Covstu
Well-Known Member
Alot of people on here were very vocal and critical about Northampton taking us in during this time!!
Nope, still don't get it. From Northampton's perspective it made good sense to have us there and I don't believe I have ever slated Northampton for taking us in.
Therefore , from Northampton's perspective it made perfect sense to take CCFC in. From ACL's perspective, if CCFC are determined to leave, then it makes perfect sense for them to seek another big name player to come to the Arena.
All this from their perspective. As fans I think we are all opposed to such a move unless it benefits CCFC and Cov rugby don't lose out either
The wasps if serious that is and not using this to get a better deal at Wycombe, will do due dilligence from which their finance team will establish the true worth of what they are buying (not what ACL/HIGGS/CCC say its worth) to which they will probably not offer much more than SISU offered them? (still no Freehold on the table is there?)can we clear what it is that we are actually "fighting" for.........
- we want CCFC playing at the Ricoh.............they are and I have not seen anyone say they don't want this long term (other than the CCFC owners)
- we want CCFC to benefit from income sources at the Ricoh.......... plenty of ways that can be done without owning either ACl or the freehold
- we want CCFC to own all part or some of ACL or stadium............ why? and isn't that up to the current CCFC owners (a) deciding they want to be there long term - seems they don't to be(b) putting in a meaningful or acceptable bid to get that stake- they say they prefer to build their own. How do fans force a club to buy something they seem not to want?
There is a potential for ground sharing isn't there? plenty of clubs do, and potential for a better deal still to be struck for the club isn't there? there is an opportunity to commit long term to the Ricoh isn't there? Stadiums can be used for many sports and events cant they?
Seems to be we are saying that if ACL is not owned by CCC/Charity it can only be owned by CCFC - reality check, the real world doesn't work like that and the clubs owners shot that bolt long ago if it ever existed.
Do not get me wrong I have always wanted the club to be at the Ricoh and to share even own the income streams, I would prefer Wasps not to buy it - but what if it was someone else and they brought other sports in to share?
But what is the clear message that the fans are to campaign about when no one other than CCFC owners are saying "we don't want CCFC to be at the Ricoh long term".
Sisu moved CCFC to Northampton to try and get the Ricoh on the cheap. They didn't give a fuck about the fans and neither did ACL or CCC, but don't worry, it was only business.
OK, I think the phrase is "it's not you, it's me".
Alot of people on here were very vocal and critical about Northampton taking us in during this time!!
So let's do something about it. acl-sisu successfully created division among fans over sixfields so let's not repeat that and instead be united as fans in saying we are 100% opposed to the acl-wasps idea and we want acl-ccc to drop it. It was fans who created the pressure for the ricoh return (source: Mr S Pressley) and stopping wasps playing in Coventry would be a doddle compared to that
seems to me we have 2 off field battles on our hands as fans
1) pressure ACL, Higgs and CCC to stop communicating with another sports franchise while 2) we pressure our wonderful ownwers to stop fucking around and get serious about ACL before the ship has sailed.
the joys of being a CCFC fan. it really shouldn't be this difficult.
I guess it's like Villa and CCFC merging. How many would be "onboard" with that, do you reckon? But, that's not the point. It's the hysteria of franchising that suddenly seems to OK with ACL, CCC and people on here.
Just to be clear about the Wasps that are (perhaps) proposing to relocate to the Ricoh - this is Wasps RFC and that club has been in existence for less than 20 years. They have never had a settled home where they could build up a loyal and local fan base. They have this year dropped the London prefix.
The original club, Wasps FC, is still playing amateur rugby.
I hope to God that ACL sell up to Wasps - it will serve SISU right and probably see them off for good. CCFC under new owners can always buy a share back of Wasps in the future. Priority is getting rid of SISU so it this helps, it has to be a good thing.
I haven't seen any post on here saying franchising is okay. The problem we have Torch is ACL are not a sports team, they are a business with a venue to hire with a mortgage to pay. The local football club has passed up on a very good option to buy a share in the venue. They broke a legal contract and moved their business away. They came back because they could not afford the move because of the majority of fans refused to go. The local club are still insistent that they are going to build a new stadium. ACL are therefore duty bound to look for other customers.
People have confused a refusal to sell to the local football club, with SISU eroding any confidence people had in their integrity and intent.
The other side of the rumour is Wasps are also looking at a venue in Birmingham.
I can see what you are saying Michael of course, but the move to Sixfields is different. It was not about money, it was about football fans and could be seen by all (other clubs fans included) to be fundementally wrong - therefore a clear message (or aim if you will) for any protest. This deal/idea is purely about making money, and in the long term, CCC shifting the burden of ACL. Wasn't there local elections in Cov last year? So good timing for local representative as no electoins to worry about in the immediate term.
I didn't say that any protest is futile, as history shows that protest does work, but I don't see it as a doddle as you described it.
can we clear what it is that we are actually "fighting" for.........
- we want CCFC playing at the Ricoh.............they are and I have not seen anyone say they don't want this long term (other than the CCFC owners)
- we want CCFC to benefit from income sources at the Ricoh.......... plenty of ways that can be done without owning either ACl or the freehold
- we want CCFC to own all part or some of ACL or stadium............ why? and isn't that up to the current CCFC owners (a) deciding they want to be there long term - seems they don't (b) putting in a meaningful or acceptable bid to get that stake- they say they prefer to build their own. How do fans force a club to buy something they seem not to want?
