Damien Collins interview - sisu/acl crucial decision for football league (1 Viewer)

Is this the football league finally waking up?

Or am I just grasping at straws?

Edit: forgot who Damian Collins was. Is this Government finally waking up?

The only way this will get sorted politicians.
If they think there is an angle for them they will apply pressure in the FL and hey presto!!

who is he?

Who is Damian Collins? Google seems to show he is an MP for somewhere down Sarf?

shmmeee said:

Is this the football league finally waking up?

Or am I just grasping at straws?

Edit: forgot who Damian Collins was. Is this Government finally waking up?

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He was chair of Culture Media sport select committee a couple of years back ,introduced the paper on football governance.

Damian Collins MP also wants to clubs to be tied to their grounds to prevent another situation like Sky Blues move to Northampton

Damian Collins MP
The situation at Coventry City is the most severe example that current football governance is failing.

That is the view of a leading politician who will chair a debate on reforming football governance at Westminster Hall today as he aims to push through a bill to force changes to the way the game is run.

Damian Collins, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, will refer to the Sky Blues fiasco as he addresses politicians about changes he feels are needed around football ownership and finance.

He said: “The owners of Coventry City have run the club into the ground. It is an absolute disgrace what they have done there and it should not be allowed to happen again.”


He added: “We have to stop private individuals running clubs into the ground.

“Coventry City is probably the most stark example in the country of just how bad the situation is at the moment.”

Current regulations do not require Sisu’s investors to be named as owners of City due to the relatively small stake in the club owned by each individual. But Mr Collins said that would change if his bill is passed.

“At Coventry City we don’t even know who owns the club. Anyone who owns any stake in the club has to be published,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s right that fans don’t who the owners of their club are. There are many reasons why fans would want to know that.

“We want to know where they have come from and what their motivation is.”

Mr Collins has also called for clubs to be tied to their grounds to prevent another situation like the one which has seen the Sky Blues play its ‘home’ matches 35 miles from Coventry.

He said: “The reason Coventry have left is because of the financial situation the club has got itself into.

“It should be a matter for the FA to determine whether a club should be able to move away. A club and its ground should be locked together.

“It should not be allowed to happen where we have a situation like Coventry’s where the team plays miles away from their home city.”

The Tory MP’s bill will also call for an end to the football creditors rule which sees money owed to those in the football community paid first when clubs find themselves in distress.

The bill is backed by 11 MPs, including Coventry South MP Jim Cunningham, and could be passed in time for the 2015/16 season.

But Mr Collins said he hoped the football authorities would act before they were pushed: “Most of the things in the bill can be put into place by the football authorities themselves. But if the authorities won’t act, then the government will intervene.”

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-city-owners-must-unmasked-6844965

Thanks for the decode Dongonzalos

"But if the authorities won’t act, then the government will intervene"

Let down by the football league?

ohitsaidwalker king power said:

Thanks for the decode Dongonzalos

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That's an old article. Just give an insight into who he is. However he has been interested in our plight for about the last 3-4 years. He is a bit of a rising star and I assume he sees sorting out football as a bit of a nice angle to get him greater national prominence.

Don't really care if he uses and abuses us to get what he wants as long as it gets us home.

The FL do have the power to get us home it is just easier for them not to. The government do have the power to get the FL to wake up.

I'd imagine that the MP behind the football governance bill that would have abolished the 'football first' creditors rule (clubs & players get paid before other creditors) might have something to say about this

That's not the interview is it?

That's the old story, here's the new one:

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/sky-blues-situation-could-force-7445318

AFCCOVENTRY said:

@TheSimonGilbert: It's fair to say @football_league decision on ACL/Sisu could have national repercussions for governance of the game. More @covtelegraph soon

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Maybe the FL will press ACL and SISU to do a deal very quickly to avoid a national shit storm?

It's quite strong isn't It.

Very Interesting.

dongonzalos said:

Maybe the FL will press ACL and SISU may want to do a deal very quickly to avoid a national shit storm?

