The Chinaman Has Not Disappeared (2 Viewers)

TheSnoz said:

If you don't go (see exclusion list, unemployed, live far away etc - posted earlier) and you choose not to support your team then not only are you not a good supporter - you're not a supporter at all. This isn't aimed at you Sky Blue Kid, you're making it personal. I don't know you, you're probably a nice bloke. But if anyone doesn't go and support then they're not a supporter. And I mean the mass of stay away fans. Simple logic.
Brighton? Let's not get carried away. On the up, yep true. But doubt very much their board tell their fans their business. Just one season at their lovely new ground so far, gates around 20,000 - sound familiar. Football is volatile. There is a myth growing (with City especially) that football clubs have to tell their fans their business. This has never been the case anywhere, at any club. At any time. It has never happened. Just the flourishing of the internet and fans talking that has created this idea. I dislike SISU as much as anyone, but I don't expect them to tell me stuff. Older fans will tell you, we never heard Jimmy Hill, Noel Cantwell, Gordon Milne, Dave Sexton, Bobby Gould, all the other managers and definitely not board members. Little bits in the local papers was about it.

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I haven't claimed anywhere that Brighton's board are super transparent or that they're a perfectly run club-but they have been in the absolute shit in the past and have really turned it round, so it's a cracking little success story. Of course, football is a volatile industry and fortunes can change in an instant-but the way BHA have managed the transition to the Amex and fully exploited the good feeling around it gives them a solid base for progression. CCFC routinely fail to capitalise on any success that comes its way and more often than not just slips back into accepting mediocrity.

Don't know if my last post came through but here goes......TheSnoz...Apologies for thinking I'm making it personal...I'm not.
I've been a ST holder for over 40 years until beginning of last season. I live 130 miles from Coventry, but that never stopped me going to the Ricoh, and HR before that. I just refuse to give SISU good money for doing fook all for my club that's all? After all what exactly have they done for Coventry City FC.......Don't say they "Saved our arses" because that won't wash with me, they haven't used any of their own money, only OURS!

Brighton Sky Blue said:

I haven't claimed anywhere that Brighton's board are super transparent or that they're a perfectly run club-but they have been in the absolute shit in the past and have really turned it round, so it's a cracking little success story. Of course, football is a volatile industry and fortunes can change in an instant-but the way BHA have managed the transition to the Amex and fully exploited the good feeling around it gives them a solid base for progression. CCFC routinely fail to capitalise on any success that comes its way and more often than not just slips back into accepting mediocrity.

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Think that pretty much everytime we've managed to get a large crowd we've lost, which puts off the floaters with "same old city" etc.

They should realise that we can lose with small crowds too!

lordsummerisle said:

Think that pretty much everytime we've managed to get a large crowd we've lost, which puts off the floaters with "same old city" etc.

They should realise that we can lose with small crowds too!

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I think the Leeds game under AB was a prime example of that-riding high in and about the play offs, big game at home to another team also in the shake up. Bumper crowd (thinking around 26k ?), and we let in a goal just a few minutes in. As I've said previously on this thread, just a whiff of success is enough to get the crowds in-would those crowds remain if we messed up? Unlikely.

Ok, as one of those long distance fans, I have too say that if we had significant investment in the team and looked like we actually might start to look like a proper football club again, I would continue my support. It's never easy, the petrol costs are enough to make anybody think twice, let alone ticket prices. I'm self employed and a single parent and I have to really budget carefully and I mean carefully. I would want to see a club being run well, something to give me hope that things were finally beginning to fall into place.

As any other lifelong City fan and father, I would love to attend regularly. My father bought me a season ticket when I was 7 and we travelled home and away during the seventies. It was a great experience and something I would love to continue now that I'm a father. I started my career as a photographer working at the club shooting pictures for the programme, I've played at Highfield Road in a charity game -in front of my son- I went to every game on the 87 cup run and Wembley as well, I travelled home and away for as long as I can remember and had some of the best times of my life, I would dearly love to be able to do this again but my patience has been tested to the limit and right now there are just far more important things in life, I can't believe that it would ever be this way, but that's life for me at the moment. If, and it's a big If, things changed, I would try my best to continue my support, after all it's the club I love and I want it to be the club my son loves too.

