Ricoh Return (1 Viewer)

D

Deleted member 2477

Guest
The only thing wrong with the RICOH is that we can’t fill it.
A few other things wrong with it as well.

its owned by coventry council who hate our club and have done everything they can to destroy our club
the lease belongs to a London rugby club who dont manage the pitch in the interests of a football club
The rugby club wont allow us to have any revenue from the ground
The stadium itself is soulless and doesnt feel like our ground at all as its plastered in Wasps shite
The ground location is poor with no pubs or other facilities that make a football ground
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
A few other things wrong with it as well.

its owned by coventry council who hate our club and have done everything they can to destroy our club
the lease belongs to a London rugby club who dont manage the pitch in the interests of a football club
The rugby club wont allow us to have any revenue from the ground
The stadium itself is soulless and doesnt feel like our ground at all as its plastered in Wasps shite
The ground location is poor with no pubs or other facilities that make a football ground

'state of the art' sports bar incoming
 

Sky_Blue_Daz

Well-Known Member
I often thought a weatherspoons , where the rowleys club is would be goldmine .
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Bar West Ham, are we the only clubs fans to actively and vocally despise our 'home' ground?

I've never warmed to it. Disliked it since day one. However would rather we were there
I didn't mind it when we first moved there. Could have done with more to identify it as 'our' stadium but that was a minor issue. But from day one there seemed to be zero maintenance and it was very quickly starting to look tatty and a lot older than its actual age.

Then of course you had the safety group putting stupid rules in place to make it virtually impossible to create any atmosphere between home and away fans. Add in that we had little success while there, and huge sections of the ground empty, and there's not a lot of good memories for people to look back on.

Hate the place now, seeing all that Wasps branding is sickening. Realistically its our only option in the short to mid term even if we at some point have owners that will pay for our own ground to be built its going to take years.
 

Happy_Martian

Well-Known Member
A few other things wrong with it as well.
..............
............
The stadium itself is soulless and doesnt feel like our ground at all as its plastered in Wasps shite

I'll take this point and ask anyone to compare it to where we are now. Cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands wearing BCFC shirts. BCFC in white chairs opposite the main stand. Even BCFC carpeting by the dugouts. Us playing at the Ricoh will always feel like an away game or playing home at an away ground. It's a stale argument but we need to forget the Ricoh and get something done for ourselves.
 

play_in_skyblue_stripes

Well-Known Member
I'll take this point and ask anyone to compare it to where we are now. Cardboard cutouts of fans in the stands wearing BCFC shirts. BCFC in white chairs opposite the main stand. Even BCFC carpeting by the dugouts. Us playing at the Ricoh will always feel like an away game or playing home at an away ground. It's a stale argument but we need to forget the Ricoh and get something done for ourselves.

Playing at Ricoh Arena will never feel like playing away at all, Its the stadium built for us in Coventry. It's Just not owned by the owners of Coventry City. Lots of clubs don't own the stadium they play in, no reason at all why it cant be made to feel like home in the way it was from 2005 until 2013 when SISU moved us away. Yes there have been some major problems caused by both sides but its still Coventry City's home stadium in my eyes.
 

HuckerbyDublinWhelan

Well-Known Member
I didn't mind it when we first moved there. Could have done with more to identify it as 'our' stadium but that was a minor issue. But from day one there seemed to be zero maintenance and it was very quickly starting to look tatty and a lot older than its actual age.

Then of course you had the safety group putting stupid rules in place to make it virtually impossible to create any atmosphere between home and away fans. Add in that we had little success while there, and huge sections of the ground empty, and there's not a lot of good memories for people to look back on.

Hate the place now, seeing all that Wasps branding is sickening. Realistically its our only option in the short to mid term even if we at some point have owners that will pay for our own ground to be built its going to take years.
I’ve always wondered this. I’ve been to grounds where it’s a row of Stewards and a bar between fans.

how come the Ricoh Deems about 4 blocks appropriate
 

Travs

Well-Known Member
I've never really got the "it's too far from the centre" or the "no pubs" comments.

It's close (albeit on the edge) of some CCFC heartlands... Foleshill, Holbrooks, Bedworth, Longford. And there are enough pubs in walking distance, more than a lot of grounds.

However i accept it isn't as conveniently located as Highfield Road was.

The main issue for me is CCFC supporters seem to have been seen as an unwanted nuisance at the Ricoh from day 1... not having full capacity for the opening game took out a whole load of momentum. Concerted efforts from stadium management to eradicate standing in the Telegraph Stand in the early days, took out a lot of atmosphere. Then the further efforts to reduce atmosphere by keeping fans as far apart as possible.

....the parking fiasco at the ground, and equally important the stance of the council to ban parking on public streets in seemingly the entirety of North Coventry on a matchday (i was out running today and the matchday restriction signs start in Aldermans Green FFS.

I think these are the important factors. When you then add in the other issues which are not the fault of stadium management/council/etc... ie the fact the stadium is too big for us, and that we've been absolute dogshit most of the time we are there... plus the nostalgia for Highfield Road.

It all combines to make the Ricoh a sorry matchday experience.

And i maintain that in my case, it's the reduction in the matchday experience which eventually led to my fall-off in going to home games. Season-by-season went less and less due to not really any enjoyment. However continued to go to away matches, and even went to Northampton (which was also dire, but slightly different circumstances).
 

Sky_Blue_Daz

Well-Known Member
Yeah if it isn't getting hammered by the gypsy camp.

