its the end for us (2 Viewers)

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
its the end for us at the Ricoh we do not know that ... thats your opinion

Thinking things through its obvious isn't it that our club is about to go into a winding up order well not until 2nd May earliest so not exactly imminent, right now the only ones who would put the club into winding up are the directors or SISU. I have been reading a lot of what others have said here before posting and i have to say the arguing and disagreements is understandable. Both Sisu and the City Council are completely to blame for this situation. I though support Sisu and I want the opportunity to explain why. your choice to which you are entitled

I hear a lot of fans saying Sisu have duped us, we are being ripped off and Sisu are simply taking the club to the cleaners. But the truth is Sisu trusted the City Council when entering into a deal when buying the team. That deal (if you all remember) was that Sisu would steady the ship (which they did), then they would invest (which they did) and then they would buy the stadium (which they could not due to Mr Mutton 'we will never sell to Sisu). I remember very well first off we dont know what promises were made we only know that they bought a club with an option to buy 50% of ACL if certain conditions were met and if the Club could match the criteria clearly set by the ACL stakeholders first of which is that the club has a viable proveable plan forward. As for steadying the ship you would have to say still a lot of work to do on that the investment required by ACL was investment plans for the development of the site not the team, Mutton does not control the council it isnt his say so and he didnt say that until SISU had been here 3 years

I have a question for all the city supporters: did you not get the feeling after the game last week when Mark Robbins slated our star striker that something may be wrong in the club? yes and when you heard Mark Robbins in his interview lay the blame for the situation squarely at the feet of the City Council? read the full statement especially the bit about no assurances from the owner, the council wasnt his employer nor do they run ccfcdid that not tell you all you need to know? no

It is not the owners that are holding the fans to ransom, it is the City Council holding the owners of the team to ransom really i suppose they saddled the club with massive debt in addition to the debts written off in 2008 aswell? ^ months ago the position of power was firmly with SISU or do you not remember that ?. You must understand that the only incentive to own the team is the stadium and the potential land extensions and the huge millions that come with it but what was on offer was a 50% stake in ACL with perhaps the possibility of 100% later .... ACL own the long lease not the freehol;d. If you buy a 'club' on the agreement that you will be sold the stadium (securing your clubs future) buying the stadium freehold was not offered and then year after year you are told 'pay rent instead and we will keep the stadium' or perhaps they said prove viability and how it can be achieved before we take if further...... take a look at the figures is CCFC viable, even SISU struggle to give guarantees to get the accounts signed off you would be pretty much psiised off too. I know i would. Who wouldn't be?

Yes the owners have made some poor judgement but they didn't seem to be making poor judgement with Mark Robbins involved! thats one decision and it bit them didnt it

(and please don't say McGoldrick was a question in point... he would have gone no matter). 2 weeks ago we were heading to a double at wembly according to some of the more light headed fans! no mention of Sisu then! any one with any knowledge or caring for the club knew the underlying problems were still there....... the fans enjoyed some success for a change and put the other stuff to one side - can you blame them!?

So it is no wonder Mark Robbins leaving the club is timed to perfection, the man has allowed us fans in on a secret nobody wanted us to know, if he had not got out while he could ...we may never have known about the seriousness of this debacle.where have you been the last couple of years ?

Well played to Mr Robins and i thank him for the time at the club and for his attempts to let us know what is really going on at the club. yes thanks MR but he actually told us zip about what is going on

What this situation does though is it pushes the parties into a corner neither will come out of, the City Council do not care about the club or the fans more than superficially really ? and yet they still havent wound us up, still been trying to talk with SISU, they will see the club rot before giving up on what they feel they are owed really so they havent moved their position then and btw it is ACL not the council. (you only have to go to the mags court any day of the week and see the same City Council hounding some OAP out of their pension with the threat of prison for council tax of a few pounds - to understand the City Council's attitude they have a legal duty to collect their debts, if councillors do not carry out their duties properly they can be held legally responsible, not to mention the associated government rules...... but what have emotive claims about OAPs to do with this.

