December Stadium Deadline (1 Viewer)

armybike

Well-Known Member
Does that mean it is true then, you don't believe him (with fair reasons) when he says we are building a new stadium yet this statement is truth?

I don't believe a word he speaks.

However, as my comment says, on record he has said this.

He's committed to record that SISU would not have signed up to what some have described as the gold plated deal Wasps were given.
 

armybike

Well-Known Member
So we believe everything Fisher says? Or just the bits that for our narrative?

You might want to pop to SpecSavers fella.

Where have I said I believe what he's said?
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
Does that mean it is true then, you don't believe him (with fair reasons) when he says we are building a new stadium yet this statement is truth?

The point everyone misses of course being that it doesn't really matter whether you believe him or not or whether you think there's an element of truth in what he's saying or not. Because of he's own self determined history of quotes it's impossible to take the bloke serious regardless of what he's saying. Not a good place for someone with his apparent responsibility and position to put themselves in.
 

Calista

Well-Known Member
I am sure I would have publically have said the same.
Should he have admitted they had been screwed? What kind of signal would that send to their investors?

Come on – over a long period of time Joy & Tim made clear that they only wanted ACL with all the loans and contracts swept away for them. It was never on, which is why we lost out to another party prepared to negotiate more sensibly.

To avoid any doubt, from the day SISU took over I wanted and expected them to buy into the stadium for CCFC, and am gutted that they didn’t. There was a formula for doing it, which was part of what they bought into, but they decided to try and turn the screw instead. Very bad business and a complete misjudgement of the politics.

I so much wish we were charging rent rather than paying it, but unlike some I find it hard to blame the old or the new landlords.
 

Nick

Administrator
Come on – over a long period of time Joy & Tim made clear that they only wanted ACL with all the loans and contracts swept away for them. It was never on, which is why we lost out to another party prepared to negotiate more sensibly.

To avoid any doubt, from the day SISU took over I wanted and expected them to buy into the stadium for CCFC, and am gutted that they didn’t. There was a formula for doing it, which was part of what they bought into, but they decided to try and turn the screw instead. Very bad business and a complete misjudgement of the politics.

I so much wish we were charging rent rather than paying it, but unlike some I find it hard to blame the old or the new landlords.

That formula though, wouldn't that have had us paying quite a bit more than what Wasps paid for all of it to get 50%?
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
If that had have happened do you believe that SISU would have snapped their hands off?

I think they would have, I think they would have also settled for a 50/50 partnership with Wasps hence the bid they made for Higgs share. Of course that was never on the cards as Wasps wanted to load debt against the stadium to pay themselves back, I dread to think about the meltdown there would have been had SISU done the same.

I do think there were concerns over the loan and ACL's ability to service it and the preference would have been to purchase without the loan but with another buyer on the scene I think they would have taken the deal Wasps were given. As much as we all accused Fisher of talking bollocks as we had the council and PWKH telling us how well ACL were doing and how insignificant the football club was to them it turned out Fisher was right. ACL wasn't being well run and was overly reliant on the football club.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
I will have to find the quote either Derek Richardson or Nick Eastwood referenced talks with ACL that pre-date August 2014.

This is from the Telegraph in October last year:

In a recent in an interview with Stuart Linnell on BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, Rossborough said that two years ago, he met Wasps owner Derek Richardson and discussed, very generally, how the two clubs might work together and the word “merger” was mentioned, albeit informally.

So that would date that as around October 2013.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
That formula though, wouldn't that have had us paying quite a bit more than what Wasps paid for all of it to get 50%?

PWKH was asked on here, wouldn't confirm the exact details but did say that the figure generally thrown around for the Higgs 50%, which was £10m, was about right.
 

Nick

Administrator
PWKH was asked on here, wouldn't confirm the exact details but did say that the figure generally thrown around for the Higgs 50%, which was £10m, was about right.

So close to double the purchase price that Wasps paid to purchase 50%?
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
CCFC had agreed a 2+2, this hasn't changed. So if Wasps hadn't taken over CCFC would still be in the same position they are today.

I don't think we'd be in the same position. From what CCC were starting we would have been looking at buying the Ricoh at either the 2 year or 4 year point. Of course by then the truth about ACL's performance would have most likely come out putting SISU in the driving seat for any ownership negotiations.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
City’s chief executive, Tim Fisher, insists they do not regret failing to buy the Ricoh, saying they could not agree to taking it on, as Wasps have done, not only for £5.4m but with the council’s £14m loan on the stadium still to pay.

Don't think that really tells us much. There is no way his statement was going to be we're screwed and I've royally messed up.
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
I don't believe a word he speaks.

However, as my comment says, on record he has said this.

He's committed to record that SISU would not have signed up to what some have described as the gold plated deal Wasps were given.

