breaking news? at 5pm today (2 Viewers)

Otis said:

We can then destroy them from within!!

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...a race to the bottom?

Deleted member 5849 said:

...a race to the bottom?

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Careful

Deleted member 5849 said:

...a race to the bottom?

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Of what? Or who?

was anything actually said about Ryton?

Sam said:

To be totally honest , each club has its "own" business to look after , as does the Higgs centre . You cant blame anyone for not wanting to deal with Sisu , remember the argument over paying for maintenance , I would nt do business with Sisu .

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Bang on the money. Why would any landlord with a pain in the ass tenant not try to find a new tenant. It's called what goes around comes around. Treat people badly for long enough & you they will find a way of moving on without you.

So Embarrassing for our Club.

Option A : build working partnerships in Coventry with the organisations/people that matter & see if long term these partners will support your long term aims & goals.

Option B : use the press & slate these organisations/people and create even more bad will.

Time people stopped blaming others, this is down to how the custodians of OUR football club have treated others. I am gutted @ thought of OUR academy being damaged but completely understand why others have become fed up & end of tether with the games & nonsense.

tisza said:

http://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/article/alan-higgs-centre-statement-3137431.aspx

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Well that's a declaration of war really, isn't it.

SkyBlueZack said:

More like a fucking nightmare! Just you and Italia on that one.

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I said Sisu are falling into the trap. I didn't realise they were jumping into it.

i hadn't realized quite how highly our academy is ranked 10th out 92. That really is impressive and worth fighting for.

The Sky Blues official response to the Alan Higgs Centre plans...
Background
Coventry City Football Club has been part of Coventry’s social, economic, and cultural life since 1883. Originally founded as Singers FC by employees of the cycle firm Singer, the club has been the home of some of Coventry’s greatest athletes and most celebrated sporting triumphs. The club’s future in Coventry proper is currently threatened by of the transfer of elite sporting assets to Wasps Rugby Football Club.

While CCFC has been a proud contributing member of the Coventry community for almost 133 years, Wasps, a rugby club based in London for most of its history, has been a member of the local sporting community for less than 2 years. In that very short period of time, Wasps have acquired a world-class football stadium built for Coventry City Football Club. They are now looking to become the long-term tenants of a training facility built for Coventry City’s youth academy.

The Alan E Higgs Centre

The Alan E Higgs Centre was designed and built to house the football club’s youth Academy. Over many years, that Academy has produced some of England’s best football talent. The Academy is not only the pride and joy of Coventry’s football fans, but also a cornerstone of the club’s recruitment and business model.

The Academy’s lease ends in June 2017. Despite repeated efforts to achieve an extension of that lease by the football club, the organisation that manages and operates the facility on behalf of the owners (Coventry Sports Foundation, CSF) has decided to terminate the current lease when it expires.

Instead of facilitating the development of elite young footballers from Coventry, Coventry Sports Foundation (the operator of the Higgs Centre) has invited Wasps RFC to take over the training centre. In so doing, Coventry Sports Foundation are displacing the club’s famed youth Academy – one of the best performing in all of football – in the full knowledge that the Academy has no alternative home to move to.

This has potentially wide ranging implications for the club and the development of elite footballers in Coventry. Because the stringent requirements for maintaining an elite football academy can only be met in a facility of the highest quality with very specific access, pitch, and facility characteristics, Coventry Sports Foundation’s decision to invite Wasps RFC to become the tenant at the Higgs Centre will not only make the football club’s youth academy homeless but also, by implication, make it less likely that it will survive in its current form. It is not clear to us why such a drastic step has been taken, but it can be remedied.

Wasps have publicly acknowledged that they considered 20 different sites for locating their training facility before deciding on the Higgs Centre. They must be aware that moving into the Higgs Centre has the potential to displace the football club’s academy and possibly spell the end of elite youth football in Coventry altogether. We therefore believe Wasps’ planning application is ill timed because it is premature.

