latest statement from Mr Appleton (1 Viewer)

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
STATEMENT FROM PAUL APPLETON
I am somewhat puzzled by the stance taken by the Alan Higgs Centre Trust in relation to the Coventry City Academy.
For many years, the Trust were content to be paid by Coventry City FC Holdings and to deal with CCFC Holdings on that basis.
This was the situation that prevailed historically despite the fact the Trust were fully aware of the division within the club between Holdings and CCFC Limited which held the Licence for the premises.
Why they have elected not to continue on that basis following CCFC Limited entering administration and the Holdings offer of a compromise deal, is a question only the Trust can answer.
It certainly can’t be because they fear contravening compliance regulations of either the Football Association or the Football League. Both those bodies were completely aware of the situation within the Club and have raised no issue with it either before Limited’s administration or subsequently."

perhaps because the contract for the academy is with CCFCLtd the company you are administrator for ?:thinking about:

CCFCH has been making the rent payments on the stadium but the lease is in CCFC Ltd is that not the same situation for the academy?
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
Interesting. Sounds very swayed towards one side, but I'd like to think he only deals in facts. So it is what it is.
 

rustyredline

New Member
Appleton is now the next sisu mouthpiece in the war with ACL succeeding Fisher, Dulieu etc. Maybe ACL no longer want to do business with a company that aims to starve it of funds at the expense of the taxpayer. so why does the adminstrator become involved with holdings matters when ltd is in admin?
 

RoboCCFC90

Well-Known Member
Higgs Trust: The academy is a vital part of the infastructure at a Football Club, Why are you not operating it Mr Appleton?
Paul Applteon: Computer say's no!!
Higgs Trust: The academy is of real value to the Football Club and producing future talents!
Paul Appleton: Computer say's no!!
Higgs Trust: We have managed with the help of Bob to find out where the share is!!
Paul Appleton: Computer say's no!!


You get the jist of the type of conversation they're having..

COMPUTER SAY'S NO!!
 

psgm1

Banned
http://www.insolvency-practitioners.org.uk/

Just contacted these guys awaiting feedback as to whether this statement is in line with the code of practice. Surprised the SBT haven't done this as I thought they were all about ensuring everything was done in the best interest of the club.

I guess some people talk, whilst others simply get on with it and do!

Perhaps I should charge a pound - but then again I would be ashamed to take money and NOT do anything!
 

Sub

Well-Known Member
this is getting beyond a joke :slap:now this adminstartor needs to be kicked into touch and one be appointed that plays on an even playing field not one tilted well and truly to one side !!!!
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
http://www.insolvency-practitioners.org.uk/

Just contacted these guys awaiting feedback as to whether this statement is in line with the code of practice. Surprised the SBT haven't done this as I thought they were all about ensuring everything was done in the best interest of the club.

I guess some people talk, whilst others simply get on with it and do!

Perhaps I should charge a pound - but then again I would be ashamed to take money and NOT do anything!

Well done champ. That's all of our problems solved.
 

Sub

Well-Known Member
i wonder how many of SISU previous administrations he has been involved with is there any way of finding out ?:thinking about::thinking about:
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
Appleton is now the next sisu mouthpiece in the war with ACL succeeding Fisher, Dulieu etc. Maybe ACL no longer want to do business with a company that aims to starve it of funds at the expense of the taxpayer. so why does the adminstrator become involved with holdings matters when ltd is in admin?

What has that statement got to do with ACL?

He has clearly got involved precisely because he is running CCFC Ltd, and as we're told that Ltd IS the club, and a functioning football club needs a base for its youth teams, then his involvement is hardly surprising. The question is surely why wouldn't he get involved?
 

Sky Blue Kid

Well-Known Member
In six years, we've had nothing but lies and dishonesty from SISU. There's nothing in this statement to disprove what we already know.
It's a very thinly veiled (As ricohman) says, a SISU spokesman's statement. If this is an impartial review, then I fear for our Football Club.:blue:
 

rustyredline

New Member
What has that statement got to do with ACL?

