A Clean Slate? (14 Viewers)

[Deleted member 5849]

We'll see how this goes down...

Anyway, the owners before SISU bear a very great responsibility for SISU being here. The asset stripping and leaving a club with no assets bar a training ground meant we were vulnerable only to the type of entity that values high risk for high return. With that having failed, and the infrastructure of the club even further depressed, then it's hard to argue that we're any more appealing now.

Also, with no assets we're stuck in a bind of ever decreasing circles. To my mind, oblivion is inevitable... be it next year or after false dawns, after a decade.

Also, the club now is Otium Entertainment Group, trading as Coventry City FC. It is not the Coventry City that existed for many years prior to that, it's a sleight of hand that calls it that.

With that in mind, and if bankruptcy is inevitable... shouldn't we welcome that when it comes, in order to get it over with quicker, and then begin the rebuilding from scratch? This is not to welcome bankruptcy btw, for the over-emotional. It's to accept that this is the path we're heading, and have been inevitably heading since McGinnity and Robinson began to sell off the family silver with no consideration of how to regain it. Chinese water torture, or lethal injection, as it were, are the choices I see. I'd head to Dignitas every time myself.

If there is a way out of bankruptcy, can somebody reassure me we have something more valuable than a league share, that overcomes the structure of the club? To my mind, the league share can be regained in time... although that's not to trivialise it, and not to accept that it might take the decade to regain.

However, better to start the recovery process now, than after more fading into oblivion, and more decline? At least now *some* care?

Or... am I being too negative about the inevitability of oblivion? Tell me why... give me a reason to suggest this can be turned around at some stage.

 

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[oucho]

No way will SISU liquidate us - won't happen. Nor will we b bought by Wasps. Fan ownership is not an option. The only way forward is to SISU sell us to another wealthy investor.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

No way will SISU liquidate us - won't happen.

Why? Tell me why not beyond an emotional response, based on supporting the football club?

 

[hill83]

To be honest, I wouldn't have the patience to start again. I'd be done with it if that happened.

 

[Moff]

We'll see how this goes down...

Anyway, the owners before SISU bear a very great responsibility for SISU being here. The asset stripping and leaving a club with no assets bar a training ground meant we were vulnerable only to the type of entity that values high risk for high return. With that having failed, and the infrastructure of the club even further depressed, then it's hard to argue that we're any more appealing now.

Also, with no assets we're stuck in a bind of ever decreasing circles. To my mind, oblivion is inevitable... be it next year or after false dawns, after a decade.

Also, the club now is Otium Entertainment Group, trading as Coventry City FC. It is not the Coventry City that existed for many years prior to that, it's a sleight of hand that calls it that.

With that in mind, and if bankruptcy is inevitable... shouldn't we welcome that when it comes, in order to get it over with quicker, and then begin the rebuilding from scratch? This is not to welcome bankruptcy btw, for the over-emotional. It's to accept that this is the path we're heading, and have been inevitably heading since McGinnity and Robinson began to sell off the family silver with no consideration of how to regain it. Chinese water torture, or lethal injection, as it were, are the choices I see. I'd head to Dignitas every time myself.

If there is a way out of bankruptcy, can somebody reassure me we have something more valuable than a league share, that overcomes the structure of the club? To my mind, the league share can be regained in time... although that's not to trivialise it, and not to accept that it might take the decade to regain.

However, better to start the recovery process now, than after more fading into oblivion, and more decline? At least now *some* care?

Or... am I being too negative about the inevitability of oblivion? Tell me why... give me a reason to suggest this can be turned around at some stage.

As ever NW, an excellent well thought post.

I cant honestly disagree with anything you have written, from where the rot began to the present day. There may be other scenarios and permutations, but what you have written could be a possible outcome.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

To be honest, I wouldn't have the patience to start again. I'd be done with it if that happened.

Do you have the patience now though? No season ticket this year, can't be arsed to go... even the GIFs are going.

Aren't you currently the personification of an inevitable decline, where neither current nor future owners, nor us as fans... are equipped with the tools to reverse it?

