Is it 'collective blame' or some other scapegoat? (7 Viewers)

LeamingtonBootBoy said:

So how come we then signed Cody McDonald a few days/weeks later????

Click to expand...

Because we sold Turner to bring in the funds needed to sign a striker. Turner left and Cody signed 4 days later on transfer deadline day.

So as we sign a player, the selling club has to receive the money within a given time - hours/days???

Thanks for clearing that up.

I thought payments were made in instalments.....but seems not.....

LeamingtonBootBoy said:

So as we sign a player, the selling club has to receive the money within a given time - hours/days???

Thanks for clearing that up.

I thought payments were made in instalments.....but seems not.....

Click to expand...

Yes they are made in instalments, one of which is upfront. Without wanting to repeat myself, would you buy a house without getting your mortgage approved first. We needed to sell first to guarantee our incoming instalments from the BT sale before committing ourselves to signing a player. What would have happened if we'd have signed ALF or Cody before selling BT, then say BT fails his medical and the sale falls through? Then we've already paid the upfront instalment and committed to paying further instalments without the guaranteed income to cover those payments.

We also had to get ROD and McPake off the wage bill in order to pay for Norwood. We have no money, why else do you think we're signed the fewest players in the league?!

Paxman II said:

You know beating Millwall and Bristol losing may may still give us a glimmer of hope but really what I wanted to ask was who is culpable here for this teams terrible season and is it a case that just about everyone is collectively responsible?

Fingers have been pointed at the manager/team/players etc and of Course the owners.

I think there is a case that all of them are to blame for their part in our clubs disgraceful down fall.
You could even make a case that previous owners are also partly to blame.

When the dust settles what do we really want here?

I think League 1 could be a blessing in disguise or at least an opportunity for our club to get back on track. That's how I see it - an opportunity.

I said way back the same thing and that's why I'm not as gutted as some will be come the end of next week when our fate is finalised.

The way football is don't expect a big exodus of our players. We will be strong both financially and player wise in League 1. It's an opportunity. Those who think we will keep sinking are not reading from the right hymn sheet. Take a look at league 1 and study the opposition. Still think we will struggle?

I just want it over and done and next season to come around as fast as possible.

But like I said...what do YOU really want?

Click to expand...

Of course, we are now all realising that it isn't entirely SISU's fault. That the damage was inflicted in CCFC long before SISU turned up, with insufficient funds and insufficient staying power to repair the damage.

We potentially will be much weaker and much worse off in League One. Our revenue will fall by £3-4 million and our attendance figures will also fall.

Even if Hoffman takes over, he will be forced to continue cost-cutting to find a sustainable level. Potentially also, Hoffman will be constrained by the new UEFA financial fair play rules and the financial rules already in use in League One.

It is entirely possible that any new owner will not be allowed to invest in the playing squad, until the club is turning a profit. Hence player sales to raise money and to reduce the wage bill.

Administration is also possible, even if SISU are the main creditor. Therefore, we might kick off in League One on minus 10 points. Relegation to League Two shouldn't be ruled out.

Too many fans believe that relegation will allow us to "regroup" somehow. In reality, relegation will bring a load of new problems. Even if we manage those problems off the pitch, we may struggle on the pitch against competitive teams in a competitive division.

There is sufficient evidence to support the theory that what we are watching is the continuation of our decline. And that decline may not stop until we find a sustainable level.

Luton Town found that out.

And liquidation remains a threat.

torchomatic said:

A lot o blame should be shouldered by previous regimes. If they hadn't spent money on players we didnt have then we would be in a much more healthy financial state

SISU, the players and AT have also played their part along with fans who don't bother to turn up anymore.

Click to expand...

Including the doomed 70s venture into MLS where a lot of our financial issues started....

Jimmy hill and the Washington Diplomats

Nostalgiadamus said:

Many, many thanks.

I suspected that it may have been him, because of the date, but (as I said) was, totally, unaware the "investment".

