Some Feedback from Les on SBT Leagal Action (9 Viewers)

[Mary_Mungo_Midge]

Banqueting areas pmsl.

Having been taken there under the auspices of hospitality by the bank manager - to watch Northampton play, I hasten to add - I can vouch for the absurdity of the description. Their facilities aren't even fit to start to be compared to those at the Ricoh. The comparison is truly ridiculous, and only a fool would wish to draw such a parallel

 

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[skybluetony176]

Sorry, I meant at Sixfields. His words were:

he gives a complete breakdown their of whats in the sixfields deal, even to banqueting area's. has he ever done such a break down on the last rent deal they were "paying" for the Ricoh or supplied one for the not "direct" offer?

 

[Captain Dart]

At Northampton, Rent includes; all stadium related first team match day services including pitch maintenance, utilities, refuse collection and covers the following facilities - the pitch, the stadium, the stadium seating, the changing rooms, hospitality suites and banqueting areas, match day staff facilities, media facilities.

The stadium also provide all catering staff, all grounds men. The licensee (the club) separately provide stewards, crowd doctor, crowd ambulance, player ambulance.

You can read that as the costs do not include stewards, crowd doctor, crowd ambulance & player ambulance,.he said the stadium provide these, he did not say that they were included in the rent. And the police are not mentioned, they may have a cost.

 

[wingy]

he gives a complete breakdown their of whats in the sixfields deal, even to banqueting area's. has he ever done such a break down on the last rent deal they were "paying" for the Ricoh or supplied one for the not "direct" offer?

But would'nt Clarify the exact details of the cost.

 

[duffer]

Just to go back to the letter, were I the trust I'd be minded to take this approach:

Contact the Guardian, and see if they stand by their article. I note that at this moment in time they have neither taken down the article nor inserted/added any correction.

At the same time, I'd send Speechly Bircham an email saying that you've complied with their request at the moment, but you would like further specific details regarding why their client feels the article is inaccurate, misleading, and distorted.

I would offer to freely publish those details too, in the interest of balance.

I would also ask for Speechly Birham to indicate within the next fourteen days whether they intend to take action or not, or explain why they need longer to decide. Clarity is needed in this regard, because an open ended threat of legal action here might well be considered to be a simple blunt instrument to prevent free speech, this rather than representing a genuine concern by their client that they have been unfairly slighted.

 

[The Gentleman]

Just to go back to the letter, were I the trust I'd be minded to take this approach:

Contact the Guardian, and see if they stand by their article. I note that at this moment in time they have neither taken down the article nor inserted/added any correction.

At the same time, I'd send Speechly Bircham an email saying that you've complied with their request at the moment, but you would like further specific details regarding why their client feels the article is inaccurate, misleading, and distorted.

I would offer to freely publish those details too, in the interest of balance.

I would also ask for Speechly Birham to indicate within the next fourteen days whether they intend to take action or not, or explain why they need longer to decide. Clarity is needed in this regard, because an open ended threat of legal action here might well be considered to be a simple blunt instrument to prevent free speech, this rather than representing a genuine concern by their client that they have been unfairly slighted.

If I were you, I'd ask the Telegraph if they need any freelance journalists. Seems you can ask the questions that need to be asked rather than the existing ones.

 

[Mary_Mungo_Midge]

Les Reid fails to comdemn it, in fact he misrepresents it instead, saying

@TheSkyBlueTrust's now published #CCFC letter. Seems to advise removing @guardian article link IF #CCFC takes action http://www.skybluetrust.co.uk/attachments/article/324/slet.png …

which isn't what it says at all.

A couple of fans, including Supporters Direct have taken our Les to task for his selective interpretation of the letter and he's now retweeting his armour - 'tweets of support' from his clueless sycophants.

