Dubai-Dodger
Member
Doesn’t it ? …. What do you base that on ? …. I can assure over many years I’ve seen gates go up and down with success …. Remember Wasps had very low attendance at Wycombe in the later years.
Wasps downward spiral... (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter CCFC54321
- Start date
Doesn’t it ? …. What do you base that on ? …. I can assure over many years I’ve seen gates go up and down with success …. Remember Wasps had very low attendance at Wycombe in the later years.
Dubai-Dodger
Member
As I said the business structure will change Wasps will remain playing in Cov.
Philosoraptor
Well-Known Member
In your opinion, where is the £35M going to come from to pay the bondholders?
Grendel
Well-Known Member
I base it on the fact that last season wasps went to the final and gates then declined this season.
The “buzz” the media and Wasps PR created has long faded
I know you’ve said it doesn’t have an impact on Coventry Rugby Club but to attract more support it would have to. We must be the only city that has 2 clubs based in it of some stature I’d assume.
It’s always been very coy on how many season tickets they sell and as they love a good PR story I assume the sales are poor
They started this season as runners up but there was no momentum from a support perspective just a further decline in interest
Grendel
Well-Known Member
The 250 lease will mean funding is achieved - the real outrage would be if a sale could be agreed at the asset value and wasps then have a 50 year sub Lease and money in the bank
Philosoraptor
Well-Known Member
Do you mean the selling of the head lease?
Grendel
Well-Known Member
Well if the sold it for market value the rugby element is then viable isn’t it?
Philosoraptor
Well-Known Member
Then surely all you need to do is sell the rugby club at the first opportunity and cash in?
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Philosoraptor
Well-Known Member
I don't think the head lease is worth an awful lot.
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
Wasps chose the wrong location moving here, ok they saw the stadium as an opportunity to make money which just hasn't worked and are losing £10m a year which cannot go on, too many clubs around here with Cov, Leicester, Nottingham, Moseley, Worcester, Northampton, Gloucester etc.
mr_monkey
Well-Known Member
So what was the point of it all?
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
Losing £10m, it doesn't stack up to be here, it's not Premiership football with millions to be made, they thought that was going to happen and its massively backfired
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
There is Wasps Amateurs that are still playing in London, if the fans got behind them they could rise like Wimbledon FC, then the thousands of Coventry based Wasps fans can travel down there on Saturday
Dubai-Dodger
Member
Grendel if you do your homework you might see it differently….. they were not runners up last season they were 8th so already on a decline on field …. They played 2 seasons ago 2020 in a covid delayed final and the following season played many games either behind closed doors or with limited crowds due to covid. But why let the facts stand in the way of your narrative !
Dubai-Dodger
Member
Explain why ? …. is that because historically football clubs are associated with a town or city. The mentality of football supporters is very much territorial …. That’s not always the case with rugby clubs, many clubs are associated with a town or city …. But the history of some rugby clubs is different.
I think if many of you are honest if Wasps hadn’t moved to the Ricoh but another stadium locally that hadn’t had an impact on CCFC, this thread wouldn’t exist. It’s the fact that Wasps came to the Ricoh that aggravated you not that they came to Cov, although I don’t expect for one moment anyone would admit that.
Kneeza
Well-Known Member
I beg to differ.
Philosoraptor
Well-Known Member
I would feel for you if the London rugby club move a further 100 miles away from you, that supposes you are from around that area where they originally sold their ground for housing. Then again, given the lack of any empathy for the rugby fans that can't get from High Wycombe to Coventry regularly, then you could always support another London rugby club.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
This should be the thing that worries Wasps. They've had success while in Coventry and its barely registered with the locals. Then look at the response to the football club winning what is, I think we will all admit, a tin pot trophy. Let alone the success after that. It doesn't compare.
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
We have a 148 year old historical Rugby Club already in the City, they weren't welcome full stop.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
Couple of questions for our new friend.