Plus nobody would really use it on non match days
Don’t know about the traveller site but , there’s a similar pub in a very similar setting by the central 6 site and that seemed to be doing well .
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Talking of the Ricoh, here is the application for the signage for the new bar:

Coventry City Council: Planning Application Details

1. It looks like they're using the former club shop unit, doesn't it?

2. The sign looks shite, the concept is about 25 years out of date

3. Good to see them spending in the local economy by employing signwriters from erm Newcastle upon Tyne
That's definitely the shop and ticket office, the measurements in the plans match. Seems odd to get rid of those, not really another obvious location for them. Agree it looks shit.

I don't get the business plan to try and make everything at the Ricoh like a rugby clubhouse when its only used for rugby about 15 days a year. The refurbed legends lounge looks like shit, the Heineken bar is about the cheapest refit you could possibly do and this sports bar, despite the claims it will be state of the art, looks like it will be similar.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
If we get back:

- Pitch maintenance in any contract terms
- Open from the pitch back all the way around to keep people closer together (hopefully this won’t be as much of an issue in the Championship). Don’t rent on a stand by stand basis.
- SAG need to fuck off and allow home and away fans closer. We should be prepared to complain loudly about it.
- Flags/banners over any closed areas/railings, even the stupid Robins is our King flag. Wasps need to facilitate fans coming in early enough to make the place our own a bit. Get standees with famous City players on you can line the path up to the ground with, that sort of thing.
- Get vendors outside the entrance way for food/souvenirs/etc. Build some atmosphere outside the ground. Ideally some kind of fan zone/beer tent type thing
- As much dedicated public transport as possible including links with pubs around the city.

A lot of that is organisational and could be helped a lot with fan involvement/pressure on the appropriate bodies (and Boddys (lol)).
 

Covkid1968#

Well-Known Member
If we get back:

- Pitch maintenance in any contract terms
- Open from the pitch back all the way around to keep people closer together (hopefully this won’t be as much of an issue in the Championship). Don’t rent on a stand by stand basis.
- SAG need to fuck off and allow home and away fans closer. We should be prepared to complain loudly about it.
- Flags/banners over any closed areas/railings, even the stupid Robins is our King flag. Wasps need to facilitate fans coming in early enough to make the place our own a bit. Get standees with famous City players on you can line the path up to the ground with, that sort of thing.
- Get vendors outside the entrance way for food/souvenirs/etc. Build some atmosphere outside the ground. Ideally some kind of fan zone/beer tent type thing
- As much dedicated public transport as possible including links with pubs around the city.

A lot of that is organisational and could be helped a lot with fan involvement/pressure on the appropriate bodies (and Boddys (lol)).
Yep... all of this. Fan zone is def needed given its location.
 

Nick

Administrator
anybody who moans about access to ricoh versus St andrews, have not travelled back from a night game
Often around midnight versus 10.15 from the ricoh

Only ever had an issue once when the M6 was closed and I didn't realise.

Other than that it didn't take long at all. Depends on where you live in Cov I guess.
 

Nick

Administrator
The sign reminds me of Liquid and Envy in about 2002.

What's their target audience? People before their matches or people on a night out in general?
 

shepardo01

Well-Known Member
If we get back:

- Pitch maintenance in any contract terms
- Open from the pitch back all the way around to keep people closer together (hopefully this won’t be as much of an issue in the Championship). Don’t rent on a stand by stand basis.
- SAG need to fuck off and allow home and away fans closer. We should be prepared to complain loudly about it.
- Flags/banners over any closed areas/railings, even the stupid Robins is our King flag. Wasps need to facilitate fans coming in early enough to make the place our own a bit. Get standees with famous City players on you can line the path up to the ground with, that sort of thing.
- Get vendors outside the entrance way for food/souvenirs/etc. Build some atmosphere outside the ground. Ideally some kind of fan zone/beer tent type thing
- As much dedicated public transport as possible including links with pubs around the city.

A lot of that is organisational and could be helped a lot with fan involvement/pressure on the appropriate bodies (and Boddys (lol)).
.....while we're at it, why not put in that Duggins, Lucas, Steve Vaughan and Nick Eastwood have to give the team a guard of honour onto the pitch dressed in the Sky Blue Crew outfits with Moz Baker and the Trust board waving the flags!!

Love those ideas Shmmeee but I reckon that Wasps won't be bending over with any deal given/agreed. I'd guess at pretty much "as you were" with some sort of pitch agreement.... but who knows..... !?!??
 

RegTheDonk

Well-Known Member
Talking of the Ricoh, here is the application for the signage for the new bar:

Coventry City Council: Planning Application Details

1. It looks like they're using the former club shop unit, doesn't it?

2. The sign looks shite, the concept is about 25 years out of date

3. Good to see them spending in the local economy by employing signwriters from erm Newcastle upon Tyne
Decision Pending (ie. awaiting ink for rubber stamp)
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
.....while we're at it, why not put in that Duggins, Lucas, Steve Vaughan and Nick Eastwood have to give the team a guard of honour onto the pitch dressed in the Sky Blue Crew outfits with Moz Baker and the Trust board waving the flags!!

Love those ideas Shmmeee but I reckon that Wasps won't be bending over with any deal given/agreed. I'd guess at pretty much "as you were" with some sort of pitch agreement.... but who knows..... !?!??

Dont ask don’t get. We’ve got a route to communicate with all the stakeholders and a vaguely organised fan base, worth a shot.
 

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