Article: SISU Have To Go Before It's Too Late (1 Viewer)

ashbyjan · Oct 3, 2011

You can view the page at http://www.skybluestalk.co.uk/content/141-SISU-Have-To-Go-Before-It-s-Too-Late

dadgad · Oct 3, 2011

Is there any chance of fan ownership?
You mention the "Sky Blue Trust" - well, where are they?....what is their role?.....why aren't they a focus group to organise a viable takeover?.....a takeover that is led by the city for the benefit of the club and the area?
This imho is the only way to go but would require a strong voice and a realistic timeframe.

skybluesben · Oct 3, 2011

shame alot of people cant be f*cked to try and force them out. Protesting would hurt SISU now we are in the media about our ownership. :blue:

fanta80 · Oct 3, 2011

skybluesben said:
shame alot of people cant be f*cked to try and force them out. Protesting would hurt SISU now we are in the media about our ownership. :blue:

Fans can protest til they run out of steam but nobody has yet come in with a viable offer to buy the club. Or is your super plan to not have owners at all and fold the club?

skybluesben · Oct 3, 2011

fanta80 said:
Fans can protest til they run out of steam but nobody has yet come in with a viable offer to buy the club. Or is your super plan to not have owners at all and fold the club?

The way things are goin sisu will be sellin everything off and folding the club. i would rather go down fighting then with sisu still under control of the club. :blue:

Sky Blue Sheepy · Oct 3, 2011

skybluesben said:
The way things are goin sisu will be sellin everything off and folding the club. i would rather go down fighting then with sisu still under control of the club. :blue:

Wouldn't really be fighting though would it. It would be admin > liquidation > not existing in very little time unless Hoffman and his band of merry men decide they want to invest. I'm not a fan of SISU, I hate the lying etc, but they have undoubtedly reduced running costs. If someone does come in, we'll be in a slightly better state than before and I would rather support this club in League 1 than not at all.

wingy · Oct 3, 2011

Why admin or liquidation sisu are the only significant creditor,what benefit is there in that for them?

ashbyjan · Oct 3, 2011

What is it about City fans that they can only see in black and white? Just because I want SISU out doesn't mean that I am urging admin etc - what I want is for them to sell the club at a fair price. Up until know they have simply refused to talk to anyone who wants to buy the club, all the time they talk about investment investment investment. I want them to sell the club and write off some of the debt/loans to make the future better for the club. They have screwed things up royally since they came and we need to force them into a position where they are losing so much PR and money that they are willing to actually talk to someone about selling. From the first minute Hoffman muted he wanted to buy they were derailing the bid, however legitimate it was, with underhand tactics and the Russian bid in the summer was dismissed out of hand. I don't expect them just to padlock the gate and ride off into the Portugese sunset - I want then to be forced into a position where they will sell. As the majority of the debt is to themselves admin is not an option for them as they would lose far more than accepting a bid from a third party.
These people are killing our club and yet some still seem to be happy to shrug their apathetic shoulders and accept the clubs fate. Well if that's the case you will soon get the club you deserve, struggling in the 3rd Division as more cuts to playing staff are made and more directors are appointed.

blueflint · Oct 3, 2011

if 15000 thou were to put up £20 each and organise a board of ten people to run the club a takeover by the fans would be a possibility

Ashdown · Oct 3, 2011

Everyone understands your frustration Ashby but the ball is in their court though, while there are assets in some of the players to sell, they will stay until they can recoup whatever they can. They are liars and don't give a shit about the club, never have done in truth, all their mandate will be now is to minimise the hit to their investment portfolio. Their exit point will only come when they have bled it all dry. The best policy if people want rid quickly is sadly to boycott the matches. Many have already done this, many of us find that painful and unnatural. I think ultimately it will be the quickest way of forcing them to fuck off.

ashbyjan · Oct 3, 2011

Agreed Ashdown - the numbers are dwindling every week as people vote with their feet but we need to be more pro-active. I don't hold with this view that SISU aren't bothered by bad publicity - companies such as them rely on reputation and results - if we can highlight sensibly to potential investors the folly of trusting these people with a single penny then they will be forced to act. Look at the reaction to Brinner and a couple of others turning up at their doorstep in London, look at the jackbooted over reaction to a few banners. These clowns don't want bad publicity nor do they want to lose more money. If there is to be a boycott of a game why not boycott the first 5 mins and then come in - even stay in the concourse for the first five mins - its a symbolic gesture to gain publicity. Also boycott all the Ricoh food outlets, ACL will soon put pressure on SISU and also the club shop.

