CarpyCov84
New Member
Missed it anyone hear anything she had to say ?
Regards
Regards
Anyone hear Ann Lucas's interview on Cwr ??? (11 Viewers)
- Thread starter CarpyCov84
- Start date
RegiswasGod
Well-Known Member
I heard about half of it. From what I heard, she was clearly an A Grade student at the Tim Fisher school of avoiding questions. She waffled on and on and on and even at one point compared the ownership of the Ricoh to who owned the sofa at home - was it her or her husband! In a nutshell, she was asked 2 questions in the 20 minutes I heard.
1) - Would you sell the Ricoh to the owner (SISU or otherwise) of the football club, as a club should own it's own stadium.
Her answer (eventually): It is in the interest of the City for the council to retain ownership of the stadium, but she would entertain the idea of discussions.
2) What valuation would you put on the stadium should it be for sale?
Her answer (eventually): I can't answer that. The stadium cost £113m to build and the whole development cost around £240m.
Make of that what you will. It's all I got to hear, but was the bulk of the interview because she took forever to answer a question.
She did say that she is heartbroken over what has happened as she has been a supporter since 1962 and felt she had to relinquish her Season Ticket in 2010 as she could see what was happening to the club.
She also expressed her delight about the judge throwing out the Judicial review and SISU having to pay the costs, as why should the council pay for being in the right.
1) - Would you sell the Ricoh to the owner (SISU or otherwise) of the football club, as a club should own it's own stadium.
Her answer (eventually): It is in the interest of the City for the council to retain ownership of the stadium, but she would entertain the idea of discussions.
2) What valuation would you put on the stadium should it be for sale?
Her answer (eventually): I can't answer that. The stadium cost £113m to build and the whole development cost around £240m.
Make of that what you will. It's all I got to hear, but was the bulk of the interview because she took forever to answer a question.
She did say that she is heartbroken over what has happened as she has been a supporter since 1962 and felt she had to relinquish her Season Ticket in 2010 as she could see what was happening to the club.
She also expressed her delight about the judge throwing out the Judicial review and SISU having to pay the costs, as why should the council pay for being in the right.
deanocity3
New Member
for someone has been in her house many times I thought she sounded very unsure about what is going on.and yes she did avoid the answers.she is the leader of the council
so who else does she have to ask surely she can make decisions on her own.
so who else does she have to ask surely she can make decisions on her own.
Pete in Portugal
Well-Known Member
I didn't hear her, but maybe she is trying to keep all her negotiating options open and therefore does not want to give too much away?
People should know better than to put any faith in this city's political leadership. Lucas is just the latest in a long line of low-calibre council leaders. Not that we can complain too much, we had a chance to go for an elected mayor, but we chose to keep the current set up. That elected mayor would most likely have been Bob Ainsworth, who at least has some clout at a national level even if you don't agree with his politics.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
I heard some of it and the sofa analogy was worse than the "if I didn't pay the rent of my house" rubbish we get on here. She talked a lot without saying much if you know what I mean.
I don't trust her, Coventry City Council, ACL anymore than I trust SISU! They ALL 'spin' and IMHO, are economical with the truth.
Remember it was ACL who first applied to put CCFC into administration last November and ACL who refused to sign the CVA!
How can you go from demanding a totally unrealistic rent (£1:28 million) 8 months ago to suddenly offering sustainable figures like £150,000 in Division 1?
I've said it before and I'll say it again, ACL & CCC NEED THE FOOTBALL CLUB MORE than CCFC need them IMHO.
Remember it was ACL who first applied to put CCFC into administration last November and ACL who refused to sign the CVA!
How can you go from demanding a totally unrealistic rent (£1:28 million) 8 months ago to suddenly offering sustainable figures like £150,000 in Division 1?
I've said it before and I'll say it again, ACL & CCC NEED THE FOOTBALL CLUB MORE than CCFC need them IMHO.
skybluetony176
Well-Known Member
you are right in a round about way on the rent row, ACL/CCC did do to little too late and i don't think too many people will disagree on that, however your final comment is wrong. ACL/CCC need CCFC more than SISU need ACL/CCC but not more than SISU want the Ricoh would be nearer the mark, IMO
dont confuse CCFC with SISU, we are CCFC, SISU aint.
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Otis
Well-Known Member
It's not in the interest of the football club though!!
When will they get it through their thick heads! The only way CCFC can move forwards is if they own or part own the stadium. It's talk like this that made Sisu decide to look to groundshare and talk of a new stadium in the first place.
I am hoping above hope that she just said what she said in terms of Sisu only and that they would gladly sell to different buyers.
Otherwise we're never going to get anywhere.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
Surely it can't be that difficult to come up with a valuation, wouldn't the council have to know roughly what it's asset value was?
No idea what stadiums are worth but Fratton Park was valued at something like £4m in the recent takeover by their supporters. I know that's nothing like the Rioch but if she's trying to imply someone would need to pay £240m that seems a very inflated figure.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
And fans writing to the Council asking them not to sell to SISU didn't help either.
The club need to own or part own the stadium. If we do not then we will never return.
The club need to own or part own the stadium. If we do not then we will never return.
