Todays council meeting will be held in public (4 Viewers)

[Nick]

Has nobody mentioned anything about franchising and moving teams at all yet?

 

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[fernandopartridge]

Mutton contradicting the council's own justification for bailing out ACL. Like I said all along. The 'asset' was protected

 

[Evo1883]

I wonder what condition it will be in?

Well considering ann lucas is a vampire , im sure she will be around to see what condition its in

 

[JimmyHillsbeard]

Local politics at its absolute worst.

We know best. the fans have been misinformed. Our questions have all been answered. We will discuss all of this to your satisfaction. In private.

 

[chiefdave]

“The owners of the club can come forward with an offer at any time.”

That's the key quote so far. SISU need to get a bid in and buy the stadium themselves.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Lots of ifs here and very very little genuine assurance

 

[fernandopartridge]

Cllr O Boyle's comments are shocking. The decision has been already. What a set of cunts.

 

[oldskyblue58]

Has there been any speaker yet that has not backed the proposal?

 

[duffer]

More on the love of sport from Coventry City Council. Clearly they've never played on the dog-sh*t council pitches that junior footballers have to use.

(Most rugby clubs, in fairness have their own club houses and facilities - they seem to manage pretty well without having a big franchise next door.)

 

[duffer]

Has there been any speaker yet that has not backed the proposal?

Not one.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Can AL the supposedly labour councillor list how many of the jobs at the Arena area zero hours contracts?

 

[italiahorse]

It's gone private

 

[hill83]

Not one.

It's because they are all about the £ signs and nothing else. The whole lot.

 

[Evo1883]

It's gone private

Are we cLose to a decision / announcement then

 

[Skyblue4u]

If you want wasps for a neighbour vote Labour

 

[Houdi]

One thing to bear in mind in all this. If the deal does indeed go through,not one person in the Coventry and Warwickshire is going to be forced to watch Wasps at the Ricoh. Personally if I want to watch rugby in this City I will go to the Butts and watch the team who bears the City's name. There is no way Wasps will survive let alone prosper on the back of a few hardened Wasps trekking up from London.
Either sufficient people in this area will be 'persuaded' to support this franchise,it which case you could argue there is a case to be made, or local people will stay loyal to our existing Coventry teams, and the venture will surely fail.
Unfortunately it seems that our owners have for far too long being engaged in this high risk and reckless game of poker and are about to lose. Where this leaves the future for CCFC and us fans,God only knows.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Has there been any speaker yet that has not backed the proposal?

No. It wasn't in the pre prepared script from Reeves and West.

 

[Nick]

Cllr O’Boyle: “The Ricoh has had a difficult birth and nobody in this city can believe that it has lived up to its potential.”
“All I’ll say is this, as difficult as it is in terms of emotion...time will tell, won’t it? If Wasps’ arrival can bring real jobs and real investment and be a catalyst for sporting opportunities for the city, then everybody has to recognise that the decision taken was for the good of the city’s people.”

Council received over six hours of information yesterday regarding the a Ricoh/Wasps takeover, including the potential impact on Coventry City FC any takeover would have.
Council claims the move is an opportunity which “cannot” be missed for the city.

Council claims nobody can make a decision without the facts, and people in the public domain should bear that in mind when the Council makes its decision.

Yeah, so tell everybody the facts then. Why hide them?

 

[JimmyHillsbeard]

Cllr Joseph Clifford said he once trusted someone which was a mistake because he didn't have the facts. I'm taking this as a gnomic reference to the football club. Now he asks us to trust him, (because presumably he has all the facts). Cllr Lucas finishes with a nice Government 101 lecture - you elect us to make decisions and then decide whether we did the right thing.

 

[Jack Griffin]

Mutton:



I am probably being thick, but if a lease is 250 years surely that is pretty much owning the building? Happy for somebody to correct me and explain though.

I think he means that the buildings are the assets upon which to secure any debts should Wasps go tits up..

