Accept the need for urgency by some GT however I have concerns (sorry for being a broken record!) on the practicalities of some of the ideas you put forward.
1. How realistic is it to expect ACL to let us use the venue free of charge and to take all the proceeds from games? It makes little sense on their part and a better venue at least initially would be the Butts. Two Coventry clubs working side by side for a mutual benefit.
2. As long as the club exists it has commercial hold on the name and badge. More to the point whilst it may not be intended as a direct competitor to the current club it will inevitably cause some polarisation of the existing fan base as fans find it hard to support another team alongside CCFC.
3. The biggest issue I've got is the time, energy and money it will take to get this club off the ground and keep it running on a daily basis. People have said if it succeeds and forces SISU out then the Phoenix would just be disbanded. If people have invested lots of the three things I've mentioned, and the club has actually done well, what then?
Sorry if I'm being overly critical-everyone is talking with a lot of passion for the club. Starting a new club and keeping it going is not something we should just launch into though and it needs to be properly scrutinised so it doesn't end in frustration.
Back from a nice pub beer garden. Thanks BSB for comments, don't mind you being critical at all because I don't pretend to know or be right about everything I am just putting some thoughts out there to prompt discussion. Re your points:-
1. If CCC/ACL wouldn't let a fledgling phoenix/start-up use the venue free of charge and to take all the proceeds from games then I agree the club would not be viable at the Ricoh. But I hope I have already set out several reasons for a positive outcome on this:-
a) There doesn't appear to be any other option for regular use of the Ricoh stadium that can have the future potential of a phoenix CCFC, unless of course we can get the original CCFC back. (I missed this point from my post amalgamation). So my question would be what are the better alternatives available to CCC/ACL?
b) It would be in the wider interests of CCC/ACL (both in terms of the image of the city and longer term investment) to support this venture (unless we can get CCFC back)
c) If, despite my arguments above, CCC/ACL are still not prepared to allow the fledgling club to grow with revenues on a free of charge basis until it is able to contribute to costs, then I see another possible option. It is reported that PH4 intends to proceed with the purchase of a half share of the Ricoh. In contracts it is quite normal for CCC to insist on various pre-conditions such as building infrastructure etc., and in the case of the Ricoh I believe it would be in CCC/ACL interests to insist (because it would be in CCC/ACL long term interests to do so) that any investment in the Ricoh goes hand in hand with an initial or on-going investment in the fledgling club to cover costs until the club is able to cover through revenues.
2. I agree with you that there will inevitably be some polarisation of the fan base, because it already exists, and as Stewpot detailed there are already various categories of supporter. where we will all end up will depend on what happens. Should we at some stage get the legal entity of CCFC back from SISU/Northampton we all know that is where we the supporters who are the club will pledge our support, and the need for the phoenix club disappears and it can be disbanded or swallowed up by CCFC.
3. if PH4 buys a half share in the Ricoh that makes this all the more possible. IF PH4 is the principal investor (without loading debt) in the phoenix club and ultimately the successful purchaser of CCFC at some stage in the future that would ease this process. All the time, energy and money put into the 'phoenix' club for me from the outset should be for the purpose of reuniting us the supporters who are the club with the legal entity of CCFC within Coventry by hopefully persuading SISU to sell, or if that can't happen then giving us a vehicle for continuation of the heart and soul of CCFC at the Ricoh.