Nick
Administrator
Simon is on overtime tonight by the looks of it!
From here - http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/ricoh-arena-row-coventry-city-6881039
A bitter high court battle between two of the key players in the Ricoh Arena rowwill ensue next week.Coventry City owners Sisu and The Alan Edward Higgs Charity will lock horns at Birmingham High Court on Tuesday, April 1.
It is the first event in what is expected to be a summer of discontent for Sky Blues fans. Another high profile legal wrangle is lined up for June 10 when a judicial review will take place into Coventry City Council’s handling of a £14million finance deal with Ricoh Arena operating firm Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL).
Meanwhile, supporters are forced to travel 35 miles to Northampton to support their team at ‘home’ games, while the majority refuse to attend completely. There also appears to be no clear indication of when, or if, the club will return to the city.
The first hearing is expected to last three days and will see the two warring parties go head to head over the charity’s claim for expenses incurred during negotiations back in 2012.
Negotiations centred on the club’s attempt to purchase the charity’s stake in ACL - a joint venture company between the Higgs Charity and the council.
The charity’s claim is for £29,000 and is based on a negotiation clause which stated that if talks broke down the club would cover the charity’s costs accrued as part of the process.
However, the club will defend the claim and has launched a counter-claim against the charity - ten-times that amount at £290,000. It is believed the counter-claim is higher due to club owners incurring larger costs as the pro-active party in negotiations.
At least three witnesses are expected to give evidence and be cross examined by either side’s barristers.
Among those to be called are likely to be Peter Knatchbull-Hugessen, clerk of the Higgs Charity, and Paul Harris, a trustee of the charity.
It is understood Laura Deering - who is believed to be Sisu boss Joy Seppala’s personal assistant - could also appear. Ms Seppala is not expected to be present during the proceedings.
The Higgs Charity has released a statement on its website which states the action is being taken to protect the charity’s funds: “In 2012 negotiations began for the sale of the charity’s shares to Sisu without result.
“The charity is a publicly accountable body and must always act on professional advice. There was an agreement in place with Sisu that up to £29,000 of the charity’s costs would be covered in the event that no deal was completed due to a number of factors all outside the charity’s control.
“The charity’s present claim is to protect the charity’s funds and to recover their abortive costs in accordance with the agreement with Sisu in the sum of £29,000.
“Sisu has responded to the charity’s claim by serving a counterclaim against the charity for £290,000 on the basis that the charity prevented Sisu from agreeing a transaction with ACL’s former lenders, Clydesdale Bank.
“The charity are defending Sisu’s counterclaim.”
Club bosses believe the charity must shoulder the blame for negotiations breaking down with the council after ACL and the city council agreed a deal which saw the council effectively become ACL’s mortgage lenders by buying the stadium company’s bank debt.
Club sources have previously maintained that Sisu paying off the debt was a key part of the discussions and that the club was forced out of a potential deal as a result of the council stepping in.
From here - http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/ricoh-arena-row-coventry-city-6881039
