We Took The Ricoh for Granted (1 Viewer)

[shmmeee]

Problem is you went to a coventry hooker. Should have gone to Nottingham, Ipswich or Swansea. The pimps there practically offer you a luxury service free of charge. In coventry you pay a fortune and you don't even get offered a coke afterwards unless you pay more.

Can't find a council owned ground in Nottingham, you'll have to help me out.

Not sure Ipswich is the best choice for your argument: (http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/19864/portman-road-ground-rent-talks-continue/page:2/)

Neither are Swansea, considering they joint own the stadium management company with the council and the Ospreys, and have also had calls to pay more rent (http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...erty-Stadium/story-20436703-detail/story.html) they've also been investigated for State Aid because they don't charge the club enough.

 

---

[bringbackrattles]

I appreciate this will upset a few but I actually hated the Ricoh.

1. It's financially f*cked us
2. We don't own it
3. We've always been quite sh*t there
4. Pain in the arse to get to, especially if coming in from the train
5. The atmosphere is awful
6. Seeing hoardes of empty seats was demoralising

Give me cheeky old Highfield Road (the right size, the right location and a bit of footballing soul) and a Saturday afternoon over the Ricoh 10 times out of 10.

Of course I'd rather be playing there instead of anyway outside of Coventry but it's a just another copy-a-bowl that generates little enjoyment.

Sorry that you disliked the Ricoh that badly.Highfield Road was our spiritual home while the Arena was the replacement. But at least we had a ground not like now when we have the embarrassment of sharing in Northampton. I used to live in a three bedroomed house with a garden,but now I'm in a flat,but I still call it home and I'm not sharing it ! Do you get my reasoning ?

 

[M&B Stand]

The Ricoh is the bird you left your wife for, but she might have looked alright but was shallow and just took all your money, you realise what a fool you've been and just wanna go back to the wife, but it's too late. Things just go downhill from there and you spiral into a pit of despair and end up kipping on someones settee.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Can't find a council owned ground in Nottingham, you'll have to help me out.

Not sure Ipswich is the best choice for your argument: (http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/19864/portman-road-ground-rent-talks-continue/page:2/)

Neither are Swansea, considering they joint own the stadium management company with the council and the Ospreys, and have also had calls to pay more rent (http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...erty-Stadium/story-20436703-detail/story.html) they've also been investigated for State Aid because they don't charge the club enough.

Ipswich is an interesting case. They own the stands, but not the ground they stand on!

 

[shmmeee]

I appreciate this will upset a few but I actually hated the Ricoh.

1. It's financially f*cked us
2. We don't own it
3. We've always been quite sh*t there
4. Pain in the arse to get to, especially if coming in from the train
5. The atmosphere is awful
6. Seeing hoardes of empty seats was demoralising

Give me cheeky old Highfield Road (the right size, the right location and a bit of footballing soul) and a Saturday afternoon over the Ricoh 10 times out of 10.

Of course I'd rather be playing there instead of anyway outside of Coventry but it's a just another copy-a-bowl that generates little enjoyment.

Horses for courses, I hated Highfield Road:

- Couldn't park within about 2 miles of the ground, at the Ricoh I've never paid for parking and never been more than a 5 min walk away. The amount of times I spent ages waiting to be picked up from Pool Meadow after a game because you can't park...
- Couldn't get food/drink at half time, the place was rammed and seriously under resourced. You made a choice between getting a drink and watching the second half kick off.
- Restricted views. Fucking girders in the way of the pitch.
- No atmosphere. None. At all. 99% of games the place was a graveyard.
- Tiny seats, no legroom.
- No room for expansion, the whole place was falling apart.
- Awful access meant you spent 30 mins standing in the aisles waiting to get out, before you walked back through Hillfields.

The Ricoh may be too big for us, but HR was a proper shit hole and the match day experience was awful start to finish. People like it because of nostalgia, nothing more.

Edit: just making this post to point out that there is no perfect stadium and everyone wants something different.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

People like it because of nostalgia, nothing more.

Possibly, but that counts for a lot.

tbf I like the old grounds, looming out of streets of terraces, empty soulless places that come alive for a few hours every other weekend and the odd evening, life brought to the desolate drudgery of the everyday.

