I would take issue with the post that inferred that the affairs of CCFC only really mattered to 3-4 % of the City of Coventry, I think it is considerably more than that, more like as many as 50% in different ways. You cannot just look at todays average attendances to look at the impact of the City losing its 127 {?} year old club. The club is a considerable tourist draw to the City in itself with many thousands of away fans visiting the City up to 25 times in a year, when people visit the football, they spend money in various ways on transport, parking, drinking, food, petrol etc etc. Be interesting to see how many fans feature on the CCFC computer database as well, more than 4%. The council should give this whole affair some serious due diligence and do everything they can to support and promote its sports teams in every way they can...............as for the council tax payers? Do we all specify where our contribution is spent.........of course not!!
Trouble is you cant run a company on the best wishes of 50% of the populace can you. The estimate of less than 20k fans is pertinent to the recent seasons and the current one and those forseeable - and if you think about it includes the away fans as we seldom get a crowd more than 20K. It is pertinent because they provide much of the funds to keep the club going and unless the club has enough paying customers then it is that financial reality that will take the club down not ACL, Higgs Trust or the council. Plus you cannot expect the Council or Charity to bail them out further - they dont have the money, and there are laws and regulations that prevent some of the things suggested
Just how much income from opposing fans actually filters into the city as such when most fans arrive by car and get there via M6 junction 3? How much of our fair city do you think these away fan tourists see from junction 3?
Suggest you read it again no one including me is suggesting that they want to see the club go, what ACL, the Council, Higgs charity are saying is that they wont be held to ransom by it. They are not saying they wont support its football teams and sports facilities but get real, we are in a recession with massive cutbacks in council services and throwing money at a perrenially mismanaged, financially troubled, under achieving, club/company with highly paid employees is not a priority. I would also suggest that they know very well how to get the best from their investment in the Ricoh and it takes more than a football club to do that.
Also if you listen to what Councillor Mutton said in his interview he makes the point that clubs that go into administration usually come back stronger, with new owners, or are replaced by another club. No one is envisaging there being no football club at the Ricoh. Mr Knatchbull- Hugessen from the Higgs Charity made a lot of good points this morning on CWR - but again stressed that they & ACL want a football club at the Ricoh, THEY ALL WANT CCFC TO BE THERE
We all know in reality that if CCFC went into administration there is still going to be a football team at the Ricoh. It would be a different set up and probably a different division but all this talk of there not being a CCFC at the Ricoh is scare mongering. However good management, wise investment and common sense says you dont put all your eggs in one basket. That is all that is being said by ACL etc.
Even if there was no football club (highly unlikely IMO) then there are alternative uses for the Ricoh that will add to the local community and economy - Isnt anyones ideal as everyone wants CCFC there - but to think of it as a total loss is simplistic at best. That over the decades has been Coventry's (the city) strengths...... resilience and adaptability - why would that change?
However CCFC has to stand on its own two feet. They are a private company. Plenty of companies valuable to Coventry in terms of money & employment have gone bust in the past and the council have not been able to support them what makes CCFC different?
Somehow people assume that because it is the council then they dont consider things properly, dont have relevant skills etc - there is no evidence of that. The council for good legal reasons are an investor in ACL they dont run it. The Board of ACL do and it is hard to argue they have not been successful and have not set up a bright future for the Arena. It isnt reliant on CCFC thats all
I am a rate payer, I am a season ticket holder, I pay business rates and I employ people, I buy food drink and programmes at matches - frankly I think I put enough into the kitty supporting the mess that is CCFC without the council putting more in. I hope the Council, The Higgs Charity and ACL stick to their guns - it is 10years+ overdue that the finances at CCFC got resolved one way or another!
Edit
Sorry if that turned into a bit of a rant - but it irritates me when people like KD BRody etc do not take responsibility for their actions (or inactions) or fans shift the responsibility to organisations that by their nature have to look at the bigger picture but get accused of not doing. I can see the correlation between club council and City but truly believe it is not the responsibility of the Council to make CCFC a success or even to make them a special case. Too often folk look to others and blame them for percieved inaction before actually getting to grips with the root causes. If the club was successful well run with ambitious owners that are open with the fans then there wouldnt be the fans revolt or apathy leading to poor income and financial turmoil - and it is these factors (including the fans apathy) that put CCFC at risk not ACL or the council
