greg clarke interveiw on cwr after 7 this morning (7 Viewers)

[spoon]

but they can't have signed a 10 year lease agreement at sixfields because they promised a new stadium in Coventry within 3 (or 5), so it's just another FL regulation that is 'flexible' under the right pressure.

 

---

[The Penguin]

My blood is boiling just reading this thread.

I'd like to congratulate Greg Clarke for managing to be even more despised than SISU in my eyes.

I don't want to give up on the club but it's getting harder to care the longer this bullshit drags on.

 

[LastGarrison]

These lines are confusing me. In one line Mr Clarke is saying the league and the FA are confident they registered players in the right place, but in this line “I don’t know the answer to that question. It may be interesting to get to the bottom of – but it wouldn’t change anything. The club has been sold." is he saying they don't know where the players were registered? Or am I misunderstanding this or needing to see the specific text of the question actually asked? :thinking about:

For a man who spends "most of his efforts trying to keep Coventry City alive" you would think he would know a little bit more about our situation and may have looked into this a little deeper before agreeing to do this interview.

 

[James Smith]

For me the main thing that came out of the radio interview on CWR was the revelation from Clarke that the FL had been told that if they step just one millimeter out of line then they would have legal people all over them. When asked 'So you're being bullied' he said well no, both sides are just exerting their legal rights.

My clear impression from this point was that the FA really don't have the stomach to get involved in this. They're scared stiff and they just want someone to sort it out as long as it's not them.

Too many references to 'compromise' for my liking.

So in other words, Carry on SISU.

Now what did the ACL statement say about Joy allegedly threatening them with lawyers say

“Ms Seppala also stated at this meeting her intention to continue to threaten ACL and its shareholders with expensive litigation at every possible opportunity. Perhaps the fact that Mr Fisher was not himself present at this meeting has distorted his view of what was really discussed.

This just adds more weight for me to the credibility of the ACL statement.

 

[covhead1]

I don't know who's worse...... the FL tossers or SISU twats :jerkit:

 

[James Smith]

Err, if they have the money to keep the club running for years to come they could have stayed at the Ricoh and paid the reduced rent.

As I've said a thousand times, success on the pitch would bring crowds of 15,000+ regularly and the club would then be making money.

Exactly my point. As the maths around ticket revenue suggests they would make more money if they play in Coventry than Northampton, then if they can afford to keep the club going in Northampton surely they can afford the reduced rent at Coventry (even without F&B revenue)?

Therefore, why would the club close if it doesn't move to Northampton? The only answer that I can see is that Sisu said they would close it. (I'm happy to see another argument though if someone can point out other explanations.)

There is no business case for us moving to Northampton other than to distress ACL/CCC further. I posted this a few days ago and it explains why I think we've moved to Sixfields and why it isn't actually good business.

Why have we moved to Sixfields, is it the result of a petty jealousy over the council's nice stadium that they refuse to sell the Freehold at a peppercorn price or sound business sense from our club's owners? I think it's the former not the latter and will now attempt to show why the business case for the move to Sixfields doesn't add up.

In retail as is probably true in most if not all businesses you want to make the most money that you can. You therefore try to maximise the potential of your sales by placing the best selling products at eye level in prominent place. You don't stick them on a bottom shelf where your customers will find it hard to locate them. Yes some people will have a look for the product if it isn't immediately obvious where it is but many won't. You also miss out on those customers who just decide to make an impulse purchase when they see the item. If these are your biggest sellers then you want to maximise the number of potential purchasers not reduce them. More sales are generated this way and you find this in other business areas such as television. This is why Eastenders and Coronation Street aren't shown at 3pm in the afternoon, they're shown during Primetime. The reason is not enough customers or viewers can watch at 3pm, they're mostly out at work. The people that are watching television during the day are also not the same people as watch at night. The image of the product also affects sales and to improve the image you have advertising the better the advertising of the product normally the better the sales.

So what does this have to do with us Sky Blue supporters? Well we're the customers in this case and the club is the retailer, SISU being the owner of the shop. Despite all that I've learned and know about selling I still can't find a good business case for our move to Sixfields. The maximum number of customers that Sixfields can accommodate is less than our home at the Ricoh. From the fans who do travel the only guaranteed revenue that they generate is ticket sales. Now the number of customers who are prepared to travel to watch the team is inversely proportional to the distance they have to travel. Coventry would be the eye level shelf in a prime position, in the retail context and Northampton the back of the shop close to the floor.

