AFC Coventry (38 Viewers)

[bigfatronssba]

Its worth remembering that MK Dons still played under the name Wimbledon and in London whilst the fans were setting up AFC. They didn't wait for the club to leave. Wimbledon and AFC Wimbledon co-existed for a while.

As Sisu have said we will never play in Coventry again I don't see what the issue is in doing this really.

 

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[bigfatronssba]

Rich I admire your passion I really do but can someone get anything done? Is there anyone that can run with this? the trust? someone in the industry? There seems to be a wave of support for this but I fear it may be all rhetoric and no action.

It needs a leader. Someone to co-ordinate it all.

I would be perfectly willing to volunteer my spare time to help out with something. I'm not a leader though, more of a worker!

 

[Deleted member 5849]

I totally would, but not unless it is entirely a Phoenix Club and it can't be that whilst the mutant CCFC In Northampton still exists, which is why you'd have tiny crowds and a split fan-base. It'd be more akin to an FC Utd than a AFC Wimbledon. I'd tolerate dropping 3 or 4 divisions to have the club home and free of SISU's shackles and at the moment that a genuine re-launched CCFC comes into existence it is entirely the club that we support now, just as AFC Wimbledon are Wimbledon.

Yeah, no problem with the level, no football snob me... actually prefer lower league grounds, perversely, they're more genuine.

Would even rather, probably, have had us die and be reborn once Robinson and co stuffed us up.

But... like it or not, it's my club, and however much I might hate how it shows itself as my club, and I can easily turn my back on it... I can't give myself up and go and watch another while it lives, on anything other than a casual basis.

If you want the shit analogy, if my wife was on life support I couldn't shag some hot 25yo as it just wouldn't feel right.

 

[valiant15]

Doubt Brighton did either... but they stuck with it, came back, used the opening of their own ground as a vindication of the battles to get back, as a chance to capture a whole new fan base.

Doubt Charlton wanted to be away either but they fought for their club, fought against authority and made sure that pressure was put on those with the ability to bring the club back, until the club *was* brought back.

The focus of efforts was on bringing the club back however, not dividing it.

Rival clubs, while there's doubt... Enfield have probably paid off doing that, but I'm struggling for other examples. Enfield's level is also rather low too, it's at a low enough level to point out Wealdstone have been without a ground for years, but the fight carries on.

Newport County spent years away from Newport after a crazy owner ripped them apart. The club fell, the replacement couldn;t actually play in Wales, let alone Newport, if it wanted a place in the English pyramid. The fans however campaigned for its return, stuck with it... got its return, and got it back in the league too.

All different to us sure, and Newport even involved a new club, but the point was none of them gave up on their clubs because they played in the wrong place.

Instead, they fought for its return to its rightful place,

Did thet come back with the same owners though?

 

[stupot07]

Stu serious question didnt know you didn't go to away games, how long will it be before you lose interest 1.2,5 years then what do you go to the new stadium if built and say all is forgiven

I don't know how long I will give it, sisu agreed a deal with Northampton for 3 years, I would be prepared to wait another season, to see how this pans out. I still think a return to the Ricoh is likely in that time. If a new stadium was built and was acceptable, I would probably return, not sure all will be forgiven.


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[Deleted member 5849]

Did thet come back with the same owners though?

As none of us know what the future brings though...

We've had many a shit owner before! None of them have moved the club out the city.

Move the club back to the city, but owning its own ground again (or how about owners move back, then sell up and scarper... or owners sell up now as some City fan realises how much the club means to him and bids enough to make it happen - you get the picture.

We make a rod for our own backs with football. It means we have a shit owner in Robinson and we still turn up when, really, we should have bogged off and watched someone else.

We have a shit owner now, there's always Cov Sphinx.

But we're kind of tied into our club. Wish my Dad's Dad had been more passionate aboput following Norwich, might have been better than being persuaded by my Mum's Dad, but what's done is done.

If we get the club back, we won't have the current owners forever. You'd like to think we'd have the club forever (although Otium Entertainment trading as Coventry City Football Club wasn't what I imagined!).