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i think the FL need to either call an emergency meeting on our situation or bring the other meeting forward. The 7th of August could be too late to get anything sorted out to start next season at home, you have to allow for the SISU factor in this. How long is 3weeks again?

It doesn't matter what he thinks though does it? Any changes will not bring retrospective action will they?

If he wants to highlight our case as a reason for change that's fine... but it does fuck all for us.

The FL have made their decision... it is for them to sort it out now.

Ian1779 said:

It doesn't matter what he thinks though does it? Any changes will not bring retrospective action will they?

If he wants to highlight our case as a reason for change that's fine... but it does fuck all for us.

The FL have made their decision... it is for them to sort it out now.

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If changes are made it could stop our prolonged pain.

Our pain is still ongoing you know?

For those on phones or in a rush..

The MP leading calls to force changes in football governance has warned the Football League that the situation at Coventry City could be a tipping point.
Damian Collins MP has campaigned to scrap the ‘football creditors rule’ – which allows other members of the football family to be paid ahead of any other creditors when a club becomes insolvent.
Mr Collins says the rule is unfair as it usually means local suppliers – and even taxpayers – are left short changed when a club suffers financial problems.
The Football League recently successfully defended the rule in court after a challenge from HM Revenue and Customs – and used its insolvency policy as an example of how other creditors are paid what they would have received through the administrator and Company Voluntary Agreements.
But, it is understood the situation at Coventry City is now being monitored by HMRC and Mr Collins says he believes the decision taken by the Football League, over an amount owed to the Ricoh Arena operators ACL by club owners Sisu, could see the rule scrapped.
The Football League initially ordered Sisu to pay ACL £590,000 by the end of May – the amount ACL would have received through the administration process.
But club bosses now dispute the amount and the Football League’s board are set todiscuss the matter on August 7.
Mr Collins said: “This could be a prime example of the failure of the football creditors rule and a prompt for action.
“I am monitoring the situation. It will be a concern if the stadium doesn’t get that money and the club walks away.
“I think the Football League has to order the club to pay the full amount. It is money the club fairly owes. They entered into the agreement and they should honour it.
“There is no justification for the football creditors rule. It is massively unfair on other creditors and the community and it encourages irresponsible financial behaviour.”
The MP has resubmitted a bill calling on the government to force governance changes in football over concerns about how the game is run and it is due to be discussed in Parliament later this year.
Mr Collins also believes governing bodies should apply tighter regulations around club ownership – and said Sisu should never have been allowed to take over Coventry City.
He said: “Coventry is the worst example in football at the moment of the problems clubs can get into with poor ownership and the need for the FA and the Football League to intervene.
“If governing bodies won’t act, they need to be forced to through legislation.
“This situation is appalling. It underlines that Sisu should never have been allowed to take over the club and run it the way they have done.
“They are an example of how a bad owner can destroy a football club and it should never be able to happen again.
“The situation at Coventry underlined the importance and the need for legislation. The problem hasn’t gone away and they need to act.”
A spokesman for HMRC said: “We don’t comment on individual cases. Our view remains that the Football Creditor Rule is unfair to all other unsecured creditors who are forced to make do with much smaller returns – if anything – on monies owed to them by Football Clubs which enter administration.”

skybluetony176 said:

If changes are made it could stop our prolonged pain.

Our pain is still ongoing you know?

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If changes happened tomorrow they won't be able to stop SISU being the owner will they?

The only thing we may find out is who is involved with SISU/Otium. It won't get rid of them

Ian1779 said:

If changes happened tomorrow they won't be able to stop SISU being the owner will they?

The only thing we may find out is who is involved with SISU/Otium. It won't get rid of them

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Thats the point Ian. Are SISU are owners? It wouldn't stop SISU being the middle men for our owners but we might just actually find out who they are and be able to take our gripes with the way our clubs being run to the top.

