SimonGilbert
Telegraph Tea Boy
Sky Blue Thinking piece from Andy Turner - http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sp...news/sky-blue-thinking-wasps-invasion-7818179
"Let’s be clear, we absolutely want the football club to stay at the Ricoh" (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter SimonGilbert
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stupot07
Well-Known Member
Sky Blue Thinking: Wasps invasion is an unthinkable option at the Ricoh Arena
24 September 2014 12:26 PM By Andy Turner
Andy Turner says Coventry City shouldn't be squeezed out of the Ricoh Arena especially by a soulless outside franchise
Wasps have previously played major matches at the Ricoh Arena.
Talk of an alternative sporting franchise setting up home at the Ricoh Arena is a depressing twist in the seemingly endless stadium saga.
We thought that everyone had grown up. We thought both sides had come to their senses, led by refreshingly ‘can do’ people determined to get a deal done and do the right thing in bringing the Sky Blues home.
All credit to them, they achieved that despite a backdrop of yet more litigation, the reasons for which continue to baffle after the resounding High Court judgement.
But it now appears that the interim arrangement is merely papering over the cracks; a deal that suits short-term needs but simply glosses over the deep divisions that remain.
Call me naive but, having taken the first huge step back, why can’t both sides get on with re-building their relationship? Both parties have been conciliatory and made compromises to strike up a seemingly fair agreement that serves the interests of both in the short-term, so why now attempt to batter each other behind the bike sheds like two truculent teenagers smiling at the teacher and insisting there’s no problem while plotting to sort each other out after school.
Sisu threw a heavy punch in this unsavoury scrap with their insistence of pursuing the council in the Court of Appeal, having already lost the previous round on points.
Now seemingly on the ropes, their tag team opponents ACL are lurching forward, ready to land a right hook that would take out the club and an innocent bystander, Cov Rugby Club, in one final blow to supporters of both sports.
The timing of the latest turn of events is unfortunate, to say the least, but also critical. If the possibility of rugby giants Wasps buying a controlling stake in the Ricoh was first mooted when City were still at Sixfields with no obvious sign of any route back then you can’t blame the stadium operators for looking at alternative options to safeguard its future in the face of such provocation.
But if the ‘secret’ talks were taking place while the deal to return was being done, or since, then that puts and entirely different slant on things and serves to reinforce the on-going gulf between the key players in the background, albeit not necessarily those leading the move for reconciliation.
It could be seen as a tactical move by the stadium owners to force City’s hand; to get them to ‘put up’ (dropping all the legal nonsense, make a concerted effort to build bridges a with a view to making a realistic offer to purchase a stake in the Arena) or, back them into a corner so that they have to show supporters that they are serious about building a stadium which most still believe is the stuff of fiction.
Whatever their motives, the prospect of selling out to a nomadic Premiership rugby franchise is wrong on so many levels.
Firstly, the Ricoh Arena was purpose build for football, and Coventry City, the current standard bearers for sporting excellence in a city that has and will continue to produce top class athletes, swimmers, rugby players, cricketers and the list goes on.
Secondly, this city cannot allow an acrimonious domestic between two heavy hitters to result in another proud club having its throat cut.
It would have a catastrophic impact on Cov RFC. While the fanbase would, no doubt, remain loyal, it’s the floating supporters and next generation of rugby fans who would be tempted by top flight rugby in the city, signalling the beginning of the end for another of the city’s clubs that once held its own with the country’s elite and produced a plethora of internationals.
It’s unthinkable that in a period in the club’s history when Cov are working tirelessly to produce a competitive National League One side to attract spectators and sponsors to strengthen its position, both financially and within their division, that Wasps could be allowed to fly in to town and blow them out of the water.
We don’t mind the odd high-profile Premiership rugby Cup game. That’s different and provides local sporting enthusiasts the opportunity to see top class rugby on their doorstep as well as additional revenue for the stadium.
It would, in the words of chairman Jon Sharp, be a “betrayal.”
There’s a moral obligation for the power men at the council and trustees of the Alan Edward Higgs Charity – which has supported community and sporting projects with an ethos of working to benefit the people of Coventry since his death in 1979 – not to allow that to happen.
Let’s be clear, we absolutely want the football club to stay at the Ricoh and in no way endorse a soulless outside franchise, be it Wasps or whoever squeezing the Sky Blues out of town after the fight we have all put up to get them back.
It’s understandable how we’ve reached this point, to argue that the football club have brought it on themselves, but that doesn’t make it right that the widely perceived victims in this sorry saga suddenly turn aggressors and force them out, weeks after welcoming them back in a blaze of glory.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors
24 September 2014 12:26 PM By Andy Turner
Andy Turner says Coventry City shouldn't be squeezed out of the Ricoh Arena especially by a soulless outside franchise
Wasps have previously played major matches at the Ricoh Arena.
