On the website ... (3 Viewers)

[SkyBlueHomer]

A Ricoh return is becoming less and less likely, the truth will eventually come out!

I wish the truth would come out right back to the decision to sell Highfield Road, sooner the better.

At the minute the chances of a return to the Ricoh and new stadium rate about the same in my eyes, no chance but something has to give.

Regarding your comments about redeveloping Highfield Rd it was never going to happen due to politics. Anymore than 15,000 there and it was a nightmare to park and always coming back to your car to be greeted by angry locals and double parked cars

 

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[lift tower]

If they have no intention of building a new stadium, why appoint the Chair of the Coventry Chamber of Commerce to head the 'Stadium Consultation' group?

I don't think Sandra Garlick would get involved unless it was likely to go ahead.

You're a Leicester fan on a wind up aren't you?

 

[skybluetony176]

As supporters we are not in the privileged position of selecting the location of our ground. When I started supporting 'The Bantams' (later to become the Sky Blues) played at Highfield Road, it was our 'Home' and as the club progressed it was expanded and redeveloped. The owners of CCFC wanted to develop the ground further but were prevented from doing so by CCC, who wanted the land for housing (they could make much more money from that!).

Highfield Road was easy to get to either by public transport, by car or in fact walking from the City centre.

I didn't want us to move particularly and in my view the location of the ground we moved to wasn't good (poor transport links, inadequate parking and NO station) but I tried to embrace the Ricoh and have been a STH since our move there in 2005. However it's never ever felt like home, I don't believe CCC ever made the football club welcome. They saw the Ricoh more as a commercial venture that would be used more 24/7 (nothing wrong with that) but their priority has always been exhibitions & concerts etc. etc.. CCFC have always come well down the list of priorities as was the case recently when a home game clashed with the Davis Cup! They even insisted that JH's Statue was sited in it's current position instead of where it should be, in a much more central position between the shop & the casino!

Over a period of time (even before our current owners) they have rejected a number of potential buyers, all have insisted on owning the ground if they were to invest in the club. So it's pretty obvious to me that unless CCC change their long term stance, we don't have any chance of moving back to the Ricoh and I for one won't be sorry about that.

The consensus within football in general is that because of rule changes, either the owners or the football club must own their own stadium, after all it's not rocket science is it. Many others have stated the obvious, Ray Ranson, Paul Fletcher and Geoffrey Robinson MP, so with CCC refusing to sell the club or it's owners the Ricoh we have to 'move-on'!

I will be attending the forthcoming meeting and totally support the project of building a new home, both in the long and short term. We must look forward rather than always looking back, the 'blame game' is futile IMHO.

For someone who keeps spouting on about how they don't want to get involved in the politics that's very political.

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it BR's development company that bought HR from the club and was it not George Whimpey homes who developed it?

It seems to me that CCC are an easy target for people to use to blame for everything and anything that has ever gone wrong with the club.

Strange, as they aren't and never have been owners or share holders in the club and therefore have no responsibility for the running of the club.

You may as well blame Thatcher's Tory government.

 

[dongonzalos]

What was Coventry City Councils benefit from the sale of Highfield.
Surely suggesting that, you must have some logical reason how they benefited.

Otherwise tomorrow you could say they caused this weekends bad weather do we all just accept that as well?

 

[chiefdave]

I was talking about Highfield Road and it's FACT! If you choose not to believe it that's your problem!

Do you have a link to the plans for development at HR? Would be interesting to see what was planned and the reason for permission being turned down.

When this was mentioned in another thread someone posted a link showing CCC had nothing to do with the housing development on the HR site so there seems to be some discrepancy there.

 

[RFC]

Do you have a link to the plans for development at HR? Would be interesting to see what was planned and the reason for permission being turned down.

When this was mentioned in another thread someone posted a link showing CCC had nothing to do with the housing development on the HR site so there seems to be some discrepancy there.

The area was deemed residential by CCC when the further redevelopment was proposed (the club wanted to knock-down houses & the pub etc. etc..).

Trying not to go over much of the detail involving individuals who allegedly made vast sums of money! LOL

Also don't want to play 'the blame game', just pointing out that we were forced out of Highfield Road and really not due to any fault of the club, have been forced to leave the Ricoh.

