Les Reid Twitter (2 Viewers)

duffer

Well-Known Member
But our club owners say they don't want it so the council have a responsibility to the citizens of coventry to consider the sale.

Personally I think it would be a bad move for wasps as coventry isn't a hot bed for football let alone rugby anymore unless birmingham & warwickshire union fans got behind it from the off. Although with all the conference, concerts and sublets it may be easier to subsidise a pro rugby club than football team.

If sisu had said it was a direct threat to our existence then think we would have a right to lobby - but they didn't. Why didn't they is the question?

Personally I think the council and Higgs have had a bellyful of the whole situation and need to concentrate on the massive budget cuts to local government and core charity work. If someone wants to pay the market rate for acl then the three hundred thousand non ccfc antendees rightly expect them to evaluate the proposal.

Politely again, this misses the point for me. Even if it was a brilliant move for everyone involved except the Wasps fans, it would still be wrong. Franchising teams away from their fanbase is simply wrong.

How did you feel when it happened to us, and how would you feel if it happened again?
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
The fact that it's ethically improper provides a sufficient right to challenge it. If you're against moving clubs away from their fanbase, then you should be against this.

Let's not pretend that Wasps fans are happy about it, because they aren't. They don't want to move further away from London, they want to move closer if anything. Basically, they feel exactly the same way that we did when we were moved to Northampton, and how Wimbledon did when they were franchised to Milton Keynes.

There's no justification for this - people who seem to think it's OK because there's the slight possiblity that it might lead to a change of owners, seem to be conveniently overlooking the fact that it's simply wrong.

I hate SISU with a passion - but what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong, and there's really no grey area on this one.

If SISU do hold on to the club after all of this, and decide to build a stadium the other side of Nuneaton, or by Hinckley, or Solihull, or Daventry or somewhere else that would be fairly unbearable for most Cov fans, what right do we have to complain if we've sat back and let this happen?


It may well be ethically improper for us. I would agree that it is from our perspective. But from the council's perspective?

If they believe this is a good deal for the people of Coventry and won't harm CCFC or CRFC then they are obviously going to vote for for it.

I am guessing they have got some assurances that this deal won't necessarliy harm the city's 2 sports clubs, though that's not to say of course that it may will. Might be what they have been lead to believe.

They have to do the right thing for the city of Coventry, as unfortunate as that may be in this circumstance. I don't think any of us as City fans want Wasps here, but as with the SBT, the council will be looking for the best deal for the city of Coventry. For them Wasps isn't a priority. That's the plain and simple truth.

Am guessing they have been lead to believe that this deal will be good for this city and won't harm the 2 local clubs involved.

I just can't envisage them knowing that both CCFC and CRFC will both be significantly worse off as a result of a deal and then them voting yes. Just cannot see it.

Be all hell to pay.
 
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skybluefred

New Member
However to build their own stadium requires a £30m capital investment which they haven't got the cash for, its 18 months on since CCFC moved on, they left the club shop, to have a barrow in Tesco to finally have the worst clubshop at Gallagher , then went to Northants only to come back again, they keep going to court and losing. Lets be honest SISU are fairly clueless and pathetic at running a football club.

I agree with your opinions of sisu and there inability to run a football club. However do not doubt the fact they have Billions of pounds of invested money
at there disposal.
 

samccov1987

Well-Known Member
The fact that it's ethically improper provides a sufficient right to challenge it. If you're against moving clubs away from their fanbase, then you should be against this.

Let's not pretend that Wasps fans are happy about it, because they aren't. They don't want to move further away from London, they want to move closer if anything. Basically, they feel exactly the same way that we did when we were moved to Northampton, and how Wimbledon did when they were franchised to Milton Keynes.

There's no justification for this - people who seem to think it's OK because there's the slight possiblity that it might lead to a change of owners, seem to be conveniently overlooking the fact that it's simply wrong.

I hate SISU with a passion - but what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong, and there's really no grey area on this one.

If SISU do hold on to the club after all of this, and decide to build a stadium the other side of Nuneaton, or by Hinckley, or Solihull, or Daventry or somewhere else that would be fairly unbearable for most Cov fans, what right do we have to complain if we've sat back and let this happen?