I don't really like giving them the benefit of the doubt, shouldn't stop questions being asked about where the fuck a ground would actually be and the like... but I'd be focussing efforts on keeping our identity intact even if the owners don't want that.

A phoenix club has the best chance of keeping that identity once the club's sodded off entirely or goes utterly bust. If say a deal's worked out for the Ricoh, or it does get planning permission in Coventry, we've fucked up two clubs for the price of one.

Rather than a new club, the legends matches, charity matches... hell even have a Cov City event in the city and try and get thousands out there, have an open top tour bus tour of the city again with the cup winning squad, do whatever... give us something to cheer on our memories and give us some hold to fight with to get the club back, that's got to be better than a new club at the moment, hasn't it?

That's not a never gonna happen either, is it?

And add the fact personally I reckon it'll be shit or bust soon enough, the club will come back or go bust... either of those two would be a resolution, wouldn't they?

 

[stupot07]

Its worth remembering that MK Dons still played under the name Wimbledon and in London whilst the fans were setting up AFC. They didn't wait for the club to leave. Wimbledon and AFC Wimbledon co-existed for a while.

But the permanent move had been rubber stamped and confirmed before AFC Wimbledon were set up.


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[magic82ball]

Yeah, no problem with the level, no football snob me... actually prefer lower league grounds, perversely, they're more genuine.

Would even rather, probably, have had us die and be reborn once Robinson and co stuffed us up.

But... like it or not, it's my club, and however much I might hate how it shows itself as my club, and I can easily turn my back on it... I can't give myself up and go and watch another while it lives, on anything other than a casual basis.

If you want the shit analogy, if my wife was on life support I couldn't shag some hot 25yo as it just wouldn't feel right.

Come on now Northern, that's not the only reason you couldn't shag some hot 25yo is it...

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Come on now Norman, that's not the only reason you couldn't shag some hot 25yo is it...

Told you it was a shit analogy!

 

[Deleted member 5849]

But the permanent move had been rubber stamped and confirmed before AFC Wimbledon were set up.

Yeah, it kind of proves the argument for carrying on fighting really. As long as they had hope of a return home, they fought.

 

[magic82ball]

Told you it was a shit analogy!

lol, inaccurate on so many levels

 

[@richh87]

Its worth remembering that MK Dons still played under the name Wimbledon and in London whilst the fans were setting up AFC. They didn't wait for the club to leave. Wimbledon and AFC Wimbledon co-existed for a while.

As Sisu have said we will never play in Coventry again I don't see what the issue is in doing this really.

I understand why people don't want to let go.

But the main idea is to wait and see. Where's the balls?


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[@richh87]

Rich I admire your passion I really do but can someone get anything done? Is there anyone that can run with this? the trust? someone in the industry? There seems to be a wave of support for this but I fear it may be all rhetoric and no action.

It has to be the Trust ideally. They need to stop making press releases saying they'd "like people to talk".

Their fence sitting stance is useless.


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[@richh87]

If the club is battling to return to the city then yes. We don't know what the future brings, and as of yet the future sees a verbal commitment from the club to return, while fighting to lay bare decisions it claims pushed it out of the city. At the moment, it's wise to see what happens there before jumping.

If it turns out that at the end of all this, the club has been pushed... and that's the result the courts decide on...then it'd be pretty silly to have set up a new club and, as supposed fans of our club, *we* had finished it off.

Split a fanbase, and you destroy the chances of either the current club, or a rival club, being successful as whatever our differences it needs you, me, OSB, bezzer, bigfatron, shmeeee, stupot... all of us, to turn up to give us the best hope of success.

So that's why it needs an unequivocal conclusion before any replacement club appears, because I want you sat in the same ground as me supporting Coventry City FC.

The club isn't battling to return.

SISU don't ever intend to return to the city of Coventry - they've made that clear.

What are we fighting for? We need SISU to leave if we want COVENTRY City to play in Coventry.

Come on people - we have to take control now. Enough is enough.


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[stupot07]

The club isn't battling to return.

SISU don't ever intend to return to the city of Coventry - they've made that clear.

What are we fighting for? We need SISU to leave if we want COVENTRY City to play in Coventry.

Come on people - we have to take control now. Enough is enough.