Talk of an alternative sporting franchise setting up home at the Ricoh Arena is a depressing twist in the seemingly endless stadium saga.
We thought that everyone had grown up. We thought both sides had come to their senses, led by refreshingly ‘can do’ people determined to get a deal done and do the right thing in bringing the Sky Blues home.
All credit to them, they achieved that despite a backdrop of yet more litigation, the reasons for which continue to baffle after the resounding High Court judgement.
But it now appears that the interim arrangement is merely papering over the cracks; a deal that suits short-term needs but simply glosses over the deep divisions that remain.
Call me naive but, having taken the first huge step back, why can’t both sides get on with re-building their relationship? Both parties have been conciliatory and made compromises to strike up a seemingly fair agreement that serves the interests of both in the short-term, so why now attempt to batter each other behind the bike sheds like two truculent teenagers smiling at the teacher and insisting there’s no problem while plotting to sort each other out after school.
Sisu threw a heavy punch in this unsavoury scrap with their insistence of pursuing the council in the Court of Appeal, having already lost the previous round on points.
Now seemingly on the ropes, their tag team opponents ACL are lurching forward, ready to land a right hook that would take out the club and an innocent bystander, Cov Rugby Club, in one final blow to supporters of both sports.
The timing of the latest turn of events is unfortunate, to say the least, but also critical. If the possibility of rugby giants Wasps buying a controlling stake in the Ricoh was first mooted when City were still at Sixfields with no obvious sign of any route back then you can’t blame the stadium operators for looking at alternative options to safeguard its future in the face of such provocation.
But if the ‘secret’ talks were taking place while the deal to return was being done, or since, then that puts and entirely different slant on things and serves to reinforce the on-going gulf between the key players in the background, albeit not necessarily those leading the move for reconciliation.
It could be seen as a tactical move by the stadium owners to force City’s hand; to get them to ‘put up’ (dropping all the legal nonsense, make a concerted effort to build bridges a with a view to making a realistic offer to purchase a stake in the Arena) or, back them into a corner so that they have to show supporters that they are serious about building a stadium which most still believe is the stuff of fiction.
Whatever their motives, the prospect of selling out to a nomadic Premiership rugby franchise is wrong on so many levels.
Firstly, the Ricoh Arena was purpose build for football, and Coventry City, the current standard bearers for sporting excellence in a city that has and will continue to produce top class athletes, swimmers, rugby players, cricketers and the list goes on.
Secondly, this city cannot allow an acrimonious domestic between two heavy hitters to result in another proud club having its throat cut.
It would have a catastrophic impact on Cov RFC. While the fanbase would, no doubt, remain loyal, it’s the floating supporters and next generation of rugby fans who would be tempted by top flight rugby in the city, signalling the beginning of the end for another of the city’s clubs that once held its own with the country’s elite and produced a plethora of internationals.
It’s unthinkable that in a period in the club’s history when Cov are working tirelessly to produce a competitive National League One side to attract spectators and sponsors to strengthen its position, both financially and within their division, that Wasps could be allowed to fly in to town and blow them out of the water.
We don’t mind the odd high-profile Premiership rugby Cup game. That’s different and provides local sporting enthusiasts the opportunity to see top class rugby on their doorstep as well as additional revenue for the stadium.
It would, in the words of chairman Jon Sharp, be a “betrayal.”
There’s a moral obligation for the power men at the council and trustees of the Alan Edward Higgs Charity – which has supported community and sporting projects with an ethos of working to benefit the people of Coventry since his death in 1979 – not to allow that to happen.
Let’s be clear, we absolutely want the football club to stay at the Ricoh and in no way endorse a soulless outside franchise, be it Wasps or whoever squeezing the Sky Blues out of town after the fight we have all put up to get them back.
It’s understandable how we’ve reached this point, to argue that the football club have brought it on themselves, but that doesn’t make it right that the widely perceived victims in this sorry saga suddenly turn aggressors and force them out, weeks after welcoming them back in a blaze of glory.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors
Otis
Well-Known Member
Great piece that, Andy. Well said.
Let's just stop all this nonsense, drop the legal proceedings and start fresh, sitting round the table and working out a long term deal that suits all parties.
You have to think that this Wasps thing maybe was indeed first mooted while we were at Sixifelds and there was not much prospect of our return. If so, you wonder just who exactly is now leaking out the info?
A naughty tea boy at ACL perhaps?