If you don't believe a word he says why are you using his quote as evidence that the club wouldn't have took the same deal offered to Wasps.
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
The point everyone misses of course being that it doesn't really matter whether you believe him or not or whether you think there's an element of truth in what he's saying or not. Because of he's own self determined history of quotes it's impossible to take the bloke serious regardless of what he's saying. Not a good place for someone with his apparent responsibility and position to put themselves in.
So why are people using his quotes as evidence then if he's such a big joke.
 

martcov

Well-Known Member
This is from the Telegraph in October last year:

In a recent in an interview with Stuart Linnell on BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, Rossborough said that two years ago, he met Wasps owner Derek Richardson and discussed, very generally, how the two clubs might work together and the word “merger” was mentioned, albeit informally.



So that would date that as around October 2013.

"Very generally" and "albeit informally". Happens all the time... A what if? Situation. Doesn't mean that there were continuing talks from then on.
 

MalcSB

Well-Known Member
That's so embarrassing when you look back at that article, they were almost certainly in negotiations with wasps at the time


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - so please excuse any spelling or grammar errors :)

Exactly, I wonder why the Cov Telegraph haven't picked the honourable councillor up on this!!
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
I think they would have, I think they would have also settled for a 50/50 partnership with Wasps hence the bid they made for Higgs share. Of course that was never on the cards as Wasps wanted to load debt against the stadium to pay themselves back, I dread to think about the meltdown there would have been had SISU done the same.

I do think there were concerns over the loan and ACL's ability to service it and the preference would have been to purchase without the loan but with another buyer on the scene I think they would have taken the deal Wasps were given. As much as we all accused Fisher of talking bollocks as we had the council and PWKH telling us how well ACL were doing and how insignificant the football club was to them it turned out Fisher was right. ACL wasn't being well run and was overly reliant on the football club.

Based on what? What have they ever said and done to convince you of them doing either?
 

armybike

Well-Known Member
If you don't believe a word he says why are you using his quote as evidence that the club wouldn't have took the same deal offered to Wasps.

Where have I used his quote as evidence?
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Not "we're screwed", but "our plan to screw CCC and Higgs backfired".

OK, if you want to change the semantics fine. Point still stands, would you really expect someone like Fisher to make a statement putting the blame on himself?
 

MalcSB

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately Tim had in the meantime confirmed that they ( Otium ) were building their own stadium. It would have been more questionable if Tim had confirmed building up trust as a way to maybe making an offer for the Ricoh. Maybe offering to drop the JR in return for a good deal would have been a good way out for all concerned ( except, of course, Wasps ).

It doesn't really matter what Tim said in the meantime, fact is that the Wasps deal was almost done. Perhaps Tim knew this, and was putting a positive message (whether true or not) out rather than being left flatfooted again when news of the Wasps deal became public.
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
So why are people using his quotes as evidence then if he's such a big joke.

You'd have to ask them. But the real question is why has he put himself in a position where the people who need to take you serious (i.e. CCFC customers) can't. I can't believe he's got to this point by accident.
 

armybike

Well-Known Member
I don't think we'd be in the same position. From what CCC were starting we would have been looking at buying the Ricoh at either the 2 year or 4 year point. Of course by then the truth about ACL's performance would have most likely come out putting SISU in the driving seat for any ownership negotiations.

But we'd currently still be under the 2+2?

Either way, hindsight is a wonderful thing!
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Based on what? What have they ever said and done to convince you of them doing either?

I am 100% certain there has never been any plan to build a new stadium and SISU's endgame was to get ownership of the Ricoh. Maybe to flip as a package with the club, maybe to load with debt as Wasps have done. I'm also 100% certain they wanted the stadium as cheaply as possible.

I can easily see a scenario where they believed themselves to be the owner horse in the race and it was just a matter of waiting until CCC and Higgs backed down. The majority of people were not expecting the stadium to be handed over to a rugby club from London given all the statements made about our season in Northampton.

So on that basis I conclude that if they were aware of the offer from Wasps and that they would most likely be about to lose any chance of stadium ownership they would have matched Wasps offer to both the council and Higgs.

As it turned out they didn't get the opportunity to bid on the councils share but did match Wasps offer for Higgs share.
 

armybike

Well-Known Member
OK, if you want to change the semantics fine. Point still stands, would you really expect someone like Fisher to make a statement putting the blame on himself?

Why did he have to give a statement? How can be sure this statement wasn't the truth?
 

SkyBlue_Bear83

Well-Known Member
Where have I used his quote as evidence?

Well you weren't posting it to agree with Godiva's point of view that the club would have took the offer Wasps had was you? You were posting it to dispute his opinion that the club would have taken the same deal.
 

martcov

Well-Known Member
OK, if you want to change the semantics fine. Point still stands, would you really expect someone like Fisher to make a statement putting the blame on himself?

I would have thought saying that he would have paid lots more would have been in his interest in an attempt to show the council in a bad light and have cleared him. So, in this case I don't see his motive in saying he wouldn't have accepted it. He was still on the new stadium kick when he said it, which sort of confirmed what he said.
 

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