Nonleagueherewecome · Oct 3, 2011

Ashdown said:
Everyone understands your frustration Ashby but the ball is in their court though, while there are assets in some of the players to sell, they will stay until they can recoup whatever they can. They are liars and don't give a shit about the club, never have done in truth, all their mandate will be now is to minimise the hit to their investment portfolio. Their exit point will only come when they have bled it all dry. The best policy if people want rid quickly is sadly to boycott the matches. Many have already done this, many of us find that painful and unnatural. I think ultimately it will be the quickest way of forcing them to fuck off.

Agreed, but I've paid for my ST-and so have the majority of our remaining fans. Having done so, I intend to keep turning up and backing the team. So that won't have impact until summer, by which time it will already be too late. Who am I kidding, it's already looking too late, gah.

wingy · Oct 3, 2011

Just what is behind their thinking,surely they can't be that incompetent?if they're not pocketing capitol from transfer dealings as OSB assertains ,merely using it to fund operation for this season,how on earth does this DIV3 business plan stack up,loss of revenue circa £3m.There has to be something other going on ,its either something under hand ,ie tax rightoff within their group,or horse trading of players between clubs,and we will never know becuase no one holds more than ten %,Ranson has been investigated for his dealings with Cardiff City,and left at that point ,then 2 of our players join said club for below market value .We don't know if any of this lot have connection to other clubs , if a player is written down in our accounts ,over his contract does ie; CCFC take the loss,then the player becomes considerably more valuable at new club that they have potential, investment in ,far fetched possibly ,but i don't see any recovery position for them with their current strategy,that is one way of assset stripping without appearing to,deluded maybe,just trying to figure them out.

cloughie · Oct 3, 2011

What ever the sisu strategy is, it is clear that the team and the club are of little interest to sisu. If this were not true then we the fans would have been informed of the sisu stratey. So that is the only conclusion I can come to, as it is all cloak and daggers from sisu.
It appears that any bad publicity towards sisu seems oh so painful for them, hence there high handed response to protests and waffling responses via open letters and tv interviews.
As for figuring them out, maybe we already have, and thats why we don't like them. They are just hoping enough don't figure them out, whilst they recover as much cash as they can before leaving leaving the dead carcass of CCFC.

Ashdown · Oct 3, 2011

I think the protests have come 5 months too late, people should have withheld from purchasing ST's until there was a clear and open statement of intent from the owners. It has been obvious for 2 years now that SISU have decided to refrain from putting in anymore funds. Those who coughed up and many who pay £22-29 on a matchday want some value. I agree the hedge fund will not want adverse publicity and am happy to help to keep them in the media spotlight but as for removing them its all becoming as futile as hoping that Greece won't default on their debt repayments. We all know in our hearts surely that both CCFC and the world economy is up shit street and has to get worse before it gets better.

ashbyjan · Oct 3, 2011

SISU have absolutely no interest in the playing side of things - its actually just a hindrence and possibly once in the 3rd division they can reduce costs even further and thereby mitigate any potential losses. The only reason they are still hanging around like a bad smell is the Ricoh Arena - the only way on this earth they could possibly recoup their "investment" is by getting control of this prize asset. The other way would be to gain promotion but they have no stomach for the risk so its the Ricoh they want. They must not get it and we have to put pressure on the council and the Higgs Trust not to sell ACL to these vultures. I honestly cannot see any other reason they are still hanging around because sooner rather than later they will run out of assets to sell off and will be forced to put their hands in their investors pockets or do they see a cash crop in the youngsters coming through? Doubt it as this would take football knowledge and I believe someone had to tell Dulieu which team was which on Saturday as the poor dear was confused. SISU must not be allowed to get the Arena and must be forced out of the club.