To me, that's football... not a soulless bowl with no feeling where the walls aren't embedded with the past and it's financed by a supermarket.

And that, incidentally, is why I can hate the Ricoh but also want them back, as I'm not likely to get what I want back any time soon unless we could rock up at the Butts. In the spirit of the crap analogies so far it's like going after Scarlet Johansson for years and ending up with Doris Brightwater - she's a bit of a munter but she's funny, warm-hearted and loyal, so life's not so bad after all.

 

[Grendel]

Can't find a council owned ground in Nottingham, you'll have to help me out.

Not sure Ipswich is the best choice for your argument: (http://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/19864/portman-road-ground-rent-talks-continue/page:2/)

Neither are Swansea, considering they joint own the stadium management company with the council and the Ospreys, and have also had calls to pay more rent (http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...erty-Stadium/story-20436703-detail/story.html) they've also been investigated for State Aid because they don't charge the club enough.

City ground is council owned. Council even bailed the club when they were defaulting on a loan. Ipswich were forced in the end to pay £115,000 a year. Swansea have paid nothing and a free seat on the management board. The Swansea European Commission is a red herring as ultimately it will not now affect the club at all.

Ok humour me. Out of these examples and coventry city which had the worst deal from the council in terms of rental cost and revenues. No long explanations just name the club.

 

[shmmeee]

Possibly, but that counts for a lot.

tbf I like the old grounds, looming out of streets of terraces, empty soulless places that come alive for a few hours every other weekend and the odd evening, life brought to the desolate drudgery of the everyday.

To me, that's football... not a soulless bowl with no feeling where the walls aren't embedded with the past and it's financed by a supermarket.

And that, incidentally, is why I can hate the Ricoh but also want them back, as I'm not likely to get what I want back any time soon unless we could rock up at the Butts. In the spirit of the crap analogies so far it's like going after Scarlet Johansson for years and ending up with Doris Brightwater - she's a bit of a munter but she's funny, warm-hearted and loyal, so life's not so bad after all.

I don't mind either of them really, just pointing out that HR had it's problems. You can't blame a new stadium for the team being shit and not creating memories while we're there.

In an alternate universe we'd be talking about the full houses and the great atmosphere of our awesome L1 promotion season right now and how it'll be even better when we get to the Prem.

It's harsh to judge a Premiership ground that's only been used for lower Championship/L1 football.

 

[shmmeee]

City ground is council owned. Council even bailed the club when they were defaulting on a loan. Ipswich were forced in the end to pay £115,000 a year. Swansea have paid nothing and a free seat on the management board. The Swansea European Commission is a red herring as ultimately it will not now affect the club at all.

Ok humour me. Out of these examples and coventry city which had the worst deal from the council in terms of rental cost and revenues. No long explanations just name the club.

Original deal? Comparing apples with apples, not oranges?

I'd say we had as good a deal as any of them. Especially as our stadium management company has made a profit (unlike Swansea's).

But you want to compare what the club has after it sold half the management company and all the revenue.

 

[shmmeee]

City ground is council owned.

Not saying you're wrong, but Wiki says it's owned by Forest and the latest articles about it changing it's name refer to the club as the one making the decision. You got a source for that? Searching City Ground Rent just brings up a load of flats on RightMove

Edit: found a source, never mind (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-18852686)

Can you find anything on the details of their arrangement, as the club must have some say so considering they're talking about expansion at one point and are now renaming it.

The loan they were bailed out of was taken out to build the Trent End. Why are the club paying for improvements to a ground they don't own? *confused*

 

[Deleted member 5849]

It's harsh to judge a Premiership ground that's only been used for lower Championship/L1 football.

Not to me. It sums up all that's wrong with the modern age, a stand built for sponsorship and corporate takes priority over the fans and fits as a TV image... and that's the only unique thing about it.

I appreciate others may think differently but I don't like modern football very much - if there was an alternative I could buy into or I found it easier to walk away then I would. In the meantime I just have to hope to get as close as realistically possible to what I want.

As my expectations and hopes get crushed against the iron girders, foundations and Mike McGinnity tribute walls, that hope ends up being the Ricoh... but I can't just accept all is well with what I want because of that. I can put up with it, keep quiet for the sake of the kids... but something's broken.

