Hull City will not carry the club's name on their playing kit next season after today unveiling a new badge for 2014-15.
The FA's Council voted in April it will be Hull City, rather than Hull Tigers, who compete in the Premier League from August, but that has not stopped owner Assem Allam from pushing ahead with his plans to change the face of the club. The badge used by City since former chairman Adam Pearson first took control of the club in 2001 has been absent from all season ticket paperwork, while promotions ahead of the new season have also carried only the Tigers head. A revised crest will now adorn a new Umbro home and away kit upon its unveiling next month, along with a lucrative sponsor that is still be confirmed. The new badge is the latest in a long line adopted by the club, but it is first time since the late 1970s 'Hull City' has not been included on shirt designs. City will brace themselves for a backlash from fans group City Till We Die, who have vehemently opposed any change to the club's identity over the last year. They successfully helped convince the FA the name Hull City should not be changed but Allam was quick to suggest he would appeal the decision. No comment has since been made on that issue by the club's owners but the business name of Hull City Tigers Ltd, registered at Companies House 15 months ago, has taken on a greater profile. Hull City Tigers is currently used in official club statements and for commercial operations.
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Philip Buckingham on the new badge | Hull City fixtures
Abandoning a 13-year-old crest in favour of a reworked design, the words 'Hull City AFC' and 'The Tigers' have been removed.
The popular Tigers head remains within a shield, accompanied only by '1904' – the year of the club's formation.
City officials believe the modernised badge celebrates 110 years of history, but the absence of the club's name is certain to spark debate among supporters.
Two months after an application to become known as Hull Tigers was rejected by the Football Association, a new badge without mention of Hull City AFC is unlikely to prove popular with fans opposed to a name change.
Hull City badges over the years.
The FA's Council voted in April it will be Hull City, rather than Hull Tigers, who compete in the Premier League from August, but that has not stopped owner Assem Allam from pushing ahead with his plans to change the face of the club. The badge used by City since former chairman Adam Pearson first took control of the club in 2001 has been absent from all season ticket paperwork, while promotions ahead of the new season have also carried only the Tigers head. A revised crest will now adorn a new Umbro home and away kit upon its unveiling next month, along with a lucrative sponsor that is still be confirmed. The new badge is the latest in a long line adopted by the club, but it is first time since the late 1970s 'Hull City' has not been included on shirt designs. City will brace themselves for a backlash from fans group City Till We Die, who have vehemently opposed any change to the club's identity over the last year. They successfully helped convince the FA the name Hull City should not be changed but Allam was quick to suggest he would appeal the decision. No comment has since been made on that issue by the club's owners but the business name of Hull City Tigers Ltd, registered at Companies House 15 months ago, has taken on a greater profile. Hull City Tigers is currently used in official club statements and for commercial operations.
• City Till We Die: Fans should have been consulted
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