Ground too big for us - can we get out of it? (1 Viewer)

[johnwillomagic]

Just wondering as our ground is far too big for us and it is looking likely to be way too big for us next season!!! Can we not get out of it? Even it it means groundsharing with someone for a few seasons before we find somewhere more suitable?

As we are only tenants paying ridiculous rents and we get no advertsinig revenue made from games either struggling to see how it is not a very tight noose around our neck at present. If you were a tenant in a house you would serve notice and look to get out asap.

Even if by some miracle we did buy the ground it would be commercial sucide given where we are heading.

One thing I am struggling to think of though is a suitable ground share alternative? Ideally we need a ground that holds about £20-£25K MAX.......oh we had one before we knocked it down for one we don't own at all and get no revenue from!! :facepalm:

 

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[CJparker]

Can't believe it - we have a Premier-class ground and all people do is moan about it!! If we were doing better on the pitch, we wouldn't hear anyone moaning about the Ricoh. Face it, we are not going to go bak to HR or move anywhere else, time to start loving the Ricoh, we ain't going anywhere!!

 

[rob9872]

Our grounds too big for us
Our grounds too big for us
Our grounds too big for us
Our grounds too big for us

Apparently

 

[stay_up_skyblues]

Good idea, we can't afford 1m a year in rent but lets build a new ground, should only take us 30 years to save up for the construction of it. We will just need to play somewhere else rent free for them 30 years whilst we save up, any ideas?

 

[WillieStanley]

This old chesnut again!

 

[shmmeee]

The closest league standard grounds we could share are Villa Park and St Andrews, which I doubt the fans would accept even if the other clubs did. Outside of that you're looking at travelling way too far for the majority of fans.

It's not like we could stick a few deckchairs on the Memorial and play there, seriously, there are rules for league grounds.

 

[ajsccfc]

There is no alternative.

 

[skybluejelly]

we were tennants at highfield road until 1936,,although the revenue streams would be welcomed they are not the be all and end all of the matter,yes we pay approx 1 million a year but with on average 25 games a year and gates of 15,000 that works out at £3 per person per game ..if or when we get relegated i can see season tickets going up to make up the shortfall especially as they have allready mortgaged the advance sales

 

[cv3]

Well said. Couldnt agree more.

Can't believe it - we have a Premier-class ground and all people do is moan about it!! If we were doing better on the pitch, we wouldn't hear anyone moaning about the Ricoh. Face it, we are not going to go bak to HR or move anywhere else, time to start loving the Ricoh, we ain't going anywhere!!

 

[Tankie]

I cannot believe!
Coventry city fans are advocating giving up our identity, and that's what it would feel like if we ground shared, Add to that the fact we would loose support, with fans packing it in, as seeing it as the final straw, and how different would our ten thousand look at Villa Park, or Birmingham city.
This Idea is looking at the wrong end of the problem,The Stadium is not too big, its the crowd that is too small, therein lays the Problem, we have a Wonderful Roomy venue in which to play our Football, and if the product was
right, for a consistant period of time I'm pretty sure we could get fans into the ground in larger numbers, the idea of ground sharing is running away from the cause of the real issues, whats needed is a better team, not a smaller Stadium.
Tankie..down town Bedworth..

 

[Jack Griffin]

The answer is no you tosspot!

 

[Nonleagueherewecome]

What about if we're in L2 and playing in fromt of gates of 4,000? Can we move to Boro or Leam then if we do up their grounds a bit? It's what AFC Wimbledon did with Kingstonian's ground, and they're in the League now...

 

[oldskyblue58]

great plan ..... lets do it .......... but hang on .....

no ground near enough to share
we still have either pay Ricoh lease or compensation for breaking lease
we move to another ground and pay them rent
Ground share commonly also known as renting wouldnt entitle us to other revenue streams either we just pay to use the ground
we build our own but have no money so we better make it very very cheap and cheerful
we lose an iconic stadium that at least puts us on the map not just in England, which is rightly or wrongly associated with CCFC (bet ACL wish it wasnt sometimes!)
if we ever get successful we would never be able to expand to maximise income
we lose the reason why any investor at all is really interested in us
we lose a decent playing surface our incisive passing game requires
we lose the possibility to increase revenue which in turn sets our wages budget in coming seasons
we lose supporters because they complain about travelling to the Ricoh let alone further afield
It would take at least 5 years for a new stadium to be built
the list goes on ................

Sorry to be harsh in the way I have expressed this but please think about the practicalties and reality, join up the dots before concluding this is the solution to all our woes.

btw we paid rent for HR for the last 3 years we played there. We had to sell in the end just to keep the club afloat after the Board made a complete mess of running the club and building the new stadium. I loved going to HR but those days are gone and we play at one of the best stadiums for its size in the country, I dont want our team playing any where else. The rent was ok when we went there - it isnt the problem - the football product and the various boards/owners we have had are.

Get the product right and the crowds will improve

 

[CJparker]

I cannot believe!
Coventry city fans are advocating giving up our identity, and that's what it would feel like if we ground shared, Add to that the fact we would loose support, with fans packing it in, as seeing it as the final straw, and how different would our ten thousand look at Villa Park, or Birmingham city.
This Idea is looking at the wrong end of the problem,The Stadium is not too big, its the crowd that is too small, therein lays the Problem, we have a Wonderful Roomy venue in which to play our Football, and if the product was
right, for a consistant period of time I'm pretty sure we could get fans into the ground in larger numbers, the idea of ground sharing is running away from the cause of the real issues, whats needed is a better team, not a smaller Stadium.
Tankie..down town Bedworth..

Exactly - spot on.

 

[ccfc1973]

wish people would stop moaning about the ricoh, its a top ground ffs!
we would have bigger crowds and a better atmosphere if we had better players and were in the play offs

 

[Nonleagueherewecome]

It's a top ground, but if we can't afford it now, how will we afford it when we're in L1..or even L2? If it's too big for us now, just how small do we need to get before it's the most incongruous pairing of club and ground in football history (hmm, aside from Queens Park at Hampden, maybe).

Ah well, I suppose we'll get liquidated before we get to find out!

 

[johnwillomagic]

Thanks for comments some actually reading my article others not reading or being incapable of reading it properly not sure which.

Old sky blue gave me very decent reasons, why not and Tankie also others not sure what they contributed by replying to be honest.

I was never complaining about the ground and facilities which are excellent. I was merely making the point that if we go down, which most of the more abusive people said we were going to before a ball is kicked, our situation will become even worse.

Non league hit the nail on the head....there are not too many big teams down there in league 1 who will boost our attendance in the way that Leeds & West Ham did down there! Reckon we would be lucky to average 12K if we do go down!

I would never advocate ground sharing if we were not in so much crap, unfortunately we are due to the current agreement we have for the ground, which also is a big detraction from a potential investor coming in!!

I am still hoping we will stay up....but it is not looking good let's face it.