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Hull City Owner Announces backing for Rugby Union
Brian Norman29 Oct 2011 - 16:22
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East Yorkshire businessman and owner of Hull City football club, Assem Allam, has formed an association with leading rugby union club, Hull Ionians, that will see him provide much-needed financial backing for the sport in this region.
The owner of Melton-based generator company, Allam Marine, has donated an undisclosed sum to the Elloughton club to enable it to strengthen its playing staff for the rest of the current season.
The two parties are also negotiating a long-term arrangement intended to lift Ionians through the divisions of national rugby union.
The agreement was confirmed following a meeting between Mr Allam and representatives of the club’s management at the company’s head office at Melton after which the club chairman, Mr Trevor Stephenson, described the news as a major step forward for the sport in Hull and East Yorkshire.
He added: “Ionians are currently at the foot of National 2 North, the fourth level of rugby in this country, but we have ambitions to improve our league status.
“Mr Allam’s contribution will help us to attract new players to strengthen our senior sides and improve our position this season, but we are also working with him on a long-term development plan to take Ionians into National One and possibly beyond. Our Director of Rugby, Steve Townend, is already drawing up a list of player targets”.
The agreement is the latest in a series of donations and sponsorships announced by Mr Allam to support sport in Hull and East Yorkshire, including £1m to Hull Kingston Rovers and funds to the Hull Stingray Ice Hockey team, local table tennis, Costello FC and Rockford Rangers YFC. Last month, it was announced that he has agreed to support the Allam British Open Squash Championships for the next three years.
Mr Allam said: “Hull Ionians is a club with a long history. It has a very sound management and structure and excellent facilities and clearly has the potential to progress in the sport with additional financial backing.
“However, my decision to support the club was not simply based on the success of its first team squad. It is my intention to support sport in general throughout the East Riding.
“Ionians provide a rugby playing base for four senior sides and around 270 youngsters every weekend throughout the season and it is these young people who represent the future of the sport in this area”.
The original Ionians was founded in 1926, having broken away from Old Hymerians RUFC. Today’s club was launched in 1989 by a merger of Hull and East Riding and the then Ionians club. Its Elloughton base is one of the best playing and training centres in Yorkshire and is often rewarded with representative matches.
The two parties are also negotiating a long-term arrangement intended to lift Ionians through the divisions of national rugby union.
The agreement was confirmed following a meeting between Mr Allam and representatives of the club’s management at the company’s head office at Melton after which the club chairman, Mr Trevor Stephenson, described the news as a major step forward for the sport in Hull and East Yorkshire.
He added: “Ionians are currently at the foot of National 2 North, the fourth level of rugby in this country, but we have ambitions to improve our league status.
“Mr Allam’s contribution will help us to attract new players to strengthen our senior sides and improve our position this season, but we are also working with him on a long-term development plan to take Ionians into National One and possibly beyond. Our Director of Rugby, Steve Townend, is already drawing up a list of player targets”.
The agreement is the latest in a series of donations and sponsorships announced by Mr Allam to support sport in Hull and East Yorkshire, including £1m to Hull Kingston Rovers and funds to the Hull Stingray Ice Hockey team, local table tennis, Costello FC and Rockford Rangers YFC. Last month, it was announced that he has agreed to support the Allam British Open Squash Championships for the next three years.
Mr Allam said: “Hull Ionians is a club with a long history. It has a very sound management and structure and excellent facilities and clearly has the potential to progress in the sport with additional financial backing.
“However, my decision to support the club was not simply based on the success of its first team squad. It is my intention to support sport in general throughout the East Riding.
“Ionians provide a rugby playing base for four senior sides and around 270 youngsters every weekend throughout the season and it is these young people who represent the future of the sport in this area”.
The original Ionians was founded in 1926, having broken away from Old Hymerians RUFC. Today’s club was launched in 1989 by a merger of Hull and East Riding and the then Ionians club. Its Elloughton base is one of the best playing and training centres in Yorkshire and is often rewarded with representative matches.
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