Politely again, this misses the point for me. Even if it was a brilliant move for everyone involved except the Wasps fans, it would still be wrong. Franchising teams away from their fanbase is simply wrong.

How did you feel when it happened to us, and how would you feel if it happened again?
It's a different situation to us and Wimbledon in my eyes. Not great for their current fans although the history of wasps has always been nomadic- they've played in many different boroughs of London and outside the capital for over ten years. They can't afford a stadium in London having tried for ten years and Wycombe had left them on the brink of going bust. The Ricoh is probably the only stadium in the country built and available plus with the othe revenue streams a good business proposition - which does make it even more negligent that sisu haven't bid for it.
Franchising is wrong although in the context of premiership rugby it's not new if you look at Irish playing in reading and Welsh at Oxford. The Welsh regions also uprooted and merged clubs to stay viable.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
The history of Wasps has *not* always been nomadic.

Ten years is nothing, and that's ten years of them being wrenched away from their roots. the campaign should be to get them *back*, not drag them further away!
 

skybluefred

New Member
The fact that it's ethically improper provides a sufficient right to challenge it. If you're against moving clubs away from their fanbase, then you should be against this.

Let's not pretend that Wasps fans are happy about it, because they aren't. They don't want to move further away from London, they want to move closer if anything. Basically, they feel exactly the same way that we did when we were moved to Northampton, and how Wimbledon did when they were franchised to Milton Keynes.

There's no justification for this - people who seem to think it's OK because there's the slight possiblity that it might lead to a change of owners, seem to be conveniently overlooking the fact that it's simply wrong.

I hate SISU with a passion - but what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong, and there's really no grey area on this one.

If SISU do hold on to the club after all of this, and decide to build a stadium the other side of Nuneaton, or by Hinckley, or Solihull, or Daventry or somewhere else that would be fairly unbearable for most Cov fans, what right do we have to complain if we've sat back and let this happen?

Unfortunately WE do not have a say in the matter.
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
Stop making excuses. It's wrong.

It's a different situation to us and Wimbledon in my eyes. Not great for their current fans although the history of wasps has always been nomadic- they've played in many different boroughs of London and outside the capital for over ten years. They can't afford a stadium in London having tried for ten years and Wycombe had left them on the brink of going bust. The Ricoh is probably the only stadium in the country built and available plus with the othe revenue streams a good business proposition - which does make it even more negligent that sisu haven't bid for it.
Franchising is wrong although in the context of premiership rugby it's not new if you look at Irish playing in reading and Welsh at Oxford. The Welsh regions also uprooted and merged clubs to stay viable.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
The Welsh regions also uprooted and merged clubs to stay viable.

This is also not true, in that the Welsh regions were created as a tier above the traditional clubs. Want to go watch Pontypool, Neath or Pontypridd compete in the Welsh leagues? You still can.

It would be like the Midlands, North East, London and South West all competing in Europe-wide competition, while the likes of Coventry and Wasps competed at national level.

Notwithstanding that, the resentment felt by some at this move to regionalisation is still felt today. Think that went down well with Welsh Rugby fans? Think again. It lost rivalries that had been fostered over generations, saw some alienated from their national sport, and saw condemnation of the national board for trying to increase competition in such a ham-fisted way.

In the interests of increasing the standing of the national team for sporting reasons it was grudgingly tolerated by many... but that's not the same as to say they were happy.

And they didn't lose their teams, either.

Celtic Warriors fell by the wayside, mind you...
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Stop making excuses. It's wrong.

It is wrong. No doubt about that.

Just can't see how it could feasibly be seen as being wrong for CCC though. They have to do the best deal they can for this city. That's business unfortunately and they simply will not have the same sense of moral code that nearly all of us on here have.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Stop making excuses. It's wrong.

It is wrong. No doubt about that.

Just can't see how it could feasibly be seen as being wrong for CCC though. They have to do the best deal they can for this city. That's business unfortunately and they simply will not have the same sense of moral code that nearly all of us on here have.