 

[Grendel]

Original deal? Comparing apples with apples, not oranges?

I'd say we had as good a deal as any of them. Especially as our stadium management company has made a profit (unlike Swansea's).

But you want to compare what the club has after it sold half the management company and all the revenue.

Interesting. Can you explain how a ten times higher rent and zero revenues is as good?

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

@ Sterling Archer........The thing is, on SISU taking charge, crowds were well in excess of 23-24k.(Above The Break even figure issued by Fisher) Lack of investment, and the selling off of the best players brought the attendance figures plummeting down. 1)SISU F**ked us....2)We could have owned half if SISU had taken the opportunity when presented(At least 3 times they had the chance).....3)Won't disagree on that one....4)Agreed, but it is INSIDE Coventry boundaries.....5) and 6)See my point on attendances.......Highfield Road was brilliant but is in the past now. Try looking forward mate. Just my opinion of course......Waiting for the usual "SBK" criticism now.

 

[Grendel]

@ Sterling Archer........The thing is, on SISU taking charge, crowds were well in excess of 23-24k.(Above The Break even figure issued by Fisher) Lack of investment, and the selling off of the best players brought the attendance figures plummeting down. 1)SISU F**ked us....2)We could have owned half if SISU had taken the opportunity when presented(At least 3 times they had the chance).....3)Won't disagree on that one....4)Agreed, but it is INSIDE Coventry boundaries.....5) and 6)See my point on attendances.......Highfield Road was brilliant but is in the past now. Try looking forward mate. Just my opinion of course......Waiting for the usual "SBK" criticism now.

The average was below 21,000 and the break even figure was on full match day prices - we've never exceeded £11 per ticket, didn't read anymore tbh.

 

[shmmeee]

Interesting. Can you explain how a ten times higher rent and zero revenues is as good?

Again. Original deal not what we have after we sold half of ACL.

 

[Grendel]

Again. Original deal not what we have after we sold half of ACL.

What was the rent at the time of the original deal then - around the £115,000 mark?

 

[stupot07]

@ Sterling Archer........The thing is, on SISU taking charge, crowds were well in excess of 23-24k.(Above The Break even figure issued by Fisher) Lack of investment, and the selling off of the best players brought the attendance figures plummeting down. 1)SISU F**ked us....2)We could have owned half if SISU had taken the opportunity when presented(At least 3 times they had the chance).....3)Won't disagree on that one....4)Agreed, but it is INSIDE Coventry boundaries.....5) and 6)See my point on attendances.......Highfield Road was brilliant but is in the past now. Try looking forward mate. Just my opinion of course......Waiting for the usual "SBK" criticism now.

We never averaged 23-24k before sisu were here. In fact in their first season, with investment, signings and renewed optimism we only averaged 17k.

 

[shmmeee]

What was the rent at the time of the original deal then - around the £115,000 mark?

Honestly don't know, do you? I didn't think the rent was set until after we sold our half.

What were the revenues? IIRC it was more than Sisu are currently arguing for.

 

[Otis]

Horses for courses, I hated Highfield Road:

- Couldn't park within about 2 miles of the ground, at the Ricoh I've never paid for parking and never been more than a 5 min walk away. The amount of times I spent ages waiting to be picked up from Pool Meadow after a game because you can't park...
- Couldn't get food/drink at half time, the place was rammed and seriously under resourced. You made a choice between getting a drink and watching the second half kick off.
- Restricted views. Fucking girders in the way of the pitch.
- No atmosphere. None. At all. 99% of games the place was a graveyard.
- Tiny seats, no legroom.
- No room for expansion, the whole place was falling apart.
- Awful access meant you spent 30 mins standing in the aisles waiting to get out, before you walked back through Hillfields.

The Ricoh may be too big for us, but HR was a proper shit hole and the match day experience was awful start to finish. People like it because of nostalgia, nothing more.

Edit: just making this post to point out that there is no perfect stadium and everyone wants something different.

Excellent post Shmmeee.

Yep, forgot about a few of those things.

I had to park further away for HR than I did for the Ricoh. Ricoh was just a case of parking in the Tesco car park.

Right about half time and the queues were just ridiculous. Very hard to get served at all.

