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Soccer-FA are 'amateurs', says Hull chairman Allam

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Hull City Chairman Assem Allam labelled the Football Association (FA) "amateurs" after the governing body blocked his attempted rebranding of the second-tier club for a second time. Allam wanted to rename the Championship club Hull Tigers believing it would be easier to market the club and bring in increased commercial revenue but his attempts were rejected by the FA Council last month. "It is a sad day that most of the people who make the decisions are amateurs," Allam told the Sun. "To go global, we need to market ourselves. The shorter the name, the better. "Look at Google, Apple, Twitter. You don't go out to the world and say 'We are Hull City Tigers Association Football Club'. If you do that, expect to fail." The FA refused to comment on the matter. The club's decision, backed by a 69.9 percent vote of its members, followed a recommendation of the governing body's membership committee. The decision was the club's second unsuccessful bid following an initial rejection in April 2014 -- supported by a 63.5 percent vote of its members. Allam endured protests from disgruntled fans opposing the change but said he remained popular with the club's supporters. "Overwhelmingly, they are positive about what I am trying to do," the 76-year-old Egyptian businessman added. Hull finished runners-up to Arsenal in the FA Cup in 2014 but were relegated from the Premier League last season. (Reporting By Tom Hayward)