Calista
Well-Known Member
I’m going to make some very heavy criticisms of all parties in the Coventry City saga, but make a GENUINE SUGGESTION FOR A WAY FORWARD.
Firstly, I accuse SISU of gross incompetence and lack of business acumen, in taking Coventry City Football Club to its current depths. Their mismanagement probably represents the worst stewardship of any club in the entire history of English football. They’ve managed to turn their original customer base of around 20,000 into 1,500 – and they’ve had to offer cut price deals to get even those few to turn up. Even SISU’s recent charm offensive shows hopelessly poor judgement, actually proposing to start again as a smaller club in 5 years’ time. Is this lack of pride and ambition supposed to win the fans over? I just find it humiliating. With a lot of luck, it would take at least another ten years to get the Club back to the status it had when SISU first took over. And the souls in the Memorial Garden would remain forever separated from their beloved team.
However, I recognise SISU as legal owners of the Football Club, and I accept that they’ve put a huge amount of money in. So secondly I accuse those who have tried to overthrow them (including the City Council) of putting ideology before common sense. Some of the tactics have been foolish and utterly unprofessional, and just seem to have provoked Joy Seppala into a siege mentality. I believe that ACL shamefully rejected the Sky Blue Trust’s proposal for independent arbitration, which SISU were willing to accept.
Thirdly, I accuse the Football League of gross incompetence in registering the players in the wrong company, and making no attempt whatsoever to rectify it. SISU bought CCFC in full knowledge of the long-term lease arrangements, and their legal and moral obligations to the people of Coventry (who had previously rescued the stadium project for the penniless club). The League’s negligence gave SISU, through the Administration process, the opportunity to run away from all those obligations. On the eve of the season the League (faced with a threat that fixtures wouldn’t be fulfilled) allowed a completely unnecessary relocation to another town. They’ve made a mockery of their own competition, and kicked the supporters in the teeth. I’m very surprised that they’ve escaped without any legal challenge, and their “Real Fans” slogan is a bad joke.
So how to sort out this mess? SISU, your rank cowardice in running away surprises me - your duty was to STAND AND KEEP FIGHTING at the Ricoh. Drop the Judicial Review now, get back there, and argue the Club’s case again from the inside. Since you “shepherd other people’s money”, why not stop pouring their cash down the drains of Sixfields and Brandon, and invest it into the TEAM and the Ricoh Arena? Make a fair offer for (say) 25% of the stadium business. ACL, meet them halfway – let the club have the revenues it needs, and WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CLUB WHOEVER OWNS IT to put us back where we belong? Give the Club an incentive to build up its share of the Ricoh business, subject to treating the fans properly and making a success of the football side. If they get us into the Championship they can get a bigger share, and if they go all the way to the Premier League, they can buy the whole lot as far as I’m concerned (perhaps with continuing non-partisan Council representation on the Board).
I don’t go to Sixfields, and wouldn’t do so if you paid me. I’ve been a passionate and loyal Sky Blues fan for over 50 years, but the other day when talking to someone, without thinking I said “I used to support Coventry City”. That sums it up really.
WISE UP AND SORT IT OUT. Working together you might even make Coventry proud again. In five years we should be playing in the top flight in front of 32,000 - not bribing people to come to the opening ceremony for our new small-time stadium.
Play Up Sky Blues.
Firstly, I accuse SISU of gross incompetence and lack of business acumen, in taking Coventry City Football Club to its current depths. Their mismanagement probably represents the worst stewardship of any club in the entire history of English football. They’ve managed to turn their original customer base of around 20,000 into 1,500 – and they’ve had to offer cut price deals to get even those few to turn up. Even SISU’s recent charm offensive shows hopelessly poor judgement, actually proposing to start again as a smaller club in 5 years’ time. Is this lack of pride and ambition supposed to win the fans over? I just find it humiliating. With a lot of luck, it would take at least another ten years to get the Club back to the status it had when SISU first took over. And the souls in the Memorial Garden would remain forever separated from their beloved team.
However, I recognise SISU as legal owners of the Football Club, and I accept that they’ve put a huge amount of money in. So secondly I accuse those who have tried to overthrow them (including the City Council) of putting ideology before common sense. Some of the tactics have been foolish and utterly unprofessional, and just seem to have provoked Joy Seppala into a siege mentality. I believe that ACL shamefully rejected the Sky Blue Trust’s proposal for independent arbitration, which SISU were willing to accept.
Thirdly, I accuse the Football League of gross incompetence in registering the players in the wrong company, and making no attempt whatsoever to rectify it. SISU bought CCFC in full knowledge of the long-term lease arrangements, and their legal and moral obligations to the people of Coventry (who had previously rescued the stadium project for the penniless club). The League’s negligence gave SISU, through the Administration process, the opportunity to run away from all those obligations. On the eve of the season the League (faced with a threat that fixtures wouldn’t be fulfilled) allowed a completely unnecessary relocation to another town. They’ve made a mockery of their own competition, and kicked the supporters in the teeth. I’m very surprised that they’ve escaped without any legal challenge, and their “Real Fans” slogan is a bad joke.
So how to sort out this mess? SISU, your rank cowardice in running away surprises me - your duty was to STAND AND KEEP FIGHTING at the Ricoh. Drop the Judicial Review now, get back there, and argue the Club’s case again from the inside. Since you “shepherd other people’s money”, why not stop pouring their cash down the drains of Sixfields and Brandon, and invest it into the TEAM and the Ricoh Arena? Make a fair offer for (say) 25% of the stadium business. ACL, meet them halfway – let the club have the revenues it needs, and WORK TOGETHER WITH THE CLUB WHOEVER OWNS IT to put us back where we belong? Give the Club an incentive to build up its share of the Ricoh business, subject to treating the fans properly and making a success of the football side. If they get us into the Championship they can get a bigger share, and if they go all the way to the Premier League, they can buy the whole lot as far as I’m concerned (perhaps with continuing non-partisan Council representation on the Board).
I don’t go to Sixfields, and wouldn’t do so if you paid me. I’ve been a passionate and loyal Sky Blues fan for over 50 years, but the other day when talking to someone, without thinking I said “I used to support Coventry City”. That sums it up really.
WISE UP AND SORT IT OUT. Working together you might even make Coventry proud again. In five years we should be playing in the top flight in front of 32,000 - not bribing people to come to the opening ceremony for our new small-time stadium.
Play Up Sky Blues.