No it is the City Council that are duping the fans they should simply sell to Sisu why ? or perhaps they should sell to someone else entirely? SISU track record so far isnt exactly successful is it and Hedge funds do not buy things to run long term. Sisu will turn the club around if they have the money to do so you know this how?.. another question : if you were Sisu would you throw 10 million into players? no of course you wouldn't they havent try calculating the net spend on players over last 5 years. would you pay 1.3 million or even 400,000 a year for league 1 games... 10,000 turn outs? think everyone agrees 1.3m is too much but you pay for the facilities not L1 and why exactly are we in L1? no of course you wouldn't. would you buy the stadium to enable your investors feel secure in their money investments? yes of course you would well yes but that means more investors money paid out too and the freehold never has been available. Last question: would you fight your landlord if he held you to a huge rent even though the local areas rent has lowered by 80% (everyone else paying a 10th of what you pay)?? no i don't think so wouldnt have agreed the deal in the first place when i had the chance to break the lease.

This is heading one way. Sisu will have no choice but to look at ground sharing and rebuilding, I saw members here scoffing at the thought of such a ludicrous idea, but i believe it is the only option. When you are priced out of your home you move, its not quantum physics its simple math. can do that but it doesnt break the lease at the Ricoh so would be liable for 2 grounds makes great sense really doesnt it

Sisu will not go into admin, they do not need to, a debt unpaid does not lead to admin / liq. The owners have other options that will hurt the City Council and that is an option that i believe Ms Sepalla may wish to impose. why would SISU go in to Admn it is CCFC at risk not them, so what are the other options then explain - seems you are in the know, which might explain this post

Will the council go for a winding up order? probably. will they get it ? no al;ready have judgement pal .... but they do not want to wind the club up .... that is the absolute last resort. in fact it will probably end up going against the Council and for the owners, as the court can look to order an amount on rent and arrears based on what the market value rent is no it cant .

The City Council make big noises about the owners offering to buy the stadium but then saying they cant afford to pay the rent. that does not make sense you have lost me there At no point have Sisu stated they do not have funds, they do ... they just do not want to hand it over to the Council who take the rent, take the profits, and own the stadium so if they do not want to hand it over to the council how do they ever expect to own the stadium as the council own 100% of freehold . I for one do not blame Sisu at all then you are somewhat ill informed ..... not all their fault but a big chunk of it is. I hate the Council for what they have done to the club. Yes they built the stadium had they not we wouldnt be having this dialogue there would have been no club and paid for it, but what was wrong with Highfield Road? it had been sold by the directors of CCFc and that decision had nowt to do with the council if only we could go back

Entitled to your opinion but I just can not agree with most of it.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
The council are relying on the kind of responses some here make. Their PR manager will be ecstatic.

As supporters we should unite and back the owners. Sisu want to take us forward ..its the council that are stopping them from doing so. Some fans are deluded by councillor muttons hype.

See through it - the ricoh is a cash cow and the council won't sell to anyone. Even the master bullshitter hoff. You will see

So, once again you go against your OP where you said both sides are completely to blame. Now once again you seem to lay the blame firmly at the council/ACL's door. :confused:

If they are both completely to blame why do you keep laying the blame on ACL and the council and not Sisu as well?
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Most definitely bull.

Your whole post falls apart with ....

'Both Sisu and the City Council are completely to blame for this situation.'

'I for one do not blame Sisu at all'

'I hate the Council for what they have done to the club.
'


You're arguing with yourself unfortunately and changing your mind as you go on. Makes the whole post redundant I'm afraid.
 

coundonskyblue

New Member
Well done osb, if it wasn't for you and a few other well informed posters on here I think I would go mad! Keep up the good work!

People who dont know all the facts but insist on having an opinion are dangerous!
 

ouch

Banned
Don't work for ACL do yoy osb lol. thanks for the reply. it shows how poeple see the same information in a different light.

the point of my post is that purely from a business position the option to leave the ricoh is viable and long term cheaper than paying ACL.

as it has been documented the club is owned through multiple companies. should a court decide on a debt to one sisu will simply transfer to another.

as for the courts ordering rents to be lowered it happens quite a bit in the high courts. business across the country are seeking judiciary involvment re rents.. especially high street venues.

the only way this will get sorted is sisu get the ricoh. the council therefore at the end of the day ARE the problem because they refuse to sell. now you can argue the past as much as you like but it is now that concerns us.

sell to sisu and we can then at least get on with a normal club situation.
 

coundonskyblue

New Member
[/QUOTE] as for the courts ordering rents to be lowered it happens quite a bit in the high courts. business across the country are seeking judiciary involvment re rents.. especially high street venues[/QUOTE]

you mean like reducing it from £1.2m to £400k?
 

