Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Allam will walk out on Hull 'within 24 hours' if he is not allowed to change name
Hull City owner Assem Allam has vowed to walk away from the club if the Football Association refuses to ratify his application to change the club's name.
Allam has launched a controversial bid to re-brand the club as Hull Tigers - a move which has brought protests from supporters.
And on the day the club were expected to shatter their transfer record with a swoop for Everton striker Nikica Jelavic and West Brom's Shane Long, Allam has warned he will be gone 'within 24 hours' if his move does not receive widespread backing.
Allam told Sky Sports News: 'No one on earth is allowed to question my business decisions. I won't allow it. 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.'
Assam added that the same applied should his move to have the club's name changed be rejected by the FA.
He said: 'Still the same thing. It's a free country. No two ways about it. Have I ever said something and went back on it? No.'
Assam caused controversy in November when he reacted angrily to lobbying from campaign group City Till We Die by saying: 'They can die as soon as they want.'
The Egyptian businessman, who has lived in Hull for over 40 years, had previously branded the word "City" 'lousy" and 'common', and said re-branding the club would make them more marketable.
Allam has launched a controversial bid to re-brand the club as Hull Tigers - a move which has brought protests from supporters.
And on the day the club were expected to shatter their transfer record with a swoop for Everton striker Nikica Jelavic and West Brom's Shane Long, Allam has warned he will be gone 'within 24 hours' if his move does not receive widespread backing.
Allam told Sky Sports News: 'No one on earth is allowed to question my business decisions. I won't allow it. 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.'
Assam added that the same applied should his move to have the club's name changed be rejected by the FA.
He said: 'Still the same thing. It's a free country. No two ways about it. Have I ever said something and went back on it? No.'
Assam caused controversy in November when he reacted angrily to lobbying from campaign group City Till We Die by saying: 'They can die as soon as they want.'
The Egyptian businessman, who has lived in Hull for over 40 years, had previously branded the word "City" 'lousy" and 'common', and said re-branding the club would make them more marketable.
