Hull City's Egyptian chairman mourns Port Said victims
Assem Allam offers condolences, assistance to families of victims of last week's deadly Port Said football violence
Karim Farouk, Thursday 9 Feb 2012
Ahly players trying to escape from the angry Masry supporters
Chairman of English side Hull City Assem Allam, an Egyptian national, has offered his condolences and assistance to the families of victims of last week's Port Said football disaster that left 74 people dead and more than 1000 injured.
"Our club has very strong and very obvious connections to Egypt and to the Al-Ahly club in particular, with whom our chairman, Assem Allam, has had strong links in the past," read a club statement issued on Wednesday.
"As a mark of respect for those that lost their lives, the club will be holding a minute's silence ahead of our home game against Bristol City on Saturday and the players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect.
"We ask all supporters to join us in remembering those who lost their lives in this football tragedy in what is our first opportunity to publicly show our support for the victims," the statement added.
Allam, for his part, said: "I would like to offer my sincere and personal condolences to the families of those innocent people who lost their lives in this most disturbing incident.
"To see pictures of such extreme violence taking place at a football match in my home country was very upsetting for me and my family and my thoughts are very much with those affected."
According to the statement, the club has invited Ahly to visit Hull, at Allam's expense, to take part in an end-of-season friendly game at KC Stadium to raise funds for the families of Port Said victims.
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