ouch

Banned
you do have some fans eating every word you say OSB. im a bit too long in the tooth to fall for a fact thrower. you sound like a councillor or business minded person but you SEEM to hold sisu responsible for everything.

i simply do not agree i believe sisu made huge errors but now i feel they are simply making good business decisions. for example the payoff for mark robins is good business. rather see the manager go than the best players.

refusing to pay rent is absolutely right in the current circumstances. the deal they had did not take the current situation into account neither did sisu get to buy due to the council.

joy is a wonderful business woman who if given the opportunity will take us to the top will invest. she is absolutely fearsome, the council will come off second best in this particular game.
 

italiahorse

Well-Known Member
I think we need to know what SISU want at the end.
As see it ..
Ideally SISU would like to buy the whole complex and surrounding land for development.
They need to do this to make the loss making yet potentially high profile football team just part of the overall profit making development.
The two go together with the football club being a loss leader in an overall profit making area development.
The council do not want to sell for what its worth and will keep control in the normal inefficient public sector way.
Effectively they are taking the profits whilst the loss leader football club tab is picked up by someone else.
They cannot afford to develop it themselves and if they did they do not have the business acumen like most other local authorities.
The council keep making excuses in selling and set goals for SISU to achieve before they consider them worthy buyers. SISU achieve these yet the goalposts have now changed.
In the mean time the excessive rent continues on with SISU considering other options as there business plan is considered unachievable. Any promises from the council to allow SISU to develop the area have long been forgotten.
 

shy_tall_knight

Well-Known Member
Q What do SISU really want ?.

A a return on their investment ?.

A successful CCFC is more likely to achieve this, especially if we get into the PL but its clear this is very unlikely to happen.

Q What are their options ?

A Continue to run the club hope either some billionaire buys them out or they can buy the stadium and sell the club plus stadium and recoup their losses.

Q Will SISU build a new stadium in Warwickshire

A Utter garbage, would take years and massive investment and they struggle to finance loan players last year (look up the team we put out against Palace in August 2011 for evidence of underinvestment)

Q Do SISU have CCFC's best interests at heart ?

A Only when it coincides with their investment strategy (not sure there really is a strategy)
 

coundonskyblue

New Member
<p>
I think we need to know what SISU want at the end.</p>
<p>As see it ..</p>
<p>Ideally SISU would like to buy the whole complex and surrounding land for development. </p>
<p>They need to do this to make the loss making yet potentially high profile football team just part of the overall profit making development. </p>
<p>The two go together with the football club being a loss leader in an overall profit making area development.</p>
<p>The council do not want to sell for what its worth and will keep control in the normal inefficient public sector way. </p>
<p>Effectively they are taking the profits whilst the loss leader football club tab is picked up by someone else.</p>
<p>They cannot afford to develop it themselves and if they did they do not have the business acumen like most other local authorities.</p>
<p>The council keep making excuses in selling and set goals for SISU to achieve before they consider them worthy buyers. SISU achieve these yet the goalposts have now changed.</p>
<p>In the mean time the excessive rent continues on with SISU considering other options as there business plan is considered unachievable. Any promises from the council to allow SISU to develop the area have long been forgotten.

The council haven't made a penny out of the Ricoh.
 

mattylad

Member
SiSU CANNOT repeat CANNOT Just take the club somewhere else! After the debacle with Wimbledon/MK Dons, the Fa has made it ILLEGAL to transfer a club from its home catchment area.

So the only options would be to groundshare buyout a venue OR get planning permission from Coventry City Council to build a new stadium! Do you SERIOUSLY believe the council would even entertain the second option?

And even if they did find another stadium AND the FA changed the rules just for SiSU - SiSU would STILL be liable, and if they left the city, then ACL would simply liquidate the club!

And for those deluded enough to claim SiSU "Saved" the club - I point you to the dictionary definition of salvation:


  1. Deliverance from sin and its consequences.
  2. Preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss.
Now considering SiSU are effectively breaking the law by not paying rent, they are NOT fulfilling the first definition; and by allowing the club to potentially be liquidated, they don't fulfill the second definition either!


So please explain thoise SiSU drones - HOW have SiSU "saved" the club? as financially City are arguably in a WORSE condition than when they took over!


SISU OUT

Wow some people are going to be in denial until the bitter end :facepalm:
 

italiahorse

Well-Known Member
The bloody thing needs to be paid for first. The Ricoh wasn't dropped on Coventry by magic fairies. It was built and it came with a price tag. That price is still being paid off.