Think we can only show our moral outrage to them if this is indeed bad for CCFC and CRFC.
 

duffer

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately WE do not have a say in the matter.

I disagree. We vote for the Council, and without them voting it through it doesn't happen. So we certainly do have a say in the matter.

Whether they'll listen is a different thing, but if we sit still and say nothing we can hardly blame them for thinking we don't care.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
It is wrong. No doubt about that.

Just can't see how it could feasibly be seen as being wrong for CCC though. They have to do the best deal they can for this city. That's business unfortunately and they simply will not have the same sense of moral code that nearly all of us on here have.

Oi Otis, go and read my long tedious post, it was written especially for you ;)

What's best for the city is often social rather than financial. That's why councils run us rather than IBM and Volkswagen:whistle:
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
I disagree. We vote for the Council, and without them voting it through it doesn't happen. So we certainly do have a say in the matter.

Whether they'll listen is a different thing, but if we sit still and say nothing we can hardly blame them for thinking we don't care.

Well, as I have said before, we should all write to our local councillors.

I have written to my 3, 2 Labour and 1 Conservative. Had replies from the 2 Labour councilors. Nothing from the Tory one.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Oi Otis, go and read my long tedious post, it was written especially for you ;)

What's best for the city is often social rather than financial. That's why councils run us rather than IBM and Volkswagen:whistle:

Sorry, should have worded mine better. 'Seen in the eyes of CCC as being best for the city.'

They do quite often have a very blinkered approach to these things unfortunately.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
But you were making excuses for sisu and blaming the council when at sixfields. Double standards

Let's say for the sake of argument the council were 100% to blame for the club going to Northampton.

Moving to northampton was still wrong.


Let's say for the sake of argument SISU were 100% to blame for the club going to Northampton.

Moving to Northampton was still wrong.

Who's to blame and who's fault it is can be argued to death by a bunch of bored blokes (and blokettes) on the internet. Starting from the premise it shouldn't happen, however, doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
 

samccov1987

Well-Known Member
The fact that it's ethically improper provides a sufficient right to challenge it. If you're against moving clubs away from their fanbase, then you should be against this.

Let's not pretend that Wasps fans are happy about it, because they aren't. They don't want to move further away from London, they want to move closer if anything. Basically, they feel exactly the same way that we did when we were moved to Northampton, and how Wimbledon did when they were franchised to Milton Keynes.

There's no justification for this - people who seem to think it's OK because there's the slight possiblity that it might lead to a change of owners, seem to be conveniently overlooking the fact that it's simply wrong.

I hate SISU with a passion - but what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong, and there's really no grey area on this one.

If SISU do hold on to the club after all of this, and decide to build a stadium the other side of Nuneaton, or by Hinckley, or Solihull, or Daventry or somewhere else that would be fairly unbearable for most Cov fans, what right do we have to complain if we've sat back and let this happen?

This is also not true, in that the Welsh regions were created as a tier above the traditional clubs. Want to go watch Pontypool, Neath or Pontypridd compete in the Welsh leagues? You still can.

It would be like the Midlands, North East, London and Soputh West all competing in Europe-wide competition, while the likes of Coventry and Wasps competed at national level.

Notwithstanding that, the resentment felt by some at this move to regionalisation is still felt today. Think that went down well with Welsh Rugby fans? Think again. It lost rivalries that had been fostered over generations, saw some alienated from their national sport, and saw condemnation of the national board for trying to increase competition in such a ham-fisted way.

In the interests of increasing the standing of the national team for sporting reasons it was grudgingly tolerated by many... but that's not the same as to say they were happy.

And they didn't lose their teams, either.

I don't doubt coventry rugby will still survive either and may end up with a similar agreement to the one they have with Worcester. Premiership rugby in England has increasingly become closed shop despite relegation from the top flight.

Like I say totally understand wasp fans being upset but can't quite understand the moral outrage from city fans at the thought of another sports team moving to a stadium we apparently don't want. Therefore we should be lobbying our owners to bid not protesting about someone who does want it and that wants to move to our city which I see as a compliment.
 
