Meeting with Joy Seppala & Dave Boddy - Thursday 27th February 2020 (20 Viewers)

[Ring Of Steel]

Fill the corners in and it’s a goer though yeah?

No. A bit of identity would be minimum requirement. I would hate turning up to watch us in a cheap & horrible ground. The 4 stands idea is fine. I am not a Shrewsbury fan, or an Oxford fan, or a Chesterfield fan, my sights are set higher than that as they should be with the history of my club.

It does seem that there is a bit of a cult starting to develop on here and everyone is wanking over how great SISU suddenly are, when all they have really done is hire Mark Robins and kept their mouths shut and get shafted by the council & Wasps. They'll spend as little as possible on our new home, hand us four little lego stands that could belong to any town in the country & everyone will laud them and praise them- doesn't work like that.

They have gone on record as saying they have big ambitions, building a ground like Shrewsbury's with a few more rows of seats is not ambitious- anything but.

I don't see anything wrong with holding them to their word and calling them out on those words- just because they had a nice meeting with a few pals & Mark Robins gets on with them, everyone is talking like we have the next Jack Walker or Steve Gibson in charge of the club. Robins will go someday, so will SISU, we will have this new ground forever and if they are now all of a sudden the saviours, let them back up the talk.

 

---

[tisza]

EU process will come down to SISU if the commission find there is no case to answer. Then SISU will have to decide whether they appeal or not - this will change the landscape considerably.

If the Commission decides there is a case to answer then it is has to call into question the whole process.
Couple that with the subsequent lease extension (and when that was put on the table) which completely revalued the deal and is a huge factor in how SISU would have priced any offers made (or could have been made)

 

[chiefdave]

I’m feeling the same about the rest of the forum TBH. I’m stunned that this is acceptable. Same nice words we were getting in 2013 but apparently that’s fine. Some people seem so obsessed with the council and Wasps that they’ll give the owners a free pass. Whatever happened to “I blame all sides”? Well that’s clearly been exposed as bollocks today. A thread about holding the owners to account and it’s all insults at me for wanting them held to account, half arsed defences of their position, and frothing at Wasps and the council.

Nobody is giving the owners a free pass. What people are doing is looking at what needs to happen to get us back to Cov. Did you expect Mark and Pete to turn up to the meeting and start shouting at Boddy and Sepalla that they're liars and full of shit? What do you think that would have achieved?

The stumbling block is clearly Wasps demand for indemnity. Therefore it is them that we need to pressure to remove it.

Ideally, as you have a business worth £10m plus a year t the local economy, the council would support the club coming back to the city. Doesn't seem an unreasonable suggestion to me and if they won't support it then it needs a better response than Duggins being mad at SISU.

 

[Nick]

Vent all you like. Just don't come crying that “for some reason he thinks we don’t like him”.



I’m feeling the same about the rest of the forum TBH. I’m stunned that this is acceptable. Same nice words we were getting in 2013 but apparently that’s fine. Some people seem so obsessed with the council and Wasps that they’ll give the owners a free pass. Whatever happened to “I blame all sides”? Well that’s clearly been exposed as bollocks today. A thread about holding the owners to account and it’s all insults at me for wanting them held to account, half arsed defences of their position, and frothing at Wasps and the council.

Is it not telling that you are the only one having a melt down? You seem to be the one reading it differently to everybody else from the off.

You are making things up as well, it's baffling. What's the point?

You do the same every time.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

EU process will come down to SISU if the commission find there is no case to answer. Then SISU will have to decide whether they appeal or not - this will change the landscape considerably.

If the Commission decides there is a case to answer then it is has to call into question the whole process.
Couple that with the subsequent lease extension (and when that was put on the table) which completely revalued the deal and is a huge factor in how SISU would have priced any offers made (or could have been made)

Anyone in the legal profession have any idea what kind of fees SISU will have paid over the duration of these cases?

 

[chiefdave]

I can’t speak for everyone else but it’s a start. That’s it. More needs to be done.

Exactly. I don't read this as Pete and Mark now sitting back and going job done. Its the start of dialogue between with the club. Hopefully similar dialogue can start with Wasps.

 

[Nick]

No. A bit of identity would be minimum requirement. I would hate turning up to watch us in a cheap & horrible ground. The 4 stands idea is fine. I am not a Shrewsbury fan, or an Oxford fan, or a Chesterfield fan, my sights are set higher than that as they should be with the history of my club.

It does seem that there is a bit of a cult starting to develop on here and everyone is wanking over how great SISU suddenly are, when all they have really done is hire Mark Robins and kept their mouths shut and get shafted by the council & Wasps. They'll spend as little as possible on our new home, hand us four little lego stands that could belong to any town in the country & everyone will laud them and praise them- doesn't work like that.

