One thing I didnt mention in the analysis is the effect that Wasps will have on our ability to progress.
Now i know that Wasps could play hard ball about rent and income streams at the Ricoh and that could hinder the club certainly. However there are other effects that are going to hit but wont be negotiated.
This is not going to be about the right or wrongs of what went on. It has happened and the current situation is what CCFC must deal with must compete with.
Presently Wasps are succeeding on the pitch. I am not going to argue that the AVIVA Premiership is bigger than Premiership or even Championship. However the coverage they currently get nationally is, I would argue, greater than the weekly coverage CCFC gets. But more significant is the more local effects
Like it or not people follow success. They get curious, they want to be associated with it, they dont look at the rights or wrongs, they want to see winning entertainment. Now there is a distinct contrast between the performance of CCFC and Wasps and that creates problems for CCFC because the casual fan may make choices in favour of that success. Now it can be recouped - we have seen a little success by simply winning a few games brings people in for CCFC - but the longer the lack of success goes on then the harder it will be to bridge the gap. That affects income, matchday, sponsorship, advertising etc etc
More importantly the corporate £ that either of the clubs can attract is affected by the success or lack of it. There is a local pool of businesses who will be prepared to buy hospitality, to sponsor, etc, some will of course stick to the sport they prefer but if you are looking to impress clients and have no sporting preference would you choose CCFC vs Wigan or Wasps vs Saracens. Not an easy choice if you are not a CCFC fan but then look at what each match day experience might involve, what is available, the cost to entertainment, the length of time etc. The battle between Wasps and CCFC is not about the joe public in the cheap seats in the stadium it is about the corporate £ and Wasps are well ahead in that presently regularly selling most if not all of the hospitality available.
Thats before we start discussing the effect of wasps charm program in the schools, the moving of its training to the area, the money they have available to spend, the promotions they are doing, the backing of City of Coventry initiatives.
There are some good people that try on behalf of CCFC to do something but it doesnt appear planned and it doesnt appear to be invested in by the club. Promotion of the club is done on an ad hoc basis and just allowed to happen not driven. That to me backs my thoughts on it being allowed to stagnate.
None of that is good for CCFC but even so it doesnt put the club on the current edge of the abyss. Our incomes are affected by all of the above but there is a hard core of support that will remain that is still above most clubs average attendances and therefore a hardcore level of income. That should mean we should be able to hold our own in L1. As for Premiership then thats frankly fantasy in the forseeable future, Championship i doubt we could afford it. L1 would appear to be our level and our owners are prepared to allow the club to stagnate there because it suits their purpose
Just my opinions and thoughts, there could of course be things going on behind the scenes that means it is wrong and the truth is different