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duffer

Well-Known Member
It is wrong. No doubt about that.

Just can't see how it could feasibly be seen as being wrong for CCC though. They have to do the best deal they can for this city. That's business unfortunately and they simply will not have the same sense of moral code that nearly all of us on here have.

Think we can only show our moral outrage to them if this is indeed bad for CCFC and CRFC.

Last post of the night, but again I'd disagree. The council have a duty to behave properly and fairly as well as doing the best deal possible for the city. As a citizen of Coventry, to me it is unacceptable to see the city associated with a franchise team - something that many members of the council went out of their way to criticise when it happened to us.

Additionally, is the Wasps deal really financially better for the city?

Wasps current level of support is around 7,000, with occasional European games bringing in around 20,000. Their fans are largely against the move in the same way that we were against going to Northampton, so cannot be expected to follow the club seventy miles north. Therefore the franchise will have to rely primarily on drumming up local support.

Coventry RFC typically get around 1,000 fans, which might give some indication of how popular the game is in the city. Of those who are interested in rugby but don't go to Coventry RFC, a fair proportion will already follow Leicester or Northampton, and many others will be antithetical to the idea of supporting a franchise side.

In essence then, this franchise doesn't seem likely to be able to attract the kind of numbers that CCFC (even in its current state) can attract. In the long term a franchise team playing rugby cannot possibly bring the kind of financial or reputational benefit that even a moderately successful football team offers to the city - this will be a less-popular team, playing a less-popular sport. I'd argue that financially this makes little sense, especially given that we have been told that ACL is currently a sustainable, profitable business.

(Those last few paras went in my letter to the council, fwiw).

If this deal actually drives CCFC out of the city permanently, then financially it's even worse in the long term, clearly...
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
I wasn't making excuses for SISU. I just continued watching my team and I'm not going to apologise for it. In fact, on many occasions I said that SISU were to blame, but I also blamed ACL and I still do.

But you were making excuses for sisu and blaming the council when at sixfields. Double standards
 

duffer

Well-Known Member
I don't doubt coventry rugby will still survive either and may end up with a similar agreement to the one they have with Worcester. Premiership rugby in England has increasingly become closed shop despite relegation from the top flight.

Like I say totally understand wasp fans being upset but can't quite understand the moral outrage from city fans at the thought of another sports team moving to a stadium we apparently don't want. Therefore we should be lobbying our owners to bid not protesting about someone who does want it and that wants to move to our city which I see as a compliment.

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure you've really thought through how that works for Coventry RFC. They don't seem to keen on it at the moment, and as a fan of CRFC I'd like to imagine that one day they could push for the top flight (hard as that is), rather than just be a feeder club to a franchise operation.

Regardless, what I'm hearing here to be honest, is that franchising doesn't bother you unless it happens to us?

I cannot in all honesty understand that - but I'd appreciate it a lot more if people were just straight and admitted that was there take on it.

The point remains - if as a result of all this SISU decide to build a stadium somewhere other than in Coventry, do you think we'll be justified in our complaints?
 

Rob S

Well-Known Member
The problem we've got at the moment is that there are a few people on SBT who seem to think that a Ricoh / ACL takeover will get the club into trouble and so Sisu will be forced to sell. (I won't even give the idea that the FL would take away the golden share any credence.) So after having had one disastrous round of administration, points deducted and decamping 36 miles away, some people seem to be planning – and others blindly supporting – a scheme whereby the club will leave Coventry yet again. This in the hope that we may get new owners. Does anyone not see a problem here?

You've got to worry about the suitability of people who want to wreck things so they can have a go at trying to put them back together again. Can't we just have a couple of years of trying to get the club back on an even footing, bring through the brilliant potential we have in the U21 & U18 squads and just have some sodding football rather than have to deal with yet another round of council execs, politicians, business chancers and so forth fighting over our club.

And FFS, if Ray Ranson is behind this we need to be very afraid.