Practically speaking, the football club’s needs according to the Elite Player Performance Plan mandated by the Premier League are unlikely to be met simply by erecting an indoor facility and making it available to the football club. Furthermore, Wasps’ planning application raises important questions about sports policy in Coventry generally. There is no mention of another sport – football or otherwise –in the planning document. So far as we can determine, Wasps’ plans will not only displace the football club’s academy, it will also displace netball facilities currently being used at the Higgs Centre. We believe Wasps’ planning application to be flawed and incomplete because it disregards the specific needs of other sports.

Finally, as a matter of policy, we do not believe that a sporting organisation with less than two years residence in Coventry should be given priority by Coventry Sports Foundation over a football club with more than a century of residence and rich history as a community institution. We therefore believe that Wasps’ planning application is ill advised.

We ask Wasps to reconsider the planning application as a sign of goodwill and good neighborly intentions. This will allow all interested parties a chance to sit down with Coventry Sports Foundation and Sport England to work out an agreement over the use of the Higgs Centre beyond 2017.

Coventry, A City of Football

Coventry is a city of football. Coventry City Football Club has been at the forefront of some of the community’s greatest sporting triumphs. It also has been the hub for training some of Coventry’s most famous athletes and developing the game from the grass roots all the way to the professional level. Last year alone – playing in England’s 3rd division, the club attracted around 300,000 spectators to the Ricoh Arena. The club’s youth Academy was recently ranked 5th out of 72 clubs in the Football League and 10th out of all 92 clubs, including the Premier League. Sky Blues In the Community (SBITC) – the club’s community arm – plays a key role in the development of the game at the grass roots, and is involved in a variety of projects to improve the lives of children and adults in the.

In 2015 alone, SBITC worked on well over 100 projects that involved 34,000 participants well over 400,000 contact hours all across Coventry and Warwickshire, addressing needs in the areas of sport, health, education, and inclusion.

We applaud the efforts of public authorities to make sport a corner stone of policy in the city, and we have noted the concerted and public efforts behind the City of Rugby concept. We also commend the effort to bundle resources to achieve a more coherent place for any one sport in the city. Given the prominence of football in Coventry’s social and cultural fabric, we strongly encourage the Council to make football and other sports a cornerstone of the city’s sporting vision as well.

In a city of Coventry’s size, history, and composition, a policy to develop “a more active, inclusive and vibrant Coventry through positive experiences in sport” must include the city’s pre-eminent football club.

To contribute to Coventry becoming a City of Sport, we are prepared to help lead the effort. Specifically, we offer the resources and know how of Sky Blues in the Community to help develop the concept of grass roots football and other sports development. To help fast track this initiative symbolically and practically, we also are prepared to move all football operations, including our 1st team training base to the Higgs Centre and therefore into the city of Coventry.

Football is the world’s most popular and widely played sport. Coventry is a city of football. When it comes to sport, Coventry City Football Club should be at the heart of the city of Coventry’s past and present, and hopefully also its future.

Qwerty70 said:

Bang on the money. Why would any landlord with a pain in the ass tenant not try to find a new tenant. It's called what goes around comes around. Treat people badly for long enough & you they will find a way of moving on without you.

So Embarrassing for our Club.

Option A : build working partnerships in Coventry with the organisations/people that matter & see if long term these partners will support your long term aims & goals.

Option B : use the press & slate these organisations/people and create even more bad will.

Time people stopped blaming others, this is down to how the custodians of OUR football club have treated others. I am gutted @ thought of OUR academy being damaged but completely understand why others have become fed up & end of tether with the games & nonsense.

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Option A is a non starter as they flat out refuse to even speak to the football club.

mark82 said:

Although Ryton is literally our only asset.

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Couldn't they find the golden share?

rupert_bear said:

Was told today the Wasp drop legislation stance has put sisu well behind the black ball

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hi ho hi ho off to northampton we go

6 days to come up with this lame response!

http://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/...ps-reconsider-academy-move-campaign-launched/

Though the some sections of the club statement are OK & quite rational.