So we're already down on numbers of customers and thus potential guaranteed revenue, look at season tickets for example. Now Tim has said that it's a better deal for us at Sixfields because of the cheaper rent and extra revenue streams we're getting from the deal with Mr Cardoza. However most people have a budget for entertainment just as they do for food, clothes, utilities etc. The extra cost of travel to Sixfields would reduce what people have to spend at the stadium when they get there. So to cover for this extra expense, SISU reduced the ticket prices in an attempt to make the move have less of an impact financially on supporters.

However even if that means that the cost of a ticket and travel is the same as a ticket to the Ricoh it doesn't increase the amount they have to spend. All it does is reduce the guaranteed revenue that SISU get in ticket sales thanks to the reduction in price. There is no guarantee that those of us fans who choose to travel to Sixfields will spend any money in the stadium. Apparently the burger van outside does better food than inside and those travelling supporters may choose to purchase their food and beverages there. No one is forcing you to use the official coach or the official car park so no guarantees of revenue there and the coach costs the same to hire if it's full or empty. Moving to Sixfields also reduces the number of impromptu walk up supporters who decide at 2:30pm they fancy watching the match rather than clothes shopping with the other half. Advertising is actually done by the team and that isn't something that the club/SISU can affect except by the purchase of players and choice of manager.

The only thing that makes sense for the move to Sixfields is if SISU are keen still to distress ACL further by reducing their income. There has been no attempt to demonstrate a willingness to build a new ground and after the comments this morning I believe now more than ever that there never will be. There isn't a sound financial case for the move as far as I can see and in my opinion leaves us worse off financially or SISU should they continue to fund the losses. I would however be interested if anyone has any thoughts that are different from this.

Oh and whether or not it starves them out I'm not giving them my money.

 

[lewys33]

To be fair to the Football League it appears they can do absolutely NOTHING. They have virtually no powers that they can use. So why do they exist? What it all boils down to is the fact they dont want all this legal action being threatened by Sisu.

I do love the fact he is trying "so hard" to keep us going yet does not know the answer to half the questions given!

 

[wantedDOA]

The FL are desperately hoping we all just give up and disappear. Listening to that half wit bell end knob jockey just makes me want too fight harder. Continue to starve SISU out, more high profile bad publicity for Joy. Now we also need to put the serious squeeze on the FL. I keep seeing all these pictures with SISU OUT from all over the world. I think it's time we started adding Joy's name to these and something that would embarrass the FL. We also have to play dirty if we want our club back. High profile disruption to FL grounds. I would love to get a flag at every FL ground in the country and at a specified time run onto the pitch with the flag to demonstrate against SISU, Joy and the FL. I can imagine Jeff Stellings face on Soccer Saturday at exactly 3.40 when he says' Hold on a minute every FL game has been temporarily suspended up and down the country' Priceless coverage that would be.

 

[Nick]

The FL are desperately hoping we all just give up and disappear. Listening to that half wit bell end knob jockey just makes me want too fight harder. Continue to starve SISU out, more high profile bad publicity for Joy. Now we also need to put the serious squeeze on the FL. I keep seeing all these pictures with SISU OUT from all over the world. I think it's time we started adding Joy's name to these and something that would embarrass the FL. We also have to play dirty if we want our club back. High profile disruption to FL grounds. I would love to get a flag at every FL ground in the country and at a specified time run onto the pitch with the flag to demonstrate against SISU, Joy and the FL. I can imagine Jeff Stellings face on Soccer Saturday at exactly 3.40 when he says' Hold on a minute every FL game has been temporarily suspended up and down the country' Priceless coverage that would be.

Plenty of banning orders and arrests too!

 

[RPHunt]

It seems to me that we heard similar weasel words and saw similar hand-washing over Wimbledon.

Any move to form a new team in Coventry will now get my 100% support and I will be first in line for a season ticket to watch the new team at the Ricoh next year. To get things rolling, all the money that I would have spent to watch CCFC, at home or away, this season is available as a donation.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Think we will have to resort to direct action nick. Pr experts on here how can we legitimately ensure maximum negative publicity for joy seppalla and sisu??