They have gone on record as saying they have big ambitions, building a ground like Shrewsbury's with a few more rows of seats is not ambitious- anything but.

I don't see anything wrong with holding them to their word and calling them out on those words- just because they had a nice meeting with a few pals & Mark Robins gets on with them, everyone is talking like we have the next Jack Walker or Steve Gibson in charge of the club. Robins will go someday, so will SISU, we will have this new ground forever and if they are now all of a sudden the saviours, let them back up the talk.

Nobody is wanking in the slightest?

Somebody said they like the sound of a 4 sided ground rather than a bowl.

Nobody is planning which stands they will be in or falling for anything.

I am not too sure why people struggle to read and understand things? I am pretty sure either they don't want to or they do and purposely act thick.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

Exactly. I don't read this as Pete and Mark now sitting back and going job done. Its the start of dialogue between with the club. Hopefully similar dialogue can start with Wasps.

I don't either, but I also see nothing wrong with holding them to their word- if they are indeed "ambitious" then they need to prove it- ultimately they got us into this whole mess and they can start by getting us out of it & delivering a home worthy of CCFC.

 

[hill83]

Exactly. I don't read this as Pete and Mark now sitting back and going job done. Its the start of dialogue between with the club. Hopefully similar dialogue can start with Wasps.

OMG YOU LOVE JOY AND ARE LAPPING IT UP M8

 

[shmmeee]

Nobody is giving the owners a free pass. What people are doing is looking at what needs to happen to get us back to Cov. Did you expect Mark and Pete to turn up to the meeting and start shouting at Boddy and Sepalla that they're liars and full of shit? What do you think that would have achieved?

The stumbling block is clearly Wasps demand for indemnity. Therefore it is them that we need to pressure to remove it.

Ideally, as you have a business worth £10m plus a year t the local economy, the council would support the club coming back to the city. Doesn't seem an unreasonable suggestion to me and if they won't support it then it needs a better response than Duggins being mad at SISU.

There’s isn’t one stumbling block. Sisu are refusing to take an action Wasps are saying would unblock things. I know you think I they shouldn’t or it’s pointless or it’s happened but clearly Wasps don’t and their opinion kinda matters more than yours. So that’s one.

Given that Wasps aren’t at this meeting the indemnity is irrelevant (we should be talking to Wasps about that though), the other thing Sisu can do is remove the Ricoh as an issue by building a ground. They clearly aren’t doing that either with another long grass timescale designed to get us to go away.

The final thing Sisu could do is explain their plans and the inconsistencies in their stories. Do we want the Ricoh or not? Will we attempt to buy it if the EC judgement goes our way? How will it be affordable? If not then we REALLY need progress on the stadium.

Again. This was a meeting with the owners. What they can be doing should be the agenda. And there are things they could be doing. If not, why even bother meeting them?

 

[Nick]

I don't either, but I also see nothing wrong with holding them to their word- if they are indeed "ambitious" then they need to prove it- ultimately they got us into this whole mess and they can start by getting us out of it & delivering a home worthy of CCFC.

Who has said they shouldn't be held to their word?

 

[hill83]

Who has said they shouldn't be held to their word?

Exactly. I’m out.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

Nobody is wanking in the slightest?

Somebody said they like the sound of a 4 sided ground rather than a bowl.

Nobody is planning which stands they will be in or falling for anything.

I am not too sure why people struggle to read and understand things? I am pretty sure either they don't want to or they do and purposely act thick.

Why do you get so wound up whenever anyone doesn't confirm to the party line that SISU are now angels? It oozes from your every post.

 

[Nick]

There’s isn’t one stumbling block. Sisu are refusing to take an action Wasps are saying would unblock things. I know you think I they shouldn’t or it’s pointless or it’s happened but clearly Wasps don’t and their opinion kinda matters more than yours. So that’s one.

Given that Wasps aren’t at this meeting the indemnity is irrelevant (we should be talking to Wasps about that though), the other thing Sisu can do is remove the Ricoh as an issue by building a ground. They clearly aren’t doing that either with another long grass timescale designed to get us to go away.

The final thing Sisu could do is explain their plans and the inconsistencies in their stories. Do we want the Ricoh or not? Will we attempt to buy it if the EC judgement goes our way? How will it be affordable? If not then we REALLY need progress on the stadium.

Again. This was a meeting with the owners. What they can be doing should be the agenda. And there are things they could be doing. If not, why even bother meeting them?