How do Wasps get out of this cycle? We know all too well how depressing it is sitting in a quarter full ground, given that Wasps aren't embedded in the community the way the football club there is far more chance of people just deciding they don't enjoy the day out anymore. How do Wasps stop attendances dropping lower and lower? They're clearly broke so splashing out on big names isn't the answer.
I'm also interested in what happens when Richardson decides to sell. Is there not the possibility of a situation similar to London Irish where the new owner wants to take them 'home', or maybe more working if someone decides they fancy the stadium / exhibition side of the business and buy on that basis but have no interest in the rugby side. We know all too well what can happen when the sporting side of the business is told to live within its means.
This only seems viable long term if someone is willing to pump millions in every year and those people are becoming harder to find. When relatively big name football clubs are struggling to find interested buyers with the best will in the world there's not likely to be a queue of people waiting to buy Wasps.
How do Wasps get out of this cycle? We know all too well how depressing it is sitting in a quarter full ground, given that Wasps aren't embedded in the community the way the football club there is far more chance of people just deciding they don't enjoy the day out anymore. How do Wasps stop attendances dropping lower and lower? They're clearly broke so splashing out on big names isn't the answer.
I'm also interested in what happens when Richardson decides to sell. Is there not the possibility of a situation similar to London Irish where the new owner wants to take them 'home', or maybe more working if someone decides they fancy the stadium / exhibition side of the business and buy on that basis but have no interest in the rugby side. We know all too well what can happen when the sporting side of the business is told to live within its means.
This only seems viable long term if someone is willing to pump millions in every year and those people are becoming harder to find. When relatively big name football clubs are struggling to find interested buyers with the best will in the world there's not likely to be a queue of people waiting to buy Wasps.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
The rugby club is not likely to go anywhere - it has a 50 year sub lease
Philosoraptor
Well-Known Member
At the moment. They have bondholders to pay.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
Of course it wouldn't, rugby barely registers on here at the best of times. But I would also suggest that if that had happened and someone had stuck a poll up the response would have been overwhelming negative. The vast majority of people, and I'm talking sports fans in general not just our fans, simply don't believe clubs should be allowed to move round the country. I recall looking on some other rugby forums around the time of the move and the supporters of all other clubs were very much against it.
The idea that Wasps are nomadic is complete nonsense. You can make a stronger agreement for Coventry City being nomadic! What is it, 136 years in London, 12 years in Wycombe which is only 25 miles from their traditional home all while insisting a move back to London was being worked on, doesn't make you nomadic and excuse a move half way across the country.
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
But losing £10m a year, it's not sustainable for a Rugby union team, a smaller leased stadium with smaller running costs in the London area would suit.
chiefdave
Well-Known Member
That's the point, what happens if the only person interested in taking them on when Richardson wants to get out is a Wasps fan who wants them back in London. How do you untangle the mess.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
you only have to look at how despised MK Dons are on here and among football supporters other than Wimbledon to know that isn't true.
It all looks a bit like franchising, a concept which isn't popular among football supporters.
Dubai-Dodger
Member
weren’t welcome by who ? ….. A few vocal CCFC supporters on a forum pissed off because Wasps moved into the Ricoh…. Hardly representative of the Coventry population.
As for Wasps being despised in the Rugby community like MK Dons. ….. I’d love to see where anyone sees that.
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
Coventry Rfc supporters and Coventry Rfc owners and directors wernt too happy I'll tell you
Dubai-Dodger
Member
so …… a 28 mile move to Adam’s Park outside of London is allowed but an 82 mile move is not allowed. ….. what would you suggest is the limit of an acceptable move for a rugby team ?
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
A lot of Leicester, and Worcester fans despise you for franchising out your London Rugby Club, can't say for other premiership clubs because I don't anybody that follows them, not sure what Harlequins and Saracens fans had to say.
Gynnsthetonic
Well-Known Member
About 28 miles!
Dubai-Dodger
Member
Interesting ….. my understanding is very different…. Perhaps we agree to disagree.
Dubai-Dodger
Member
Reality is that most don’t care.
Grendel
Well-Known Member
no the holding company does