Hence sell it for what it is worth.
If SISU don't want it all then they need to tell us.
I guess SISU would want to buy it all but also have safeguards that they could continue to develop the area.
Surely a business/ hedge fund would not buy a football club to make a profit. The profit needs to be made elsewhere as part of a major development.
 

ouch

Banned
exactly sisu have limitless funds. the investors make dragons den look like amateur night. but they will not invest without a little security. the grounds.

sell up Coventry Council and leave the club alone. concentrate on taxing and making a pigs ear out of everything you do.
 

Sky Blues

Active Member
Hence sell it for what it is worth.
If SISU don't want it all then they need to tell us.
I guess SISU would want to buy it all but also have safeguards that they could continue to develop the area.
Surely a business/ hedge fund would not buy a football club to make a profit. The profit needs to be made elsewhere as part of a major development.

But how do you define "what it is worth" and would Sisu ever be prepared to pay "what it is worth"?
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
Q Will SISU build a new stadium in Warwickshire

A Utter garbage, would take years and massive investment and they struggle to finance loan players last year (look up the team we put out against Palace in August 2011 for evidence of underinvestment)

But they're completely different types of investment. I don't us to move from the Ricoh, but Sisu are more likely to be able to attract investors to invest in a tangible 'bricks and mortar' asset that funding player purchases/revenue/losses where there is no tangible asset.
 

dadgad

Well-Known Member
What a mess!
I thought Sisu would be good for the club and city but at every twist and turn they have proved themselves unworthy.
Now the two sides are hell bent on not budging and yet again - YET AGAIN - the club suffers.
To fans the fortunes of the club are the only thing that really does matter...we would like the squabbles and who said/promised what BOLOX to stop. Clearly it won't while occasionally shadowy posters crawl out of the woodwork and try and move the goal posts by claiming "the others did it first" It is pathetic and worse, downright dishonest.
I utterly despise Sisu for this tactic because ultimately it spells yet more misery for the club.
Listening to Sisu apologists only makes it worse.
 

Bluegloucester

New Member
You can almost picture the OP sitting at his computer, scruffy git, long scarf wrapped round his neck.. The only surprise is he didn't mention sisu's great idea for a fans phone in to decide who gets subbed.......

It's simple math folks......

:)

Math? I spotted that too, welcome to the messageboard Joy.
 

Bluegloucester

New Member
exactly sisu have limitless funds. the investors make dragons den look like amateur night. but they will not invest without a little security. the grounds.

sell up Coventry Council and leave the club alone. concentrate on taxing and making a pigs ear out of everything you do.

I think you should check what funds Sisu has under management. At present the fees they earn do not cover their overheads. Hardly limitless funds. They are a tiny hedge fund that is losing investors on a regular basis.
 

shy_tall_knight

Well-Known Member
exactly sisu have limitless funds. the investors make dragons den look like amateur night. but they will not invest without a little security. the grounds.

sell up Coventry Council and leave the club alone. concentrate on taxing and making a pigs ear out of everything you do.

Ouch do you know how private equity works, they may have access to funds but its not their money, they invest it on behalf of other people, they make their money not by buying things at their market value - they usually buy and asset strip selling its parts for more than they paid for the whole. They are trying to get the Ricoh on the cheap, they won't pay the market value.
 

ouch

Banned
yes i do know how venture capitalism works i worked for one of the biggest and most successful in the country (buying insurance and health company's) most of the investors in these companies are 100 x millionaires looking to spread their wealth tax free. they plunge money into lets say 20 to 30 different venture companies who then spread there money again. Their portfolios either increase or decrease.

you are plainly wrong about Sisu, they are a very successful and respected company with a reputation for fierce and well managed buying and selling. They are a company that are good at what they do, please do not read into their bank balances or rumors, they are clever they will not show there real profits on a companies house statement, that is the whole reason for spreading the company over many many other companies, Sisu will have 40 to 100 other companies that will distribute the companies wealth to each other. hence you and i will never know the true value of the company, that is the reason the FT calls the company respected and secretive.

Sisu could easily get us to the premier, it could easily buy players at 5 to 10 million each if they believed they would make a profit on those players either at the gates or by selling. Does nobody seem to understand - sisu are not in it for the love of football, they were sold the idea of the stadium and the surrounding grounds for developments. They were duped by the council and continue to be duped.

