – failure. Saddest of all has been the owners’ cynical use of Dean Windass to push this “Hull Tigers” rebranding, leading to Dean being booed by a minority of fans during the previous home game.

To deal with this first, though we completely understand and share the frustration of fans, we strongly condemn the booing of Dean Windass. Deano is an authentic Hull City hero and he deserves better.  In addition, he has had a number of well-publicised problems since his playing days have ended and we don’t want to see those exacerbated by his being caught in the middle of a row between the Club’s fans and its owners. This episode appears to be a distasteful attempt by the owners to split Hull City fans by using one of our own. We think Dean has been very poorly advised by the Club’s owners and we want no part of this. We condemn the booing, just as we condemned the booing of Hull City fans by fellow fans earlier in the season.

The position of the Hull City Supporters’ Trust has not changed. Unlike the Club’s owners we will continue to respect the FA’s process on the name change and will wait for their verdict, which we expect will be a rejection of the owners’ “appeal” against the original FA decision. We have recently written to the FA to inform them of the activities at the Club as detailed above, as we are concerned that these contravene at times the letter as well as the spirit of the FA’s ruling. We have been in contact with various national journalists who are sympathetic towards us so they are aware of what is happening at our Club.

The Hull City Supporters’ Trust call on the owners of Hull City AFC to halt their attempts to change the name of our Club by stealth. We remain willing, as we always have been, to work with the Club’s owners for the betterment of Hull City. Given that the owners have been clear that the club is now for sale we will be very happy to work with future owners to the same end, using our tradition to power our ambition. We won’t allow our owners to set us against other fans of Hull City. Players go, managers go, owners go. The fans and the name go on.

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CTWD call for Hull City fans to unite in support

No civil war on 1904.

On Monday evening during the West Ham game, the singing of “City Till I Die” on 19 minutes and four seconds was met by sporadic booing from some sections of The Circle. The booing led to arguments between fans at the game, and on message boards and fans’ forums afterwards. This was particularly disappointing, given Steve Bruce’s plea ahead of the game for the fans to unite behind the team.

City Till We Die were appalled and saddened by the booing. When we chose to publicise and energise our campaign against owner Assem Allam’s plan to change the historic name of our club, we chose a song sung at a time that demonstrated our commitment to our club, our city and our history.

“City Till I Die” is a song that has been sung by Hull City AFC supporters all over Britain, Europe and the world, for more years than any of us can remember. We chose to do this in line with our campaign aims of always positively supporting the team as we attempted to protect the club’s name. We knew we had been successful in this when club Vice Chairman Ehab Allam said on Radio Humberside earlier this year that he enjoyed hearing the 19:04 singing, as it was the loudest and most enthusiastic our home support ever became.

The name change campaign ended on April 9th when the FA voted overwhelmingly and unequivocally to accept the recommendation of their Members Committee that our club would retain the name Hull City. Since that point we have not asked fans to sing “City Till I Die” on 19:04 as the campaign has ended, in success. We make this point as it seems likely that the booing has been provoked by Assem Allam’s press conference last week, in which he repeated previously made claims of initiating legal action and of using various appeals processes against the FA’s decision. City Till We Die was disappointed to hear this, but believe it changes nothing.

The club first talked of making an appeal in March before the FA had even made their decision. The FA has no appeal process for this type of decision and their process – taking evidence from the Club, the East Riding FA, the Hull City Official Supporters Club and City Till We Die, as well as local and national elected politicians – was clearly fair and equitable. City Till We Die therefore believe the name change debate is over.

We are now putting our energies into setting up a Supporters Trust, in line with the wishes of our members.

Though we are no longer campaigning, we’re not surprised that fans have continued to sing “City Till I Die” on 19:04. Like Ehab Allam we believe it has enhanced support for Steve Bruce and the team. We know that a lot of fans sing this to celebrate our historic identity and our current success. It is not an anti-Allam song. It never has been. Because City Till We Die have never been an anti-Allam organisation. But we do ask all fans, whether you sing at 19:04 or whether you don’t, to respect your fellow Hull City fans.

Sing whatever you like to support the manager and the team. But please don’t boo. We hope that means that all of us, the fans and the club, can move on together, supporting our team loudly and passionately, everywhere we go, as our football adventure continues. We want to enjoy supporting our team. We want no civil war on 19:04.

City Till We Die Supporters Group.

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CTWD statement on arbitration and ownership

City Till We Die is confident that the Football Association’s decision to reject the “Hull Tigers” name remains fair and just and that Hull City AFC can prosper under the current or new ownership.

CTWD is disappointed to learn that Chairman Dr. Allam intends to appeal to the Court Of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the Football Association’s rejection of his plan to rename Hull City Association Football Club to “Hull Tigers”.

