This new telegraph campaign to prevent a move. (1 Viewer)

[Nick]

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/football-league-in-regular-dialogue-11773386

The Telegraph has now contacted the Football League, the city’s three MPs, the Secretary of State for Sport, football governance campaigner Damian Collins MP, who is on the Culture Media and Sport select committee, calling for them to intervene and ensure that Coventry City does not leave its home city again.

Surely they should be calling on Wasps to negotiate then? I am not too sure how they can get anybody to try and ensure the club doesn't leave if there is only 1 football stadium in the city?

Reads to me like it is trying to add more pressure..

 

---

[Skyblueweeman]

I'm normally a critic of them but pushing the FL and others for answers is a positive move.

 

[Kingokings204]

Yes this needs sorting out now. Not in 18 months time.

Decent article tbf and a bit more balanced this time but the CT needs to pressure all sides and get them talking now.

I repeat this needs sorting. Not next year but now.

On a side note I find it interesting it was talked about a 20 year deal with increased revenues. Something like that would be fantastic in my opinion.

 

[Nick]

I'm normally a critic of them but pushing the FL and others for answers is a positive move.

I am not too sure what they can do though.

There is 1 stadium in the city, if Wasps won't negotiate then what can be done?

Surely they should be calling on Wasps to negotiate?

 

[OffenhamSkyBlue]

So what, they're asking for intervention to persuade/prevent the football club from leaving? Or are they asking for intervention from the authorities to ensure that they are not forced out????

 

[Nick]

On a side note I find it interesting it was talked about a 20 year deal with increased revenues. Something like that would be fantastic in my opinion.

Depending on the terms though surely?

 

[Nick]

So what, they're asking for intervention to persuade/prevent the football club from leaving? Or are they asking for intervention from the authorities to ensure that they are not forced out????

I have no idea, Wasps have openly said they stopped negotiations yet there is no call for them to negotiate? Surely that's the most obvious way to prevent CCFC leaving?

Unless if the pressure is ramped up to make the Ricoh the only option then that would be great news for wasps wouldn't it?

 

[Wyken Sky Blue]

The FA should now host a meeting between Wasps and SISU. Only then will we know the full details as to why talks have broken down.

CCC, SISU and Wasps are bastards.

 

[Skyblueweeman]

I am not too sure what they can do though.

There is 1 stadium in the city, if Wasps won't negotiate then what can be done?

Surely they should be calling on Wasps to negotiate?

Agreed about Wasps but it's better than them not asking questions though isn't it? The FL probably only here from plebs on Twitter so the fact that the local rag is taking an 'interest' is surely evidence that the concern is growing and answers are needed.

 

[Skyblueweeman]

SISU and Wasps are bastards.

I really like this bit. I think you can add CCC as well though to complete the set.

 

[rupert_bear]

I think the Wasps will negotiate and I also think we, ccfc, could get a good all round agreement but there's the legals issue putting a spoke in it's question of who backs down.

 

[Nick]

Agreed about Wasps but it's better than them not asking questions though isn't it? The FL probably only here from plebs on Twitter so the fact that the local rag is taking an 'interest' is surely evidence that the concern is growing and answers are needed.

I agree, but the pressure should be on Wasps to negotitate and get to the table with CCFC. There is only 1 stadium, the FA can't force Wasps to negotiate the same as they can't force CCFC to accept a silly rental deal that will hurt them.

They will have all the little bits and bobs, the council blocking the butts. Imagine their faces when they printed the leaked council letter off to backup their claims of being forced out

They will be giving the FL everything as it happens, they then say "look, we tried to move to the only other possible ground in the city and look what happened, they tried to block the talks before it even started".

It will all stack up, the whole rugby thing, the links between millerchip, csf, wasps and council etc.

They will be piling it on to the FL, and from an outside view how does it look?

 

[Wyken Sky Blue]

I really like this bit. I think you can add CCC as well though to complete the set.

Yes, they also should be in the mix.

 

[chiefdave]

Obviously it is good to see the Telegraph finally doing something but I'm not sure targeting the FL is the way forward. How can they intervene or refuse to allow the club to play outside the city? If Wasps won't negotiate where does the Telegraph suggest we play? The FL could mediate but would Wasps view them as neutral?

I would like to see the club pushed on what contingency plans they have, Wasps pushed to come back to the table for negotiations and CCC pushed to assist the club rather than attempt to blackmail them.

Explains why Cunningham suddenly piped up.

 

[Nick]

Obviously it is good to see the Telegraph finally doing something but I'm not sure targeting the FL is the way forward. How can they intervene or refuse to allow the club to play outside the city? If Wasps won't negotiate where does the Telegraph suggest we play? The FL could mediate but would Wasps view them as neutral?

I would like to see the club pushed on what contingency plans they have, Wasps pushed to come back to the table for negotiations and CCC pushed to assist the club rather than attempt to blackmail them.

Explains why Cunningham suddenly piped up.

I don't think there is anywhere else in Coventry they can play is there?

It just looks like more pressure on CCFC, the FL can't do anything.

 

[chiefdave]

I don't think there is anywhere else in Coventry they can play is there?

It just looks like more pressure on CCFC, the FL can't do anything.

The Butts was the only real possibility. Even if it was not viable long term with temporary standing in place you should be able to get it up to 10 - 15K fairly quickly. But with that ruled out I'm struggling to think of any other options. There's no way somewhere like Sphinx could be brought up to standard.

Where would be the closest ground we could actually use? I would guess at Birmingham or Walsall unless there's a non league ground that could be used with temporary stands added.

 

[Nick]

Nuneaton wouldn't be up to standard I don't think. Although it isn't too far off Sixfields was.

 

[stupot07]

I have to agree with Nick here. There is only 1 football league stadium in the city, and that is owned by wasps, and they are thr ones who called off negotiations and have refused to talk about it. Whilst it is positive that the telegraph are highlighting this issue, they should have included Wasps and the RFU in these calls.

I maintain the 'legal noise' just bullshit and just wasps playing hardball to push the club into a corner in order to have no choice but agree a substantially worse and more expensive deal.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Nick]

I have to agree with Nick here. There is only 1 football league stadium in the city, and that is owned by wasps, and they are thr ones who called off negotiations and have refused to talk about it. Whilst it is positive that the telegraph are highlighting this issue, they should have included Wasps and the RFU in these calls.

I maintain the 'legal noise' just bullshit and just wasps playing hardball to push the club into a corner in order to have no choice but agree a substantially worse and more expensive deal.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

If that is the case, then all of this is just helping their negotiations...

Imagine if the FA said "it has to be the ricoh or there is no club" etc. It would just be an add the 00000's to the invoice exercise.

Then all they would have to do is make sure it was 25 years with no break lease, then even if as if by magic they did want to do a new stadium they couldn't without paying Wasps off.

 

[duffer]

Anyone banking on the FL to stop us moving out of Coventry is barking up the wrong tree in my opinion. The club can point to the fact that Wasps have withdrawn from negotiations, and that the Council have said that they're not willing to 'help' the club unless the club gives them money that they are currently not legally entitled to.

That last point, to my mind is huge. SISU are hideous owners, that's undeniable. However the council are demanding a sum of money that they, by law, are not currently entitled to - and there's an undeniable chain of evidence now (relating in particular to the Butts) that shows the council have actively sought to undermine alternatives to the Ricoh within the city.

Once again, it also highlights the outright lie of the Council's original case for selling to Wasps - that it would not hurt the club. As things stand this will either drive the club completely out of the city, or kill it stone dead.