Hull City v West Ham United: Bruce appeals for unity amid fears of TV protest

STEVE BRUCE has urged Hull City fans vehemently against the proposed name change to stick with the team tonight and not use the televised game against West Ham United as an opportunity to step up any protests.
Tigers manager Steve Bruce.Tigers manager Steve Bruce.
Tigers manager Steve Bruce.

Chairman Assem Allam’s revelations last week that an appeal had been launched against the Football Association’s decision to block his planned re-brand to ‘Hull Tigers’ has thrust the subject back into the spotlight.

Much of last season was played out to the background of supporters voicing their opposition and Bruce is keen for the matter not to distract from the target of consolidating City’s Premier League status this time around.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “It (the atmosphere tonight) can’t be fractious. Because if it is, then it helps no-one. My appeal to all of the supporters is that they can have their thoughts but, once it gets to match-day, we need them to get behind the team.

“We really need them to do that, as if it becomes fractious then it becomes difficult. And when it becomes difficult then it can affect the team. That is why I appeal to the fans.

“We want the supporters to get behind the team and I am sure they will.”

The protests against the proposed re-brand have mainly taken the form of chants with supporters singing ‘City Till We Die’ 19 minutes and four seconds into every game to symbolise the year of the club’s formation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In last season’s home defeat to Crystal Palace, however, fans paraded a banner reading ‘We are Hull City’. Later, an angry altercation took place involving stewards and a small number of supporters.

After that November 23 loss, Bruce appealed for unity among supporters – a call that was heeded as Hull went on to survive comfortably in the top flight and reach the FA Cup final.

The City manager added: “This is a debate that rages on. But, for me, nothing has changed. I knew months ago that he would appeal. He feels that strongly.

“Equally, some (supporters) will never accept it. I think that is pretty obvious. But if they are really that passionate about the club, they really mustn’t make it fractious. Which is vitally important. Of course, voice their opinions. But not on a match-day as that harms everyone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“If he was looking to leave the KC and move to Sheffield, then I could understand there would be all sorts of arguments raging.

“When you talk about a name change, there is an ‘AFC’ in there. Does that have to stay? For me, can we find a middle ground? I think we know now what the situation is so let’s see the appeal turns out.”

Asked if the discontent in the stands had contributed to the Palace defeat last November, Bruce replied: “Although we lost, we should have won that game.

“But after the Palace game, it did wane. Now we do need all the supporters, if they can, to get behind us.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tonight will be City’s first game since a dramatic transfer deadline day that saw four internationals arrive at the KC Stadium.

Record signing Abel Hernandez joined in a £10m deal from Palermo in Italy, while Mohamed Diame moved north from West Ham for £3.5m. Also winging their way into the East Riding on loan were Hatem Ben Arfa and Gaston Ramirez.

Bruce had been hoping to assimilate the quartet of new faces into his squad but the international break put paid to that as 17 players flew off to play for their respective countries.

Complications over Hernandez’s work permit – the Uruguayan spent last week in Italy sorting out his work permit – further hampered preparations for tonight, which is why only Diame is likely to start of the new faces.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Despite that, Bruce is in no doubt that the final hours of the window underlined the strides Hull have made.

He said: “We have got ourselves in a position to attract Uruguay’s centre-forward, so we must be doing something all right.”

Ben Arfa was perhaps the most intriguing of Bruce’s deadline day signings with the 27-year-old being widely regarded as a special talent despite being frozen out by Alan Pardew at Newcastle United.

Bruce said: “There is no doubt about Ben Arfa’s ability. He was always there and I thought, ‘Why hasn’t anyone gone in for him?’ They probably wanted £6m at the start of the summer so I kept monitoring it and on deadline day I thought, ‘Okay’.

“I think he might just have something to prove and when someone has got a fire burning inside them to prove people wrong then sometimes you can benefit from that. Let’s hope so.”

Preview: Page 3.