(All this completely bypasses the excellent points made by duffer re: Wasps. People really need to get off their ACL/CCC/Sisu/Higgs podiums and worry about the actual clubs and fans involved. That we're finding people who may have disagreed about many things now in agreement should set the warning bells off in the heads of others who are still sticking to their favourite initialed entity.)
 

samccov1987

Well-Known Member
The fact that it's ethically improper provides a sufficient right to challenge it. If you're against moving clubs away from their fanbase, then you should be against this.

Let's not pretend that Wasps fans are happy about it, because they aren't. They don't want to move further away from London, they want to move closer if anything. Basically, they feel exactly the same way that we did when we were moved to Northampton, and how Wimbledon did when they were franchised to Milton Keynes.

There's no justification for this - people who seem to think it's OK because there's the slight possiblity that it might lead to a change of owners, seem to be conveniently overlooking the fact that it's simply wrong.

I hate SISU with a passion - but what's right is right and what's wrong is wrong, and there's really no grey area on this one.

If SISU do hold on to the club after all of this, and decide to build a stadium the other side of Nuneaton, or by Hinckley, or Solihull, or Daventry or somewhere else that would be fairly unbearable for most Cov fans, what right do we have to complain if we've sat back and let this happen?

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure you've really thought through how that works for Coventry RFC. They don't seem to keen on it at the moment, and as a fan of CRFC I'd like to imagine that one day they could push for the top flight (hard as that is), rather than just be a feeder club to a franchise operation.

Regardless, what I'm hearing here to be honest, is that franchising doesn't bother you unless it happens to us?

I cannot in all honesty understand that - but I'd appreciate it a lot more if people were just straight and admitted that was there take on it.

The point remains - if as a result of all this SISU decide to build a stadium somewhere other than in Coventry, do you think we'll be justified in our complaints?

I'd love for ccfc to own the ricoh or acl but our owners have stated they don't want it therefore what are ccc supposed to do? An offer like this may not come again - wasps are probably as big a sporting club as your likely to get wanting to move so the council have to consider it with head and heart.
The whole Ricoh situation has dragged on long enough, I'm sure with hindsight we all wished it had never been built and we'd stayed at highfield road. It a depressing example of professional sport in this country and the weak leadership of governing bodies.

If you were the council how long would you want the distraction of a sports stadium and its dodgy tenants? At some point they have to move on. I would have hoped us moving back would have enabled bridges to be built although I'm sure sisu knew wasps were in the offing when the came back. I don't agree with franchising but if ccfc keep stating their going to move then the council have no choice but to look for another team. What we need is for sisu to come out be honest and say we want the Ricoh and make a bid - but it's not going to happen.
 

letsallsingtogether

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately that is what this situation has caused a rift between the supporters.
I do not forgive sisu for anything they have done they are the main instigators of all of this.
However if it is shown that the council are now to blame for the currant situation I am happy to eat humble pie.
But at the end of the day I cannot and will not rest until we have got those vermin of owners out of our club. Once bitten twice shy they have to go before we are no more....
The problem we've got at the moment is that there are a few people on SBT who seem to think that a Ricoh / ACL takeover will get the club into trouble and so Sisu will be forced to sell. (I won't even give the idea that the FL would take away the golden share any credence.) So after having had one disastrous round of administration, points deducted and decamping 36 miles away, some people seem to be planning – and others blindly supporting – a scheme whereby the club will leave Coventry yet again. This in the hope that we may get new owners. Does anyone not see a problem here?

You've got to worry about the suitability of people who want to wreck things so they can have a go at trying to put them back together again. Can't we just have a couple of years of trying to get the club back on an even footing, bring through the brilliant potential we have in the U21 & U18 squads and just have some sodding football rather than have to deal with yet another round of council execs, politicians, business chancers and so forth fighting over our club.

And FFS, if Ray Ranson is behind this we need to be very afraid.

(All this completely bypasses the excellent points made by duffer re: Wasps. People really need to get off their ACL/CCC/Sisu/Higgs podiums and worry about the actual clubs and fans involved. That we're finding people who may have disagreed about many things now in agreement should set the warning bells off in the heads of others who are still sticking to their favourite initialed entity.)
 