Hull City has enjoyed a period of relative stability since the FA turned down the name change application after a thorough and fair process. The Allam family have continued to support the club’s manager Steve Bruce in the transfer market and the club has experienced a first ever FA Cup Final and a historic, but sadly short, European campaign.

These momentous firsts, continued Premier League football, a record shirt sponsorship deal and strong season ticket sales in spite of a massive price rise have been achieved by Hull City AFC, our best ever manager Steve Bruce and owners Assem and Ehab Allam.

CTWD continue to support the Allams’ ownership of the club. We remain grateful that in 2010 they secured the future of the club when it was uncertain and we appreciate their positive contributions to the club’s history in the four years since.

However we still see no justifiable reason to change the name of a football club that has existed and been a pillar of the local community since 1904 and we know that a significant number of the club’s fans agree. The Football Association were convinced that this was the case in April and we are confident that there are no grounds for CAS to overturn any decision achieved by such a rigid process.

Should CAS support the FA’s decision – Dr. Allam will look to sell the club. This was always going to happen at some point as the Allams are not, by their own admission, “football people” and they stepped in to secure the club for the city and ensure a lasting legacy.

Their input means the club is in far better shape on the field than it was when they took over and for that – we thank them. We remain happy to work with the owners, old or new, on issues that matter deeply to fans of Hull City AFC and especially the 1,800 members of City Till We Die.

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CTWD ask Humberside Police for Europa League calm

 

City Till We Die ask that the Europa League Play-off round game between Hull City and Lokeren on Thursday is policed sensibly. Mistakes made by the Belgian police after the first leg should not be repeated and genuine Lokeren fans should not be subjected to an inappropriate police response.We were appalled by reports of Hull City fans, many of whom were CTWD members, being herded by Belgian Police past a pub containing people who were banned from attending the game, with some fans suffering minor injuries as bottles and glasses were thrown.

This resulted in an accusatory statement from Humberside Police focusing mainly on the arrest of three Hull City fans and threatening that “The disorder witnessed last night will be taken into account as the return leg approaches and we will police the match accordingly”. 

The statement did not take into account the particular circumstance surrounding a frightening, but isolated, incident. Hull City fans found the vast majority of Lokeren fans to be hospitable and friendly and insist that the incident did not detract from the otherwise excellent experience.

The level of policing for football matches is set by a Safety Advisory Group (SAG). Every club has such a group which is made up of representatives of the club, the stadium, the council and the police. It is the feeling of CTWD that there should be fan representation on Hull City’s SAG – as other clubs have. This would allow the concerns of fans to be expressed during the consultation on each game and ensure informed input on matters such as segregation, stewarding and the amount of police present in and around the stadium.

In the meantime, we would therefore ask that the innocent Lokeren fans who will be travelling to the city for the return game are welcomed with the same level of hospitality as Hull City fans enjoyed in Belgium. The mistakes made by the Belgian police should not be repeated by our local force and Lokeren fans should not have their experience of football in this country soured by heavy-handed policing.

Any Hull City fans who have concerns over their treatment by police or stewards at any football match can contact the Football Supporters’ Federation through their website www.fsf.org.uk/

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CTWD statement on club badge

CTWD is hugely disappointed that the club has chosen to introduce a new badge without any consultation with supporters, especially having promised that consultation would take place.

There is no reasonable rationale for changing a badge that has been proudly worn by Hull City players who, in its existence, have achieved four promotions, top-flight football and reached an FA Cup Final.

Ehab Allam states that due to time constraints “consultation with the fans about the new crest wasn’t possible”. This is, quite simply, untrue. This redesign has not happened overnight. A supporter consultation could have easily, and quickly, been conducted if the club wanted it. By not asking its loyal customers the club has reneged on a promise made in a statement on 9 August 2013 that a “new badge, to be used from the 2014-15 season, will be designed and created in consultation with fans”.

We also take issue with Ehab Allam’s claim that changing the badge “celebrates the Club’s heritage and history”. Over the past year, the current owners have demonstrated exactly what they think of Hull City’s heritage by their attempt to change its very name. Season card holders have already remarked that their renewal forms did not bear the name of the club, nor is Hull City mentioned anywhere in this club statement. CTWD maintains that the reason the badge is being changed is simply because it contains the words “Hull City AFC”.

It now appears, bizarrely, that the owners of Hull City do not want to use the name of the club because the FA refused them leave to change it. This is remarkable. It also makes commercial nonsense. We fear that many supporters have already been put off renewing their season cards for the coming campaign due to the sudden price hike. We are now very concerned about a further loss of revenue as people refuse to buy merchandise that does not show the name of the club.

CTWD calls on the Allams to reverse their decision to change the badge for the coming current season and to start treating the club’s supporters – its customers -with respect. If the club wishes to introduce a new badge, let it do so in conjunction with, and not in spite of, its fans – the lifeblood of Hull City AFC.