Letter from SISU to the fans

[Sterling Archer]

That wasn't the point, I was just making it clear that the transfer winder hasn't just been open for the last month. Also, we had a tiny squad anyway, it would have been nice to have some more experience and back up in there.

I agree the squad is 2/3 decent players short but such is the financial state of the club maybe it requires more acceptance and understanding of where our club is financially off the pitch and on the pitch.

Overall deadline day was excellent for Coventry City but the transfer window could've been better with 2 or 3 additions.

What is pleasing to see if some of the youth coming through and playing well in the opportunities they are having. Would like to see Connor Thomas get more game time as well after all the hype.

 

[mattylad]

Think people need to chill the feck out a little......<br />
<br />
WE begged them not to sell Juke........ THEY didnt (THEY TURNED DOWN BIDS!!)<br />
WE begged them not to sell Clingan ... THEY didnt (THEY TURNED DOWN BIDS)<br />
WE begged them to sign a Striker...... THEY did. (A PLAYER WHO ALONGSIDE ALF HAS HAD HIS NAME MENTIONED ON HERE A NUMBER OF TIMES IN RECENT MONTHS)<br />
<br />
Now, loan market is up and running and Onye Igwe has stated in writing to all fans <br />
<br />
&quot;We will hopefully also be successful in attracting some quality loan players later this month to help Andy Thorn&quot; <br />
<br />
We have 9 days before Derby, IF there is no movement before then, MAYBE we have cause to call them every name under the sun. However I am waiting to see what happens 1st.

<br />
<br />
love the fact you tell everyone to calm down then use loads of caps (Oh the irony)

 

[kg82]

Correct, actions not words are the way to convince fans. This isn't a personal dig at you as I have no idea of your stance but more of a dig at anyone who blindly accepted anything Hoffman said and dismissed anything SISU said. Its only words, its only words that convinced so many that Hoffman was the saviour and he duly failed to deliver.

I think the response from the feller whose name sounds like a South African music group could hopefully prove to be the turning point, of course I won't hold my breath but at least its refreshing to see that they have admitted they make mistakes. I just feel that the majority of Anti-SISU people are quick enough to dismiss anything that comes out of theres and the CCFC boards mouth/typewriters but far too eager to accept everything Hoffman has said as fact. Blind faith?

Some of us need to realise we were never going to spend millions of £££ because we quite simply can't afford to. Any rich bored arabs we know? I fear that is the only way the club can meet 'some' fans expectations in the transfer market. We're still feeling the pain of relegation and the Richardson mis-management of the club. SISU have been idiots though for not spending a bulk of their early investment on the Arena. I think we all know where we would rather £1.2m would have gone towards between Eastwood and saving for the Ricoh.

Just to clarify I am not Pro-SISU or Anti-SISU, it doesn't have to be so black and white with situations like this. I do however feel let down by Hoffman as his "words" got mine (stupidly) and a lot of other peoples hopes up and in the end proved very little substance.

More importantly, I've been trying to wrack my brains as to who is actually "available" on loan. :thinking about:An attacking midfielder please.

I've been a very sceptical person since I came back from Thailand! A land that is meant to be full of smiles was full of thieves, crooks and liars in my experience. SISU seem like Thailand. I'm expecting to be lied to, stolen from and disappointed. They've done very minimal things to quell those fears so far, so I need to be convinced. As do a lot of fans. It's not our job to blindly follow them, it's their job to make us think they're doing ok. I'm not expecting millions to be spent but if they make statements such as "we'll be looking to get a few loans in" then GET a few loans in because, if you don't, what was the point in saying it in the first place and getting fans hopes up. I'm not just talking about this letter, I'm pretty sure it was said last year too.

 

[valiant15]

Cos most people hoped he would relieve us of this nightmare that is susu,he was the only alternative. Orange ken put payed to that though.

 

[Sterling Archer]

I've been a very sceptical person since I came back from Thailand! A land that is meant to be full of smiles was full of thieves, crooks and liars in my experience. SISU seem like Thailand. I'm expecting to be lied to, stolen from and disappointed. They've done very minimal things to quell those fears so far, so I need to be convinced. As do a lot of fans. It's not our job to blindly follow them, it's their job to make us think they're doing ok. I'm not expecting millions to be spent but if they make statements such as "we'll be looking to get a few loans in" then GET a few loans in because, if you don't, what was the point in saying it in the first place and getting fans hopes up. I'm not just talking about this letter, I'm pretty sure it was said last year too.

Time spent in Thailand AND a Coventry City fan? You must be the ultimate cynical pessmist!

