What questions do we need to ask at tomorrows and mondays forums.im going on monday.I thought the questions tonight were good.are there any questions that need to be asked as a result of fishers answers tonight.?
My thoughts posted from the forum thread quinn:
I listened to it on the radio tonight, and I thought there were a couple of major errors by Fisher (and the other guy whose name escapes me) that weren't really followed up by anyone.
Firstly, when he was asking the academy kid who paid his wages last month, this is completely irrelevant to the point that was being made. The lad said that his payslip (as presumably was his P60) was from CCFC Ltd and not from Holdings. This means that his wages (and tax/Ni) are submitted to HMRC through Ltd. The question of who paid his wages matters not one iota, if Holdings paid his wages the cash would be trasnferred via an inter-company account on the balance sheet, but the wage cost itself is in Ltd. I could have paid his wages myself but the cost is still in Ltd (as we already know from the last submitted accounts).
Secondly, when the accountant was talking about where the GS is and the company name and reg no. he said that the name can change but the number can't (which is correct). The FL annual return submitted in June last year shows tha the GS is in company no. 03056875, which is Ltd. the reg no. of Holdings is 00094305.
Thirdly, when he said the accounts were a "mess" I didn't hear anyone ask him about the turnover of Ltd being £10.2m in 2011? As with the PAYE, any turnover included in the accounts must be submitted on the VAT returns for that company. I assume these were reconciled when the 2011 accounts were prepared (as is common practice) and agreed. So if this turnover was for Holdings, have all the VAT returns been submitted incorrectly?
I will be at Mondays forum and am hoping to get the chance to address these points to Mr Fisher.
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned on here already, but 5 mins before the forum went on air, Stuart Linnell told everyone over the mic that he'd signed the Keep City in Coventry petition and told Fisher we had better start the season at the Ricoh or else, which was met with a lot of applause and cheering. This was told to me by someone who was there tonight.
I have asked this a couple of times but all you get is negativity from certain posters who then have nothing to say I would ask why do SISU actually want to keep CCFC when nobody else wants them here what are their objectives giving us a better club is a non starter they have done nothing in the 5 years they have been here
I've got my own questions but if there a more important ones that need answering id rather ask one of them.
Think that people need a little perspective:
I think people underestimate the depth of the damage done to the club by previous regimes honest and professional running of the club. I am sure that due to the relative haste that the deal was done by SISU full due diligence may well have been foregone and over the past couple of years new horrors have reared their ugly heads (no not McGinnity). The task they have faced has been immense and they probably underestimated the mess the club was in and the amount of work needed to turn it around. Obviously the recession hasn't helped with the health of SISU themselves and the ability of the apathetic Coventry public to pay for a poor standard of football. They are definitely heading in the right direction, although not at the speed many would like, but as far as I remember the only promise Ranson has ever made was that they would leave the club in a better state than they found it. Not difficult since it was basically bankrupt and trading insolvently.
The clubs finances seem on a better footing with the long term debt allegedly under control but the operating deficit can only be addressed by increasing the revenue and as the club has pretty much made all the cost cuts possible it is up to the Coventry public to support the club and get behind the team. That does not mean supporting and worshipping Ranson etc but supporting the club many of them claim to support yet do sod all to actually do so - why should SISU stump up millions for new players etc if from a catchment area of approx 450,000 only 15,000 bother to show their support? Maybe they have worked out that the max support the club is likely to get on a regular basis, even if succesful, is around 23,000 and 8000 extra punters would not bring in enough revenue (£2 millionish) to cover the investment needed (£3 millionish) to get that success.
I've got my own questions but if there a more important ones that need answering id rather ask one of them.
Think that people need a little perspective:
I think people underestimate the depth of the damage done to the club by previous regimes honest and professional running of the club. I am sure that due to the relative haste that the deal was done by SISU full due diligence may well have been foregone and over the past couple of years new horrors have reared their ugly heads (no not McGinnity). The task they have faced has been immense and they probably underestimated the mess the club was in and the amount of work needed to turn it around. Obviously the recession hasn't helped with the health of SISU themselves and the ability of the apathetic Coventry public to pay for a poor standard of football. They are definitely heading in the right direction, although not at the speed many would like, but as far as I remember the only promise Ranson has ever made was that they would leave the club in a better state than they found it. Not difficult since it was basically bankrupt and trading insolvently.