 

[Captain Dart]

To be honest, I wouldn't have the patience to start again. I'd be done with it if that happened.

I have a different take on that, it would become an annual promotion party till the club was back in the EFL.
That would be fun in my book but it wouldn't 'strictly' be CCFC which I understand is a big no no for many fans.
The clubs destiny is anyway still at the mercy of Joy Seppalas Christian Soul, if she has one, I know I don't. :arghh:

 

[hill83]

Do you have the patience now though? No season ticket this year, can't be arsed to go... even the GIFs are going.

Aren't you currently the personification of an inevitable decline, where neither current nor future owners, nor us as fans... are equipped with the tools to reverse it?

Excellent point. Although even now I'd sneak to a few games if we start winning a few and I'd definitely be back if new owners rolled in. That's still relatively short term thinking.
I 100%, well maybe 99% guarantee I wouldn't be about for a 'maybe scrape our way into the national conference in 13 years' caper.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

it wouldn't 'strictly' be CCFC which I understand is a big no no for many fans.

I understand that too.

Thing is, after admin 'CCFC' was (or is being!) wound up, and we became Otium Entertainment Group. The only difference there is it was prepacked and ready to go, but to my mind us being OEG is no more of a continuation of the past than us becoming, I dunno, Johnny Vegas Man Boobs Ltd, trading as Coventry City FC.

 

[Captain Dart]

I understand that too.

Thing is, after admin 'CCFC' was (or is being!) wound up, and we became Otium Entertainment Group. The only difference there is it was prepacked and ready to go, but to my mind us being OEG is no more of a continuation of the past than us becoming, I dunno, Johnny Vegas Man Boobs Ltd, trading as Coventry City FC.

At least that would be a better name than Otium Entertainment.

 

[Skyblueweeman]

Excellent point. Although even now I'd sneak to a few games if we start winning a few and I'd definitely be back if new owners rolled in. That's still relatively short term thinking.
I 100%, well maybe 99% guarantee I wouldn't be about for a 'maybe scrape our way into the national conference in 13 years' caper.

Yeah, but what about the decline in gifs?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[hill83]

Yeah, but what about the decline in gifs?

Most image hosting sites are now blocked at work after a security update and I don't have time at home as I'm chasing a 13 month old about.

Edit: The 13 month old is my son, no need to alert the authorities.

 

[skybluebeduff]

Yeah, but what about the decline in gifs?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Only need 1 Gif for that.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

It seems that maybe Sisu are on the way out. If this isn't the case and they are determined to hang on to the bitter end, then I would sooner start again. As Graham Hawley said very well on Friday's phone in, this is our club, not Sisu's. They may have the legal ownership but they will never own it heart and soul as we do. The real club, the real Coventry City, is where the fans are. I would take a short sharp "death" with a quick resurrection if it meant the end of Sisu's hold over us. The thing I miss the most because of the crew that own us is the lack of hope. With Sisu in charge we have no hope. I also think it would be good fun to have a team coasting to promotion after promotion building a feel good factor and a fan base along the way. Having said all that, Sisu gone and starting again from where we are would be the preferred option.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

It seems that maybe Sisu are on the way out.

Thing is, even if they were (and I see nothing to suggest they are just atm), then what do we have top make us viable for a new owner?

We might get an initial bounce, a wave of goodwill but... what would a new owner *actually* be buying, to enable them to do their job as custodian of the club to the best of their ability?

 

[Moff]

If we started again I would be there, anything would be better than what I have witnessed over the last 20 years or so, of maladministration, huge egos and financial burden, and latterly of seeing the life squeezed out of the club by SISU.

I don't get to as many games as I used to, due to my kids sports, particularly my daughter who plays football for two different teams. Seeing her play, and the grassroots football, has begun to bring back my love of the game, and whilst I would categorically prefer another owner of the club right now, if we had to start again then so be it, I would be there and I would fully support the club.

