Hull City have launched a scathing attack on the council for failing to provide any entertainment or official welcome to fans from Lokeren ahead of their Europa League play-off game at the KC Stadium tonight.
Club vice-chairman Ehab Allam said it was "a shame" nothing had been staged by the council and questioned why a "small proportion" of the huge rates the club pays had not been invested in a fans' festival for the expected 1,400 visitors pouring into Hull.
He said: "Do we really need to wait until 2017 to show that we are a City of Culture?"
The city authorities have been widely criticised by fans and the public for failing to take advantage of influx of visitors for the game.
In Belgium, hundreds of Hull City fans received a warm welcome from locals and the authorities, who staged a variety of organised events.
And despite a flash-point after the match involving a small group of known Lokeren troublemakers, City fans have spoken positively about the warm reception they received in Belgium, as well as on their previous European trip to watch the Tigers take on Trencin in Zilina, Slovakia.
It is understood Hull City had looked this week at potentially laying on a fans' festival in West Park, adjacent to the KC, ahead of the Lokeren game, but faced applying for a city council licence which would have taken 30 days to process.
In a statement club vice-chairman Ehab Allam said: "Our fans received a great welcome in both Zilina and Lokeren and I am sure that will leave a lasting memory in the hearts and minds of all those who travelled.
"The friendliness of the locals and hospitality extended to us is something their respective councils can be very proud of.
"The success of the football club is far reaching; the Tigers being in the Premier League showcases the region on a global stage and brings a large increase in tourism, helps increase spend in the city on matchdays, helps with the level of intake at the university and no doubt helped contribute to bringing the City of Culture 2017 title to Hull, all of which generates vast sums of money for the local council.
"The community's willingness to return the welcome to Lokeren fans is commendable. It is a shame a small proportion of the £1.7m paid out in business rates by the club since we took ownership has not been allocated to putting on a decent welcome to the visiting supporters.
"Do we really need to wait until 2017 to show that we are a City of Culture?"
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