Mark Robins Plea (9 Viewers)

[stevefloyd]

So we should all boycott?

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Yes let's all dress up as Geoff

 

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[Irish Sky Blue]

Things have changed though haven't they?

I could fully still understand it if Sisu were doing what the fans have been accusing them of doing, or saying that's what they will do.

Have we been selling the family jewellery lately? Selling all our best players and leaving the manager to start again? Have we not been backing the manager?

Surely you can see the sea change here now. Looks like we do have a competitive budget this season and last season there were high expectations of us selling all our best players and it just didn't happen.

All Robins has said is that what has gone before has gone before and this is now and now we need to back the club.

I don't at all see the Fisher association there I'm afraid.

Sisu have been keeping schtum and the manager is seemingly being supported and at the end of the day we all want Sisu gone don't we? Well being successful is the way to do it.

I want Sisu gone, but I love my club more. Which do you think will be gone first if we don't back the club, Coventry City Football Club or Sisu?

I know which my money's on.

You really think Sisu have changed? The things you mention above come into the category of “You are the manager. Here is your budget, get on with it”. With regard to selling star players, it is difficult to tell how much their resolve was tested last January. It was certainly true that for Slade to bring in Beavon from Burton, he had to sacrifice Sordell. Similarly Harries went to Swansea in the summer rather than being allowed to develop here. The court cases continue irrespective of how much they harm they do to the club. The issues, of stadium, training ground, and academy remain unresolved. Sisu haven’t changed. They still continue with their own NOPM policy which gets far less ridicule on here than, I would imagine, the very small group of fans who are NOPM ( the majority I think have quietly given up, and for the time being, gone away),. I hope that more fans do come back and support the team, but that has nothing to do with believing that Tim and Joy are repentant, seen the error of their ways, and are now actively putting right the wrongs they have done. That will never happen.

 

[torchomatic]

You really think Sisu have changed? The things you mention above come into the category of “You are the manager. Here is your budget, get on with it”. With regard to selling star players, it is difficult to tell how much their resolve was tested last January. It was certainly true that for Slade to bring in Beavon from Burton, he had to sacrifice Sordell. Similarly Harries went to Swansea in the summer rather than being allowed to develop here. The court cases continue irrespective of how much they harm they do to the club. The issues, of stadium, training ground, and academy remain unresolved. Sisu haven’t changed. They still continue with their own NOPM policy which gets far less ridicule on here than, I would imagine, the very small group of fans who are NOPM ( the majority I think have quietly given up, and for the time being, gone away),. I hope that more fans do come back and support the team, but that has nothing to do with believing that Tim and Joy are repentant, seen the error of their ways, and are now actively putting right the wrongs they have done. That will never happen.

Do you think Harried wanted to be "allowed to develop here" or he wanted to sign for a Premier League club for more money?

We have always sold out best, even before SISU, and we will continue to do so. Being outraged by it is ridiculous.

 

[stevefloyd]

Right here we go ...real hard true fact (hopefully) Go up and support the team you say you support, regardless of which shysters own it !!
Increase revenue and maybe some of it will filter down into the team then hopefully we can get a striker we are so desperate for to fire us to promotion because Robins will have some to spend (again hopefully)...win win the only down side to that argument/discussion/statement is that Shitsu may get some of your money ...BIG DEAL if it means 'OUR' team getting promoted I am willing to take that chance

 

[Ashdown]

The reduction in costs, particularly on player side, is probably the most obvious one. Being self sustainable is obviously a better long term strategy than not. Unfortunately our only real revenue is ticket sales and fans would rather stay at home and moan about the lack of money being spent.

Is it really as simple as that.............personally apart from other issues I get rather angry that the morons plead poverty but pay directors fees of £400k plus per annum and no doubt load a bundle of expenses against the club too. It's all about trust though and there is very little between most fans and the owners. Total transparency would be nice but that's not going to happen.

 

[stevefloyd]

Is it really as simple as that.............personally apart from other issues I get rather angry that the morons plead poverty but pay directors fees of £400k plus per annum and no doubt load a bundle of expenses against the club too. It's all about trust though and there is very little between most fans and the owners. Total transparency would be nice but that's not going to happen.

At the risk of being labelled a Shitsu lover, do companys like 3m or Samsung have full transparency on their dealings, I understand that running a 'big' business confidential things have to stay confidential but if we was flying high in the upper echelons of football there wouldn't be so much interest in our glorious wankshits as owners

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

Do you think Harried wanted to be "allowed to develop here" or he wanted to sign for a Premier League club for more money?

We have always sold out best, even before SISU, and we will continue to do so. Being outraged by it is ridiculous.

