#dr allam

[squashsite]

Appreciating the benefactors of Squash : 

Dr.Allam came along and rescued the British Open, first at the 02, then at the KC Stadium. Now he has generously and fittingly raised the prize money for the Women's 2014 British Open.

Ziad al Turki raised the profile of the sport when he staged the World Series Finals at Queen's Club London, bringing the necessary touches of glamour that squash often ignores .

I hope these two benefactors know that their foresight and efforts are valued and appreciated by those of us who work in the game.

Malcolm Willstrop

[unpickingtheseam]

Losing the Plot

I am a 51 year old chartered accountant who travels from Hampshire to Hull to support my football team, Hull City yet to my clubs chairman I am a hooligan.  Chanting City til I die and We are Hull City is a distraction yet these have been chanted regularly at games before the proposed name 'shortening'.

'They can die as soon as they want, as long as they leave the club for the majority who just want to watch good football.'  Dr Allam would no doubt lump me in with the majority being a West Stand season ticket holder, but the more he talks the more likely he is to bring the latent militant out in me.

If he is being accurately quoted his turn of phrase is nothing short of slanderous and never in my memory has a man, for whom there was so much goodwill,  done so much in such a short time to alienate so many!  He is clearly too arrogant to listen or to employ a PR adviser who would advise him that less is more when it comes to public utterances.

I was not happy with his proposed change but unlike Dr Allam, I, like many involved in the campaign, was prepared to listen to his case and the research behind the proposed name change.

Now I am just flabbergasted, stunned by the insensitivity, disregard and hubris of the man.  He labels the demonstration as undermining the team, if he even considered for one moment eating humble pie he could unite everyone again, but he is eroding goodwill.

Is there nobody at the club prepared to stand up to him?  Clearly not they would be shown the door.

I continue to be grateful for what he has done for the club, but he should not slander or label people who disagree with him.  With my season ticket, away games and travel I have spent 4 figures already this season following Hull City, whilst this does not convey anywhere the rights that a £70m injection of funding does surely it does merit respect from the Club chairman.

I would love to have a conversation with Dr A, I am no militant, just an ordinary paying punter.  If he thinks so little of me and the other thousands who have signed petitions, worn badges and scarves just what was his gift to the people of Hull really meant to be?