Including one who derides Supporters Direct as 'out-of-towner's - presumably a tweet sent from the Sixfields terraces, 35 miles away. Oh, the ignorant irony of the ill-educated :facepalm:

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Including one who derides Supporters Direct as 'out-of-towner's

Been taking inspiration from Valiant and Ashdown then

 

[skybluetony176]

But would'nt Clarify the exact details of the cost.

it would if he clarified it

 

[skybluetony176]

i see some cheeky bar steward on GMK has started a post on my Les Reid excusive and given credit to someone called Kev Monk.

well i have talked to my lawyers and unless they take the link down i will have to sue you, who ever you are.

 

[Grendel]

You, like many others, mistake being impartial with accrediting equal blame to both sides.

It's not impartial to say "the Nazis and the Jews were both to blame for the holocaust" because the facts don't support that.

What a strange and disturbing thing to say

 

[James Smith]

And what about the now. Now that we're not paying Bell and Wood. Now that we have a team full of youngsters hungry to get in on the action. A Strike partnership worth fearing by other teams. A manager who wants the club to go places and seemingly signing the right players? Is this not SISUs doing as well? Do you not want all the match day revenue to go to the club to help the club to grow? From what I have read, ACL are not willing to give us this. But it's ok, because they aren't SISU so it's allowed to go unnoticed and we'll continue to let SISU know how badly the ran things when they first came on board (Which they did).

We had a go at the previous bunch who were mostly clueless and got us relegated from the premiership. I can remember the shouting of "sack the board" at HR and away matches. However there were good things that remember from their stewardship for want of a better word - some of the fondest being when they sacked/ousted/removed the 'lovely' Brian Richardson, when we spent a memorable evening at an Old Trafford cup game beating a team with 6 internationals, beating Man City at home 5-1 etc. They were responsible for us selling our stake in the Arena project to a Charity and our leaving of the only home ground I'd ever known (and what a last match that was). But we went to modern facilities that were better than most in the division. Not only that but we had the chance to fairly re acquire our stake in ACL from the Charity who had also built us a facility for our Academy.

They were responsible for the situation where we needed someone to come in and acquire the club. But at least they had set up a solution for us to get back into the stadium management firm and have some control.

Sisu came in and made the fans promises that they didn't keep. Got us relegated against a backdrop of falling attendances and moved us out of our Coventry home and the Academy out of theirs. Yes we're having a very good start to the season (all credit to the team and manager) but I can't overlook the things SISU did that got us to where we are now. Not to mention the fact that we're going to be stuck in Northampton until they build a new stadium which they are taking their time over. Or the fact that their lawyers sent a letter to the Trust (a body representing their customers) which had it been addressed to me, I would have felt threatened by.

I mean threatening the Cat 2 status of the Academy over a mower or whatever it was is idiotic, these youngsters are our future!

 

[skybluetony176]

We had a go at the previous bunch who were mostly clueless and got us relegated from the premiership. I can remember the shouting of "sack the board" at HR and away matches. However there were good things that remember from their stewardship for want of a better word - some of the fondest being when they sacked/ousted/removed the 'lovely' Brian Richardson, when we spent a memorable evening at an Old Trafford cup game beating a team with 6 internationals, beating Man City at home 5-1 etc. They were responsible for us selling our stake in the Arena project to a Charity and our leaving of the only home ground I'd ever known (and what a last match that was). But we went to modern facilities that were better than most in the division. Not only that but we had the chance to fairly re acquire our stake in ACL from the Charity who had also built us a facility for our Academy.

They were responsible for the situation where we needed someone to come in and acquire the club. But at least they had set up a solution for us to get back into the stadium management firm and have some control.

Sisu came in and made the fans promises that they didn't keep. Got us relegated against a backdrop of falling attendances and moved us out of our Coventry home and the Academy out of theirs. Yes we're having a very good start to the season (all credit to the team and manager) but I can't overlook the things SISU did that got us to where we are now. Not to mention the fact that we're going to be stuck in Northampton until they build a new stadium which they are taking their time over. Or the fact that their lawyers sent a letter to the Trust (a body representing their customers) which had it been addressed to me, I would have felt threatened by.

I mean threatening the Cat 2 status of the Academy over a mower or whatever it was is idiotic, these youngsters are our future!

Good post james and it sums up my thought, except.

we are not sisu's customers, that title belongs to their investors. we are a dwindling commodity of a company that they own, no more and no less.