Does anyone actually still think they are good for the club? Forget the spurious "who else would do it" argument - simply do you think SISU are good for this club?

coundonskyblue · Oct 3, 2011

I cannot understand why people think that there is no point in protesting. I personally would rather Administration than Sisu (As I think the outcome is going to be the same anyway), but I can understand why some supporters don't want to even consider administration.

However, the threat of admin is not a reason to not protest, neither is the argument that there is no alternative. I don't care who runs the club as long as they run it properly, now I think all of us agree that Sisu are/have not ran it properly. Therefore you should at least be protesting at Sisu's mismanagement. I agree with ashby than we should be making life very uncomfortable for Sisu. We should be letting them know that we are not happy at how they are running the club & that they need to shape up or shit out.

Ashdown · Oct 3, 2011

Either way the forms of protest you are expecting from some involves buying tickets, the expense of travelling and parking etc, then what?? Banners which get confiscated, songs and chants, confrontation with stewards and police. These will all be conducted by a minority while the ST holders of the Telent and blocks 18-23 of the Tesco meekly shake their heads or dissaprove. I'm very angry and despise the reasons SISU came to Coventry for but ultimately I see no way forward in this financial climate than the club crumbling under the weight of its previously accrued debts. The real culprits are the TV companies, hideously wealthy benefactors and the players and their greedy agents, they have created the monster that has encouraged short-term thinking board members at clubs to seek instant success at the expense of long term stability. The book doesn't stop at CCFC, the whole game is fucked.

TheSnoz · Oct 4, 2011

Asbyjan, think your idea of everyone remaining in the concourses until five minutes before kickoff is a useful one. Sure it's only symbolic but an empty stadium would send a clear message about the depth of feeling. This way we can include those fans who wouldn't entertain the idea of boycotting their team (like me) and those that feel more direct action is the only way. It would be a start. And very simple to do. A bit of publicity, maybe a leaflet handed out to fans as they go the the ground. With maybe a simple SISU OUT message on the back that fans can hold up - if all done at once as the teams line up, it'll send a message.
And, people could still demonstrate before the game, if they wanted, with banners outside the ground.
It's become plain as anything just how they are leading us up the garden path, 'Marquee signing' in the summer - where is he? Premier league loanees in loan window. 5 weeks on, where are they?
And someone mentioned Ray Ranson and possible connections to Cardiff City and months later two of our players go there for lower than hoped for fees. Hmmmm.

Otis · Oct 4, 2011

Why don't we arrive 5 mins late to our seats, push past people, blocking their view, go down to the malls with about 7 mins still left of the first half, come back late from half-time, again blocking people's view as we push past and then leave with about 6 mins still to go on the clock at the end of the game?

Thinking about it, I reckon we must have been protesting for the past 70 years.

Ashdown · Oct 4, 2011

If they had a waitress service for our half time pint then everyone could just chill out and keep seated................this wouldn't affect you though that penchant for half time refreshment????

TommyAtkins · Oct 9, 2011

ashbyjan said:
What is it about City fans that they can only see in black and white? Just because I want SISU out doesn't mean that I am urging admin etc - what I want is for them to sell the club at a fair price. Up until know they have simply refused to talk to anyone who wants to buy the club, all the time they talk about investment investment investment. I want them to sell the club and write off some of the debt/loans to make the future better for the club. They have screwed things up royally since they came and we need to force them into a position where they are losing so much PR and money that they are willing to actually talk to someone about selling. From the first minute Hoffman muted he wanted to buy they were derailing the bid, however legitimate it was, with underhand tactics and the Russian bid in the summer was dismissed out of hand. I don't expect them just to padlock the gate and ride off into the Portugese sunset - I want then to be forced into a position where they will sell. As the majority of the debt is to themselves admin is not an option for them as they would lose far more than accepting a bid from a third party.
These people are killing our club and yet some still seem to be happy to shrug their apathetic shoulders and accept the clubs fate. Well if that's the case you will soon get the club you deserve, struggling in the 3rd Division as more cuts to playing staff are made and more directors are appointed.

Agree. Made this point several times - too many fans see things in absolutes.

Having said that, we can dismiss the Russian bid. They made it clear that they wanted a club in the south of England and they didn't want a club that needed significant investment in players.

Very little evidence that they approached SISU at all. Coventry City didn't fit the profile of the club they were looking for.