Please can you point out where Wasps have said if SISU ask for it to be dropped even though Wasps know it can't be then it would unblock things?

You continually make things up. Over and over again and bang on about others and conspiracies.

 

[Nick]

Why do you get so wound up whenever anyone doesn't confirm to the party line that SISU are now angels? It oozes from your every post.

Not wound up in the slightest, I just asked a couple of questions which you haven't answered?

There's only one person wound up in this thread it seems. A couple of you making shit up though.

 

[Sick Boy]

Sisu are refusing to take an action Wasps are saying would unblock things.

It would be insane to agree to their demands, the club should not be forced to put itself in even greater danger to appease a London rugby club.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

Who has said they shouldn't be held to their word?

Every time someone questions SISU they get rounded on by people on here.

For the record I'm actually in 'your' camp, but at the same time, it is getting a bit cultish. Nobody can say anything about SISU without people rocking up with accusations of being stooges, pro Wasps, pro Council- balance is being lost.

 

[hill83]

I don’t like SISU and wish they would fuck off.

There you go.

 

[shmmeee]

It would be insane to agree to their demands, the club should not be forced to put itself in even greater danger to appease a London rugby club.

Im talking about their request for Sisu to ask for the case to be forgotten, not the indemnity obviously.

 

[chiefdave]

No. A bit of identity would be minimum requirement. I would hate turning up to watch us in a cheap & horrible ground. The 4 stands idea is fine. I am not a Shrewsbury fan, or an Oxford fan, or a Chesterfield fan, my sights are set higher than that as they should be with the history of my club.

Frankly I would snap your hand off for a ground like Shrewsbury's at the moment. At least we'd be playing in Cov.

Modular grounds are the emerging trend in stadium builds, a lot of the World Cup grounds will be done that way, there's even one ground that they're planning to take apart after the World Cup and re-use as four separate grounds! Starting with a 15-20K ground that can quickly, easily and relatively cheaply be upgraded doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.

In terms of making it our own thats something the supporters could take on. I suspect we'd care more about it and do a better job than the owners. A CCFC museum, images of the greats around the concourse etc all relatively cheap and easy to do but would make a big difference.

Of course the usual caveat being there's very little chance of there actually being a new ground.

 

[Nick]

Every time someone questions SISU they get rounded on by people on here.

For the record I'm actually in 'your' camp, but at the same time, it is getting a bit cultish. Nobody can say anything about SISU without people rocking up with accusations of being stooges, pro Wasps, pro Council- balance is being lost.

Strange, Mark and Pete questioned SISU.

People are responding to shmmeee because he constantly makes things up and chats nonsense. He is the son of an ex council leader and the bloke who was running the Trust when they were plotting to force the club into admin with Haskell and ACL. He knows half a story and keeps showing it every time he has a melt down.

If you want a cult, making you can ask him about his old man and his mates? Failing that you can have a look at the majority of posters in here who will be going week in, week out to support CCFC and leaving politics out of it while they support the team.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

Not wound up in the slightest, I just asked a couple of questions which you haven't answered?

There's only one person wound up in this thread it seems. A couple of you making shit up though.

You have a habit of getting very childish when people question SISU and usually accuse them of making things up/ misreading etc, this is no exception.

I have said that SISU said they're "very ambitious", and I called them out on that because ambition is not building a ground like Shrewsbury's. I am not too sure what part of that has been made up, but thats just you I guess- "you're either 100% with me or 100% against me"- no balance at all in your arguments.

Its only a matter of time I guess that someone accuses me of being pro wasps/ pro council etc- I am not, but hows this for a really radical approach you could try: if any of the parties involved say things that aren't right then I will call them out on it. Thats kind of how it should be, as opposed to this totally unbalanced approach thats in evidence here.

 

[Nick]

Im talking about their request for Sisu to ask for the case to be forgotten, not the indemnity obviously.

Can you please link to this request? You keep obsessing over it, it is all you keep saying but you are just basing it on some nonsense Linnell said.

This all started when Pete put pressure on about the indemnity after Linnell tried to play it down.

 

[Nick]

You have a habit of getting very childish when people question SISU and usually accuse them of making things up/ misreading etc, this is no exception.

I am accusing them of making things up because they clearly are making things up and misreading? Other people have also pointed it out.

I am pointing out the facts. Nobody on here is wanking about a new stadium, there was a couple of comments about the four stands rather than a bowl and that was it. They even put in their posts they don't think it will happen.

So yeah, I will point out you and shmeee making things up or over exaggerating things that haven't been said.