Let's just stop all this nonsense, drop the legal proceedings and start fresh, sitting round the table and working out a long term deal that suits all parties.
You have to think that this Wasps thing maybe was indeed first mooted while we were at Sixifelds and there was not much prospect of our return. If so, you wonder just who exactly is now leaking out the info?
A naughty tea boy at ACL perhaps?
yes, but.... they have been welcomed back for 2 years with an option of a further 2 years... That is not the end of the story by a long chalk. The end will be when SISU/Otium/CCFC and ACL/CCC/Higgs put pen to paper on a long term leasehold agreement at a "reasonable" rent ( one both sides can live with ) and agreed conditions for f&b, advertising, stadium naming rights etc.. Until then all's fair in love and war.... whether we like it or not...
The politics has become tedious in the extreme -ACL should either refute or confirm the situation with Wasps (or any other parties for that matter). And Sisu drop the new stadium nonsense and put the Club first for once i.e. put an offer in for some part of ACL. Oh, and by the way - do this second bit in private and professoinally please whilst negotiating (that's both sides).
Otis
Well-Known Member
Guess the problem there though, Monners, if negotiations have been going for sometime (starting while we were still at Sixifelds), then they are not ever going to come out now with negotiations still ongoing and confirm the situation.
If that has been the case it will all be sensitive negotiations. Seems like someone may have deliberately leaked out secret talk information. Possibly to give Sisu a kick up the pants into dropping all the legal stuff.
MichaelCCFC
New Member
Another excellent piece by Andy Turner
torchomatic
Well-Known Member
A bit of back-tracking there from the CT.
I suspect you are probably not far off the mark Otis. It was more wishful thinking on my part. Just the frustration of the whole thing.
Good article by Andy Turner. I think the previous one that has got some a bit hot under the collar could be seen as less than neutral (is this the language of spin?). If it also said ACL stop hawking the Ricoh then fair enough. It did though put some focus on Sisu in regard to having any intention on trying to secure a stake in the Ricoh/ACL for the benefit of the Club.
Evo1883
Well-Known Member
why are ACl looking to strike a deal with anyboy , i thought they could survive with or without tennants at the arena .no seriously , just dont see how considering its coventry taxpayers money that kept them "afloat" then the city should get a say on what it wants in regards to this , i dont think wasps would come off well
.no seriously , just dont see how considering its coventry taxpayers money that kept them "afloat" then the city should get a say on what it wants in regards to this , i dont think wasps would come off well
Otis
Well-Known Member
why are ACl looking to strike a deal with anyboy , i thought they could survive with or without tennants at the arena
Maybe because they have a great big sports stadium sitting there, right bang in the middle of their complex and with no sports team it would just sit there going to waste half the time?
That's just a wild guess though of course.
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
mr council otis, why dont you join an acl fan forum?
Otis
Well-Known Member
Here we go.
Not going to bite CC4L.
Anyone with half a brain knows that I am not pro council or ACL on this. You do please keep fishing though. Maybe someone else will bite.
ointlaugh:
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covcity4life
Well-Known Member
you will start back tracking just like the CET
maybe around matchdays you feel the love for ccfc again, when no games around you revert to type.
maybe around matchdays you feel the love for ccfc again, when no games around you revert to type.
Otis
Well-Known Member
Where am I backtracking from? Always consistently said that all sides share a degree of culpability in this.
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
exactly
not one part of you cares that ccfc will suffer, along as it makes sense on paper
not one part of you cares that ccfc will suffer, along as it makes sense on paper
Otis
Well-Known Member
Must. . . . . not.... bite.... do.... not feed the.... troll.....
Otis
Well-Known Member
Yep. Hard to disagree with any of that, Duffer.
Sky Blue Dal
Well-Known Member
Liked this article BUT Andy turners right about one thing.. he is naïve.
The talks with Wasps had been going on after SISUhave:
1. Failed to pay the rent, offer a reasonable value for the share of the stadium.
2. leaving for Sixfields and threaten to build a new stadium
3. Taking ACL/CCC to court for misuse of state aid.
4. At the same time demanding they want to own the Freehold and the leasehold is not an optioion.
5. and then finally return back to the Ricoh and then still carry on about owning and building there own stadium.
Quite a few punches by SISU there don't you think Andy T.
Fact is as soon as they left the Ricoh, stop paying the rent, carrying on threatening court action and building of a new stadium they had lost any rights to be involved in bidding for the stadium as soon as the Wasps came in with a committed proposition.
You cannot expect the ACL/CCC to renege on any business agreement that probably has been taking place for over a while now and way before SISU sent CCFC into exile 30 miles away. Obviously it hasn't worked for SISU.
