The Ricoh (15 Viewers)

[shmmeee]

Wasps aren't a key player? Nick Eastwood isn't a key player?
(Although I do like what you have said about the owners of the two hedge funds!)....

What the players? Do you think they give a shit? Just like how Boddy and Robins have no real power to resolve this neither does anyone other than the boss man at Wasps. @Sky Blue Pete said as much after his meeting.

 

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[shmmeee]

Look I get it. Everyone wants a resolution here, but we’ve got to be realistic about what the problem is and it’s a clash of personality between two people. And as anyone who has been through a messy divorce will confirm when you add the legal system into that all logic and sense goes out the window.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

We are severely lacking in wisdom.

 

[shmmeee]

Anyway I’ve broken my promise. If you see me in this thread again you have permission to slap me.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Honestly so bored of this argument so going to leave it after this as we’ve been over and over so many times.

They clearly thought it could be as that’s what they told both the Trust and Linnell off the record. It took us and the media over a month to find out and we still haven’t seen it in black and white. They probably had optimistic legal advice and pushed it knowing they had the upper hand anyway.

AFAIK they haven’t trotted out any lines since that was confirmed.

What’s even the accusation here? Clearly Wasps want the complaint gone and will try whatever they think will work to get that done. That’s their right just as it’s Sisus right to keep raising complaints.

The facts remain that until we get our own ground they have us by the balls, and no amount of fantasies about Wasps going bust or whatever are going to get us home.

This is why I’m so frustrated. People acting like if you prove Wasps are meanies we will be allowed back. We won’t. We probably won’t until the complaint is resolved which could be years. So let’s build a fucking stadium! Let’s actually take our future into our own hands for the first time in almost a decade now.

Sure it’s embarrassing as hell for all those that have hitched their wagon to the idea that Sisu are getting us the Ricoh for free and Wasps will be forced into bankruptcy, but so what?

I actually agree with that completely the only part I think I’d add is we need to play in coventry in the meantime. I’d so love some progress to be made on it

 

[Elvis Pressley]

I don't want to go back to the ricoh

Stay at St Andrews

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Look I get it. Everyone wants a resolution here, but we’ve got to be realistic about what the problem is and it’s a clash of personality between two people. And as anyone who has been through a messy divorce will confirm when you add the legal system into that all logic and sense goes out the window.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

We are severely lacking in wisdom.

Amen you are on fire this afternoon

 

[EAst ender]

Is there another suitable stadium in or near Coventry?

 

[Cavan O'Doherty]

I don't want to go back to the ricoh

Stay at St Andrews

And pass up on the revenue of possibly 20k crowds every week? If we want to sustain ourselves at championship level in the short term we need to get back to the Ricoh, in the long term we obviously need our own stadium.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

And pass up on the revenue of possibly 20k crowds every week? If we want to sustain ourselves at championship level in the short term we need to get back to the Ricoh, in the long term we obviously need our own stadium.

Short term games will be BCD or with very restricted attendances. So those large crowds may not even be feasible for much of next season

 

[tisza]

Remember the Stadium Valuation is based on future income returns. CCFC and a sponsor roll up then the valuation either holds up or increases?

Fine but Wasps haven't met their proposed income streams and CCFC won't pay for a share that could be valued based on income / revenue they might add to Ricoh in the future.

 

[Winny the Bish]

I think Premiership Rugby is fucked lads. Players Association coming out and saying some teams have proposed wage cuts for THREE years and that a lot of players could move abroad soon.

 

[Cavan O'Doherty]

Short term games will be BCD or with very restricted attendances. So those large crowds may not even be feasible for much of next season

I take your point, but I wasn’t just on about this coming season. Why not strike a 3 year deal(obviously with commercially agreeable terms), and capitalise on the current feel good factor. I don’t get this stay at St Andrews mentality at all if there is no commercial benefit, maybe people are just too blinded by their hate for wasps?

 

[AFCCOVENTRY]

I’ll be very surprised if Wasps aren’t willing to do a deal with us now considering the economic impact of Covid. I think both parties will come to an amicable agreement.

 

[mr_monkey]

I take your point, but I wasn’t just on about this coming season. Why not strike a 3 year deal(obviously with commercially agreeable terms), and capitalise on the current feel good factor. I don’t get this stay at St Andrews mentality at all if there is no commercial benefit, maybe people are just too blinded by their hate for wasps?