I'd argue it wasn't in the interest of the city either. It isn't clear what we are talking about here - is it the sale of the freehold or management company? There is a case for the council retaining ownership of the freehold, however the management of a leisure facility like the Ricoh should be entirely in private hands.
SIR ERNIE
Well-Known Member
utter nonsense. ccc deserve praise and thanks from every supporter for not caving in to sisu over the ricoh.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
James Smith
Well-Known Member
No it was the desire to get the Ricoh on the cheap that caused the groundshare, they thought they'd call ACL's bluff at the same time as starting legal action. SISU are using our club's return to the Ricoh as a bargaining chip and holding us fans hostage. SISU had the opportunity to purchase a half share in the ACL since they bought the club and walked away from talks.
Well I'm not going to Sixfields I'm going to our home at the Ricoh to watch Football this weekend I'd welcome anyone who wants to come too should be a fun day out.
:blue:
SIR ERNIE
Well-Known Member
keep up, please.
Chinny_Hill
New Member
Thank god she wasn't asked to explain the off side rule.
diggerdaley
New Member
Why sell something that cost £100 mil to an hedge fund for less than it cost ?:blue:
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
Agree, MArk. If people want the football club they support to prosper then we have to own the Ricoh - or some of it at least. And SISU ain't going anywhere, so the choice is Sixfields or a slice of the Ricoh. Simple. If we owned some of the Arena we'd immediately become more attractive to other investors or potential buyers.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
Well, maybe that's what put Haskell off then. I would imagine you'd want him or anyone to pay £100M too?
It never ceases to amaze me the extent to which people are willing to defend the interests of the city council and a stadium management company over that of the football club.
Several months ago, SISU had agreed a deal to buy the Ricoh (or at least the company that operate it). Had that gone through, we'd be playing at the Ricoh on Saturday (not Sunday), a ground that we would own. There would be no transfer embargo, no points deduction, and who knows, that game might feasibly have been in the championship because had that deal gone through Mark Robins might well have stayed. That deal would have been great for the football club. The council scuppered it, an the rest is history. Perhaps you thank them for it, but I don't. Yes, we would still have SISU, but we still have them anyway so what have the council actually achieved with that 14m loan?
Nonleagueherewecome
Well-Known Member
How long can they hang on losing money? You really think they will stick around on gates of 1-2k the 3-5 years (IMO longer) it will take them to build a ground? Come off it..thousands of us won't go back until they go.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
Nonleagueherewecome
Well-Known Member
Nonleagueherewecome
Well-Known Member
I think the SISU-employed Administrator handing the club back to SISU did that, no?
James Smith
Well-Known Member
And SISU had the chance to purchase half of ACL, they had it since they bought the club and did they act on this chance? Yes they entered talks with the Higgs after going on the rent boycott and then walked away. They can't say they weren't offered the opportunity because they were and they chose instead to try and distress ACL out of business. Judge said pretty much that this morning if I read that correctly.
:blue:
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
Yes unfortunately, I do think they'll stick around. I was hoping they'd be gone by now, but they keep hanging on and seemingly making plans for the next ten years. I just can't see WHAT will make them leave.
I know lots won't go until they leave and lots like me won't go while they are at Sixfields. If CCFC go back to the Ricoh then I'm there.
I know lots won't go until they leave and lots like me won't go while they are at Sixfields. If CCFC go back to the Ricoh then I'm there.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
So what. As long as sisu own us no one will try and force their hand. Whilst we have fans like jack, James, Hugh, benny from crossroads (aka sky blue John) who support them at every turn we are stuffed.
The council don't want the club to own the ground. It really pisses me off at the apathy of our supporters to the real fundemental issue.
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
I've been sucked in again, haven't I? I always say I won't get involved but when I read anything like "good old ACL, good old CCC" then I have to reply. I hate them all me, on all sides. I'd love to see the back of SISU, the back of Fisher, the back of ACL, the back of PWKH, the back of Lucas and the back of CCC.
I want to watch my team in Coventry, that's all I care about.
I want to watch my team in Coventry, that's all I care about.
James Smith
Well-Known Member
So we have to starve them out, it seems like the only thing they understand is money (cause it sure as sh1t ain't football) and maybe an acute shortage of that will make them rethink their plans?
Heard the anne lucas interview...sounded she was a bit out of her depth to me....it's obvious that it's all about the ricoh....sisu/otium wanted it acl/ccc wont sell it to them.as much as I want sisu out what can they do....if we want to have a succesful club we have to own our ground.The ricoh will never be sold to anyone....The only way we'll see ccfc back at the ricoh with sisu/otium in charge is if acl back down....can't see that happening anytime soon.....
Otis
Well-Known Member
Not sure that's right.
Comes across to me that they just don't want these owners owning the ground.
Crap response.
That heads of terms were agreed on a deal for SISU to buy the RIcoh has never been denied by anyone, and it was reported in the media at the time. That the council were uncomfortable with the deal is perhaps understandable, but by going back on that agreement it set in motion a sequence of events that had led ultimately to this debacle, and yes, SISU must shoulder most of the blame for that. But please don't suggest the club would be in a worse position than it is now had that deal gone through in December.