As for the loan situation can anyone clarify whether the loan window is open now or in a week?

 

[CCFC123]

Lots of nice words but no substance. Been there before with SISU..... TO LITTLE TO LATE.

SISU OUT NOW.

 

[kg82]

Time spent in Thailand AND a Coventry City fan? You must be the ultimate cynical pessmist!

As for the loan situation can anyone clarify whether the loan window is open now or in a week?

Normally a week later isn't it? I think?

Yeah, I used to be such a happy-go-lucky person!

 

[WillieStanley]

I believe the final stage is a crafty strategy employing all their originality and "creative thinking" named "Operation: Premiership"

Oh wait...

 

[Lloyd]

Time spent in Thailand AND a Coventry City fan? You must be the ultimate cynical pessmist!

As for the loan situation can anyone clarify whether the loan window is open now or in a week?

i was under the impression that the loan window was open at the same time as the transfer window, it just carried on longer, like the free transfer window.

 

[DiveDiveWhereverYouMayBe]

Hi all, first time post. I promised myself I would do some work after the demise of 606. But, work is dull, so here goes...

I should declare a vested interest as I (loosely) know GH. As a result, I know that he is successful, genuine and passionate. I'm not his cheerleader and I understand the frustration however... I've been a paying City fan for at least 20 of my 30 years. It was disappointing that the deal collapsed, but I would like to assume that an investment team are waiting for us to be taken into administration prior to a takeover as a deal could not be struck with SISU.

The letter strikes me as the least possible concession to long-suffering fans. It is a thinly veiled attack on GH (with shades of 'he started it, we're not all bad'). They are aware the paying fans of Coventry are not behind them and would, generally, favour a takeover. Yesterday's transfer window was largely positive for us... Ben Turner is worth more, but we are well catered for at CB and crying out for a striker, with Cody sounding like he might just fit the bill. SISU may be trying to ride out that slight optimism (or slight reduction in pessimism) by putting this letter out the following day.

But it is in direct response to the banner and the songs at the Watford game. It took that reaction for them to deem this letter necessary. As it was put out after a largely positive transfer deadline day, I wonder if it is cynical to think that it would not appeared at all (and, just perhaps, neither would the signing of McDonald) had the singing, banner and demonstration not induced it. There is nothing inherently wrong in this, just urging caution in overstating any positive reaction (and resultant slating of GH).

Our lot as City fans has slightly improved in the last twenty four hours... here is to our points tally also improving with a victory over in form Derby on the return of domestic bliss (i.e. avoiding Ikea - or somewhere equally devoid of soul - and getting down the Ricoh - wish I hadn't alluded to being soul-less before completing this sentence).

 

[kg82]

Our lot as City fans has slightly improved in the last twenty four hours... here is to our points tally also improving with a victory over in form Derby on the return of domestic bliss (i.e. avoiding Ikea - or somewhere equally devoid of soul - and getting down the Ricoh - wish I hadn't alluded to being soul-less before completing this sentence).

Or Ikea!! - my mate calls them flat-pack grounds

You managed to hold out well after 606, I couldn't go for more than a day!

 

[skybluetom]

I'll sum up that statement... Let's point the finger and everybody else, it's not our fault. Hoffman generally done that aswell to be fair, it's boring and getting old now to be fair.

 

[Sub]

to be honest i dont care who's fault it is i would just like to see the club move forward but the board and owners are not trusted by lots of fans and hoffman backers are a unknown quanity but hoffman is a city fan and thats counts for alot, instead of faceless hedge fund trying to make a killing out off CCFC . There all in it for the profit yes but screwing the club into the ground is not the way to do it in my opion. Thats why i would side with hoffman for the fact he is a skyblue fan through and through :claping hands:

 

[DiveDiveWhereverYouMayBe]

GH and investors have got an agreement in place to buy a 51% stake in the Ricoh. SISU have alienated the Council who do not wish to do business with them. I think that is a further reason to give Hoffman the nod!

 

[skybluetom]

GH and investors have got an agreement in place to buy a 51% stake in the Ricoh. SISU have alienated the Council who do not wish to do business with them. I think that is a further reason to give Hoffman the nod!

Yes, it was also Hoffman and Elliot who said that. I've seen nothing from the Council themselves to confirm that.

I hate Sisu as much as the next bloke and they are destroying this club but I have very little faith that Hoffman is nothing more than an attention seeker to be quite honest.