 

[Captain Dart]

I liked the comment Stuart Pearce made on Talksport, "fans are the lifeblood" of the club.. correct, as opposed to that guy Les Reid that says the Academy is the lifeblood, someone missed the point there.

 

[Nick]

I liked the comment Stuart Pearce made on Talksport, "fans are the lifeblood" of the club.. correct, as opposed to that guy Les Reid that says the Academy is the lifeblood, someone missed the point there.

Yes, because fans haven't over and over again said the academy is the lifeblood either have they?

If the club starts up as AFC Coventry than I'd be done with football, everybody will be saying "Yeah I will be 100% behind it" until they realise they are playing Chasetown Away on a Tuesday night.

I also don't see the logic in when people are saying they want to kill the club off rather than rot away in leagues 1 or 2 that has been said, the ambition of a new team would be to reach the football league.

Everybody is saying they want an upward curve and success etc, doesn't everybody? Surely jumping off to go and support a different team who will win games week in week out in non league is not far off jumping off to go and support Leicester?

 

[RFC]

Thing is, even if they were (and I see nothing to suggest they are just atm), then what do we have top make us viable for a new owner?

We might get an initial bounce, a wave of goodwill but... what would a new owner *actually* be buying, to enable them to do their job as custodian of the club to the best of their ability?

NOTHING!

 

[rob9872]

I would welcome it for selfish reasons of getting them out and MY club back on an upward curve again, but as with all bankruptcies they will screw over all the small businesses mostly local, they have contracts with, including decorators, builders, caterers etc down to the tea ladies wages and could ultimately break some of those, so for that reason alone I couldn't rejoice, but do accept that it's inevitable.

 

[RFC]

Yes, because fans haven't over and over again said the academy is the lifeblood either have they?

If the club starts up as AFC Coventry than I'd be done with football, everybody will be saying "Yeah I will be 100% behind it" until they realise they are playing Chasetown Away on a Tuesday night.

I also don't see the logic in when people are saying they want to kill the club off rather than rot away in leagues 1 or 2 that has been said, the ambition of a new team would be to reach the football league.

With you totally Nick, I'd be finished too.

 

[Brylowes]

Each too their own and good luck too everybody and the choice they make, personally
If the club ceased to exist so would my interest and therefore my support.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

when people are saying they want to kill the club off rather than rot away in leagues 1 or 2

That's not my argument.

My argument is death is inevitable, just when it comes is unclear.

 

[Nick]

That's not my argument.

My argument is death is inevitable, just when it comes is unclear.

Isn't that like saying my dog is 4 and the life span is 7 so I should just take him to the vets to be put down and get a new one though?

I didn't mean you specifically saying kill the club now to start again

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Isn't that like saying my dog is 4 and the life span is 7 so I should just take him to the vets to be put down and get a new one though?

Not really.

It's like saying its riddled with cancer, has lost its teeth, soils itself regularly... so I put it down for its own sake, rather than squeeking out a few more months before I have to deal with its loss anyway.

 

[Nick]

Not really.

It's like saying its riddled with cancer, has lost its teeth, soils itself regularly... so I put it down for its own sake, rather than squeeking out a few more months before I have to deal with its loss anyway.

Ah if you said the club was going to be dying in a few months I wouldn't have used it..

I don't think it is bad on the pitch as people are making out either. Well, it is bad but it shouldn't be.

 

[rob9872]

Would save a fortune in vet bills too

 

[Nick]

Would save a fortune in vet bills too

That's what insurance is for.