It may also determine what happens next instead of what wont happen next.

skybluetony176 said:

Thats the point Ian. Are SISU are owners? It wouldn't stop SISU being the middle men for our owners but we might just actually find out who they are and be able to take our gripes with the way our clubs being run to the top.

It may also determine what happens next instead of what wont happen next.

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I suppose the clarity of the ownership model would be beneficial. But he is making out that he is helping us, but actually his actions (if successful) would have very little impact on us.

It does put pressure on the FL as to how they deal with CCFC though. Are the FL really going to risk and expose the football creditors rule by not following their decisions through regarding CCFC? Would the FL rather risk being sued by SISU - you would have to think so. The pressure on the FL because of CCFC just went up a notch, even if it changes nothing in the past that has gone on for us.

One thought that comes to mind and might mean the FA being brought in to this dispute. Would such legislation be classed as government intervention in English football? If so would the FA face the same sanctions as other countries in the past (Nigeria recently?) and risk being suspended by FIFA. I am sure Blatter would have a sly smile at that right now.

His gripes with the ownership model are really a secondary issue.

What he's really saying is, if the Football League doesn't order the club's owners to pay ACL what it would have received through a CVA, it would open the door for a fresh challenge to the Football Creditors Rule - perhaps even a complete overhaul of football governance.

The football authorities won't want that.

In essence, he's saying this decision could become the football finance equivalent of the Bosman ruling.

This is significant pressure being put on the board of the Football League.


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SimonGilbert said:

His gripes with the ownership model are really a secondary issue.

What he's really saying is, if the Football League doesn't order the club's owners to pay ACL what it would have received through a CVA, it would open the door for a fresh challenge to the Football Creditors Rule - perhaps even a complete overhaul of football governance.

The football authorities won't want that.

In essence, he's saying this decision could become the football finance equivalent of the Bosman ruling.

This is significant pressure being put on the board of the Football League.


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exactly .....

SimonGilbert said:

His gripes with the ownership model are really a secondary issue.

What he's really saying is, if the Football League doesn't order the club's owners to pay ACL what it would have received through a CVA, it would open the door for a fresh challenge to the Football Creditors Rule - perhaps even a complete overhaul of football governance.

The football authorities won't want that.

In essence, he's saying this decision could become the football finance equivalent of the Bosman ruling.

This is significant pressure being put on the board of the Football League.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Wasn't there talk a few months ago about this situation having massive implications for the rest of football? (may have been from the Alan Higgs chap IIRC). This seems to be it...

Is the pressure sufficient enough to prod Ricoh talks before the new season now? Through what media channels can this pressure be increased @simongilbert?

I don't see this being resolved in a matter of days - this is something that could still take weeks to sort out. No matter what the pressure from any parties the FL are about as fast moving as brick carrying snails

SimonGilbert said:

His gripes with the ownership model are really a secondary issue.

What he's really saying is, if the Football League doesn't order the club's owners to pay ACL what it would have received through a CVA, it would open the door for a fresh challenge to the Football Creditors Rule - perhaps even a complete overhaul of football governance.

The football authorities won't want that.

In essence, he's saying this decision could become the football finance equivalent of the Bosman ruling.

This is significant pressure being put on the board of the Football League.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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How did this interview come about Simon?

Rob S said:

How did this interview come about Simon?

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I called him.

We've spoken before and I knew about his gripes with the football creditors rule.

With the FL seemingly about to make a decision based on their insolvency policy, it seemed like an ideal time to make contact to get his views on the situation.

HMRC were less forthcoming. Understandably.


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SimonGilbert said:

I called him.

We've spoken before and I knew about his gripes with the football creditors rule.

With the FL seemingly about to make a decision based on their insolvency policy, it seemed like an ideal time to make contact to get his views on the situation.

HMRC were less forthcoming. Understandably.


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i take back that time i called you an arsehole.

covcity4life said:

i take back that time i called you an arsehole.

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Ha! It's fine.

That's not the worse thing I've been called.

Someone on Twitter once said I was "posh"...