 

[cochese]

We had a go at the previous bunch who were mostly clueless and got us relegated from the premiership. I can remember the shouting of "sack the board" at HR and away matches. However there were good things that remember from their stewardship for want of a better word - some of the fondest being when they sacked/ousted/removed the 'lovely' Brian Richardson, when we spent a memorable evening at an Old Trafford cup game beating a team with 6 internationals, beating Man City at home 5-1 etc. They were responsible for us selling our stake in the Arena project to a Charity and our leaving of the only home ground I'd ever known (and what a last match that was). But we went to modern facilities that were better than most in the division. Not only that but we had the chance to fairly re acquire our stake in ACL from the Charity who had also built us a facility for our Academy.

They were responsible for the situation where we needed someone to come in and acquire the club. But at least they had set up a solution for us to get back into the stadium management firm and have some control.

Sisu came in and made the fans promises that they didn't keep. Got us relegated against a backdrop of falling attendances and moved us out of our Coventry home and the Academy out of theirs. Yes we're having a very good start to the season (all credit to the team and manager) but I can't overlook the things SISU did that got us to where we are now. Not to mention the fact that we're going to be stuck in Northampton until they build a new stadium which they are taking their time over. Or the fact that their lawyers sent a letter to the Trust (a body representing their customers) which had it been addressed to me, I would have felt threatened by.

I mean threatening the Cat 2 status of the Academy over a mower or whatever it was is idiotic, these youngsters are our future!

I appreciate that the past has been poor regards to SISU, the mistakes made were ridiculous when you look back. Too much money was wasted on awful players and as has been pointed out many a time, they should have bought the share in the stadium when they had the chance. But the people who were responsible for those decisions are no longer on our board and the investment is now in the youth rather than expensive has-beens. There has been change in the way this club has been run in the last 18 months. Not all of it for the good, but there does seem to be a long term vision where the owners of the club and the stadium are the same. This has to be a good thing, regardless of the conspiracy theories about SISU charging the club as much rent as ACL have done.

With regards to the letter, would you have preferred a letter that says that you WILL be sued for posting the article rather than a warning that you might be sued if you didn't take it down? There has been history in the past between fans and the owners that has resulted in a legal squabble.

 

[James Smith]

I appreciate that the past has been poor regards to SISU, the mistakes made were ridiculous when you look back. Too much money was wasted on awful players and as has been pointed out many a time, they should have bought the share in the stadium when they had the chance. But the people who were responsible for those decisions are no longer on our board and the investment is now in the youth rather than expensive has-beens. There has been change in the way this club has been run in the last 18 months. Not all of it for the good, but there does seem to be a long term vision where the owners of the club and the stadium are the same. This has to be a good thing, regardless of the conspiracy theories about SISU charging the club as much rent as ACL have done.

With regards to the letter, would you have preferred a letter that says that you WILL be sued for posting the article rather than a warning that you might be sued if you didn't take it down? There has been history in the past between fans and the owners that has resulted in a legal squabble.

No I would have had whoever is in charge of community relations make a call to the person named in the letter and ask them to take it down - please. Setting the lawyers on someone/a group especially someone who is representing a large number of our supporters sends out the wrong message.

Incidents like that are just adding to the already large amount of distrust of the owners and legal management of the club. You say that the directors have changed, well since the start of their ownership of the club that's true. However some of the worst things they've done have been under the same man who is in 'charge' today and his boss.

 

[James Smith]

Good post james and it sums up my thought, except.

we are not sisu's customers, that title belongs to their investors. we are a dwindling commodity of a company that they own, no more and no less.

Well we're customers of our club or supporters as we're also known. I agree though we are not the direct customers of SISU Capital.

 

[shmmeee]

I appreciate that the past has been poor regards to SISU, the mistakes made were ridiculous when you look back. Too much money was wasted on awful players and as has been pointed out many a time, they should have bought the share in the stadium when they had the chance. But the people who were responsible for those decisions are no longer on our board and the investment is now in the youth rather than expensive has-beens. There has been change in the way this club has been run in the last 18 months. Not all of it for the good, but there does seem to be a long term vision where the owners of the club and the stadium are the same. This has to be a good thing, regardless of the conspiracy theories about SISU charging the club as much rent as ACL have done.