 

[shmmeee]

Mr Clarke said: “I don’t know the answer to that question. It may be interesting to get to the bottom of – but it wouldn’t change anything. The club has been sold.

“To the best of our ability, we and the FA registered players in the right place within the corporate structure... I am reasonably confident we did it right.

Fucking sick. Resign now you fucking scum bag. "Reasonably sure" you were doing your job.

He genuinely doesn't get that this is the key point. Were players where they were supposed to be the club would been for sale and you'd see some proper bids.

He's complicit in asset stripping with this quote in my mind. May I suggest any PSL holders who don't get their cash back send a bill to Mr Clarke?

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Surprised that no one has mentioned the other related news story - about the 6 million jellyfish that have launched a class action for slander after they heard someone describe the Football League as "spineless".

My blood is boiling just reading this thread.

I'd like to congratulate Greg Clarke for managing to be even more despised than SISU in my eyes.

I don't want to give up on the club but it's getting harder to care the longer this bullshit drags on.

Fucking sick. Resign now you fucking scum bag. "Reasonably sure" you were doing your job.

He genuinely doesn't get that this is the key point. Were players where they were supposed to be the club would been for sale and you'd see some proper bids.

He's complicit in asset stripping with this quote in my mind. May I suggest any PSL holders who don't get their cash back send a bill to Mr Clarke?

Yep far from over. Any psl seat holders need to take out a class action naming fisher, seppalla & Clarke

 

[chiefdave]

I'm absolutely raging and can't believe any individual or organisation can be this weak and incompetent. To be honest I feel like giving up, football is supposed to be a fun pastime, not something that has you constantly angry and in a bad mood. I'm getting to the stage where I'm thinking what's the point, all the people who should be on our side seem to be working against us and with every day that passes something else happens and it just seems to be turning into a fight we can't win.

 

[theferret]

1 They could afford the rent.

Of course SISU can afford to pay it, their argument was always that the loss making football club they were subsidising couldn't - at least not when coupled with restricted revenue streams.

2 They could have used their option to buy the Ricoh

They were trying to. They had a deal to do that last December but the council scuppered it at the 11th hour.

3. They could have started building a new stadium years ago if that is what they really wanted

See above - they were discussing a deal to buy 50% of ACL eight months ago - so why would they have started to build a new one 12 months ago?

4. They have been trying to distress ACL

Since the turn of the year I think that is undoubtedly true.

5. They have used flimsy company law and the administration/liquidation process to dispatch debt and leases.

Quite probably.

6. They have held a gun to the head of the football league

To a certain extent yes. The FL have bungled their way through this, but to an extent their hand was forced by SISU, and also ACL to a degree.

7. They could, Football League, afford to pay the 1million bond upfront and should have....you made Farnborough pay theirs

Totally agree.

8. The Football League are saying SISU don't need fans, certainly not the ones in Coventry

I don't think they are saying that - merely that they can sustain losses for a certain period of time. No football club can survive without a loyal fanbase long term.

9. No one knows SISUs real motive but I think they would liquidate us rather than sell us when it suits them

To suggest they would rather liquidate than sell suggests they are not nearly as interested in money as some suggest? I suspect they would rather liquidate than give the club away though.

 

[Noggin]

They were trying to. They had a deal to do that last December but the council scuppered it at the 11th hour.

Again thats false they had a deal in May last year which they didn't follow up on.

 

[stupot07]

hope ACL lawyers were listening to that interview and will take the FL to court for being completely fucking useless and not having a clue what they are doing.

What can ACL take them to court for?

 

[Spionkop]

RPHunt says....

"It seems to me that we heard similar weasel words and saw similar hand-washing over Wimbledon.

Any move to form a new team in Coventry will now get my 100% support and I will be first in line for a season ticket to watch the new team at the Ricoh next year. To get things rolling, all the money that I would have spent to watch CCFC, at home or away, this season is available as a donation."