He has clearly got involved precisely because he is running CCFC Ltd, and as we're told that Ltd IS the club, and a functioning football club needs a base for its youth teams, then his involvement is hardly surprising. The question is surely why wouldn't he get involved?

Higgs own half of ACL so there is more of a link between them than we are lead to believe of holdings and ltd. Also he is asking for them to do business with holdings not the company he has been assigned to
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
Exactly how I see it. There's no way that will be the general consensus on here though. Not a chance.

They're out in force already. Not even the slightest chance that people will consider that he may actually have a point and is trying to do what is in the best interests of the company he is currently running. No, in the world of the crazies, it is all part of the conspiracy.
 

psgm1

Banned
I've also discovered PIV's email address (not going to publish here as I'm sure he wouldn't want to be inundated with e-mails!) and asked if he has anything to tell us as cov fans, and his plans for the club (if any). Doubt I will receive any response, but it IS a valid e-mail address. Again I would have thought this would be the sort of pro-active actions I would have expected the fans' representatives to have carried out, instead of inane comments on CWR and the local media to garner publicity!

(Suppose they cannot afford to do so as they only have £2000 members at £1 each!)
 

Sub

Well-Known Member
They're out in force already. Not even the slightest chance that people will consider that he may actually have a point and is trying to do what is in the best interests of the company he is currently running. No, in the world of the crazies, it is all part of the conspiracy.


what would you expect with years of lies and bullshit form our owners? if they had been even a little bit honest with the fans perhaps they would of been cut some slack ;)
 

Delboycov

Active Member
Exactly how I see it. There's no way that will be the general consensus on here though. Not a chance.

You said yourself that his statement seemed very swayed to one side only a few minutes ago so you can't really criticise others that may think the same...
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
Higgs own half of ACL so there is more of a link between them than we are lead to believe of holdings and ltd. Also he is asking for them to do business with holdings not the company he has been assigned to

Of course he is asking them to do business with Holdings - that is his point, the arrangement has always worked like that. The company he is running has no money - zilch, it is essentially non-trading. Tell me, would you rather the conversation went like this:

PA: Can our academy please play at the Higgs Centre?
HT: Can you pay for it?
PA: No, I run a company with no income streams whatsoever.
HT: OK, bye then.

He is calling for Higgs to accept money direct from Holdings, because that is all he can do.
 
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hill83

Well-Known Member
what would you expect with years of lies and bullshit form our owners? if they had been even a little bit honest with the fans perhaps they would of been cut some slack ;)

I fully understand that, but some things need to be taken at face value. If have thought this could be one of those times, but it appears not. We've got people donning backpacks and heading for Scotland Yard already.
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
You said yourself that his statement seemed very swayed to one side only a few minutes ago so you can't really criticise others that may think the same...

I did, and it does. But I'm trying to take it at face value, rather than go off on one.

No conspiracy, just that occasionally, some of the administrators comments will be in favour of Sisu.
 

dongonzalos

Well-Known Member
I've also discovered PIV's email address (not going to publish here as I'm sure he wouldn't want to be inundated with e-mails!) and asked if he has anything to tell us as cov fans, and his plans for the club (if any). Doubt I will receive any response, but it IS a valid e-mail address. Again I would have thought this would be the sort of pro-active actions I would have expected the fans' representatives to have carried out, instead of inane comments on CWR and the local media to garner publicity!

(Suppose they cannot afford to do so as they only have £2000 members at £1 each!)

He already has, focus on the administrator without the club been up for sale or a release if the figures. Mr Haskell has his plans but that's all they are plans. He needs figures before he can say anymore.

The administrator is not releasing any.

Mr Haskell has contacted him three times so far to say he wants to buy the club and wants it done quickly.
 

Sub

Well-Known Member
I fully understand that, but some things need to be taken at face value. If have thought this could be one of those times, but it appears not. We've got people donning backpacks and heading for Scotland Yard already.