Where does the cost of the stadium come from? Is it going to be another £20-30m on top of what we already owe? If not, and it's going to come for basically free by selling development land, why the fuck are we even considering the Ricoh? Free stadium! What's the exit plan?

Sisu are still making major mistakes in fan relations and as such can't really complain about how the fans view them. If they wanted to win us over it'd be all Jimmy Hill stadium and artists impressions of sliding roofs. Instead it's ever decreasing promises, vague statements and almost intentional playing down of this "Plan A". It's like Fisher doesn't want us clamouring for a new stadium as that'd take pressure off the council. We're there on a plate, why not take us?

With regards to the letter, would you have preferred a letter that says that you WILL be sued for posting the article rather than a warning that you might be sued if you didn't take it down?

I'd prefer my threats up front, yes. Especially when they are as frivolous as this.

There has been history in the past between fans and the owners that has resulted in a legal squabble.

And that makes it right? It was bullshit then and it's bullshit now.

 

[ccfcway]

I appreciate that the past has been poor regards to SISU, the mistakes made were ridiculous when you look back. Too much money was wasted on awful players and as has been pointed out many a time, they should have bought the share in the stadium when they had the chance. But the people who were responsible for those decisions are no longer on our board and the investment is now in the youth rather than expensive has-beens. There has been change in the way this club has been run in the last 18 months. Not all of it for the good, but there does seem to be a long term vision where the owners of the club and the stadium are the same. This has to be a good thing, regardless of the conspiracy theories about SISU charging the club as much rent as ACL have done.

With regards to the letter, would you have preferred a letter that says that you WILL be sued for posting the article rather than a warning that you might be sued if you didn't take it down? There has been history in the past between fans and the owners that has resulted in a legal squabble.

far far too much credit.

Whilst the "has beens" are gone, its down to reducing wages costs, as opposed to a strategic decision to invest in youth.

At some point, a club of our size has to win a game or two. Everyone is raving about how we are doing this season, and lets face it, even without the 10 point deduction, we would only be 4th in League One !

 

[The Prefect]

we are not sisu's customers, that title belongs to their investors. we are a dwindling commodity of a company that they own, no more and no less.

Great post! Seppala hasn't got to grip with this. We're collateral damage as far as SISU are concered as they get increasingly desperate not to write off any of their investment and impact their customers / investors.

 

[cochese]

far far too much credit.

Whilst the "has beens" are gone, its down to reducing wages costs, as opposed to a strategic decision to invest in youth.

At some point, a club of our size has to win a game or two. Everyone is raving about how we are doing this season, and lets face it, even without the 10 point deduction, we would only be 4th in League One !

Reducing wage costs are inevitable after relegation to League 1. Yes, SISU can be a major cause for that too! But now we're here, the silly thing to do would be to just throw more money at the team hoping to get promoted again and increase the debt. The right thing to do is invest in the youth.

I'm not trying to paint SISU as saints, but it should be pointed out where they are going right as well as wrong. Or are we not allowed balance on here?

 

[James Smith]

Reducing wage costs are inevitable after relegation to League 1. Yes, SISU can be a major cause for that too! But now we're here, the silly thing to do would be to just throw more money at the team hoping to get promoted again and increase the debt. The right thing to do is invest in the youth.

Which would explain why Sisu threatened our Category 2 Academy status :facepalm:

, I'm not trying to paint SISU as saints, but it should be pointed out where they are going right as well as wrong. Or are we not allowed balance on here?

No so long as you don't break the rules you can post whatever opinion you like. Just don't expect everyone to like everything you post.

 

[DazzleTommyDazzle]

I'm not trying to paint SISU as saints, but it should be pointed out where they are going right as well as wrong. Or are we not allowed balance on here?

No problem on here - I guess you must be thinking of GMK