Restricted views! Yep, had to encounter them on a few occasions and also spot on about the leg room, which was pretty much non existent.

Atmosphere at HR was like a library 99% of the time. It really was. Think that is beer goggle thinking to say the atmosphere was better. All the time we were at HR all I ever heard was how quiet it was and that it had no atomosphere.

You're spot on there.

 

[shmmeee]

Excellent post Shmmeee.

Yep, forgot about a few of those things.

I had to park further away for HR than I did for the Ricoh. Ricoh was just a case of parking in the Tesco car park.

Right about half time and the queues were just ridiculous. Very hard to get served at all.

Restricted views! Yep, had to encounter them on a few occasions and also spot on about the leg room, which was pretty much non existent.

Atmosphere at HR was like a library 99% of the time. It really was. Think that is beer goggle thinking to say the atmosphere was better. All the time we were at HR all I ever heard was how quiet it was and that it had no atomosphere.

You're spot on there.

I vividly remember a Richard Keys article in the Telegraph moaning about how HR was a graveyard and you "could hear a pin drop".

That was in the Premiership.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Atmosphere at HR was like a library 99% of the time. It really was. Think that is beer goggle thinking to say the atmosphere was better. All the time we were at HR all I ever heard was how quiet it was and that it had no atomosphere.

The atmosphere was indeed shit at HR, I won't pretend otherwise.

But I like heritage, tradition... a soul, and it had those.

As I said, no problem if others feel differently but to me, the Ricoh felt cold the very first day we were there and it always did - it was one of many actions that helped disconnect the club from me, yet I still long for the days of picking buttercups in the sunshine.

 

[shmmeee]

The atmosphere was indeed shit at HR, I won't pretend otherwise.

But I like heritage, tradition... a soul, and it had those.

As I said, no problem if others feel differently but to me, the Ricoh felt cold the very first day we were there and it always did - it was one of many actions that helped disconnect the club from me, yet I still long for the days of picking buttercups in the sunshine.

You've got a point. I've long complained that the Ricoh needs a bit more "CCFC" in it. I'll avoid my 3000 word essay on how to reduce capacity, increase atmosphere and improve the feeling that it's our home.

 

[Broken Hearted Sky Blue]

As for this "taking the Ricoh for granted" bollocks, it's a bloody football stadium. We went there, watched a game, came home and done the same thing another 20 odd times a year.

Did you want me to wipe my seat after every use, pay it compliments and take the thing out for dinner every week?

Exactly and you did the same at Highfield Road.So stop this "soul" bollux

 

[Kneeza]

Horses for courses, I hated Highfield Road:

- Couldn't park within about 2 miles of the ground, at the Ricoh I've never paid for parking and never been more than a 5 min walk away. The amount of times I spent ages waiting to be picked up from Pool Meadow after a game because you can't park...
- Couldn't get food/drink at half time, the place was rammed and seriously under resourced. You made a choice between getting a drink and watching the second half kick off.
- Restricted views. Fucking girders in the way of the pitch.
- No atmosphere. None. At all. 99% of games the place was a graveyard.
- Tiny seats, no legroom.
- No room for expansion, the whole place was falling apart.
- Awful access meant you spent 30 mins standing in the aisles waiting to get out, before you walked back through Hillfields.

The Ricoh may be too big for us, but HR was a proper shit hole and the match day experience was awful start to finish. People like it because of nostalgia, nothing more.

Edit: just making this post to point out that there is no perfect stadium and everyone wants something different.

I used to love 'er once.
Then they made 'er all-seater (TWICE FFS), and she and I fell out big style.
I'll take the Ricoh any day.

 

[Mr T - Sukka!]

The Ricoh is a top class football stadium. Now dont get me wrong thete are some areas i would improve:

1) Do away with that track around the pitch. Bring fans on top of the action. Closer to the pitch better atmosphere.

2) Around the ground add more history. Stuff in glass cabinets, un smashable before anyone says. Memrobillia etc. Black and white pictures all around the inside. Anyone thats been to wembley will know what i mean.

3) paint the breeze blocks sky blue.