 

[georgehudson]

A really good thread with lots of positives, and plenty of excellent points made.
The letter though was predictable, indeed last evening whilst chatting with a friend, he said 'I bet there's a statement from sisu tomorrow' I agreed & lo! it appeared.
The CCFC fans want action NOW.
Identify the cause, then do something about it.
Sisu are merely acting on the effect.
PUSB

 

[chiefdave]

actions speak louder than words and there's not been a lot of action. Yesterday was not the disaster it could have been but equally we've only signed 1 outfield player in almost a year (think King signed at the end of Sep 10 and he was the last signing before yesterday). There's not a lot of positives really, crowds are down, even the most optimistic supporter thinks we're in for a struggle to stay up and there seems to be no plan from SISU to stop the downward spiral. Sure this letter mentions a plan but there's not a lot of detail or any evidence it's working.

Wonder if the fact that this hasn't come from Ken has any significance. They must know fans aren't happy with him and he is clearly, at best, misleading people every time he speaks. With a bit of luck this could be the first step to him being shown the door and someone better coming in.

 

[Paxman II]

We have taken a few steps in the right direction. The letter is somewhat condescending and ill timed. They should just shut up and get on with things so actions can speak louder than words. However we seem to have a plan for sustainability so lets keep that thought and hope we improve results on the field of play which I believe will certainly come...

 

[paul1978]

gh and investors have got an agreement in place to buy a 51% stake in the ricoh. Sisu have alienated the council who do not wish to do business with them. I think that is a further reason to give hoffman the nod!

is that true they had agreement in place
to buy the share of ricoh

 

[skybluesteve76]

We have taken a few steps in the right direction. The letter is somewhat condescending and ill timed. They should just shut up and get on with things so actions can speak louder than words. However we seem to have a plan for sustainability so lets keep that thought and hope we improve results on the field of play which I believe will certainly come...

Well said mate. Couldn't agree more.
I'm very torn about The whole sisu situation. They didn't sell all our players, it's not there fault RR couldn't pick a decent manager if his life depended on it, that Gary Hoffman wanted to create a media circus or carl bakers a c**t is it?
On the other hand they've not invested and keep making false promises. Let's pray for more transparency from now on!

 

[brinner]

some of our fans make me laugh.

sisu have treated the fans and the club appalingly for a long time now and is getting worse yet because we sign a player and someone writes a letter full of waffle a load of our fans suddenly think the sun shines out of their arse!!!

if they cared for the club that much we would have assembled a decent squad before the season started! we still have a threadbare squad and in desperate need for at least 2 more midfielders. am not being funny but weve been constantly told the money for wages from king westy etc is still there so why havent we signed any loans already?? henri lansbury went yesterday......just what we need! could have had him last month! its a fucking joke.

look at yesterday, they had to sell our best player for £750k and recoup about that again off the scott dann deal to allow us to sign a player! YIPERDEFUCKINGDOODAR!!!!

im already dreading january! i just wish we could go in to admin now so the new owners could have this season to sort the team out ready for our league 1 "promotion" push next season!

if these clowns remain in charge and then land us in the shit next may..............which they will then we will be totally screwd.

 

[paul1978]

some of our fans make me laugh.

sisu have treated the fans and the club appalingly for a long time now and is getting worse yet because we sign a player and someone writes a letter full of waffle a load of our fans suddenly think the sun shines out of their arse!!!

if they cared for the club that much we would have assembled a decent squad before the season started! we still have a threadbare squad and in desperate need for at least 2 more midfielders. am not being funny but weve been constantly told the money for wages from king westy etc is still there so why havent we signed any loans already?? henri lansbury went yesterday......just what we need! could have had him last month! its a fucking joke.

look at yesterday, they had to sell our best player for £750k and recoup about that again off the scott dann deal to allow us to sign a player! YIPERDEFUCKINGDOODAR!!!!

im already dreading january! i just wish we could go in to admin now so the new owners could have this season to sort the team out ready for our league 1 "promotion" push next season!

if these clowns remain in charge and then land us in the shit next may..............which they will then we will be totally screwd.

bring on the hoff please
does joe elloit get suspension for life president removed

 

[Il Pirata]

some of our fans make me laugh.

sisu have treated the fans and the club appalingly for a long time now and is getting worse yet because we sign a player and someone writes a letter full of waffle a load of our fans suddenly think the sun shines out of their arse!!!

Deeds, not words. Funding your own failing business is not doing something for the club.

Interesting times ahead.

 

[brinner]

Deeds, not words. Funding your own failing business is not doing something for the club.