 

[Nick]

Lucas: “I appreciate the arguments from everyone. The seriousness in which we are taking this is huge - sometimes we get e-mails and letters asking what planet we are on, but we are people who LIVE in Coventry and we LOVE Coventry.We are your neighbours, we sit next to you at the football, we worry about council tax...that’s who we are. We are charged with representing you.
You elect us and you decide whether we make those decisions in your interests or not. Regardless of party, we serve the people of Coventry and we will strive to do so.”

 

[Nick]

Public debate has now concluded, a private debate and vote will follow.
Members of the public are now being escorted out of the chambers.

 

[Nick]

Council leader Ann Lucas’ left us with one last resounding message: “We wish we could have an independent referendum on this issue but we can’t because we are a council - that’s what democracy is about!”

Is it democracy if the councillors are forced to vote for something?

I wonder if she will be at the game tonight?

 

[Rob S]

Ann Lucas translation: "It's sooooo hard being a councillor! Peeeeepl are soooo meeeeeeeean! *koff* Back me or sack me."

 

[fernandopartridge]

Cllr Joseph Clifford said he once trusted someone which was a mistake because he didn't have the facts. I'm taking this as a gnomic reference to the football club. Now he asks us to trust him, (because presumably he has all the facts). Cllr Lucas finishes with a nice Government 101 lecture - you elect us to make decisions and then decide whether we did the right thing.

Yeah. It's right out of the Tony Blair 'How to show Iraqi dictators have Weapons of Mass Destruction' book.

 

[torchomatic]

Which, of course, will be too late if it's not.

you elect us to make decisions and then decide whether we did the right thing.

 

[duffer]

Lucas: “I appreciate the arguments from everyone. The seriousness in which we are taking this is huge - sometimes we get e-mails and letters asking what planet we are on, but we are people who LIVE in Coventry and we LOVE Coventry.We are your neighbours, we sit next to you at the football, we worry about council tax...that’s who we are. We are charged with representing you.
You elect us and you decide whether we make those decisions in your interests or not. Regardless of party, we serve the people of Coventry and we will strive to do so.”

She probably won't want to sit next to me at the football.

"Ann, I've had a long meeting with a large number of people, and we've decided unanimously that it would be best if we crapped in your shoes. I'd like to explain why it benefits you, but unfortunately there are issues surrounding commercial confidentiality that mean I am unable do so. We haven't taken this decision lightly, and please be assured that we've got your best interests at heart."

 

[Chipfat]

Was Preston Haskell, Hoff or Elliot mentioned !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[duffer]

Cllr Joseph Clifford said he once trusted someone which was a mistake because he didn't have the facts. I'm taking this as a gnomic reference to the football club. Now he asks us to trust him, (because presumably he has all the facts). Cllr Lucas finishes with a nice Government 101 lecture - you elect us to make decisions and then decide whether we did the right thing.

I know Joe personally, and I really like him. He is a thoroughly decent man. But he's wrong on this.

I'm giving you a like for 'gnomic reference' - there's a phrase that doesn't crop up here often.

 

[Nick]

Tweet on the CET website:

In summary then: CCFC have been deemed a necessary sacrifice in order to protect the interests of the electorate. Is that a fair assessment?

 

[Nick]

Our Sports Editor Keith Perry is worried about the consequences of Wasps moving to Coventry for the local rugby club.

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Isn't that the bit to extend the lease?

Would they pay rent if they have the lease, did ACL? How did it work?

ACL paid up front to avoid paying an annual rent, as this worked out cheaper. I think it's what the loan was for.

Some businesses pay annually, some pay at the start. I suspect there will be no annual rent as such in this deal, other than possibly a small ground rent £100 per year, or something like that.

 

[Nick]

Ah so if they are taking on the debt you would assume that is them paying for ACL's Lease and then the £1m to move it up to 250 years.

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Ah so if they are taking on the debt you would assume that is them paying for ACL's Lease and then the £1m to move it up to 250 years.

That's what I'm guessing at the moment.

 

[The Gentleman]

Can't have it both ways - at the moment they can't move their academy, and there's no evidence that they'll be able to.

If they are anything like the FL............