Thats fair enough but myself i am at the point that anything the club says has a twist to it ! if they told me the sky was blue i would check before beliving them !!
 

cloughie

Well-Known Member
They're out in force already. Not even the slightest chance that people will consider that he may actually have a point and is trying to do what is in the best interests of the company he is currently running. No, in the world of the crazies, it is all part of the conspiracy.

The best intrests of the club and the business he is running are that as the FA said that the licence is with the club (Ltd) as also is the membership of the Football League.

Therefore the Acadamy belongs to Ltd, (an asset)

Shouldn't be too difficult for even you to understand that, though obiviously to difficult for appleton
 
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Delboycov

Active Member
I did, and it does. But I'm trying to take it at face value, rather than go off on one.

No conspiracy, just that occasionally, some of the administrators comments will be in favour of Sisu.

Fair enough Hill but it's just so far all the statements I've read from him have sounded like he's talking on behalf of SISU rather than showing much impartiality.... which he has to at least be seen to be showing. It's just frustrating that we still are no nearer to knowing what the feck is going on!
 
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S

skyblue2k

Guest
The Alan Higgs Centre Trust have warned Coventry City that they could lose the facility next season and the Academy’s prized Category Two status.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the Trust have written to administrator Paul Appleton claiming that the Football League have confirmed that the club’s ‘golden share’ is held by CCFC Ltd, currently in administration, rather than CCFC Holdings.

They also claim that FA rules dictate that an academy can only be run by a member of the Football League holding a golden share.

The Sky Blues stopped using the centre earlier this month.


Peter Knatchbull-Hugessen, chairman of the Trust, said: “We at the Higgs Centre have an agreement with CCFC Ltd and when they were put into administration Mr Appleton wrote to us and said he didn’t need to use the centre because he didn’t have the Academy.

“So we asked questions. We asked where is the Academy and he said nothing about that really.

“So we asked the Football League and they said ask the Football Association.

“So we wrote to the FA and they said, quite unequivocally, that the licence is with the club that is in membership of the Football League. And as we know and was confirmed again on Wednesday when MP Bob Ainsworth met with the League, CCFC Ltd are the member of the Football League.

“Therefore the Academy is in Ltd, and as we have an agreement with Ltd my question is why is the administrator not prepared to operate the Academy which is his responsibility because that is where the licence sits.

“The Academy, as far as I am concerned, is vital for the value of Coventry City Football Club. You only have to look at what Dario Gradi has done at Crewe to see the value of an Academy, or the product of Manchester United’s Academy – Beckham, Scholes, Neville...

“An Academy is a vital part of a football club so why is he not operating it?

“Why is the administrator putting at risk something that is of real value? The Academy is a way of making the club more competitive against other clubs because you can develop your own talent and some of those you are going to move on.

"Gael Bigirimana is the most recent example of a really good sale, so why is that not part of his plan? He could have asked the FA just as easily where does the licence sit? A letter comes back and it tells you.”

Knatchbull-Hugessen insists that the Allard Way facility was specifically designed to house the football club’s Academy as well as being for community use.

And he has real concerns that the club are at risk of losing their Category Two status, which is just one step down from the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United, and includes Premier League funding to the tune of £480,000 a year.

He said: “Their grant of near half a million pounds a year for a Category Two academy is on the strength of that licence, and that licence, according to the FA, sits with the entity that is a member of the Football League.

"And the Football League are quite clear in writing and to Bob Ainsworth this week that it’s in CCFC Ltd that holds the League share.

“This is about the future of the Academy. We need to get the Academy back in otherwise they’re at the last chance saloon. In the agreements we have with CCFC Ltd the trustees could have, the moment they went into administration, cancelled the agreements and gone out and found new tenants.

“We haven’t done that because the reason it was built in that way was so that the Academy could be there.

"The charity didn’t spend that amount of money to build a community sports and leisure centre with facilities including a full-sized all weather pitch and indoor fourth generation facility that could be used by an Academy for any other reason.”