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They have said they will return to Coventry if they own the stadium, so the door is still open (only slightly) for a return.

 

[Grendel]

The club isn't battling to return.

SISU don't ever intend to return to the city of Coventry - they've made that clear.

What are we fighting for? We need SISU to leave if we want COVENTRY City to play in Coventry.

Come on people - we have to take control now. Enough is enough.


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Why don't the people so obsessed with this just go and form a new club, seems like the ones doing the talk are those that support it. People like you want others to do it for you.

 

[Skyblueweeman]

Sorry, how do you know the boycott isn't working. Was you expecting SISU to come back cap in hand declaring all is forgiven after half a season of poor attendances. There is a much longer game being played out and one in which SISU seem to master in, they are certainly not about to blink anytime soon.

The fact is that reduced attendances and considerable lower income streams WILL force SISU's hand... eventually. We as supporters have to be united and use every angle available to us to defeat SISU. Why oh why can some people just not see it?

I'm sorry, but it won't. SISU is likely to be made up of a number of millionaires. They've 'arguably' funded loses running into the millions for 5 years. SISU have shown to be pretty heartless....they won't care one jot whether there's 70 people at Sixfields or 7,000....they really won't care. I admire the persistence of many but I doubt Joy Seppalla or Tim Fisher are losing any sleep over attendances/merchandising/incoming revenues.

Anyway, the point of my post was to highlight the fact that talk of a Phoenix club is an un-necessary and un-fair kick in the teeth for SP and the squad.

WM

 

[Skyblueweeman]

Im all for it. The butts would be great.

Porno review?

 

[Nick]

I don't agree the Trust should be spearheading this, it should be only when it is 100% confirmed that SISU won't be back and will be relocated permanently. It has crazy how some fans are so keen to drop CCFC and start something else.

 

[bigfatronssba]

I'm sorry, but it won't. SISU is likely to be made up of a number of millionaires. They've 'arguably' funded loses running into the millions for 5 years. SISU have shown to be pretty heartless....they won't care one jot whether there's 70 people at Sixfields or 7,000....they really won't care. I admire the persistence of many but I doubt Joy Seppalla or Tim Fisher are losing any sleep over attendances/merchandising/incoming revenues.

Anyway, the point of my post was to highlight the fact that talk of a Phoenix club is an un-necessary and un-fair kick in the teeth for SP and the squad.

WM

What do you think we should do then?

 

[bigfatronssba]

I don't agree the Trust should be spearheading this, it should be only when it is 100% confirmed that SISU won't be back and will be relocated permanently. It has crazy how some fans are so keen to drop CCFC and start something else.

But Fisher said that they've moved on from the Ricoh and there will be no new ground in Coventry. So what do you think we should do?

 

[Skyblueweeman]

What do you think we should do then?

The $64,000 question. I genuinely don't know the answers to our problems...ifI did, I'd be minted. Like I've said twice before, my own personal opinion is that SP and the squad don't deserve talk of a splinter club (although ironically, I think he'd understand)....

 

[bigfatronssba]

The $64,000 question. I genuinely don't know the answers to our problems...ifI did, I'd be minted. Like I've said twice before, my own personal opinion is that SP and the squad don't deserve talk of a splinter club (although ironically, I think he'd understand)....

To be perfectly honest SP and the squad are irrelevant in all this.

130 years of history, the City of Coventry, and thousands of supporters are far more important than the feelings of 30 grown men.

 

[skybluelee]

Although in theory I support the notion of a pheonix club....but unless sisu are here forever the next owners will undoubtedly bring the club home. So what then?

 

[bigfatronssba]

Although in theory I support the notion of a pheonix club....but unless sisu are here forever the next owners will undoubtedly bring the club home. So what then?

By the time Sisu leave ACL will have long moved on and the club will be playing outside of Coventry. If a new stadium has been built, why would new owners leave it?

 

[Deleted member 5849]

By the time Sisu leave ACL will have long moved on and the club will be playing outside of Coventry. If a new stadium has been built, why would new owners leave it?

If a new stadium's built in a ridiculous place, that's when it's time to consider a phoenix club.

