All of the revenue streams we've been discussing are attendance based, the only ones that aren't are player sales, prize money and tv money I think. Not having a stadium is a disadvantage sure but high attendances still provide nearly all the benefit anyway, food and beverage is the least significant of the revenues imo especially when costs are so high. It's easier to compete with it of course it is but when we could easily triple most of our revenue streams if we were properly run it seems silly to be focusing on the lack of stadium as the reason we are struggling in league one, its not the reason in the slightest, nore does not having one of our own prevent us from getting out of this league.
Yes we would struggle to be a self sufficient club in the championship but thats because only a small handful of teams are self sufficient, the vast majority of teams have massive debts and lose money.
lack of revenues really arnt our issue though, lack of money is (though of course they are directly linked) and of course some of the worst and most destructive owners ever.
Stadium revenue and attendances are directly linked, if you have 20k at a match but have no stadium revenue you are clearly missing out on income, and whats the point in having stadium revenues if you only have 5k at a match.
When attendances were fairly high at the Ricoh (yes it did happen), so all the things you've been mentioning about sponsorship and merchandise would have been significantly higher than now the club was still massively struggling then. We know its a model which hasn't worked in the past, its tried and failed.
Yes getting rid of SISU is more important as they don't seem to have any real plans to address any of the things being discussed here (attendances, merchandise sales, sponsorship, stadium etc.) but any new owner would still need the stadium revenues to turn the club around. Lets consider this SISU pack up there bags tomorrow and sell to a responsible owner, his running of the club on and off the pitch is exemplary and nobody has problems with it. Without the stadium revenues he will still struggle to make us anything more than a strong L1 club/weak championship club unless he is prepared to finance it thereselves. There top two priorities would be to increase attendances and to try and get stadium ownership, the rest will then follow.
I agree the current deal shouldn't stop us getting out of this league which I conceded earlier in the thread. A well run club getting 10-12k in L1 should be enough to be regularly competing for promotion from this league, we'd still massively struggle in the championship though as you said.
The people who did buy the Ricoh considered it massively important so much they went to great lengths to get them.
My point is that the football club (not SISU) long term need it, regardless of who owns the club.