system will force sections of fans to move to another area of the stadium to maintain their match day seats. Since the changes were announced, match day attendances at the KCOM Stadium have fallen significantly, with Hull City's 2016–17 campaign in the Premier League producing an average attendance figure of 20,761, a 12 per cent decrease on their previous season in the Premier League, while their 2017–18 campaign back in the Championship has so far been averaging just 15,980 fans. In spite of attendances falling, vice-chairman Ehab Allam has defended the new scheme, and has stated that it will remain. Allam's running of the club came under criticism in the summer of 2016, when after Hull City had regained promotion to the Premier League, the club only had twelve fit senior professionals available to play in the club's opening day fixture against reigning champions Leicester City, with no acquisitions having been made since their Championship play-off final win and with no permanent manager in place after Steve Bruce's resignation in the off-season. Allam's ownership of the club again came under scrutiny in the summer of 2017, following Hull's relegation from the Premier League, where upwards of seven key first team players were sold during the transfer window. Hull again started a season with a threadbare squad depleted by injuries, and made a poor start to their first season back in the Championship under manager Leonid Slutsky. He was sacked just months into the new season in early December, with the club having been on a poor run of two wins in 15 games, and firmly in a relegation battle. As of late 2017, the club has still been made available for sale by the Allam family, with Assem Allam stating that the club "is no closer to being sold". Allam has cited issues with the club's stadium ownership and "militant" fan backlash surrounding the running of the club as reasons for a potential sale being delayed. On 19 January 2022, Hull City announced that Acun Medya, backed by Acun Ilıcalı, had purchased the club from Allam. Hull Kingston Rovers In May 2011, Allam gave a £1 million gift to Hull Kingston Rovers rugby league club "to be used for stadium improvements and strengthening the playing staff". Squash sponsorship In October 2011, Allam signed a three-year sponsorship of the British Open Squash Championships. The event was successfully moved to Kingston upon