Another Guardian article (5 Viewers)

[fernandopartridge]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/oct/12/coventry-city-decline-despair-league-one

Saw this comment below the line from a neutral that sums my view up too:

Without a buyer, the obvious solution is to keep cutting costs until the club becomes viable. Unfortunately, that might mean the club drops out of the Football League. A tragedy for the 8th largest city (?) in the country but no one owes Coventry City and their fans a free ride.

SISU aren't the real culprits: the previous owners created the problem by selling Highfield Road and plunging the club into enormous debt. SISU stupidly bought into it expecting a return on their investment. After poor managerial choices and poor transfer decision, SISU decided to cut their losses.

Nothing wrong with that. Even their decision to try to distress ACL happens in the harsh real world of business and commerce. But that gamble failed.

Now SISU own a football club with very, very few assets and there won't be many buyers.

If the Cov fans rallied to their team and turned up giving attendances of 20,000 plus, it would generate funds for the club, funds for SISU to give them a way out and it MIGHT attract a buyer.

All sympathy with the Coventry fans but they are risking the future of their club by indulging in a ideological clash with the owners - and the owners SISU don't care

 

---

[Moff]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/oct/12/coventry-city-decline-despair-league-one

Saw this comment below the line from a neutral that sums my view up too:

I totally agree.

Hope you have your tin hat ready for the incoming

 

[dongonzalos]

Who is he, never heard of him?Seems to have took some time to do his research before posting which is good.

 

[Covstu]

Sadly accurate on all counts. Depressing to see the decline decade after decade...

 

[jimmyhillsfanclub]

Its a shame the clubs "spokesperson" is anonymous......

I'd like to know who actually stated that we want to stay at the ricoh long term & that they have no immediate plans to sell ryton....

all very depressing.....but pretty accurate IMHO

 

[Monners]

This from the article - sums up the current situation well for me:

"What emerges from talking to people involved in this long sorry saga is a feeling of helplessness, that the club’s future is beyond their control. There is talk of the club living “hand to mouth” with no tactical, never mind strategic, direction of travel."

 

[Ashdown]

If I thought if turning up every week with 20,000 others it would send them on their way after 2 years I'd be right there with my 18 match package but it won't, its bollocks, they still have a vested interest in hanging around and they will go only when they have exhausted all court action and sucked the remaining few assets out of the club.
Their wonderful accountants would still create a situation where the club was making losses whatever we did and therefore debt grew and tax avoidance could be achieved elsewhere in the group.

 

[fernandopartridge]

If I thought if turning up every week with 20,000 others it would send them on their way after 2 years I'd be right there with my 18 match package but it won't, its bollocks, they still have a vested interest in hanging around and they will go only when they have exhausted all court action and sucked the remaining few assets out of the club.
Their wonderful accountants would still create a situation where the club was making losses whatever we did and therefore debt grew and tax avoidance could be achieved elsewhere in the group.

Maybe you're right. However, the boycott may assist SISU in their court pursuits. Would a neutral rational person believe that trying to make the club self-sufficient is a bad thing? Is it illegal to sell assets, have any even been sold aside from business as usual player sales? (shame such a fuss wasn't kicked up when the club's actual home was sold in 2000). The boycott will not help the club one bit.

As for the group, what group are you talking about? The only group the club is in is SBS&L. This line about the club being a useful tool to offset taxes is absolute nonsense imo.

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

Maybe you're right. However, the boycott may assist SISU in their court pursuits. Would a neutral rational person believe that trying to make the club self-sufficient is a bad thing? Is it illegal to sell assets, have any even been sold aside from business as usual player sales? (shame such a fuss wasn't kicked up when the club's actual home was sold in 2000). The boycott will not help the club one bit.

As for the group, what group are you talking about? The only group the club is in is SBS&L. This line about the club being a useful tool to offset taxes is absolute nonsense imo.

Any proof it is nonsense? you as well as all of us have opinions. I'm with Ashdown on this one up to a point. No business hangs on to one that they've almost(For all intents and purposes) strangled to death yet refuses to sell on! I wonder why?