But how come Fisher's word is taken as gospel with the worst case scenario when it speaks of phoenix clubs... yet the rest of the time he's apparently lying, making it up, and it's all a dastardly plan to return to the Ricoh?

 

[stupot07]

But Fisher said that they've moved on from the Ricoh and there will be no new ground in Coventry. So what do you think we should do?

And Mark L today said they're still a chance of them coming back but only as owners.

 

[bigfatronssba]

If a new stadium's built in a ridiculous place, that's when it's time to consider a phoenix club.

But how come Fisher's word is taken as gospel with the worst case scenario when it speaks of phoenix clubs... yet the rest of the time he's apparently lying, making it up, and it's all a dastardly plan to return to the Ricoh?

But the stadium wont be built for years. Are we just expected to sit here wasting time rather than doing something practical?

Also with regards to Fisher, when someone has been caught lying as much as him, then he deserves to have his word judged as the worst case scenario.

 

[skybluelee]

By the time Sisu leave ACL will have long moved on and the club will be playing outside of Coventry. If a new stadium has been built, why would new owners leave it?

To reunite the club with its city and lost fanbase?

You say ACL will have moved on but presumably the stadium will still be there?

 

[bigfatronssba]

To reunite the club with its city and lost fanbase?

You say ACL will have moved on but presumably the stadium will still be there?

Whos says it will still be a stadium? Could be a giant exhibition hall by then.

Today now means there is a chance (a very very small chance imo) that Sisu could win the JR. That could mean ACL having to pay back the £14m.

ACL have about a year before that could happen. Now if your a pro active business, and you get a warning like that, you would spend the next year trying to diversify and increase turnover to the point that paying the £14m back wont destabilise your business.

An empty playing bowl is not generating any cash for ACL, why will they maintain it? Much more sensible to start doing something with it now.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

But the stadium wont be built for years. Are we just expected to sit here wasting time rather than doing something practical?

Also with regards to Fisher, when someone has been caught lying as much as him, then he deserves to have his word judged as the worst case scenario.

What new stadium, the one Fisher's lying about because it's all about getting the Ricoh?

Isn't this picking whether he tells the truth or not to suit the mood of the day?

 

[stupot07]

Whos says it will still be a stadium? Could be a giant exhibition hall by then.

Today now means there is a chance (a very very small chance imo) that Sisu could win the JR. That could mean ACL having to pay back the £14m.

ACL have about a year before that could happen. Now if your a pro active business, and you get a warning like that, you would spend the next year trying to diversify and increase turnover to the point that paying the £14m back wont destabilise your business.

An empty playing bowl is not generating any cash for ACL, why will they maintain it? Much more sensible to start doing something with it now.

How's an AFC Coventry starting in the 9th tier of the pyramid going to help stop it? It took AFC Wimbledon 10 years to achieve the 5 promotions to get in the football league. A lot more chance of ccfc coming back to the Ricoh before AFC Coventry reach a level they would need the Ricoh.


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[Jack Griffin]

I should imagine ACL have been working on a contingency plan of some sort should they have to make alternative loan arrangements.

In the meantime I guess they'll continue to overpay £14M loan in the same way they did on the original £22M that was lent from Yorkshire Bank to reduce the capital as much as possible.

 

[bigfatronssba]

What new stadium, the one Fisher's lying about because it's all about getting the Ricoh?

Isn't this picking whether he tells the truth or not to suit the mood of the day?

Like I say if you lie as much as he does then you have to plan the worst case scenario.

In your heart do you trust what he says? I know I don't. We have to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[bigfatronssba]

How's an AFC Coventry starting in the 9th tier of the pyramid going to help stop it? It took AFC Wimbledon 10 years to achieve the 5 promotions to get in the football league. A lot more chance of ccfc coming back to the Ricoh before AFC Coventry reach a level they would need the Ricoh.


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Well it would give us a team to support in the city.

The JR wont get sorted for at least 18 months IMO. Another 2-3 years at least to get planning permission for a new ground, another few years to build it. You're looking at at least 7 years away.

The club will most likely be non league by then anyway.

As for the Ricoh, playing in Coventry is the important thing, the Ricoh would just be preferable but not essential.