Being back in Coventry is what is best for the club but it has to be on agreeable terms including quality of the pitch which is where I think lots of the concerns come from as we like to play with the ball on the ground and on a bobly rugby pitch would be dextramental to our style of play compared to the pitch at at Andrews.... You could argue that a good home pitch could be the difference between staying up and going down

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Coventry City: How Mark Robins’ Sky Blues, the team with no home, won promotion

Robins pretty clear about the need for our own stadium

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

I take your point, but I wasn’t just on about this coming season. Why not strike a 3 year deal(obviously with commercially agreeable terms), and capitalise on the current feel good factor. I don’t get this stay at St Andrews mentality at all if there is no commercial benefit, maybe people are just too blinded by their hate for wasps?

I agree. It seems for some a return is only palatable if it's allied to the total annihilation of Wasps. Part of which is why we're here in the first place. SISU weren't interested in decent rent rates etc - they wanted to destroy ACL along with it - which has culminated in the animosity we see now between the parties.

I want to see us in Coventry. I'd prefer it if the deal was for part ownership rather than rent, and as I've stated I think with other owners than may well be feasible. But at this moment in time a return isn't absolutely vital in terms of income IMO. My biggest concern of a return is the state of the pitch with a rugby team. St Andrews surface definitely helped our style of play.

 

[RegTheDonk]

I've always though the two should work together.....but that would need SISU to buy half the ground from Wasps at the price Wasps paid....never going to happen!

Probably not as Council didn't offer us the same deal.

Need to resolve things and I agree with the idea of a partnership, if the council would allow us to buy into the lease etc. Both parties keep all they make from respective matches, but splitting off field costs and profits. Might be tricky to agree for things like naming rights, sponsorship etc ... would us or Wasps be seen as the bigger draw?

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

When 511 Epidemiologists Expect to Fly, Hug and Do 18 Other Everyday Activities Again

Looks like a long time before we get to watch

 

[ccfcway]

Coventry City: How Mark Robins’ Sky Blues, the team with no home, won promotion

Robins pretty clear about the need for our own stadium

Different to Boddy....

Dave Boddy hails Mark Robins' 'remarkable' three-year journey

"We want to be back at the Ricoh Arena and we are trying our absolute best to achieve that."

 

[Dickie]

How many do you reckon we’d get if we started the season at St Andrews? 7 or 8,000?

 

[ccfcway]

How many do you reckon we’d get if we started the season at St Andrews? 7 or 8,000?

doubt it, social distancing likely to still be in force

 

[chiefdave]

When 511 Epidemiologists Expect to Fly, Hug and Do 18 Other Everyday Activities Again

Looks like a long time before we get to watch

According to that it will be over a year until we can go to shop yet all non-essential shops can reopen on Monday. Several of the things they've got down as being up to a year before we can do are already allowed in this country!

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

That's easily sorted as we have done in BS3 with a Desso 4 pitch, like a bowling green every week for us and the Bears. The problem is the cost (I think it was £2M) would only add to your financial dilemma.
Yes, your income will shoot up as you well know but do you spend that money on a return to the Ricoh? Do you spend that money on the team to consolidate / push on in the Championship or do you spend that money subsidising Birmingham and stay at St Andrews? Can you survive without spending it on the team?
I've no doubt your current players will be getting a hefty pay rise on promotion but your powers that be have a real problem in how best to spend that increased revenue.
FWIW, as an outsider, it seems ludicrous to have a great complex like the Ricoh lying empty most of the time and you playing in Birmingham. There must be a way for you to return which would, obviously, benefit CCFC with bigger crowds and associated incomes, plus give some benefit to whoever owns the stadium, without making it too difficult for you to go back? An example, the modernised Ashton gate is used every day, apart from Xmas day, bringing in serious money. What a waste if the Ricoh isn't doing at least the same.
Have no doubt, the Championship is a blinding division but it's really difficult nowadays. Like yourselves, we won L1 easily a few years ago but really found it hard after promotion.
It's a real dilemma and I wish you every success. Unfortunately, in the modern Championship, money generally wins.

The indemnity is petty, I don’t think it’s a serious offer. More along the lines of “well if you won’t withdraw it you could always do this massively unpalatable option”.

So you roll back to before then, where are you? Sat in a room with Wasps saying “drop the complaint” and Sisu saying “we can’t”.

The brass tacks here is that Wasps want Sisu to try their hardest to make the complaint go away and don’t much care whether we are at the Ricoh in the mean time. The indemnity is a side show at best. The core issue is still there.

my problem is that whilst all this is going on the facts and wording “drop the legals” are misleading fans.

due to this, people are boycotting and hamstringing the club. People are being to misled that there is a deal on the table but realistically there isn’t a deal that benefits the club on the table.

if Leeds were in the same situation - they’d have 30000 at old Trafford (for example) every week.

the club can not return unless they have a financial deal that’s beneficial - if the fans turned up to Birmingham there’s a better chance of this.