Glazier, (what a good alias!) Sky Blue Kid, Brighton, all long distance fans, I salute you. Keeping the enthusiasm going from miles away and in these testing times is brilliant. Going to any games must cost a fortune. I've lived away from Coventry once or twice and kept coming but it was difficult at times. I'm having a go at the locals basically. You know that.
Brighton, think we got crossed wires. When I said Brighton before I was talking about the club, not addressing it to you. Email eh! Yes the Seagulls are a real success story, as you say - we could do worse than be inspired by them.
Glazier, you must have some terrific photos? Can they be seen anywhere? I've got a lot of 1960s/70s programmes, your pictures must be in them?
All I can say is the next few weeks will tell us where the club is going. Two or three players and you would have to say - not good enough. 6 or 7 and a few fans might start to rethink. We've only got about 14 serious players haven't we?

TheSnoz said:

Glazier, (what a good alias!) Sky Blue Kid, Brighton, all long distance fans, I salute you. Keeping the enthusiasm going from miles away and in these testing times is brilliant. Going to any games must cost a fortune. I've lived away from Coventry once or twice and kept coming but it was difficult at times. I'm having a go at the locals basically. You know that.
Brighton, think we got crossed wires. When I said Brighton before I was talking about the club, not addressing it to you. Email eh! Yes the Seagulls are a real success story, as you say - we could do worse than be inspired by them.
Glazier, you must have some terrific photos? Can they be seen anywhere? I've got a lot of 1960s/70s programmes, your pictures must be in them?
All I can say is the next few weeks will tell us where the club is going. Two or three players and you would have to say - not good enough. 6 or 7 and a few fans might start to rethink. We've only got about 14 serious players haven't we?

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I think the overriding message from this thread is that even the most dedicated of fans have had their patience worn down to the point where even they can't justify all the expense of going anymore. If even some of the hardcore are that disillusioned because of what SISU have done, what chance is there of anyone else going? The impetus must come from the top down, not the other way round.

Heres a message for this Chinaman and Hoffman. Stop talking and do something! SISU want out, and apparently you want in. So do it for god's sake. Make an offer this club is way too good for muppets like SISU, so pull your finger out and put your money where your money is. Either put up or shut up!

BSB i agree - if the owners gave the fans some hope and positives then they would get a lot more support. i have not yet renewed my season ticket but will continue to support the team on a match by match basis, if there was some signs of commitment from the owners in terms of investment in the squad, i would show my commitment and buy a season ticket - myself and the 7 others that sit together and in the same boat!!!

TrueSkyBlueLiam said:

Heres a message for this Chinaman and Hoffman. Stop talking and do something! SISU want out, and apparently you want in. So do it for god's sake. Make an offer this club is way too good for muppets like SISU, so pull your finger out and put your money where your money is. Either put up or shut up!

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Hoffman hasn't said anything so why the rant !!!

karljohns80 said:

BSB i agree - if the owners gave the fans some hope and positives then they would get a lot more support. i have not yet renewed my season ticket but will continue to support the team on a match by match basis, if there was some signs of commitment from the owners in terms of investment in the squad, i would show my commitment and buy a season ticket - myself and the 7 others that sit together and in the same boat!!!

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The number of times people rang into CWR and said 'I've been going for 20/30/40/50 years and I'm just too fed up to keep going' last season really was something. The hardcore supporters of this club have watched it meander along doing nothing since 1970 bar one flash in the pan in 1987; even the filthily corrupt regime of Richardson didn't have such an impact as these few years under SISU. I don't know who I feel more for-the more senior posters on here who grew up watching us compete against the very best and now watch us struggling against terrible sides, or the younger ones like myself whose main experience of supporting City is the second and now third tier.

At least us older ones have got the memories of the top flight and the success of getting there to remember, but sadly it gives us something to compare with todays sad predicament,of which sisu have dragged us down to.