 

[kapowaz]

Fan ownership is not an option

I’d like to know why this is the case? I understand that the club’s debts are considerable, but assuming the club were to be declared bankrupt, anyone taking on the debt would have to be considered to both pass the fit and proper ownership test, and reflect the best option for compensating the club’s debtors. With the club having effectively zero assets, the former is likely to be a low priority for almost any business-minded group or individual with any mind to making a bid (hell, that is why we’re in this situation anyway). So, in my mind the steps towards fan ownership are (and I’m kind of spitballing so these aren’t necessarily water-tight):

• Determine the likely scale of the unforgiven debt that would be need to repaid
• Organise some sort of pledge-based share offering with fans, to raise capital based for the former
• Structure an appropriate management team to run the new business (I assume the majority of existing staff can retain their positions, redundancies notwithstanding)
• Make a strong case to the FA and Football League to encourage them to accept a fan-run bid for the golden share based on the disastrous failures of the previous owners of the golden share
• (a little further down the line, assuming a successful bid) Make plans for a longterm home within Coventry

At this point I think hoping for somebody to ride in on a unicorn and rescue us (Eddie Jordan, mystery investors in the US etc.) is the height of delusion — with no assets this club represents a terrible investment, one that isn’t likely to ever be profitable through the traditional route of speculative transfer acquisitions and promotions. The only people who really care about Coventry City’s fate right now are the fans, and so it seems like putting our fate in the hands of fans is perhaps our best option.

Let’s assume that this season will end in administration and relegation (both seem very possible). Just how far down the pyramid do we have to slide before a longterm solution is put into place? If the ultimately result is the club ceasing to exist and a new Coventry club being entered at the foot of the pyramid a la AFC Wimbledon, then anything that gets us into a better starting footing is worth investigation. Maybe we should be talking to the people who run clubs that have gone through this process to learn from their lessons, and see what we need to do next?

 

[Brylowes]

That's not my argument.

My argument is death is inevitable, just when it comes is unclear.

Such is life.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

Having someone come in with deep pockets would be nice. So would having someone on the board with connections to the city, who knows our club and it's history and who knows what it has been like for the past 15 years. However, even if the new owners still had to rely on money generated by the club itself I would not complain so long as everything that they did was honest, transparent and for the good of the club and that they communicate. Having a fan on the board would be good, maybe someone from the Trust or even someone elected by members and season ticket holders.
Having caught the tail end of the JH era, I think we need a board who would be dynamic, who would do everything to bring the club to the attention of the people of Coventry and Warwickshire for all the right reasons. Winning, entertaining football would help but so would ideas that would bring club and community together. We need to generate a lot more funds, something that Sisu seem to have no idea how do do or have completely given up on. A bigger turnover should produce a bigger profit to be ploughed back into the team.
You would think that with Sisu gone, all of the other players in our scenario would be a lot more sympathetic to our plight and would hopefully, go out of their way to help. Doors that are firmly shut at the moment would surely now be open. Initially a longer term deal with Wasps would be needed which would allow time to stabilise and recover from the last few years. We would need to look like a professional sports team again with a proper infrastructure, ticketing and phone system that works, a ticket office and shop at the stadium and a web site that is kept up to date.
On a personal note I would hope for an improvement in the match day experience Where home fans can sit behind both goals. Perhaps initially the upper tier could be closed so that only the bottom half is filled. Although the atmosphere was better last season with fans close together, the cynic in me says that Waggott closed the North Stand to save money rather than for atmospheric reasons. It is on issues like this that a new owner can get people on side, by canvassing views and acting upon them where possible.

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

With you totally Nick, I'd be finished too.

Bloody Hell!!! Is it coincidence? I say to Nick give RFC a wave from me and Lo and behold, he turns up on here after months of nothing from him.. Hmmmmm!

 

[Moff]

Bloody Hell!!! Is it coincidence? I say to Nick give RFC a wave from me and Lo and behold, he turns up on here after months of nothing from him.. Hmmmmm!

That made me laugh, the coincidence was funny!

 

[Nick]

Bloody Hell!!! Is it coincidence? I say to Nick give RFC a wave from me and Lo and behold, he turns up on here after months of nothing from him.. Hmmmmm!

Not really, because if you look rfc has posted in September and looks to log-in a fair bit.

I'd say it's more made up than co incidence, as everything you are basing it on is wrong.

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

Not really, because if you look rfc has posted in September and looks to log-in a fair bit.

I'd say it's more made up than co incidence, as everything you are basing it on is wrong.

Basing what on? Pure observation mate nothing more.