There is a potential for ground sharing isn't there? plenty of clubs do, and potential for a better deal still to be struck for the club isn't there? there is an opportunity to commit long term to the Ricoh isn't there? Stadiums can be used for many sports and events cant they?
Seems to be we are saying that if ACL is not owned by CCC/Charity it can only be owned by CCFC - reality check, the real world doesn't work like that and the clubs owners shot that bolt long ago if it ever existed.
Do not get me wrong I have always wanted the club to be at the Ricoh and to share even own the income streams, I would prefer Wasps not to buy it - but what if it was someone else and they brought other sports in to share?
But what is the clear message that the fans are to campaign about when no one other than CCFC owners are saying "we don't want CCFC to be at the Ricoh long term".
I know my answer but you're probably as sick of hearing it as I am of repeating it! You're a City fan so I'd say forget for a minute what all the other parties want and think solely as a fan and decide what your vision for a successful ccfc is. You then work towards that as a long term goal and in the meantime fight against anything that goes counter to achieving the vision of a better future for ccfc
This is an entirely different situation we have here though compared to the Sixfields thing.
Here we have a football club that seem to be totally adamant they are moving away from the Ricoh. Lost count now of how many times they've said 'that boat has sailed' and that they are building a new stadium.
What we need to focus on here is not one of trying to stop Wasps from coming in, but one of making sure Coventry City FC remain.
This is an entirely different situation we have here though compared to the Sixfields thing.
Here we have a football club that seem to be totally adamant they are moving away from the Ricoh. Lost count now of how many times they've said 'that boat has sailed' and that they are building a new stadium.
What we need to focus on here is not one of trying to stop Wasps from coming in, but one of making sure Coventry City FC remain.
They're the sky blues again now and not Otium. That's a relief.
OK. CCFC move to Northampton. Chaos ensues, "no to franchise football", marches, petitions, "fix football", etc etc
(Potentially), London Wasps move to Coventry and maybe swallowing up the city's own rugby team, but ah well, that's business.
Good article it is too.
Coventry City can only blame themselves
The crowd at the floodlit Ricoh Arena The proposed deal for Wasps to buy a controlling stake in the company that runs the Ricoh Arena has quickly dashed any hopes of a lasting peace between the owners of Coventry City and ACL.
Why did we think it would be any different?
When the Coventry Telegraph declared it was time to #bringCityhome we said that despite the bad blood between the two sides, everyone had to move on.
Of course not everyone did. Sisu are still pursuing the council in an expensive legal battle they have already comprehensively lost once and in which they have criticised by a judge for trying to “distress ACL’s financial position, with a view to driving down the value of ACL and thus the price of a share in it”.
And that’s the real problem here. After being subjected to a sustained legal and financial assault it can hardly be a revelation that Coventry
City Council and the Alan Edwards Higgs Charity don’t fancy selling their ACL shares to Sisu and have decided to move on with another buyer.
When the Alan Edwards Higgs Charity bailed out the Sky Blues in 2003 and bought their half share in ACL they did so with the intention of selling it back. A formula was even agreed to fix the price.
Sisu and the charity did try to do a deal – with the consent of the council – in 2012 but it fell apart because, in the words of a judge , “neither party had any appetite to seek to pursue negotiations or seek to conclude such a deal.”
The club have wasted ELEVEN years in which they could and should have coughed up for a stake in the stadium they call home.
That ship looks to have sailed and instead they could now find themselves, at best, as tenants in their home city to a club from a different sport and a different part of the country who will churn up the pitch every other week during the season.
Good luck to Steven Pressley and the passing game he demands from the team. And good luck to Coventry Rugby Club, steadily and lovingly being rebuilt in the third tier of English rugby but now waiting for a top-flight side to land on their doorstep.
So what - or where - next for Coventry City?
The two-year deal agreed for the Ricoh return gives short-term security but we don’t know the detail of the two-year option that follows and the future is now far from certain.
They started talking about building a new stadium more than year ago but, despite promises from directors that they hoped to announce a site last September and then January, we still have no idea where that may be.
There has been a change in language from the club this year, with the message that the Sky Blues need to ‘own’ their own stadium - the word build, whether deliberately or not, seemingly dropped like an out-of-favour player.
Maybe, having bought a controlling stake in the Ricoh, Wasps will want to cash in by becoming partners with their tenants, or maybe they’ll want to up the rent.
There was a theory among some fans that if Sisu got their hands on the Ricoh they would have something to sell and those wanting them out of the club would get their way.
There isn’t a long queue of people wanting to buy a League One club that doesn’t own its own ground. Equally, if it’s not an attractive proposition for potential owners, how attractive will be it for Sisu’s investors (£40m lost and counting) if they lose their last-chance legal fight at the Court of Appeal?
That great night at the Ricoh on September 5 suddenly seems an awfully long time ago.
exactly
the council lvoers have shown their true colours in this thread
not ccfc fans at all.
from the sounds of your recent posts when wasps buy ricoh it will be a better night for you.
disappointed in you otis
we may have argued in past but i always thought you loved ccfc more than council
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