Keep trying though. I have a habit of pointing out people like shmeee's bullshit, it's why his old man and his other Trust / Council mates all flounce off here.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

Frankly I would snap your hand off for a ground like Shrewsbury's at the moment. At least we'd be playing in Cov.

Modular grounds are the emerging trend in stadium builds, a lot of the World Cup grounds will be done that way, there's even one ground that they're planning to take apart after the World Cup and re-use as four separate grounds! Starting with a 15-20K ground that can quickly, easily and relatively cheaply be upgraded doesn't seem like a bad idea to me.

In terms of making it our own thats something the supporters could take on. I suspect we'd care more about it and do a better job than the owners. A CCFC museum, images of the greats around the concourse etc all relatively cheap and easy to do but would make a big difference.

Of course the usual caveat being there's very little chance of there actually being a new ground.

Yes I get you, and modular is the way forward- we could have something pretty good at lower cost. I would prefer the four stands actually, just not with huge gaps of empty land between the stands, thats where you put the museums etc. And you are 100% right, unlike others such as Nick who don't like anyone questioning SISU, you understood what I said, it is about identity. It would be our home forever, I want a proper home. That doesn't mean 32,000 seats right away, it means something to be proud of with identity and tradition built in, it does not mean a slightly bigger version of Shrewsbury's ground.

Don't get too wound up about doing anything to get back to Cov- they started this and they need to be challenged to get us back properly, not just at the lowest possible cost option.

 

[clint van damme]

Right. “Against Wasps” which clearly they didn’t think included the current action but Wasps do. Semantic games that lead to the indemnity and the break down of talks.

Why won’t she ask for it to be forgotten or give up her right to appeal? Because she won’t stop. Actions not words matter here.

To hear you tell it Sisu would be happy if the EU allowed her to drop the case right? Yet she won’t even try and that’s fine because “it’ll probably do nothing”. We’ll support a ten man protest because “we gotta do something” but saying some words that won’t do anything is a pointless waste of time. Pull the other one.

wasps asked for cessation of legals against them, the owners complied, surely that is action? Surely that was a bigger gesture than some statement?

 

[Nick]

Yes I get you, and modular is the way forward- we could have something pretty good at lower cost. I would prefer the four stands actually, just not with huge gaps of empty land between the stands, thats where you put the museums etc. And you are 100% right, unlike others such as Nick who don't like anyone questioning SISU, you understood what I said, it is about identity. It would be our home forever, I want a proper home. That doesn't mean 32,000 seats right away, it means something to be proud of with identity and tradition built in, it does not mean a slightly bigger version of Shrewsbury's ground.

Don't get too wound up about doing anything to get back to Cov- they started this and they need to be challenged to get us back properly, not just at the lowest possible cost option.

This whole thread is about questioning SISU.

You are saying people are wanking over a make believe stadium and falling for it yet you are whinging about the design they mentioned?

 

[Nick]

wasps asked for cessation of legals against them, the owners complied, surely that is action? Surely that was a bigger gesture than some statement?

He keeps ignoring that and just keeps saying SISU won't drop the legals.

He has no interest in things like that.

 

[shmmeee]

wasps asked for cessation of legals against them, the owners complied, surely that is action? Surely that was a bigger gesture than some statement?

So why are Wasps now asking for the statement? Come on. Engage your brain a little. Sisu won’t even try. Won’t agree to no appealing. Wasps are using backchannels in the media and with the Trust to put out their demands. Is a little critical thinking too much to ask?

Seriously what is your position? If everything’s hunky dory why aren’t we playing at the Ricoh?

The two positions here are mine: Sisu won’t stop the legals and Wasps want them to.

And yours: Wasps and the council are evil meanies who want to kill the club.

Be a bit dispassionate and ask which one really makes more sense. Come on!

 

[Nick]

So why are Wasps now asking for the statement? Come on. Engage your brain a little. Sisu won’t even try. Won’t agree to no appealing. Wasps are using backchannels in the media and with the Trust to put out their demands. Is a little critical thinking too much to ask?

Seriously what is your position? If everything’s hunky dory why aren’t we playing at the Ricoh?

The two positions here are mine: Sisu won’t stop the legals and Wasps want them to.

And yours: Wasps and the council are evil meanies who want to kill the club.

Be a bit dispassionate and ask which one really makes more sense. Come on!

What are Wasps asking for? You keep obsessing over a Linnell comment but you won't actually back it up.

How many times do you need to be told?

SISU DID AGREE TO NO APPEALING.

The issue with your position is that this is yet another thing you seem to keep totally ignoring because it doesn't suit your meltdown.

 

[Ring Of Steel]

I am accusing them of making things up because they clearly are making things up and misreading? Other people have also pointed it out.

