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And no one has mentioned the franchise aspect yet...

Tories are 'strongly minded' to support resolution. Lot's of chat about sports development, completely ignoring the fact that Wasps will not be allowed to move their Academy or training facilities away from London if they are to stay within the RFU restrictions... so they can pretend not to be...

I'm sorry Hobo, but it's not a hollow protest - and those clubs mentioned other than London Welsh and Irish are aggregations rather than franchises per se. It's by far a done argument in English Rugby. Welsh are on their arses at Oxford, and Irish, despite being at Reading for a long time...

Most Wasps fans aren't happy. Let's not pretend otherwise, eh. And most rugby teams aren't franchised either - so let's not use that as an excuse.

Surely this represents 'ownership' of the Ricoh in its broadest terms. This is what SISU wanted, and it's a lot less hassle than building a new, smaller stadium further away. Tim, if you're reading - get a formal expression of interest in now and shoot down this Wasps abomination!

Maybe - but the evidence of London Welsh (franchised to Oxford), and London Irish (to Reading) doesn't suggest that. Even if everyone who supported the local rugby team, CRFC, attended Wasps too (they won't), that would be the massive boost to the Wasps of around 1,000 extra fans. Rugby, in...

Exactly that. It's a fait accompli - all that CRFC can do now is try to make the best of it. It's still a bit supine for my taste. In all honesty (even as a fan) I won't be going back up there as often if all I'm going to be doing is cheering on a team who's only ambition can be to achieve...

The fight's over Michael. Unless Wasps fall over on the funding, or SISU step in now that there's a value established for ACL, then it's done, over. As far as I can see it, the only thing we can do now is lobby people not to attend Wasps games, in the hope that they go under.

Most of their current fans seem to be saying that they won't go. So as with Northampton there'll be a nub of their current support plus whatever they can drum up locally. I'd fancy something between 3,000 to 6,000. In the Ricoh. They'll be able to have a row each. Some boost to the city's...

I take your point Monners, but in truth they are still going to have to go to court anyway. All of this is undoubtedly a product of the way that SISU have chosen to do business, and of their very clear aim to distress ACL at every opportunity - but it still doesn't make the Council's actions...

I used to be very fussed about the Higgs. The one thing I really couldn't bear was that SISU seemed willing to stitch them up - a charity set up for the benefit of the city's children, ffs! However, they've decided to support something that's utterly immoral, the franchising of a another team...

Well it doesn't much like Wasps fans are interested in coming. So you're saying this isn't right for them then, no?

No obligation to do so, I suspect - I think it was an internal Labour meeting, as opposed to a Council meeting. Because Labour hold such a massive majority, if they all back it, then it goes through. In the main council meeting with all parties they'll hide behind commercial confidentiality -...

The thing about Nellist, whether you like his politics or not, he is absolutely consistent on what he stands for and believes. Ann Lucas, the leader of Coventry City Council, has proven herself to be a complete hypocrite. Our politicians should be held to the highest standards, and major...

I could well be wrong, or missing something, but I'd tend to agree that this doesn't look great financially. Maybe that's why SISU aren't too worried - if this venture fails, what happens next to ACL? With just 10% the council will have lost control...

I think, but don't quote me, that there's a salary cap in Prem rugby. But I could be taking out of my backside (again). Either way, we've seen in football that TV money seems to have any number of ways of slipping through the clubs' hands and ending up in the wrong places. I doubt rugby is...

You've got me beat there too, although BT have signed a big deal to televise Prem Rugby... is this where Wasps money is coming from? http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/sep/12/premiership-rugby-bt-deal-broadcast It's certainly not coming from their fans!

Accepted OSB, they haven't shown any ambition. But even down to the nub of the support we're likely to get more in than Wasps, and the potential for CCFC is much bigger even if at the moment it's not being realised by the current owners. Wasps are already in the top league - there's not much...

Around 7,000 at the moment for league games. Talk on their boards seems to suggest that very few will want to shift here - it's a bit like us and Northampton in terms of proportion I expect, 70%-90% drop off. I don't think Cov RFC fans will go if fixtures clash, or if it's somehow seen to...

And the last big European game you remember? And you call yourself a fan! ;) Joking aside, my point is that this isn't a game that really earns prestige or footfall (at the league level) in the same way that football can. Even a mid-table championship club at the Ricoh would attract double...