The question was should the council sell to sisu in order for Ccfc to be able to return to Coventry.
That implies its the only option for the club to return, which we all know isn't.
Yep, have to agree. Almost by definition a leading question.
It would be nice if both sides talked, but at the moment there doesn't seem that there's much to talk about. SISU have moved from the rent not being a problem, to the rent's too much, to needing both a low rent and a share of revenue, to needing the freehold.
SISU (via Les Reid's analysis) seem to admit that a new 12,000 seater stadium outside the city will cost in the region of £25m, but seemingly expect to pick up ACL and a 32,000 seater stadium in the City for something like £7m. Their negotiation strategy seems akin to a kidnap demand - if there's no deal on the freehold then the club never returns, even if it actually costs them more to stay in Northampton than it would to be back at the Ricoh (presuming a ten year, £150k rent deal).
I'm all for pragmatism when it comes to getting the best deal for Coventry City Council and the taxpayers here, SISU having clearly made their decision under what terms they will return.
I think the smart approach is actually to wait and see how willing SISU are to keep funding these losses, or whether they will actually return to the table. If nothing changes in a year or two, and if the Ricoh really is making a loss, then I'd back selling it. But only to the highest bidder, and with no restrictions on what could be done to the site (including redevelopment as something other than a football stadium). If SISU are the best bidder at that point, then even though it pains me to say it, so be it, sell it to them. But let the market decide the value.
SISU through their PR are trying to create pressure on the council to sell them the Ricoh hugely under-value (which of course has been their aim for a long time now, imho). I'm glad that most people seem to have seen through it.