RP, None of us want to abandon our club just yet. It hurts us to even think about it. We'll keep doing all we can, whatever each of us can do, to bring the team back.
We've had one home game at Sixfields. Too early to abandon NOPM. Preston home game and especially Colchester home, will bring much lower crowds. Colchester will bring 300 fans. Add that to the 500 Coventry and you have the lowest league attendance since the early 1960s, with Accrington. That will probably focus minds. December/January, anybody's guess how low it will sink.
RP, hold on just a bit longer. If this madness goes on into 2014 I think I'll be with you. I'd imagine a good number of others too. But the ultimate aim, if a new club happens, is we claim back our history. So everybody will be quite clear we are CCFC.
I'll stress again, just the serious idea that this new club COULD exist will focus minds.

 

[albatross]

So the football league condone the owners of a member club placing it in to administration to rid themselves of debt , wilfully making themselves homeless and then investigate them to ensure that they have sufficient funds to run the club for years. Give them the green light to effectively purchase what is left leaving behind debt.... is this a huge precedent to set ? what control do the football authorities now have?

Also how do the Fair Play rules allow for them to subsidise the running of the club ?. if it is not a tchnical breah of the rules then surely it is against the very spirit of them..

 

[James Smith]

1 They could afford the rent.

Of course SISU can afford to pay it, their argument was always that the loss making football club they were subsidising couldn't - at least not when coupled with restricted revenue streams.

2 They could have used their option to buy the Ricoh

They were trying to. They had a deal to do that last December but the council scuppered it at the 11th hour.

That ignores the Higgs share that they've had the option on since 'purchasing' the club. It also doesn't explain why they only entered into negotiations with the Higgs after the rent boycott had started. Also didn't Fisher state they were looking at sites or had engaged a firm to help them plan the White Elephant stadium before leaving the Ricoh?

3. They could have started building a new stadium years ago if that is what they really wanted

See above - they were discussing a deal to buy 50% of ACL eight months ago - so why would they have started to build a new one 12 months ago?

They were in talks with the Higgs (that they walked away from) a lot longer ago than eight months ago.

4. They have been trying to distress ACL

Since the turn of the year I think that is undoubtedly true.

5. They have used flimsy company law and the administration/liquidation process to dispatch debt and leases.

Quite probably.

6. They have held a gun to the head of the football league

To a certain extent yes. The FL have bungled their way through this, but to an extent their hand was forced by SISU, and also ACL to a degree.

7. They could, Football League, afford to pay the 1million bond upfront and should have....you made Farnborough pay theirs

Totally agree.

8. The Football League are saying SISU don't need fans, certainly not the ones in Coventry

I don't think they are saying that - merely that they can sustain losses for a certain period of time. No football club can survive without a loyal fanbase long term.

9. No one knows SISUs real motive but I think they would liquidate us rather than sell us when it suits them

To suggest they would rather liquidate than sell suggests they are not nearly as interested in money as some suggest? I suspect they would rather liquidate than give the club away though.

Depends on whether they can use the losses as some sort of tax write off I would guess.

 

[Godiva]

Didn't ACL reject the CVA to ensure a thorough investigation into this matter?

 

[DazzleTommyDazzle]

Didn't ACL reject the CVA to ensure a thorough investigation into this matter?

We don't know their reasons with any certainty.

I've wondered if they might have rejected it to keep open the possibility of an action against CCFC Holdings/Otium, on the grounds that Ltd and Holdings were effectively one and the same (TF's "the accounts are a bit of a mess etc).

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

All the League have ever cared about is the fulfilment of fixtures-they do not care how this is achieved or whether the best interests of their member clubs are served (unless it's Portsmouth) or whether, regardless of a meaningless box ticking exercise of a 'fit and proper test', a club's owners have been proven unfit for purpose and shouldn't be allowed a second bite of the cherry. I may sound like a broken record on Pompey but their case disproves much of what the spineless coward Clarke says in the Telegraph-the League could have denied returning the GS to SISU and could have blocked any groundshare on the premise that the Ricoh was not unusable.

Every statement that comes from the League reinforces their complicity in the club's destruction and their incompetence to manage the game below the Premier League (which is run just as shadily) and above non league. Although FIFA wouldn't allow it this organisation needs government regulation and intervention as, with accountability to nobody above, the League is plain and simple not fit for purpose.