 

[fernandopartridge]

Any proof it is nonsense? you as well as all of us have opinions. I'm with Ashdown on this one up to a point. No business hangs on to one that they've almost(For all intents and purposes) strangled to death yet refuses to sell on! I wonder why?

Because of the point Ashdown made in paragraph 1 - the court action.

How would a £1.6m loss for last year (funded by SISU - if it was actual expenditure and not a paper loss) offset taxes paid elsewhere and how would it be beneficial? Please explain it to me as I must be missing something.

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

Because of the point Ashdown made in paragraph 1 - the court action.

How would a £1.6m loss for last year (funded by SISU - if it was actual expenditure and not a paper loss) offset taxes paid elsewhere and how would it be beneficial? Please explain it to me as I must be missing something.

Can you please explain to me about the Wilson, Maddison, Clarke, and Bigi money that was supposed to be used to strengthen the squad when only stripping the playing staff down to a squad that is no way, as good as the squad that played Arsenal when we played them in the Cup? Norwich gave us a beating 6-1.. What would Arsenal have done to this squad?

 

[dongonzalos]

Fern do you know anything about this Journo. Has he got any connections to Coventry or to our owners? Or is he just reporting because the matter is currently in the public eye?
Or did you just stumble across the article?
FairPlay to him for reporting on our situation we need more and more of this whatever the slant the article takes.

 

[covcity4life]

he has a point. i think 32k attendence for chesterfield would do more good than a boycott would.

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

he has a point. i think 32k attendence for chesterfield would do more good than a boycott would.

I don't.

 

[georgehudson]

i seem to remember JS saying, at the start of last season that 11k was a break even figure re attendance,
then half way through the season, with the avge att being just over 11k, JS upped the required att figure to 13k,
the neutral, in that guardian article, either chose to ignore that or considered it of no consequence

 

[fernandopartridge]

i seem to remember JS saying, at the start of last season that 11k was a break even figure re attendance,
then half way through the season, with the avge att being just over 11k, JS upped the required att figure to 13k,
the neutral, in that guardian article, either chose to ignore that or considered it of no consequence

It wasn't JS who said that.

 

[covcity4life]

big attendences would increase ffp budget and increase feel good factor. keeps us a big team to possible investers too

a boycott gets a some mainstream media attention, shows how bad the plight we have is. but probably will not get sisu to go anywhere

 

[fernandopartridge]

Can you please explain to me about the Wilson, Maddison, Clarke, and Bigi money that was supposed to be used to strengthen the squad when only stripping the playing staff down to a squad that is no way, as good as the squad that played Arsenal when we played them in the Cup? Norwich gave us a beating 6-1.. What would Arsenal have done to this squad?

Ignore the question as usual. I won't bother trying to get you to answer anything again as you can't. As for the squad that played Arsenal, don't exaggerate. Wilson didn't play that day, only Christie, Murphy, Fleck and maybe Adams I think would get into today's team.
Dan Seabourn, Andy Webster, Billy Daniels? I believe we've got better than those 3 in Willis, Turnbull and Bigi. Not that you'd really know mind.

 

[Joy Division]

All these people saying 'let's fill the Ricoh', what's your strategy for convincing 20,000+ disinterested, angry and fed up supporters to fill the ground for a game?

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

It wasn't JS who said that.

Does it matter who said it... It was said.

 

[dongonzalos]

It's a tricky one.

I have no doubt that SISU's number 1 priority is to have the club paying for itself whilst we await the result of court action. Also possibly due to their belief that Wasps can't keep going they way they are funding wise.
I am very sceptical of the Butts idea.
I think the only way it would happen is if it was a 12k max stadium. That SISU themselves would not contribute a penny to its build. That we as a club are self sufficient wherever we are playing whilst it is built.
SISU may see the Butts as a way of selling the club in the future, as a club that pays for itself that bobs up and down between divisions 3-4. Selling this way may reduce their loses slightly. However I think they think their best chance of recouping any loses is the legal action.

So if we get 20k fans at Ricoh every week. We would have a top six playing budget and a realistic chance of promotion to the championship.
We would make the negotiating position with Wasps stronger. Plus it would be more fun.