Do you have any more details about what happened and how much it cost CCFC?

Click to expand...

There were a number of ventures, which including finding the money to bid £1 million for Francis.

But the real damage was done when Cov started to try and compete when Sky money started to flood in. And when we sold HR, without having the right funds in place for a new stadium and to sustain the Premiership squad.

This club was relegated under the management of Robinson and Richardson.

We didn't own our own stadium, we had debts of £60 million and were running at a deficit.

All the Ranson/SISU takeover did was delay the day of reckoning.

If the club had had any sense, we would have started the cost-cutting immediately upon relegation, instead of continuing to spend even more money we didn't have.

Exactly, the whole Washington Diplomats thing. I remember the "Kill! Kill! Jimmy Hill!" chant which was popular at the time.

LeamingtonBootBoy said:

Including the doomed 70s venture into MLS where a lot of our financial issues started....

Click to expand...

torchomatic said:

A lot o blame should be shouldered by previous regimes. If they hadn't spent money on players we didnt have then we would be in a much more healthy financial state

SISU, the players and AT have also played their part along with fans who don't bother to turn up anymore.

Click to expand...

Precisely

This post should be bannered at the Ricoh and used to underpin any mission statement delivered by any new owner of CCFC.

Don't get me wrong. It was great watching Huckerby, McAllister, Chippo, Hadji, Keane, Dublin, etc. But it was paying their wages which messed this club up. A price we're still paying over a decade later.

TommyAtkins said:

Precisely

This post should be bannered at the Ricoh and used to underpin any mission statement delivered by any new owner of CCFC.

Click to expand...

Nostalgiadamus said:

Many thanks for that.

I've taken the liberty of highlighting one of your points in an attempt to gain clarification.

Can you please supply more details?

I think that many clubs used the Sky money unwisely.

A bit like someone turning up at someone's house and saying "as from tomorrow your income will be multiplied by the factor "x"".

For the wise this would be an opportunity to secure their future - for the unwise an opportunity to go on a "spending spree".

The examples are out there!

Why, for example, were players who were worth (say) £1,000 per week suddenly worth £10,000 per week?

Crazy!!

Click to expand...

As I recall, it was Jimmy Hill's connections with American "soccer" at that period that allowed Coventry City to make contact with Trevor Francis.

We were only of only 2 clubs prepared to bid £1 million for Trevor Francis, who would become the first player to move for a million.

About that time, there was a small surge in player transfers. Jim Blyth almost moved to Man Utd for £444,000 - which was an enormous sum then.

Francis decided against us as we all know but it was a major statement of intent

torchomatic said:

Exactly, the whole Washington Diplomats thing. I remember the "Kill! Kill! Jimmy Hill!" chant which was popular at the time.

Click to expand...

Ah the Jimmy Hill chairmanship.Selling players behind managers back( Thommo to WBA ) Letting near enough a whole squads contracts run out at the same time. Wasting over 1 million quid on Sky Blue Connexion. Great days!

Yes, the same Jimmy Hill. At that time he wasn't the most popular of people at HR, believe it or not.

Nostalgiadamus said:

Really?

The same Jimmy Hill that now has a statue outside of the Ricoh!

Sheesh!!

Click to expand...

Nostalgiadamus said:

I can, fully, understand why any supporter (at that time) would have taken a great pride in their club doing that - I, certainly, would have done so.

However, what interests me more is how much cash you allude to having being wasted by bad investments, including Washington Diplomats.

Can you, please, quantify?

Click to expand...

I didn't make that original point.

stupot07 said:

No - reading signed ALF on the 27th April, we could not sign anyone until we sold first, hence why we sold Turner and bought Cody on the same day (31st Aug). Had we had the money when we first made an enquiry at the beginning of August we'd have probably landed him.

Click to expand...

Yes I would have chosen Cov club in turmoil over stable promotion challenging Reading :facepalm: