So where you been Pax?Reading through some post, absolutely nothing.
26th June 2013 - Tim Fisher says Coventry City are closing in on deal for new stadium site. Sky Blues chief executive expects decision within three weeks.
8/1/2014 - CET have taken a guess at where it will be
...as I thought same old, same old.
So where you been Pax?
Reading through some post, absolutely nothing.
Nothing. You're still a Sisu rent boy so go fuck yourself.
Failure to let SISUE have the Ricoh could lead to the demise of our club? Bit late for that isn't it.
Last I looked Astute we still had a football club kicking a ball around in Northampton and 20 odd other football league grounds week in week out?
Though not ideal it never the less has happened. The club was only paying rent to play on a pitch at the Ricoh and use a few offices. That clearly was going to fail. Even a buy out of 50% in the management company shares from the Higgs charity was no route to financial cash flow.
Rent was aggressively too high for such little in return. Anyone arguing with that is simply not at the races.
Now what SISU subsequently did by not paying rent and the eventual mess with which it has all led to was in my opinion the wrong way to go about matters. But it's where we are now. The council acted with equal virility and one could say vindictiveness. Indeed we started this season minus 10 points because of it.
Both have acted unreasonably. Both need to respect the Town, the fans and history of Coventry. Football has become a hard nosed business from the model we saw a few decades ago. It's no longer just about the love of the game. It's about money. The money it takes to run a club and the money it generates for the City and reputation. SISU have damaged it almost beyond repair but it is still salvable. They are willing it seems to stay in and not just cut and run. I'll give some credit for that. The council likewise need to act with guile and intelligence in seeing the bigger picture in all this. Help move the club forward. It's an asset to the town not just a business that currently has disagreeable ownership. The Ricoh with a football club is a far better option than one without.
Understand what you are saying even if I disagree with some of it. However, you say the council could take the initiative in this, did they not try with the latest free rent and then 2 years low rent offer with negotiating about buying from there. Sisu/Otium were the ones who dismissed it out of hand despite admitting that they would be financially better off (which would benefit the club no?) Sisu are the owners and they should be the ones to put their cards on the table, be honest, open and have a continual dialogue with it's own customers. If they did this then people may better understand their thinking, they might not agree but at least people could start to make informed decisions instead of trying to guess and second guess everybodies next move. This in itself creates division with everyone forming their own opinions and thinking their right when to be honest, most of us have no real idea.
Hope that wasn't to mouth frothy for Steveo1987.
I see what you are thinking and would at first thought seem reasonable but not logical or sensible. Not offered formally anyway and who in their right minds would seek a free rent followed by low rent deal leading to eventual ownership? What's the point? What's the thinking behind that? Ownership from the get go would ensure a proper financial plan and business plan from day one. Would any company want to put their livelihood in the hands of a council controlled situation for a few years first? The club would not be getting control of it's own future until a few years down the road....why? It's easy for the council...just sell it. They seem to find the concept of that very difficult. SISU are the owners as you say and should put their cards on the table. They have made no secret of the fact they want to own the Ricoh have they not? As for dialogue with it's own customers....it's about par for the course I suspect for most football club owners. Mr Tan at Cardiff makes the SISU regime look tame! And you would hardly expect details on unresolved issues, outstanding legal proceedings and the intricacies of their business to be public knowledge? They have stated they will fund the club at Northampton for up to 5 years and intend building a stadium if they can't have the Ricoh. Those of us who choose to disbelieve all that can't use that to suggest SISU have not stated their intent? Yes I'm suspicious too of that intent but I have not heard the council offer any valid formal offer of intent either?