The irony and timing is almost perfect… Today, an FA delegation gather a long goal-kick away from Griffin Park to celebrate the memory of Ebenezer Cobb Morley, the man who is regarded as the father of both the Football Association itself and of modern football. They are there to respect the game’s heritage and traditions.
And where was Ebenezer born I hear you all ask…. at 10 Garden Square, Princess Street, in the CITY of Hull… He lived there for over 20 years before moving to Barnes in 1858, where he formed the Barnes Club, who were a founding member of the FA in 1862. Perhaps they would be called Thames Tigers today?
Perhaps, straight after patting themselves on the back for thoughtfully respecting one of their forefathers, the FA big-wigs should get straight on the blower and be somewhat less respectful to Assem Allam, the current Hull City owner, who is currently trying to meddle with the fabric of the game and pimp the club’s name to some ill conceived ‘sixth-form’ marketing experiment by renaming the club Hull Tigers. In addition, Allam told fans who protested against the change that as far as the is concerned, they can “die as soon as they want and leave the club to the majority who want to watch good football“.
Interestingly, QPR owner Tony Fernandez – a man who has had no qualms about the notion of buying success – believes that Allam and also the Cardiff owner Vincent Tan have got it completely wrong by not listening to the views of the fans.
Fernandez said “Although they may not physically own the club, the fans are part of the club. Without them there is no club, so I think their views have to be taken into consideration.
“I’d love to change (the kit) to red but we bought a club that’s blue, so we’ll stick with blue.
“I think QPR is a unique name but it’s like buying Harrods, why do you want to change it?”
Quite what Ebenezer would have made of today’s game would be fascinating to know but uncertain, however, one thing is for sure, the legacy of one of Hull’s most famous sons is astonishing. A legacy that should be protected by the game’s governing body from owners who care more for their own egos than the traditions of our great game.
Dave Lane
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Thanks for the support, Dave
Good luck for the rest of the season
City stay up, keep their historic name and the Bees win promotion… That’d be the perfect 2014. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for your support, Dave. This situation is basically the world against one man’s silly idea and his small group of sycophants.
Good luck with the rest of the season.
A clubs history doesn’t vanish with a name change, it’ll be considered normal in twenty years and isn’t worth the disruption the fans are causing.
Well that’s two of you who think its a good idea.
Thank you for the support. It is quite incredible how quickly the tide has turned against Dr Allam, somewhere close to his we can all die speech.
His ill though Harvard business school report into marketing us as Hull Tigers in Guam and the Phillipines is as desperate as his spat with the council that started this whole miserable charade.
Thank you for the wider support, and as a former local resident and regular attendee at Griffin Park, best wishes on the move.
Every clubs fans should make a stand and ,I am so sick of the Vincent Tams and this allam div, we as footy fans should maybe stick together and go on a mass strike day inc all lower lges and higher lgs and march to the FA and chuffing tell the Tea drinking toffs, we will not put up with it and vote with our feet to rid us of these morans trying to ruin our great history, I am annoyed annoyed with the idiots running our game and letting Cardiff change from blue to red, FFS they have been the bluebirds all my life. A brentford Fan and more importantly a Football fan.