News just breaking via ITV Central.
http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2013-07-12/breaking-ricoh-arena-to-sue-northampton-town/
http://www.itv.com/news/central/update/2013-07-12/breaking-ricoh-arena-to-sue-northampton-town/
To quote the infamous Barry Davis:Breaking: Ricoh Arena to sue Northampton Town
ITV News Central understands the Ricoh Arena is suing Northampton Town - for effectively 'stealing' its customer.
It follows Coventry City agreeing a deal to play at Northampton's Sixfields Stadium for at least the next three years.
More to follow...
Interesting, Very Interesting
Brilliant! Looks like we'll be packing public galleries rather than stands.
Great twist! I'm no lawyer but it surprises me if they have any right to sue (the club they had an agreement with is in administration so I thought the deal was broken) but if this is true, it may be a good tactic to scare NTFC away - and with what the police have said and fans pressure etc, NTFC may just renege on their agreement yet.
Fingers crossed.
Strange though isn't it, this is a gold mine and ACL can easily recover the money by getting another customer in. How odd.
Interesting isn't it!
I wonder if this means that ACL are not accepting the "split" between Ltd and Holdings, i.e. that only the Ricoh contract is in Ltd and the "football club" is in Holdings.
I can't say I've thought this through from a legal perspective, but perhaps their argument will be that the rental agreement is with the "football club" and thus that Northampton are enticing them to break their contract.
I'm probably completely wrong, but if it were the case things could be about to hot up.
Not keen on this, SISU are villians, the football league are villians, Paul Appleton the jury is out on, Northampton really aren't. Seems they are the least deserving of being sued.
More costs & delays.....
Why not just pay the rent owed?
not sure of the business terminology but I would think ACL can either argue all the SISU companies are one and the same and therefore the lease is valid or that SISU have been asset stripping and just leaving liabilities they don't want in Ltd. Struck me as very odd that the administrator allowed SISU to purchase certain assets out of Ltd where other bidders presumably made offers for the whole of Ltd.
Not keen on this, SISU are villians, the football league are villians, Paul Appleton the jury is out on, Northampton really aren't. Seems they are the least deserving of being sued, I'm not happy with them don't get me wrong but sisu were always going to be able to find somewhere, so they have just done whats best for their club.
It could be seen as protecting their business (ACL taking action against NTFC) which would be the directors responsibility, and they'd be negligent if they didn't.No more strange than a business in administration finding 100k to pay for a judicial review.
No as they keep stressing the FL said CCFC could play at NTFC not that they should.but the FL have the final say!
They have already spoken!
Acl need the money now CCFC don't pay rent.....but when have they!
I too am surprised that Northampton are the target of ACL legal action, if the reports are true.
I would have thought that the Football League would be the more obvious target. A case for a request for judicial review of it's decision to allow the move to Northampton on the basis that it will distress a community asset could surely be made. On this basis, a judge might decide that previous decisions , that football governing bodies are outside the scope of review, could be ignored.