Not outraged. Popular word on here to describe points of view that differ from certain posters own. It was stated that no star player sales are an indication that Sisu have changed. Not outraged, just disagreeing. I am sure that Harries was delighted with the move. Was it in the best interests of the club? Maybe it was. However, I believe, and I would think that a lot of others do to, that under Sisu players have been sold underpriced, often it seems at the first wave of a chequebook, and often to the detriment of the team. Do you think that Sisu’s transfer dealings, particularly sales, have been in the best interests of the club? I have yet to see any evidence that this has changed.

 

[SkyBlueZack]

I think they have, we need to pay the players and the bills or face sanctions. It's in the interests of the club and it's supporters for it to be kept running.
We don't get as much money as I would like but that's part and parcel of being a lower league club with financial restrictions. Football in this county revolves around the PL. Nobody gives a shit about the clubs below that.

 

[Ashdown]

At the risk of being labelled a Shitsu lover, do companys like 3m or Samsung have full transparency on their dealings, I understand that running a 'big' business confidential things have to stay confidential but if we was flying high in the upper echelons of football there wouldn't be so much interest in our glorious wankshits as owners

I wouldn't label any individuals as lovers of these people. The fact is, we are just a £6 million turnover operation, running a community sports organisation for the benefit of its supporters and followers to try and provide sporting entertainment. We are where we are but the potential for a club in a big City like Coventry has to be better than what we have and everyone has to feel there is serious ambition to realise this at least, which I think could easily be mid table Championship.

 

[clint van damme]

As a point of reference I was an intermittent season ticket holder between 1998 and 2012 (for personal and financial reasons). Retrospectively I despise what Richardson did to the club, but on some level he did understand the club and wanted big for the city. I accept he is corrupt but at least he knew his market. Now we move onto SISU. I want to start swearing and shouting but.. the football league let us down. They let this vermin in. They ate vermin. I met Tim Fisher on a train last April (he had gone via Nuneaton to avoid city fans.and.was with a mate, he was very drunk. A nasty piece of work..) yet you guys will still pay money to support his business venture.

I want us to dissolve. Then start our own, build our own stadium brick by brick. If we had done this 5 years ago when SISU moved us out then we would be in a similar position to AFC Wimbledon. We could not. Why? Because certain SCABS -you.know who you are justified SISU's move to Northampton. #NeverForget and that is exactly why Robins should keep out of it. He will be gone soon anyway.

if we 'dissolve' then we no longer exist. Starting again isn't an option.

 

[Captain Dart]

I wouldn't label any individuals as lovers of these people. The fact is, we are just a £6 million turnover operation, running a community sports organisation for the benefit of its supporters and followers to try and provide sporting entertainment. We are where we are but the potential for a club in a big City like Coventry has to be better than what we have and everyone has to feel there is serious ambition to realise this at least, which I think could easily be mid table Championship.

I don't believe the situation you describe is attainable with the current owners, I'd say mid table league one is as far as it goes while they are in control.
We still have no idea what their true game plan or exit strategy is, we never will till it happens.

 

[clint van damme]

What's that got to do with what I said?

people are making a mountain out of a molehill here. Robins has asked for more people to turn up.
If he's struck a chord with some people who fancy going to a few games then great. If people ignore him then that's their prerogative, it's as simple as that.

 

[oldskyblue58]

Let's say that SISU aren't using fans money for court cases, i'm not convined they aren't, but for arguements sake, we say they'e not. They know that nearly every City fan is opposed to the action, so why not drop it and try to rebuild bridges in the city? I can only think that they don't want to do this because they truly believe they have a real chance of winning, despite the evidence to the contrary. Or they are just doing it out of pure spite, which would be bonkers. Either way, if they drop the legal case, and assuming it is their own money they are spending, redirected those funds into the team, this would be a positive step. No point expecting fans to have faith when all you'e done is abuse their trust. It needs some gestures from the owners to make people come back. And they don' seem to keen to do that.

I think you are starting from the premise that they actually care what the fans and City of Coventry think - they don't. This is simply about recovering their position any way they can and making sure the potential loss of capital doesn't grow any more by putting more money in. It isn't even about spite it is cold hedge fund finance. They have no interest in building bridges. Hedge funds take risks some they win some they lose but it isn't just taking risks in investing it is also taking risks in recovering the investment (eg the court cases). It is also a lot easier for them to be so cold and calculating being situated in an anonymous office in London. When was the last time you saw Seppala or Coleman at a CCFC match - there simply is not the same emotional attachment to CCFC or Coventry and its people.

Those running the club, like Boddy might well try to create bridges or improve the interface between CCFC and its fans but none of that changes the approach or objectives of the owners.