And before people harp on about previous regimes sisu came here claiming to be debt free, knowing our situation and have accomplished our worst ever decline in my life time and probably all of our life times

Brighton Sky Blue said:

The number of times people rang into CWR and said 'I've been going for 20/30/40/50 years and I'm just too fed up to keep going' last season really was something. The hardcore supporters of this club have watched it meander along doing nothing since 1970 bar one flash in the pan in 1987; even the filthily corrupt regime of Richardson didn't have such an impact as these few years under SISU. I don't know who I feel more for-the more senior posters on here who grew up watching us compete against the very best and now watch us struggling against terrible sides, or the younger ones like myself whose main experience of supporting City is the second and now third tier.

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you have to sympathise with both groups - my lad is 11 years old and CCFC mad, he'll go to every game regardless of results, and he's too young to understand the business side of things, but even he's not that fussed about season ticket at the minute, yes he would like one cos he's a real cov fan, not like most of his Man Utd/Chelsea supporting, glory hunting mates. but there is no incentive for him to want to go, unless we go on a decent cup run and get a prem team at the ricoh he's hardly going to see any top class players this year. he knows enough about football to see unless things drastically change we will struggle again this season. What 11 year old lad wants to go through the heartbreak of relegation again? Why would he try and get his mates up the Ricoh? Will he still be supporting CCFC next year?
It really wouldnt take much for things to change for the better and encourage fans to start coming back - especially the younger generation. A bit of success on the pitch will make a massive difference. IF we ever make it back to the Prem being realistic we are never going to be a top 6 club, but at least there would be top players at the Ricoh week in week out to attract the fans and keep generation after generation turning up week after week.

I'm not sure about anyone else but I resent the implication that because this ONE time I have decided not to re-new my season ticket YET I'm somehow a less of a COV supporter than someone who chooses to renew no matter what - we are going through exceptional times here and I for one am not happy - not even close- about what is going on here... time for the owners to show me some commitment for a change... mine is NEVER in question ... make your mind up SISU and tell us where we stand

karljohns80 said:

you have to sympathise with both groups - my lad is 11 years old and CCFC mad, he'll go to every game regardless of results, and he's too young to understand the business side of things, but even he's not that fussed about season ticket at the minute, yes he would like one cos he's a real cov fan, not like most of his Man Utd/Chelsea supporting, glory hunting mates. but there is no incentive for him to want to go, unless we go on a decent cup run and get a prem team at the ricoh he's hardly going to see any top class players this year. he knows enough about football to see unless things drastically change we will struggle again this season. What 11 year old lad wants to go through the heartbreak of relegation again? Why would he try and get his mates up the Ricoh? Will he still be supporting CCFC next year?
It really wouldnt take much for things to change for the better and encourage fans to start coming back - especially the younger generation. A bit of success on the pitch will make a massive difference. IF we ever make it back to the Prem being realistic we are never going to be a top 6 club, but at least there would be top players at the Ricoh week in week out to attract the fans and keep generation after generation turning up week after week.

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That's what makes it so frustrating-all it would take is a whiff of success for crowds to go up. I got digs at school for supporting Cov (and I went to school there for flip's sake) from the glory hunting crowd, but at least then a few of our players were heard of-now, you say you support Coventry and the response is either 'Oh, they used to be good didn't they?' or 'Oh, what league are they in now?'. What concerns me is that with even some of the hardcore getting put off, we risk losing a generation of future fans that will be difficult to get back.

Here here mate, good on your lad and you for keeping what little faith there is left amongst us. Copies of these posts should be sent to the club or indeed any other interested parties as they show what they are missing out on by there gross mismanagement of our club. PUSB.

once fans have gone and found another passion its very hard if not impossible to get them back. there's so many CCFC fans dangling by the tiniest thread at the minute, and a complete mix of the oldest long serving fans to the young kids to naive to know any different.

between now and the 18th August is probably the most important in recent history for the club. either show some commitment and give the fans some hope, or they'll be gone forever and so will future generations.