SkyBlueZack said:

Funny how you weren't embarrassed at Wasps stance on the legal action and it preventing Ricoh talks. Another prime example of swapping SISU for WASPS and opinions changing.

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You might want to read my comments on the situation before making such posts.

CCFC said:

hi ho hi ho off to northampton we go

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Yep looks that way to me.

armybike said:

You might want to read my comments on the situation before making such posts.

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Not really. Wasps fans think you are great and speak up for them.

They don't say that about me.

Basically they are screwed and have now come to the conclusion that begging and playing on the hearts and minds of fans on the radio is the only option. They are now the victims, the ones crying and pressured by a timeline to invest in a build or a redevelopment. This game they have played has truly backfired, nobody who can alter the direction that they are on is interested or believe's they are serious about anything. In my opinion the only victim in this is the club its fans and the city, they have played with the devil and are getting seriously burnt and would do all a favour by walking away.

This hurts the club and with these in control the hurt will only continue, you cant go round throwing punches, taking your ball home because you lose, then wonder why no one wants to play with you. Sisu are no victim, they are using what fans have closest to their heart to push for change and to have it the way they want it, if this was really what they wanted NTFC would of been never on the table as an option, they did not care then and they do not care now.

CA is another KD, TF, Onye and the plastic yank, all talk and no bollocks, all brain and no common sense, why would anyone deal with these on past history. Even at the Higgs left them with a bill, these are the instigator's of their own downfall, they have brought the club to its knee's where desperate plea's is the only option.

I am angry at the situation the club is in, i am frustrated with all parties involved but i'm most mad with the Tim Fishers of this world that have lied, misdirected and moved the club without any thought of the future. Now the future is upon us and Sisu have sown the seed that will see the end of them as owners or our club or the club itself.

Well done TF and the other clowns in this mess, sad and depressing is now my feelings, Sisu all of a sudden care about he academy, please CA, TF and JS i beg you, go back to non sport interests and leave something of the mess you have continued to escalate. Or at least stop going to court as you scare nobody or hold any card in the game you are playing.

Deleted member 5849 said:

Well that's a declaration of war really, isn't it.

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That's it in a nutshell we need to go to war with wasps, the club's given the green light to fight these fuckers

Grendel said:

Yep looks that way to me.

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That would fit in perfectly with the Wasps master plan, surely ?

Grendel said:

Not really. Wasps fans think you are great and speak up for them.
They don't say that about me.

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Can I advise that you actually say something constructive, that might help your situation ? It's not too late !!

CCFC and Grendel, take it from me Northampton will not be repeated. The article who owned them at the time is long gone they have a new regime, also the Football League will not allow that or anything similar to happen to us again, they have assurances that we will be building our own stadium and will expect hard fast and workable proposals to that aim, we (sisu) have 2 years to identify land, get planning, submit those to the FL and build their ground, Good luck on that one

This all pisses me off immensely - all of them playing games with our club because they think their dick is bigger than the other guys.

Question though. If the swimming pool was not being built and the indoor pitch remained would we be able to share the site with Wasps turning the area in to a Centre of sporting excellence in Coventry, with no threat to Cat 2 status? If so who should we be directing our anger at?

shelby76 said:

That's it in a nutshell we need to go to war with wasps, the club's given the green light to fight these fuckers

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Not quite sure how in our position we can 'go to war'.

They're not going to pause or build elsewhere, so the Academy will collapse.

They own the ground and once the current agreement is up we're out on our ears.

I'm not for a second saying we should go with a begging bowl, but sure realise our situation rather than trying to give it the big I am?