Rusty Trombone

Well-Known Member
So after having had one disastrous round of administration, points deducted and decamping 36 miles away, some people seem to be planning – and others blindly supporting – a scheme whereby the club will leave Coventry yet again.

You're talking about Joy's plan I presume.
 

James Smith

Well-Known Member
It's a different situation to us and Wimbledon in my eyes. Not great for their current fans although the history of wasps has always been nomadic- they've played in many different boroughs of London and outside the capital for over ten years. They can't afford a stadium in London having tried for ten years and Wycombe had left them on the brink of going bust. The Ricoh is probably the only stadium in the country built and available plus with the othe revenue streams a good business proposition - which does make it even more negligent that sisu haven't bid for it.
Franchising is wrong although in the context of premiership rugby it's not new if you look at Irish playing in reading and Welsh at Oxford. The Welsh regions also uprooted and merged clubs to stay viable.

Sports clubs should not be franchised and not taken away from their supporters. We didn't like being taken to Northampton did we.
 

letsallsingtogether

Well-Known Member
I'd love for ccfc to own the ricoh or acl but our owners have stated they don't want it therefore what are ccc supposed to do? An offer like this may not come again - wasps are probably as big a sporting club as your likely to get wanting to move so the council have to consider it with head and heart.
The whole Ricoh situation has dragged on long enough, I'm sure with hindsight we all wished it had never been built and we'd stayed at highfield road. It a depressing example of professional sport in this country and the weak leadership of governing bodies.

If you were the council how long would you want the distraction of a sports stadium and its dodgy tenants? At some point they have to move on. I would have hoped us moving back would have enabled bridges to be built although I'm sure sisu knew wasps were in the offing when the came back. I don't agree with franchising but if ccfc keep stating their going to move then the council have no choice but to look for another team. What we need is for sisu to come out be honest and say we want the Ricoh and make a bid - but it's not going to happen.

Exactly we/I have been told on many occasions that they have moved on...
Only last week I was in a Coventry hotel at a meeting with a member of the ccfc board and was told that they are still looking for land for their stadium, this did bring some laughs from me and the other attendees. They still do not have any sites.?

When asked why they hadn't made an offer for the Ricoh we got the same response we have always got they won't speak to us!!!!

Just another excuse they are just waiting for the wasps deal to fall through due to lack of investment....... Watch this space more to come in the next 48 hours or so......
 
J

Jack Griffin

Guest
The problem we've got at the moment is that there are a few people on SBT who seem to think that a Ricoh / ACL takeover will get the club into trouble and so Sisu will be forced to sell. (I won't even give the idea that the FL would take away the golden share any credence.) So after having had one disastrous round of administration, points deducted and decamping 36 miles away, some people seem to be planning – and others blindly supporting – a scheme whereby the club will leave Coventry yet again. This in the hope that we may get new owners. Does anyone not see a problem here?

You've got to worry about the suitability of people who want to wreck things so they can have a go at trying to put them back together again. Can't we just have a couple of years of trying to get the club back on an even footing, bring through the brilliant potential we have in the U21 & U18 squads and just have some sodding football rather than have to deal with yet another round of council execs, politicians, business chancers and so forth fighting over our club.

And FFS, if Ray Ranson is behind this we need to be very afraid.

(All this completely bypasses the excellent points made by duffer re: Wasps. People really need to get off their ACL/CCC/Sisu/Higgs podiums and worry about the actual clubs and fans involved. That we're finding people who may have disagreed about many things now in agreement should set the warning bells off in the heads of others who are still sticking to their favourite initialed entity.)

1) Why the hell do you think Ranson would be any worse than SISU?
2) What the devil makes you think it is preferable for SISU to hold on to the club when they have done it so much damage.
3) Is your agenda now to try & undermine the SBT? Funny that is what SISU tried a few months back, I'm not enamoured with them myself, but that was mainly because they would not stand up to SISU.

and finally.. as Ms Seppala has been quoted as saying “Her answer is clear in saying that a new stadium makes more sense.” what exactly has this protest got to do with CCFC, SISU are building a stadium, shouldn't you be concerned where & when, or is that something you take on trust because 'Joy is a nice lady'?
 
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