While I go along with both sides having some level of responsibility for our club's position the reality is the ongoing future of the club lies only in the hands of its owners. Why should the club's landlord be concerned about its future when the club refused to pay its rent? Where is the club's concern about ACL's future? This isn't a two-way situation. We (the fans) can not insist that ACL have an eye on the club's future when the club don't have an eye on theirs.
ACL are the only 'victim' here - when the club refused to pay the rent on a long term lease agreement. The point deductions that followed are consequences of the club's own actions in not paying the rent. No-one to blame but the club's owners however, they continue to blame ACL and CCC for problems of their own making.
It's messy. Whatever the whys and wherefores the club refused to pay its rent having paid it for years before with no problems. The club deserved everything that followed.
It's a shame. The points deductions have blunted a season where there is hope of a play-off place. My thoughts are that we will get fewer points in the second half of the season as oppositions work out how to play our unknown youngsters. Although possible play-off are a long shot and I hope SP gets the boys there. Our only chance is for promotion this year. If we don't do it then a long decline and slow death is on the horizon.
I don't disagree with you Prefect. My point really is about the history involved around this whole situation that makes the case for both sides to consider their positions and while I agree most events are of the clubs making as you say, there are mitigating circumstances that can't be ignored.
The Stadium was originally started by the football club before they ran out of money. The completion of the project was made possible by others (including Tesco) and the council it could be argued, sailed in and reaped the rewards appointing a management company it shares ownership of (ACL) and taking the freehold for themselves.
So some responsibility towards the football club should have been forthcoming. Charging them a crazy rent level for playing every other week without access to any of the other income streams that their support (up to 32k people) produced was negligent in my opinion.
The fact the football club accepted such a rent deal in the first place was down to past management of which our old friend Joe was a member of.
SISU made a stance, admittedly once they realised their mistakes running the football club were costing them dearly. Any other owner would have drawn the same conclusion.
I don't like the way SISU went about it and shame on them for doing so but the council refused to budge for so long. Only recent murmurings suggest they are willing to offer rent free and a lease but none of that leads to what the football club will need going forward - regardless of owner. I support SISU only as owners of our football club in trying to get the stadium for the club. If they want it for themselves so they can screw the club afterwards then I would not support it.
The council must face up to where we are now. It's not just any old football club. It's not Nuneaton or Bedworth Utd. It's a major football club with a long historical position in Coventry. It's a huge representation of the town.
The council clearly tried to play SISU's own game attempting to undermine the process and slide in Hoffman and co waiting in the wings with backers. SISU saw that coming and reacted. The council refuse the CVA and the warring factions continue.
What we need is an arbitrator to resolved all the issues and the council to be willing to accept they have no need to own a stadium in the city which will continue to have it's own financial difficulties without it's main anchor tenant in place. That should be the football club, not SISU per sae but the football club. That can be achieved if there is the will to do so. Jobs and investment await the outcome.