The facts are ACL/CCC cannot take the risk of losing this business deal in hope of waiting for SISU to make a realistic offer which probably will never come. As a business they have to do what's best for this city asset.
The talks with Wasps had been going on after SISUhave:
1. Failed to pay the rent, offer a reasonable value for the share of the stadium.
2. leaving for Sixfields and threaten to build a new stadium
3. Taking ACL/CCC to court for misuse of state aid.
4. At the same time demanding they want to own the Freehold and the leasehold is not an optioion.
5. and then finally return back to the Ricoh and then still carry on about owning and building there own stadium.
Quite a few punches by SISU there don't you think Andy T.
Fact is as soon as they left the Ricoh, stop paying the rent, carrying on threatening court action and building of a new stadium they had lost any rights to be involved in bidding for the stadium as soon as the Wasps came in with a committed proposition.
You cannot expect the ACL/CCC to renege on any business agreement that probably has been taking place for over a while now and way before SISU sent CCFC into exile 30 miles away. Obviously it hasn't worked for SISU.
The facts are ACL/CCC cannot take the risk of losing this business deal in hope of waiting for SISU to make a realistic offer which probably will never come. As a business they have to do what's best for this city asset.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Why?
Sky Blue Dal
Well-Known Member
If that is it.. then so be it.
I am sick of SISU's mind games and lack of compassion for it's customers.. us the fans.
jimmyhillsfanclub
Well-Known Member
Are you sure about that......If you believe other articles from the same paper, then previous ACL leadership were talking to Wasps several YEARS BEFORE sisu stopped paying rent, let alone moved us to sixfields.....
....just saying....
Sky Blue Dal
Well-Known Member
Are you sure about that......If you believe other articles from the same paper, then previous ACL leadership were talking to Wasps several YEARS BEFORE sisu stopped paying rent, let alone moved us to sixfields.....
....just saying....
Was this not reported at the time when the deal collapsed between Higgs/SISU
stupot07
Well-Known Member
Are you sure about that......If you believe other articles from the same paper, then previous ACL leadership were talking to Wasps several YEARS BEFORE sisu stopped paying rent, let alone moved us to sixfields.....
....just saying....
To be fair he contradicted himself on that matter in his post....
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Sky Blue Dal
Well-Known Member
The fact that after everything has happened and even less than a week after announcing a return to the Ricoh you get TF saying we still plan to own OR build a stadium without any proof or substance to it . How he thinks getting back to negotiation with ACL and expecting them to drop a possible deal with the another party is being very naïve.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
You're the one who is being naive. Fisher and SISU haven't said a word about this. Nobody from the club has said they expect ACL to drop a deal with Wasps for their benefit.
The fans on the other hand, apart from the idiots so blinded by their hate for SISU, seem fundamentally opposed to the idea of London (in all but name) Wasps having a controlling stake in a the stadium management company. The stadium itself has previously been called a community asset to the City of Coventry.
Sky Blue Dal
Well-Known Member
To be fair he contradicted himself on that matter in his post....
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You right I did contradict that part maybe I should have read the article a bit more clearly instead of speed reading through it.
Like most good business, ACL rightly had a plan B, and as soon as SISU left the Ricoh they had in affect lost any right sto re-enter negotiations when a third party had become involved.
That is how every businesses work and remember sadly football clubs has become a business and has to start behaving like one.
What I find interesting is what might have triggered this loyalty check. Could it have been SISU's behaviour??
Sky Blue Dal
Well-Known Member
Have I said they have???? ... Why you twisting my words... I was on about I think it was before or after the Gillingham game Fisher made the same ole statement about the club needing to own or build its own stadium and this was after one of the councillors had said that trust needed to be built between the club. His timing was very poor.
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stupot07
Well-Known Member
And the irony that a councillor said trust had to be built between the club and ACL, is that they appear to be in discussions with a third party to sell them a stake....
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skybluetony176
Well-Known Member
And the irony that a councillor said trust had to be built between the club and ACL, is that they appear to be in discussions with a third party to sell them a stake....
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.......meanwhile the trust worthy hedge fund are persuing litigation while narrowing down the sites to 2 where they plan to build a new stadium and wave bye bye to the City of Coventry forever. Irony central in the Coventry Area.
stupot07
Well-Known Member
2 wrongs......
Any views on Andy turners opinion piece or are you too busy backing up ACL on this? The absence of comments and some posters on here is telling.
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Sky Blue Dal
Well-Known Member
2 wrongs......
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Now that's an underestimate .. Sure there are more than one wrong with our beloved owners or did I miss something in the JR outcome?
To be honest this is the only piece of article that Andy has written that I disagree with.
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