4) Name the food and beverage bars after CCFC history just imagine going up for a Chicken SILLET burger

 

[fernandopartridge]

Problem is you went to a coventry hooker. Should have gone to Nottingham, Ipswich or Swansea. The pimps there practically offer you a luxury service free of charge. In coventry you pay a fortune and you don't even get offered a coke afterwards unless you pay more.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

4) Name the food and beverage bars after CCFC history just imagine going up for a Chicken SILLET burger

Have to be a Sillet-O-Fish, surely?

 

[Mr T - Sukka!]

Have to be a Sillet-O-Fish, surely?

Hah love it.

 

[Speedies_Chips]

Have to be a Sillet-O-Fish, surely?

What about a Dave Bamber-ger?

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

The 2007/2008 Championship clubs, stadiums, capacity ... www.charltonlife.com/.../the-2007-2008-championship-clubs-stadiums-c... 30 May 2007 - 8 Coventry City - Ricoh Arena - 32,609 ave 20,342................................................2008–09 Coventry City F.C. season - Wikipedia, the free ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008–09_Coventry_City_F.C._season Average League attendance, 17,406 ...........................................................Season 2007-2008 to get an average of over 20k a hell of a lot of games have to be around the 25-26k mark. Attendances fell away in the second half of the season to bring the average down. As I have shown the 17.5k attendance was the season AFTER !!!

 

[Sky Blue Kid]

The 2007/2008 Championship clubs, stadiums, capacity ... www.charltonlife.com/.../the-2007-2008-championship-clubs-stadiums-c... 30 May 2007 - 8 Coventry City - Ricoh Arena - 32,609 ave 20,342................................................2008–09 Coventry City F.C. season - Wikipedia, the free ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008–09_Coventry_City_F.C._season Average League attendance, 17,406 ...........................................................Season 2007-2008 to get an average of over 20k a hell of a lot of games have to be around the 25-26k mark. Attendances fell away in the second half of the season to bring the average down. As I have shown the 17.5k attendance was the season AFTER !!!

 

[Otis]

The atmosphere was indeed shit at HR, I won't pretend otherwise.

But I like heritage, tradition... a soul, and it had those.

As I said, no problem if others feel differently but to me, the Ricoh felt cold the very first day we were there and it always did - it was one of many actions that helped disconnect the club from me, yet I still long for the days of picking buttercups in the sunshine.

Agree with you about the soul.

Think the trouble with the Ricoh is that we haven't enjoyed any good times there. What we need is a successful season or two to give it a bit of history and heritage. At the moment we only associate the stadium with the failure on the pitch, so it's very easy to be negative about the place.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Agree with you about the soul.

Think the trouble with the Ricoh is that we haven't enjoyed any good times there. What we need is a successful season or two to give it a bit of history and heritage. At the moment we only associate the stadium with the failure on the pitch, so it's very easy to be negative about the place.

It wouldn't change it for me. In fact it'd probably increase the corporateness about the place.

 

[fernandopartridge]

@ Sterling Archer........The thing is, on SISU taking charge, crowds were well in excess of 23-24k.(Above The Break even figure issued by Fisher) Lack of investment, and the selling off of the best players brought the attendance figures plummeting down. 1)SISU F**ked us....2)We could have owned half if SISU had taken the opportunity when presented(At least 3 times they had the chance).....3)Won't disagree on that one....4)Agreed, but it is INSIDE Coventry boundaries.....5) and 6)See my point on attendances.......Highfield Road was brilliant but is in the past now. Try looking forward mate. Just my opinion of course......Waiting for the usual "SBK" criticism now.

Have you ever quoted a 'fact' that you haven't made up?

 

[shmmeee]

The 2007/2008 Championship clubs, stadiums, capacity ... www.charltonlife.com/.../the-2007-2008-championship-clubs-stadiums-c... 30 May 2007 - 8 Coventry City - Ricoh Arena - 32,609 ave 20,342................................................2008–09 Coventry City F.C. season - Wikipedia, the free ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008–09_Coventry_City_F.C._season Average League attendance, 17,406 ...........................................................Season 2007-2008 to get an average of over 20k a hell of a lot of games have to be around the 25-26k mark. Attendances fell away in the second half of the season to bring the average down. As I have shown the 17.5k attendance was the season AFTER !!!

For the sake of my eyes: http://www.educationquizzes.com/ks3/ict/processing-text-and-images-02/