It's difficult to fight a war with no armory.

rupert_bear said:

CCFC and Grendel, take it from me Northampton will not be repeated. The article who owned them at the time is long gone they have a new regime, also the Football League will not allow that or anything similar to happen to us again, they have assurances that we will be building our own stadium and will expect hard fast and workable proposals to that aim, we (sisu) have 2 years to identify land, get planning, submit those to the FL and build their ground, Good luck on that one

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Maybe not at Northampton again then but take your pick of any other midlands club really.

Pretty sure at the moment we will be forced out of the city within the next 2 years, football league will have no choice. They will either allow it or have to kick us out of the football league.

armybike said:

Not quite sure how in our position we can 'go to war'.

They're not going to pause or build elsewhere, so the Academy will collapse.

They own the ground and once the current agreement is up we're out on our ears.

I'm not for a second saying we should go with a begging bowl, but sure realise our situation rather than trying to give it the big I am?

It's difficult to fight a war with no armory.

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Their last throw of the dice is to get the masses onside with a emotional press release. It should happen, but it won't. Due to a combination of their past mistakes and the anyone but Sisu mentality from many of our fans.

covcity4life said:

wouldnt really be a nightmare would it? wasps owning us and ricoh would be good

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why would swapping one hedge fund for another be good? They're both currently playing
Russian roulette with the future of the club.

armybike said:

Not quite sure how in our position we can 'go to war'.

They're not going to pause or build elsewhere, so the Academy will collapse.

They own the ground and once the current agreement is up we're out on our ears.

I'm not for a second saying we should go with a begging bowl, but sure realise our situation rather than trying to give it the big I am?

It's difficult to fight a war with no armory.

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i agree with you mate but when your backs against the wall. And you have no were to run you fight take a beating sometimes but at least you took someone with you, what makes me more mad the moment wasp signed deal for richo the Higgs deal was on table piss take.

armybike said:

They're not going to pause or build elsewhere, so the Academy will collapse.

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It's not really that extreme a suggestion. If they had 17 possible sites for their facility is it really necessary to move to Higgs and force our academy out?

oldskyblue58 said:

Question though. If the swimming pool was not being built and the indoor pitch remained would we be able to share the site with Wasps turning the area in to a Centre of sporting excellence in Coventry, with no threat to Cat 2 status? If so who should we be directing our anger at?

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Haven't read it cover to cover but a quick flick through he requirements would suggest that if Wasps get the go ahead for their plans it won't be possible to maintain a Cat 2 academy at Higgs. Not unless there is a chunk of unused land owned by Higgs that can be developed but if that was the case wouldn't Wasps be using that in the first place?

hill83 said:

Their last throw of the dice is to get the masses onside with a emotional press release. It should happen, but it won't. Due to a combination of their past mistakes and the anyone but Sisu mentality from many of our fans.

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Don't think our fans have the fight for it anymore, people can't even be bothered to protest against SISU any more and they are universally hated. So getting people to fight where the fan base is split will be near impossible.

armybike said:

Not quite sure how in our position we can 'go to war'.

They're not going to pause or build elsewhere, so the Academy will collapse.

They own the ground and once the current agreement is up we're out on our ears.

I'm not for a second saying we should go with a begging bowl, but sure realise our situation rather than trying to give it the big I am?

It's difficult to fight a war with no armory.

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Exactly. It's a war the football club cannot win. They are completely lacking in any bargaining chips. The only way I see for progress is for them to formally cease their completely vexatious litigation and try to get a long term agreement with Wasps to use the Ricoh with some benefits from match day revenue. Wasps could still tell them to sod off, of course, but some goodwill just might get a solution that will avoid us having nowhere to play in 2 years.

CCFC said:

Maybe not at Northampton again then but take your pick of any other midlands club really.

Pretty sure at the moment we will be forced out of the city within the next 2 years, football league will have no choice. They will either allow it or have to kick us out of the football league.

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Look, cast your mind back. When we returned to the Ricoh, we that's our football club were asked for and gave assurances that we would be building a new facility and I am sure we were given a period of time to deliver, which is why we had 2+2 years, the FL will expect more than mere sound bites.