The various age groups are currently using Warwick University as an interim measure but as part of their category status the Academy has to provide various facilities including treatment rooms, homework areas as well as all weather facilities.

“If the centre isn’t used now they will get away with it because the weather is good and they don’t need to be inside,” said Knatchbull-Hugessen.

“We have written to the owner and everyone saying, come and use it and we haven’t had any substantive replies at the moment so we will, because we will have to, let out those facilities to other clubs, local clubs who will want assurances that they’ve got a whole season.


“They won’t want to take on something that might disappear from under them and might even want more than one season, which is quite reasonable, but once we’ve let the facilities out then that’s it, unless they pay the bills very fast, they’ll be in danger of losing a Category Two Academy because I can’t see any other venue locally that offers the required facilities.”

City’s administrator Paul Appleton issued a statement which read: “I am somewhat puzzled by the stance taken by the Alan Higgs Centre Trust in relation to the Coventry City Academy.

“For many years, the Trust were content to be paid by Coventry City FC Holdings and to deal with CCFC Holdings on that basis.

“This was the situation that prevailed historically despite the fact the Trust were fully aware of the division within the club between Holdings and CCFC Limited which held the Licence for the premises.

“Why they have elected not to continue on that basis following CCFC Limited entering administration and the Holdings offer of a compromise deal, is a question only the Trust can answer.

“It certainly can’t be because they fear contravening compliance regulations of either the Football Association or the Football League. Both those bodies were completely aware of the situation within the Club and have raised no issue with it either before Limited’s administration or subsequently.”

But Knatchbull-Hugessen responded: “The agreements were with Ltd and specified that all staff and insurances and everything else were in Ltd and the assumption of anyone dealing with the football club was that Holdings and Ltd were integrated and therefore if payments came from one side or the other it was as though it came from Coventry City Football Club.

“Now we are told they are two totally different entities, in which case they were in breach of the agreements all along.

"If he is now telling the Trust that they have been in breach all along it’s up to them to rectify that breach and come back as CCFC Ltd or there have to be completely new agreements which we have been trying to avoid.”
 

hill83

Well-Known Member
Fair enough Hill but it's just so far all the statements I've read from him have sounded like he's talking on behalf of SISU rather than showing much impartiality.... which he has to at least seem to be showing. It's just frustrating that we still are no nearer to knowing what the feck is going on!

I seriously hope that isn't the case. If it turns out he is purely a Sisu mouthpeice I'll hold my hands up. It would be a disaster for any potential takeover. And yes, it is ridiculously frustrating.
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
If the contract has always been with CCFC Ltd and paid by CCFCH why doesnt the administrator ask CCFC H to give him funds specifically and only earmarked so that CCFC Ltd can meet its contractual liabilities to pay for the academy at the AEH. That way CCFC Ltd retains the academy but the debt to CCFCH increases. Clearly he thinks he can get CCFCH to pay accumulated debt of CCFC to AEH so must have some influence or instruction. If the share is in CCFC Ltd then so too is the academy

who actually pays is a complete red herring...... it is who has the contract and therfore the legal liability that is the crux of it

What he appears to be saying though is that the contract between CCFCLtd and AEH is finished and he is accepting no further liability. Then saying a new contract is necessary between CCFCH and AEH to use the facilities. Except CCFCH can not enter in to a contract as academy provider as at the moment CCFCH can not prove ownership of club or academy
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
So basically: PA- Lies. PWKH - Truth.

Does that about sum it up?
 

Sky Blue Kid

Well-Known Member
I fully understand that, but some things need to be taken at face value. If have thought this could be one of those times, but it appears not. We've got people donning backpacks and heading for Scotland Yard already.





Six years we've had to take SISU at face value(Let's face it, we've had no other choice)
Look where that's got us!:facepalm:
 

lordsummerisle

Well-Known Member
They're out in force already. Not even the slightest chance that people will consider that he may actually have a point and is trying to do what is in the best interests of the company he is currently running. No, in the world of the crazies, it is all part of the conspiracy.

I suspect that Appleton is a Mormon.
 

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