Owning our own ground (either the club or it's owners) and controlling all revenue streams is crucial to the long term future of our team and club! PUSB

 

[Jack Griffin]

The area was deemed residential by CCC when the further redevelopment was proposed (the club wanted to knock-down houses & the pub etc. etc..).

Trying not to go over much of the detail involving individuals who allegedly made vast sums of money! LOL

Also don't want to play 'the blame game', just pointing out that we were forced out of Highfield Road and really not due to any fault of the club, have been forced to leave the Ricoh.

Owning our own ground (either the club or it's owners) and controlling all revenue streams is crucial to the long term future of our team and club! PUSB

CCC would have had a strategic development plan in place.. you are not seriously suggesting any decision this was based on a sudden adverse reaction to CCFC deciding to expand.. if you can show that

• The strategic development plan did not indicate housing in the area prior to 1997 (when BR first announced Arena 2000)
• CCFC was refused planning permission for redeveloping HR

I might believe you, but frankly I reckon everyone was well aware that the club couldn't realistically upgrade HR & a move was necessary, the East Stand development in 1993 was the last time the club spend money on HR.

The concept for the Ricoh was largely (a scaled down version) of Bryan Richardsons over blown plans for a multiple income stream generating facility.

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

@ Grenduffy......After 20 years..you thought he'd moved to Australia, but NO!!! here is your long lost daddy.........................................................................................................................................................Originally Posted by RFC View Post I was talking about Highfield Road and it's FACT! If you choose not to believe it that's your problem!

 

[chiefdave]

The area was deemed residential by CCC when the further redevelopment was proposed (the club wanted to knock-down houses & the pub etc. etc..).

But that's not what you said a couple of pages back, you said CCC who wanted the land for housing but it seems CCC were not involved in the housing development that took place on the HR site. Saying that CCC would not have allowed CCFC to knock down houses (did the club even own these houses?) and block through roads is totally different than saying they would not allow development of HR. You're not talking about development of the existing site at all, you're talking about expanding it and I can't recall ever seeing any plans or details of this from CCFC.

It would have been a huge project with compulsory purchases, rerouting of through roads and all sorts of headaches. When I went to a presentation by BR regarding the A2000 project he was saying there was no way it was possible to expand HR for just those reasons, I have never heard mention of the club proposing to do so and being blocked by the council and would be very interested to read anything that shows otherwise.

 

[skybluetony176]

The area was deemed residential by CCC when the further redevelopment was proposed (the club wanted to knock-down houses & the pub etc. etc..).

Trying not to go over much of the detail involving individuals who allegedly made vast sums of money! LOL

Also don't want to play 'the blame game', just pointing out that we were forced out of Highfield Road and really not due to any fault of the club, have been forced to leave the Ricoh.

Owning our own ground (either the club or it's owners) and controlling all revenue streams is crucial to the long term future of our team and club! PUSB

a bit like you not wanting to get involved in politics by getting political, you also don't seem to want to play the blame game by blaming CCC for everything.

how exactly will Sisu owning the ground benefit the club, when have they made the details public? we have no idea what the arrangement will be whether that be at a new ground or back at the Ricoh with Sisu as owners than it was under ACL. not to mention they keep moving the goal post. 12months ago it was about lower rent and F & B, now its about the freehold (the club only needs the lease hold, you seem to have trouble grasping that). Timmy said that by the end of May 2013 they would announce where the new ground will be, 7months later we still don't know and i doubt they do either. the new ground would be 6miles from the city centre, now its 9 or maybe another couple of more miles if the right site comes available (further proof they don't know where the new ground will be). the plans they released turned out to be an artist impression, an impression of how it could end up when extended not the cow shed they plan to build initially.

you do know them emails you get saying you have won the lottery in Africa are a hoax, please tell me you haven't sent them any money for the admin cost of releasing the winnings? it seems to me you are gullible enough to do so.

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

I still miss HR, as well as the the stadium the area it was in ie the walk up, surrounded by edwardian house, the pubs, the city centre close by, it felt like the ground and club belonged to Coventry. The Ricoh never felt like home and thought Parkside or even Humber Rd Stoke plant would of been better options and the Ricoh bowl design is just awful (where was the imagination in the design). If a new stadium is to be built it has to be in Coventry hopefully as central as possible, 25000 capacity ample. SISU must realize that any stadium outside the city will be a white elephant as people simply won`t go so what is stopping putting planning permission in with a stadium in Cov. CCC cannot turn this down simply because they don`t want it so it would have to go through goverment planning i believe.

 

[runner]

Said it before ... say it again, never be a new stadium, something will happen one way or the other, with all the Sisu and Council bluffing going on ... but sadly it will be a long time coming, but no way will SISU buy land, let alone build a new stadium ...

 

[skybluegnome]

Have you got the links to the planning requests, and subsequent refusal? Surely if the Council didn't want the crest up, it wouldn't be up.[/QUOTe
It's fact,, I don't need to post a link...all you have to do is Google it...in his tenure of Chief Exec of the club he had constant battles with CCC and ACL to get them to recognise the football club. It didn't stop with him. Surely you remember Mark Robins commenting how he had to get permission from ACL to bring the players to the ground for training before a game. To the players playing at the Ricoh was like playing an away game. And so it continues....

 

[AJB1983]

Have you got the links to the planning requests, and subsequent refusal? Surely if the Council didn't want the crest up, it wouldn't be up.[/QUOTe
It's fact,, I don't need to post a link...all you have to do is Google it...in his tenure of Chief Exec of the club he had constant battles with CCC and ACL to get them to recognise the football club. It didn't stop with him. Surely you remember Mark Robins commenting how he had to get permission from ACL to bring the players to the ground for training before a game. To the players playing at the Ricoh was like playing an away game. And so it continues....

Wonder why Paul fletcher had to have battles with acl, he used to run them?...
I'm sorry but how many teams train at their ground 'just to get used to it'? Hardly happens. Probably had more to do with turning the under soil heating and changing room heating on if the tea were going to be there.

 

[SonOfSnoz]

The new Stadium WILL be in Coventry.................Coventry Connecticut USA..that is!

Alabama, old boy!
Stop nicking my ideas, or i will have to Sisu you too

 

[Grendel]

Wonder why Paul fletcher had to have battles with acl, he used to run them?...
I'm sorry but how many teams train at their ground 'just to get used to it'? Hardly happens. Probably had more to do with turning the under soil heating and changing room heating on if the tea were going to be there.

Its fairly common knowledge Daniel Gidney saw no benefit of the club occupying the stadium whatsoever.

 

[blend]

Is she leader of Coventry Chamber? If so someone should ask her why as leader of that group she is assisting SISU with plans to build a new ground outside the city. Surely as leader of the chamber she should be pushing for a return to the city so that her members can enjoy the economic benefits.

Close Dave, she was recently appointed Chair of the Coventry Branch of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, she has been a Board member of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber for a few years. Not sure if the Warwickshire bit is significant, but in her write up she wants the best for C&W!! Seems a good choice to have been brought in to get a new stadium in the 'area' then.

 

[AJB1983]

Its fairly common knowledge Daniel Gidney saw no benefit of the club occupying the stadium whatsoever.

Common knowledge? Get a grip.

 

[skybluefred]

Read again...........Stop having a go at fans who choose to go to sixfields for once its there choice not yours!......There is a second date for anybody who wants to go knobhead!

The thing I detest about sixfields attendees is the fact they call fellow fans nobheads--still it takes one to know one.

 

[Rusty Trombone]

Have you got the links to the planning requests, and subsequent refusal? Surely if the Council didn't want the crest up, it wouldn't be up.[/QUOTe
It's fact,, I don't need to post a link...all you have to do is Google it...in his tenure of Chief Exec of the club he had constant battles with CCC and ACL to get them to recognise the football club. It didn't stop with him. Surely you remember Mark Robins commenting how he had to get permission from ACL to bring the players to the ground for training before a game. To the players playing at the Ricoh was like playing an away game. And so it continues....

With all due respect, i.e. none, you stated it, you find it. I won't be able to find it because it isn't true. The Council did not refuse planning for the crest, and the fact that it is still there proves it.