dongonzalos
Well-Known Member
Football administrator Brendan Guilfoyle believes Coventry City Football Club Ltd could yet be back up for sale.
The insolvency expert says there are “issues” facing the club’s attempt to pass the Football League’s fit and proper test as Otium Entertainment Group Ltd – the preferred bidder for the company in administration – has failed to file its accounts.
But Guilfoyle – who was ACL’s preferred administrator – believes the biggest stumbling block will be proving that they have “security of tenure” at a stadium.
With the Sky Blues not even having planning permission for their proposed new ground , Guilfoyle says that could prevent them getting the golden share – forcing administrator Paul Appleton to put CCFC Ltd back up for sale .
“I’m surprised that Paul Appleton has given them preferred bidder status,” said Guilfoyle, who oversaw the sales of Luton Town, Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle.
“I understand Otium have offered the most but I don’t think they are capable of getting the share because they don’t have security of tenure at a stadium in Coventry and therefore I can’t see how they can satisfy the Football League insolvency policy.
“But it’s always possible that Appleton knows something that I don’t.
"My comments are based on previous experience, and on that basis I am surprised he’s nominated Otium because I don’t think they are capable of getting the share. And if they don’t get the share then it’s up for sale again.”
Guilfoyle says that just because the Football League have issued a statement saying they will work with Otium doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.
“To be saying that they are working with the Football League, in every situation I have been involved in the Football League have been absolutely clear – and I think if you read between the lines that’s what’s happened at Coventry – they will not engage with anyone until they have been given preferred bidder status,” he said.
“So now they have got preferred bidder status they have got to go to the Football League and get that share. And I don’t think they are going to get it.
“I don’t think you can say to the Football League, ‘we’re going to groundshare and then build a stadium in three years,’ when you haven’t even got planning permission or submitted a plan.
“So I think they have got major difficulties, major difficulties, in complying with the Football League’s insolvency policy.”
He added: “All I can do is base what I think will happen on the experience I have had in dealing with Luton Town, Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle when I never saw any deviation from that policy.
“I sold all of those clubs. I can’t see how Otium can do it, not without security of tenure at a stadium.”
City are basing their plans for a new ground on Rotherham’s 12,000-seater New York Stadium, which was built while the Millers played ‘home’ games in Sheffield with football League approval.
Guilfoyle added: “When Rotherham said ‘we’re building a new stadium can we play in Sheffield for a while’, they had stadium plans.
"The council put up a bond with the Football League and Rotherham duly went back to Rotherham where they now play in a nice stadium.
“If you are Coventry you have to play football in Coventry. They have got to have security of tenure at a ground for ten years in the Coventry conurbation – which was the case for the last club I dealt with, which was Plymouth Argyle.
“Where are the plans for a new stadium? They are on the drawing board.
"If they had planning permission on a new stadium and had appointed contractors and the Football League were satisfied in the way that Rotherham’s was, that they really were building a stadium, they might be all right.”
Coventry City’s response to our inquiry about their ground arrangements was: “We are very confident in our position and have nothing further to add.”
The insolvency expert says there are “issues” facing the club’s attempt to pass the Football League’s fit and proper test as Otium Entertainment Group Ltd – the preferred bidder for the company in administration – has failed to file its accounts.
But Guilfoyle – who was ACL’s preferred administrator – believes the biggest stumbling block will be proving that they have “security of tenure” at a stadium.
With the Sky Blues not even having planning permission for their proposed new ground , Guilfoyle says that could prevent them getting the golden share – forcing administrator Paul Appleton to put CCFC Ltd back up for sale .
“I’m surprised that Paul Appleton has given them preferred bidder status,” said Guilfoyle, who oversaw the sales of Luton Town, Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle.
“I understand Otium have offered the most but I don’t think they are capable of getting the share because they don’t have security of tenure at a stadium in Coventry and therefore I can’t see how they can satisfy the Football League insolvency policy.
“But it’s always possible that Appleton knows something that I don’t.
"My comments are based on previous experience, and on that basis I am surprised he’s nominated Otium because I don’t think they are capable of getting the share. And if they don’t get the share then it’s up for sale again.”
Guilfoyle says that just because the Football League have issued a statement saying they will work with Otium doesn’t mean it’s a done deal.
“To be saying that they are working with the Football League, in every situation I have been involved in the Football League have been absolutely clear – and I think if you read between the lines that’s what’s happened at Coventry – they will not engage with anyone until they have been given preferred bidder status,” he said.
“So now they have got preferred bidder status they have got to go to the Football League and get that share. And I don’t think they are going to get it.
“I don’t think you can say to the Football League, ‘we’re going to groundshare and then build a stadium in three years,’ when you haven’t even got planning permission or submitted a plan.
“So I think they have got major difficulties, major difficulties, in complying with the Football League’s insolvency policy.”
He added: “All I can do is base what I think will happen on the experience I have had in dealing with Luton Town, Crystal Palace and Plymouth Argyle when I never saw any deviation from that policy.
“I sold all of those clubs. I can’t see how Otium can do it, not without security of tenure at a stadium.”
City are basing their plans for a new ground on Rotherham’s 12,000-seater New York Stadium, which was built while the Millers played ‘home’ games in Sheffield with football League approval.
Guilfoyle added: “When Rotherham said ‘we’re building a new stadium can we play in Sheffield for a while’, they had stadium plans.
"The council put up a bond with the Football League and Rotherham duly went back to Rotherham where they now play in a nice stadium.
“If you are Coventry you have to play football in Coventry. They have got to have security of tenure at a ground for ten years in the Coventry conurbation – which was the case for the last club I dealt with, which was Plymouth Argyle.
“Where are the plans for a new stadium? They are on the drawing board.
"If they had planning permission on a new stadium and had appointed contractors and the Football League were satisfied in the way that Rotherham’s was, that they really were building a stadium, they might be all right.”
Coventry City’s response to our inquiry about their ground arrangements was: “We are very confident in our position and have nothing further to add.”