We all agree we want SISU out. But have they made a mess? I don't think so at all. They are running the club, as I predicted, as a business, at the expense of performances and results. This doesn't mean the club is in a mess. In many ways, SISU have improved CCFC as a business entity, albeit at a severe cost in playing terms.

Hoffman was naive to engage with SISU, when his bid was allegedly flawed. The animosity between SISU and Hoffman was well known to most observers. Hoffman should have recognised that SISU would seek to undermine him. Hoffman did their dirty work for them.

Administration is an option; SISU's representatives admit this. Administration would give them a chance to claw back some investment.

But fans protests will achieve nothing, apart from entrenching SISU.

You have to understand the mindset of one's enemy. SISU don't care about CCFC. They care about their investors and investments. The more protests, the more fans stay away, the more SISU will keep cutting costs.

I wouldn't rule out SISU eventually folding the club completely, just out of sheer spite.

Nonleagueherewecome · Oct 9, 2011

So they could ultimately fold the club, so there's no point protesting? S'funny, I thought that was entirely the reason to protest. That's why ANYONE is better than SISU, as long as they aren't a similar type of hedge fund. I just wish everyone else could see what the ultimate outcome could be.

It could be through causing unrest that gets in the media, or pressure from an MP who has realised exactly what you and I have, Tommy. But saying "there's no point"...sorry, can never agree with that. I fight for things I believe in. Just because it may not work is no reason for apathy.

TommyAtkins · Oct 9, 2011

Nonleagueherewecome said:
So they could ultimately fold the club, so there's no point protesting? S'funny, I thought that was entirely the reason to protest. That's why ANYONE is better than SISU, as long as they aren't a similar type of hedge fund. I just wish everyone else could see what the ultimate outcome could be.

It could be through causing unrest that gets in the media, or pressure from an MP who has realised exactly what you and I have, Tommy. But saying "there's no point"...sorry, can never agree with that. I fight for things I believe in. Just because it may not work is no reason for apathy.

Where did I say there is "no point"?

I said that protests won't achieve anything. There is a subtle difference.

Equally, "anyone is better than SISU" is erroneous in the extreme. There could be a lot worse than SISU - a fans consortium, for example.

You are making the grave error of thinking that SISU care about CCFC. This is why media reporting won't achieve anything because it won't hurt SISU.

They don't care.

wingy · Oct 9, 2011

Nothing wrong with a bit of Luddite action ,never been one for rolling over

skybluesben · Oct 9, 2011

If i can get enough people together, im deploying the "big banner" on the 15th if the goons arnt about in force near me again! :blue::blue:

cloughie · Oct 9, 2011

TommyAtkins said:
Where did I say there is "no point"?

I said that protests won't achieve anything. There is a subtle difference.

Equally, "anyone is better than SISU" is erroneous in the extreme. There could be a lot worse than SISU - a fans consortium, for example.

You are making the grave error of thinking that SISU care about CCFC. This is why media reporting won't achieve anything because it won't hurt SISU.

They don't care.

correct they don't care about CCFC but they do care about their image and investors and potential investors to sisu (not potential CCFC investors)
Loosing the confidence of their investors an potential investors will hurt them so lets protest in what ever way that gets publicity

Grendel · Oct 9, 2011

Coventry is a massive White Elephant to SISU. Why they invested in the club is a huge mystery. I have always seen them as a massive problem as in football terms they were always never going to have sufficient resource or interest in making the investment work.
Fans are in a way protesting subconsciously by no longer coming to the groung. 80% of attendees now have season tickets so are commited to attending. I cannot see that SISU will look at administration as they will look to make revenue from the club from whatever cost cutting measures they need to persue.
I have for a while concluded that the majority of supporters are passively accepting a situation that will emd up with the club having a handful of players and be in Division Two.
If they are not forced out before January the club is finished as a realistic entity as relegation is inevitable,. There has to be an increase in the protesting seen at the Derby game and it has to be more prolonged and publicised. I cannot see this happening.
Nothing is worse than SISU but I fear we are stuck with them and a slow linegring death is inevitable.

Disorganised1 · Oct 10, 2011

They turned me into a newt !

Article: SISU Have To Go Before It's Too Late (1 Viewer)

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