Back Sisu

get the council to sell. protest at the council houses, anything but the time really has come the supporters told the council exactly what they think in no uncertain terms, force them through constant pressure to sell the ground so we can have a certain secure future
 

dadgad

Well-Known Member
yes i do know how venture capitalism works i worked for one of the biggest and most successful in the country (buying insurance and health company's) most of the investors in these companies are 100 x millionaires looking to spread their wealth tax free. they plunge money into lets say 20 to 30 different venture companies who then spread there money again. Their portfolios either increase or decrease.

you are plainly wrong about Sisu, they are a very successful and respected company with a reputation for fierce and well managed buying and selling. They are a company that are good at what they do, please do not read into their bank balances or rumors, they are clever they will not show there real profits on a companies house statement, that is the whole reason for spreading the company over many many other companies, Sisu will have 40 to 100 other companies that will distribute the companies wealth to each other. hence you and i will never know the true value of the company, that is the reason the FT calls the company respected and secretive.

Sisu could easily get us to the premier, it could easily buy players at 5 to 10 million each if they believed they would make a profit on those players either at the gates or by selling. Does nobody seem to understand - sisu are not in it for the love of football, they were sold the idea of the stadium and the surrounding grounds for developments. They were duped by the council and continue to be duped.

Back Sisu

get the council to sell. protest at the council houses, anything but the time really has come the supporters told the council exactly what they think in no uncertain terms, force them through constant pressure to sell the ground so we can have a certain secure future

:jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit::jerkit:

Hilarious tripe, more propaganda. In your original post you said something about steadying the ship and investing in the team as Sisu's share of "the bargain".
We've just been relegated you fool, we've just had our manager walk out on us, we've never been at a lower ebb for 45 years and you expect us to believe that this all the fault of the Council. You're an imbecile, pure and simple, who can't spell either.:facepalm:
 

Flying Fokker

Well-Known Member
yes i do know how venture capitalism works i worked for one of the biggest and most successful in the country (buying insurance and health company's) most of the investors in these companies are 100 x millionaires looking to spread their wealth tax free. they plunge money into lets say 20 to 30 different venture companies who then spread there money again. Their portfolios either increase or decrease.

you are plainly wrong about Sisu, they are a very successful and respected company with a reputation for fierce and well managed buying and selling. They are a company that are good at what they do, please do not read into their bank balances or rumors, they are clever they will not show there real profits on a companies house statement, that is the whole reason for spreading the company over many many other companies, Sisu will have 40 to 100 other companies that will distribute the companies wealth to each other. hence you and i will never know the true value of the company, that is the reason the FT calls the company respected and secretive.

Sisu could easily get us to the premier, it could easily buy players at 5 to 10 million each if they believed they would make a profit on those players either at the gates or by selling. Does nobody seem to understand - sisu are not in it for the love of football, they were sold the idea of the stadium and the surrounding grounds for developments. They were duped by the council and continue to be duped.

Back Sisu

get the council to sell. protest at the council houses, anything but the time really has come the supporters told the council exactly what they think in no uncertain terms, force them through constant pressure to sell the ground so we can have a certain secure future

Yes Mr SISU, What wonderful ideas have you got?
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
Don't work for ACL do yoy osb lol. thanks for the reply. it shows how poeple see the same information in a different light. nope quite happy running and leading my own successful business thanks :) ...... it is all opinions but reread what you put and my reply and you will see a difference in information

the point of my post is that purely from a business position the option to leave the ricoh is viable and long term cheaper than paying ACL. it is possible yes ...... viable well how do we know, we dont know where, timescales, costs, add ons, planning permissions, etc etc

as it has been documented the club is owned through multiple companies. should a court decide on a debt to one sisu will simply transfer to another. o0ne small problem is that the league share, the players contracts and any option on the Ricoh is in CCFC Ltd and they cant transfer any of it

as for the courts ordering rents to be lowered it happens quite a bit in the high courts. business across the country are seeking judiciary involvment re rents.. especially high street venues. What the courts decide on is the validity of the debt they do not go making imposed agreements between participants that entered freely and openly into the contract

the only way this will get sorted is sisu get the ricoh. the council therefore at the end of the day ARE the problem because they refuse to sell. now you can argue the past as much as you like but it is now that concerns us. think you need to think wider if you think that is the only solution

sell to sisu and we can then at least get on with a normal club situation.
that would be a club with massive debts and all its assets hocked to the eyeballs would it ?
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top