However we prolong SISU's ownership. Breakeven is critical a true NOPM campaign would make it impossible and administration inevitable.
We won't get 20k at the Ricoh every week without some form of success first. With the cost cutting by SISU, success becomes less and less likely everyday.
The legal action can continue without owning the club so they would eventually let go if they can't realistically get to breakeven.
However it would be a horrible time as a fan getting to that point.

Neither route seems particularly attractive to me.

Just wish they didn't see any benefit from holding onto the club now and walked away. With someone coming on with a complete fresh start with either genuine means and ambition to build a 25k stadium and/or the ability to get us a worthwhile long term deal at the Ricoh.

 

[Covstu]

he has a point. i think 32k attendence for chesterfield would do more good than a boycott would.

i think either way its a slow death... By boycotting we are working towards the demise of the club (not selling it), by filling we are inviting them to stay. Both are shite options!!

 

[Moff]

All these people saying 'let's fill the Ricoh', what's your strategy for convincing 20,000+ disinterested, angry and fed up supporters to fill the ground for a game?

Tell them its a JPT regional final against Crewe. That should guarantee over 30k.

 

[shmmeee]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/oct/12/coventry-city-decline-despair-league-one

Saw this comment below the line from a neutral that sums my view up too:

"If only everyone starts buying our product" isn't a fucking business plan. No one owes Sisu twenty thousand fans FFS. I mean if the same started turning out for Nuneaton they'd improve too. Such a stupid argument. What other business would you say that's about and not be looked at as a simpleton.

Still, gives you an easy out I suppose. Somehow blames customers for the results of a business. Stops you asking awkward questions, so I see why you like it. Nice dose of superiority complex thrown in, which always goes down well around here.

Edit: and if you believe that was actually a neutral, I've got a bridge to sell you.

 

[covcity4life]

Ignore the question as usual. I won't bother trying to get you to answer anything again as you can't. As for the squad that played Arsenal, don't exaggerate. Wilson didn't play that day, only Christie, Murphy, Fleck and maybe Adams I think would get into today's team.
Dan Seabourn, Andy Webster, Billy Daniels? I believe we've got better than those 3 in Willis, Turnbull and Bigi. Not that you'd really know mind.

tell me about it. our squad has gotten better than previous years in league 1

 

[covcity4life]

"If only everyone starts buying our product" isn't a fucking business plan. No one owes Sisu twenty thousand fans FFS. I mean if the same started turning out for Nuneaton they'd improve too. Such a stupid argument. What other business would you say that's about and not be looked at as a simpleton.

Still, gives you an easy out I suppose. Somehow blames customers for the results of a business. Stops you asking awkward questions, so I see why you like it. Nice dose of superiority complex thrown in, which always goes down well around here.

you are so defensive. its weird

 

[shmmeee]

you are so defensive. its weird

What am I defending exactly? Common sense? Basic business acumen? Please, enlighten us all with your misspelt wisdom.

Go on, try and contribute. We wont take the piss, everyone has to start somewhere.

Here's an easy one: name me one other business that can successfully blame their lack of customers on the customers themselves. I'm sure you've got loads of examples.

 

[covcity4life]

What am I defending exactly? Common sense? Basic business acumen? Please, enlighten us all with your misspelt wisdom.

Go, on try and contribute. We wont take the piss, everyone has to start somewhere.

Here's an easy one: name me one other business that can successfully blame their lack of customers on the customers themselves. I'm sure you've got loads of examples.

1)where has he blamed fans? hes a posted a comment saying he sees more promise in packing the ricoh than boycotting it.

2)i dont even think sisu have blamed the fans, they are just saying more fans helps us with ffp which is a fact

3) you are defensive because your dad caused this sorry mess in the first place

 

[Ashdown]

Maybe you're right. However, the boycott may assist SISU in their court pursuits. Would a neutral rational person believe that trying to make the club self-sufficient is a bad thing? Is it illegal to sell assets, have any even been sold aside from business as usual player sales? (shame such a fuss wasn't kicked up when the club's actual home was sold in 2000). The boycott will not help the club one bit.