I am pointing out the facts. Nobody on here is wanking about a new stadium, there was a couple of comments about the four stands rather than a bowl and that was it. They even put in their posts they don't think it will happen.

So yeah, I will point out you and shmeee making things up or over exaggerating things that haven't been said.

Keep trying though. I have a habit of pointing out people like shmeee's bullshit, it's why his old man and his other Trust / Council mates all flounce off here.

I am not really interested in calling out bullshit from the council and all that- I have no connection to any of that at all, know nothing about it or Shmee's involvement.

Just stating that I want a proper home, not a character free cost effective set of four boxes. And if SISU say they're going to deliver a ground it needs to be a proper home for us, and all the desperation to get 'back home' should not blind us to the fact that they need to do the right thing.

Thats it, thats all I'm saying- if you want to get all revved up about it & chuck accusations around & get involved in infantile rows about contacts on the council & ulterior motives, you knock yourself out- but like I say, its all getting a bit cultish.

 

[mark82]

Not the Trust/ SISU/ Wasps angle but the thought of having a character-free, cheapo ground "like Shrewsbury's" is nauseating and very offputting. If you genuinely do have ambition then you don't plan to build a league one/two standard ground with too few seats for the Championship. We would end up with a (four sided) Kassam Stadium but with sky blue seats. We are not 'that' club. Yes SISU are doing better but if they consign us to a poxy, box like ground forever then all bets are off- if Robins and the team do their bit I would expect them to show exactly what "ambition" looks like for them a few years down the line.

I think the aim is to have a ground that's an appropriate side for the volume of fans, and not to have 10-15k rattling around in a 32k stadium. I'd personally rather go straight to something like 25-30k. Shrewsbury is provided as a similar new ground style, not meant to be a similar size or standard. It's kind of the opposite of wanting a character free, bowl type stadium - and the main point was that something 4 sided is much easier to grow and amend than a bowl stadium which is pretty much set in it's size and design once completed. Personally think 4 sided grounds have much more character than modern bowl type stadiums. Obviously the finer detail will be important down the line, and key would be fans having a say in that.

 

[Grendel]

Right. “Against Wasps” which clearly they didn’t think included the current action but Wasps do. Semantic games that lead to the indemnity and the break down of talks.

Why won’t she ask for it to be forgotten or give up her right to appeal? Because she won’t stop. Actions not words matter here.

To hear you tell it Sisu would be happy if the EU allowed her to drop the case right? Yet she won’t even try and that’s fine because “it’ll probably do nothing”. We’ll support a ten man protest because “we gotta do something” but saying some words that won’t do anything is a pointless waste of time. Pull the other one.

She can’t ask for it to be forgotten - where does this come from? If she did the Eu could raise a separate investigation as there could have been collusion to encourage the case dropped. It can’t and won’t happen.

The next trick I suspect will be to ask them not to exercise a right of appeal - again they cannot agree to this either

 

[mark82]

I am not really interested in calling out bullshit from the council and all that- I have no connection to any of that at all, know nothing about it or Shmee's involvement.

Just stating that I want a proper home, not a character free cost effective set of four boxes. And if SISU say they're going to deliver a ground it needs to be a proper home for us, and all the desperation to get 'back home' should not blind us to the fact that they need to do the right thing.

Thats it, thats all I'm saying- if you want to get all revved up about it & chuck accusations around & get involved in infantile rows about contacts on the council & ulterior motives, you knock yourself out- but like I say, its all getting a bit cultish.

Agree with this.

 

[Nick]

I am not really interested in calling out bullshit from the council and all that- I have no connection to any of that at all, know nothing about it or Shmee's involvement.

Just stating that I want a proper home, not a character free cost effective set of four boxes. And if SISU say they're going to deliver a ground it needs to be a proper home for us, and all the desperation to get 'back home' should not blind us to the fact that they need to do the right thing.

Thats it, thats all I'm saying- if you want to get all revved up about it & chuck accusations around & get involved in infantile rows about contacts on the council & ulterior motives, you knock yourself out- but like I say, its all getting a bit cultish.

I don't even believe a tiny 4 sided stadium would be built so clearly you have more faith.

I am just calling out bullshit from you and shmeee with your "nobody wants CCFC back in Cov" and "people wanking over a new stadium" which clearly hasn't happened.

Christ, Pete has protested in games and being at Sit ins etc. He's hardly a SISU lover is he? He isn't going to take their shit at face value and leave it at that. To say him and Mark will is doing them a disservice.

They now want to speak to Wasps officially in the same way and will use what SISU have said in there.