As for the club finances then as I said they were similar to Chesterfields in 2016. These two pages from the 2016 Chesterfield accounts provide some interesting detail and closely resemble CCFC 2016 figures. The biggest differences being Chesterfield pay less rent, have their own shop and don't have a cat 2 academy. However these sort of figures are fairly typical of most clubs including CCFC.
CCFC have franchised out the club shop and match progs so that would reduce the turnover figure but they wouldn't have the direct shop costs either. The academy apparently costs CCFC around £600k net of the grant they receive. Our pitch rent is £100k+ plus other rents paid takes that up to 491k Chesterfield pay out 30k

Otium turnover excluding player sales 5.4m Chesterfield 5.5m
wages Otium 4.3m Chesterfield 4.6m
total direct costs and overheads at Otium 2.89m Chesterfield 2.3m but we spend over £400k more on the cat 2 Academy than their centre of excellence

From what we know the CCFC costs seem consistent with other similar club finances. Where does the free cash come from? how do they pay the 100's of thousands of pounds in legal fees and where from. The spare cash to do so does not seem to be there

None of the above should be taken as support or justification of their actions. It isnt

and for those saying our only income is match tickets look at the income generated by Chesterfield. CCFC has access to much the same. In fact the 2016 accounts for the SBS&L group disclosed match income of 2.3m and other income at 3.1m (no Wembley trip that year so a normal L1 year)

 

[oldskyblue58]

As a point of reference I was an intermittent season ticket holder between 1998 and 2012 (for personal and financial reasons). Retrospectively I despise what Richardson did to the club, but on some level he did understand the club and wanted big for the city. I accept he is corrupt but at least he knew his market. Now we move onto SISU. I want to start swearing and shouting but.. the football league let us down. They let this vermin in. They ate vermin. I met Tim Fisher on a train last April (he had gone via Nuneaton to avoid city fans.and.was with a mate, he was very drunk. A nasty piece of work..) yet you guys will still pay money to support his business venture.

I want us to dissolve. Then start our own, build our own stadium brick by brick. If we had done this 5 years ago when SISU moved us out then we would be in a similar position to AFC Wimbledon. We could not. Why? Because certain SCABS -you.know who you are justified SISU's move to Northampton. #NeverForget and that is exactly why Robins should keep out of it. He will be gone soon anyway.

You understand that dissolved is an end game don't you after which CCFC (FA Cup winners, Checkatrade winners, the Jimmy Hill club etc) ceases to exist. To start again means something completely new and non league with no guarantee of getting back to the EFL any time soon or ever. Clubs like Wimbledon or Hereford had a small ground sitting empty to go to we would not. There is no guarantee of funding either to run the club or build a ground brick by brick. You want to dissolve the club simply to get rid of the owners who we can reasonably expect to go of their own accord at some point. Want to dissolve us when we are a league 2 club in the promotion mix and despite the problems reasonably financially stable for a football club. Any dissolution is completely 100% in the control of SISU in any case so was never ever going to happen in the last 10 years. Sorry but in my opinion dissolution options are a nonsense

Had we done that 5 years ago it is more likely we would presently be looking forward to a local derby with Nuneaton in their current non league division. Hardly an enticing option. Hereford United dissolved in 2014 and ceased to exist the new club Hereford FC play in level 7 of the football pyramid. It has taken Wimbledon since 2002 and starting in the 9th level to get to be the first new club to make the EFL this century

 

[dadgad]

Exactly. Promotion or relegation isn't a step towards new owners. They don't care. They are playing the bigger game in court.

Football isn't on their radar.

Correctamundo squire.

 

[Captain Dart]

Said on CWR that the contract was drawn but waiting to be signed on staying at the Ricoh. If the contracts are drawn you’d assume that an agreement has been made so don’t understand why they’re is a delay in signing them.

I said in earlier post that I think Wasps are happy to wait till after the next CCFC accounts are due because the preamble to the accounts has to identify business risks, well isn't having no agreement to play in Coventry a very big risk indeed, we all know what will happen to crowds and therefore income if they can't play at the Ricoh next season. It is a test of nerve and we know SISU will take it to the limit, will Wasps?

 

[Captain Dart]

Yes let's all dress up as Geoff

No way, a Panama hat doesn't suit me.

 

[Grendel]

As a point of reference I was an intermittent season ticket holder between 1998 and 2012 (for personal and financial reasons). Retrospectively I despise what Richardson did to the club, but on some level he did understand the club and wanted big for the city. I accept he is corrupt but at least he knew his market. Now we move onto SISU. I want to start swearing and shouting but.. the football league let us down. They let this vermin in. They ate vermin. I met Tim Fisher on a train last April (he had gone via Nuneaton to avoid city fans.and.was with a mate, he was very drunk. A nasty piece of work..) yet you guys will still pay money to support his business venture.

I want us to dissolve. Then start our own, build our own stadium brick by brick. If we had done this 5 years ago when SISU moved us out then we would be in a similar position to AFC Wimbledon. We could not. Why? Because certain SCABS -you.know who you are justified SISU's move to Northampton. #NeverForget and that is exactly why Robins should keep out of it. He will be gone soon anyway.

Why don’t you just fuck off back to the CT site you dribbling lunatic and take the parasite dadgad with you.

 

[clint van damme]

Correctamundo squire.

which contradicts the sentiment of your initial post you daft c**t.