History is the lifeblood of a sporting institution. Be it the Liverpool reverence of Shankly, Green Bay Packers adoration of Vince Lombardi, or the inevitably long-lasting legacy that Fergie has left behind at Man United, everything a club does is held in context of what has gone before. The downfalls of clubs like Leeds and Nottingham Forest in recent times, are all the more shocking, because they were taking Europe by storm, not just their own country. Usually it is events on the pitch that decide which way a club's history will go, but there are some owners who for various reasons, from making their own egotistical mark to the more understandable maximising of revenue streams, have changed key traditions at the risk of antagonising their most important allies - the fans. Whether it be Vincent Tan at Cardiff City, Assem Allam at Hull City (no Tigers), or the notorious Art Modell's transformation of the Cleveland Browns into the Baltimore Ravens, the history of sport is littered with brave and often stupid moves. Read on for some of the most controversial.
I am from Bangor, aged 24, and possess an MA in Journalism from The University Of Ulster. I have had work published in the Belfast Telegraph and interviewed several local footballers and Olympic athletes. I also run my own sports blog, 'Sporting Thought' in addition to contributing to What Culture.