Interesting times ahead.

they have secured loans to fund us until the end of the season, when that money runs out were screwed as when we start selling season tickets next season and the money is going direct to the ppl that have loaned us the money to fund the club now we will then not have any money to see us thru the summer!!

sisu will sell juke and another couple in january in the process and then we will be just waiting for the day they put us in to admin.

i really really hope im wrong, but im 99.9999% sure im not gonna be.

admin after march is bad as we will start the season after -15 points.

 

[georgehudson]

Good posts brinner, you echo the thoughts of what I would estimate to be 99.5% of City fans.
How can we force things forward, I'm sure the Dourby game will show that Sisu, are not wanted, trusted, or respected.
I wouldn't put it past them to have a word with the TV people so as not to show the fans dissatisfaction.

 

[Danceswithhorses]

I know crowds are dwindling, but when the 'open letter' said....dear supporter (singular), i thought for a split second, that i was the only one left

 

[Otis]

they have secured loans to fund us until the end of the season, when that money runs out were screwed as when we start selling season tickets next season and the money is going direct to the ppl that have loaned us the money to fund the club now we will then not have any money to see us thru the summer!!

sisu will sell juke and another couple in january in the process and then we will be just waiting for the day they put us in to admin.

i really really hope im wrong, but im 99.9999% sure im not gonna be.

admin after march is bad as we will start the season after -15 points.

Well this is what I think too. It's okay saying hoorah for Sisu re the transfers yesterday, but you bet your bottom dollar that if we keep on losing money as we are (and there's no reason to suggest any different), both Clingan and Juke will be gone in January.

I'm pretty convinced both would have gone yesterday if the deals could have been done and cheaper replacements brought in their place.

 

[colin101]

I hope that Alan Higgs Trust and the Council never sell the Stadium to SISU, I have read the open letter and all I can think of is it reminds me of being a speech wtitten by a Politician, never tell the truth, always duck and dive and always blame the other lot for the mess we are in.

We need to ask ourselves would many players want to come to CCFC with owners called SISU, NO, would players want to stay at CCFC with owners called SISU (only if your name is Bell).

I have supported the Sky Blues for over 50 years and will continue to SUPPORT on any player who wears the badge, but given what has happened over the last 3 years will never give my support to SISU.

 

[sky blue john]

well, they are doing what you all keep asking them to do. Communicating.

We have had communication in the past its always just been lies. You are obviously happy and lap up a statement like this torch. Me I have heard it all before I want them to come out and tell us what the business plan is.

 

[sky blue john]

Luckily they will never have enough money to purchase any part of the stadium.

 

[sw88]

Atleast they now 'say' they see us as a football club before a business!!

 

[Johnnythespider]

They missed the boat when they came in.The most telling sentence regards stadium ownership.We're ffff-----" without it and they w ould have to buy all of it the council will never sell half of it and should never sell to these untrustworthy city types.Oldsky blue has stated many times that taking the higgs stake does'nt generate any income, so without about 120 million cant seeit happening.

Hi wingy, have you developed a ffff-----ing stutter since i last saw you

 

[JGazebo]

If SISU brought in Mourinho as manager, and had signed Ronaldo, Rooney and John Terry yesterday there would still be people saying that it was just a stunt to try and keep us happy for a few weeks before we were sucked into the abyss.

CUFFS!

 

[skyblueinBaku]

This letter has me confused (perhaps confusing the supporters is the basic idea of the letter!). When I first read it, it seemed to be just a long winded way of saying 'don't blame SISU, it's not our fault - all the problems were caused by someone else'. However, being someone who is always ready to give the benefit of the doubt, I thought that maybe a corner has been turned, and that SISU really do want success for the club (albeit for their own reasons) and are trying to open a meaningful dialogue with us fans. Then again, I am sure that the timing of the letter is no coincidence - fears of losing Juke & Sammy have been allayed, and we have signed a striker who could do very well for us partnered with Juke. Perhaps Iggy Oggy is trying to play on the feel good factor of that signing.

Another thing that puzzles me is why it was not written by Ken Dildo. Have SISU finally realised that he is just not trusted?

Did the letter come at this time to take the wind out of the sails of those planning a protest at the Derby game?

There are questions to be answered.:thinking about:

 

[Skybluedar]

I think we need to allow them to make amends by letting them be transparent and deliver. If he is going to come back to us very soon with more about what is going on, sit down and discuss the possible share in the stadium and continue to build the squad then I don't see the problem. The reality is that nobody else is queuing up at the moment to takeover the club. Potentially it could also be a way to signal to the investors that they are not going to get the club at a cut price and their hands will not be forced. Maybe a new takeover bid (one that might actually get beyond a letter) might take place.