As for the group, what group are you talking about? The only group the club is in is SBS&L. This line about the club being a useful tool to offset taxes is absolute nonsense imo.

Who owns SBS & L ? Do these owners also own other companies ? Is there a larger company above a group of them ? It's true I'm not sure myself but the only sense in the 'paper losses ' that we have been enforced to endure is an offset against successful ventures and investments elsewhere?
Personally I'm not really on a 'boycott' myself, I just struggle to raise the enthusiasm to pay over 30% for the same ticket I bought last year, often to sit on my own now, watching a team that has thus far been cobbled together with the minimum of expenditure and poorly managed. All this off field stuff and talks of short termism is a huge turn off too and I'm sick of being lied to by that utter fraud Fisher and his pay masters. Couple all that with a declining income and you start to get into the habit of saving your money for the boozer later on a Saturday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Sunday/Thursday night !!?
I'll always be Sky Blue, that will never change but I'm just on a little long term gardening leave from the game at the moment.

 

[dongonzalos]

Tell them its a JPT regional final against Crewe. That should guarantee over 30k.

Success and a decent product certainly does do that, this match was living proof of it.

 

[covcity4life]

Who owns SBS & L ? Do these owners also own other companies ? Is there a larger company above a group of them ? It's true I'm not sure myself but the only sense in the 'paper losses ' that we have been enforced to endure is an offset against successful ventures and investments elsewhere?
Personally I'm not really on a 'boycott' myself, I just struggle to raise the enthusiasm to pay over 30% for the same ticket I bought last year, often to sit on my own now, watching a team that has thus far been cobbled together with the minimum of expenditure and poorly managed. All this off field stuff and talks of short termism is a huge turn off too and I'm sick of being lied to by that utter fraud Fisher and his pay masters. Couple all that with a declining income and you start to get into the habit of saving your money for the boozer later on a Saturday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Sunday/Thursday night !!?
I'll always be Sky Blue, that will never change but I'm just on a little long term gardening leave from the game at the moment.

you prioritise beer over ccfc? chav

 

[Ashdown]

Oh and wine old boy !

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

Ignore the question as usual. I won't bother trying to get you to answer anything again as you can't. As for the squad that played Arsenal, don't exaggerate. Wilson didn't play that day, only Christie, Murphy, Fleck and maybe Adams I think would get into today's team.
Dan Seabourn, Andy Webster, Billy Daniels? I believe we've got better than those 3 in Willis, Turnbull and Bigi. Not that you'd really know mind.

I am answering you idiot. I said I agree with Ashdown to a point. I believe there are that many arms to SISU it would take more than one OSB58 to fathom it out. Meantime where has that Wilson, Maddison, Clarke, and Bigi money go too. It certainly wasn't to strengthen the squad! I never said Wilson played. Out of the 4 names you mention(In your opinion), all 4 would be in this team along with(Although moving for better salaries would be.... Clarke, Fleck(When bothering to move his arse), Baker, Moussa.

1
Murphy
2
Christie
3
Adams
6
Thomas
0
Andrew Webster 88
7
Fleck
8
Baker
0
Danny Seaborne
14
Moussa
0
Bill Daniels
9
Clarke



So along with the 4 you selected and the 4 that I selected, that makes 8, IMHO, would piss this present squad.

 

[torchomatic]

If I thought if turning up every week with 20,000 others it would send them on their way after 2 years I'd be right there with my 18 match package but it won't, its bollocks, they still have a vested interest in hanging around and they will go only when they have exhausted all court action and sucked the remaining few assets out of the club.
Their wonderful accountants would still create a situation where the club was making losses whatever we did and therefore debt grew and tax avoidance could be achieved elsewhere in the group.

Basically, it's bollocks because you say it's bollocks. Better to starve the club of cash. That'll show 'em.

 

[covcity4life]

thing is. i am just desperate for SOMETHING TO WORK. i am not hating on boycotters or those that go games because without everyone agreeing none of them will work

as it stands i will go on the march, protest by the statue and then sneak off into the game! i am being serious