The clubs finances seem on a better footing with the long term debt allegedly under control but the operating deficit can only be addressed by increasing the revenue and as the club has pretty much made all the cost cuts possible it is up to the Coventry public to support the club and get behind the team. That does not mean supporting and worshipping Ranson etc but supporting the club many of them claim to support yet do sod all to actually do so - why should SISU stump up millions for new players etc if from a catchment area of approx 450,000 only 15,000 bother to show their support? Maybe they have worked out that the max support the club is likely to get on a regular basis, even if succesful, is around 23,000 and 8000 extra punters would not bring in enough revenue (£2 millionish) to cover the investment needed (£3 millionish) to get that success.
Will someone please ask what is the plan regarding where we will play next season if still in administration in August if the FL won't sanction a ground share when a club is in admin. The only option would be to play at the Ricoh, so will they talk to ACL?
I think the biggest question here right now after last night, is WHY is the club not for sale?
Think we are all scratching our heads on that one. He seemed adamant. Adamant to not sell a business that has been failing for many many years and at best only has a 10 year plan to try and turn things round.
Just wonder why they suddenly seem to care so much about the club and why it has suddenly become so valuable to them.
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I think the biggest question here right now after last night, is WHY is the club not for sale?
Think we are all scratching our heads on that one. He seemed adamant. Adamant to not sell a business that has been failing for many many years and at best only has a 10 year plan to try and turn things round.
Just wonder why they suddenly seem to care so much about the club and why it has suddenly become so valuable to them.![]()
Suprised nobody has asked how a non trading company can have a turnover of 10.2 million already ? Good point jas.
He talked of an interim ground. A short term stop gap.
My guess would be a vacant ground such as Nene Park. I'm sure the FL would allow a stop gap interim solution until a ground share is agreed.
Nene park is 40 miles away so is to far for the FL has to be within 25 miles and in the midlands also I believe \Peterborough were looking at playing there
So being in the third tier is better then when they took over players worth then 500,000 combined.Any decent players sold for millions still an estimated 60 million in debt yep definitely the right direction oh and no ground to play in
Yes, the FL rules state this, but I am sure they would allow special discompensation as an emergency until the ground share has been agreed. It could be just 2 or 3 games.
The other alternative if we are still in admin is not being able to play any home games at all.
I am sure the league would allow it as a very temporary measure.
Jeez and there I was thinking the World had shifted Axis.Sorry,
Keep forgetting to put quotes round things.
That was from the Chairman of the Trust, whilst don't agree with the majority of it, there are some good points raised.
OSB do you want to go tonight? I will gladly give you my place as I know your questions would be a thousand times better than mineI was down to go last night but problems at the office meant I could not get there. Heard most of it in the car and at home. To be honest as most questions were fobbed off or skipped over then it was a wasted evening from what i could hear.
Further Questions that could be asked
1) the football League annual return filed June 2008 shows CCFC Ltd (including correct number) as the member of the Football League. This being months after SISU came in. The 2012 return clearly shows CCFC Ltd also. Why are those statutory declarations wrong?
2) The memorandum and articles 1996 for CCFC Ltd clearly states "To acquire from its parent, The Coventry City Foorball Club Limited as a going concern the business of the playing activities of that company and to carry on such business under the name of "COVENTRY CITY FOOTBALL CLUB" " In fact the original articles were changed so it stated that. Yet it is maintained the trade was never in CCFC Ltd
3) If CCFC Ltd never had any employees why did it have a PAYE scheme at all. HMRC would have closed it if it were inactive
4) What are the terms of the ARVO loan - these will have to be declared in the next accounts and are therefore not commercially confidential
5) has TF directly or indirectly (via a company he owns or a related third party) ever "invested" money in any of the SBS&L group companies and if so has it been repaid.
6) TF claims various agreements were agreed with ACL/Charity/Council/Yorkshire Bank, were these contracts or Heads of Terms/letters of intent and there fore not legally binding
7) If the basis of the accounts was wrong why has he provided onformation on the wrong basis to the administrator thereby delaying the process and putting the club at risk like he says delays will cause
8) If the basis of the accounts is wrong how can the figures relied upon by TF be right. It has to mean that the amount declared as owed to CCFCH is completely wrong.
9) Is the intention to retain the Ryton training ground, assuming it has not been sold
10) How much will it cost to provide new infra structure for the academy at a new site?
11) Have you retained the same auditors who apparently got the report on the accounts since 2008 wrong?
12) How does it take over a year to investigate your own books, an administrator 12 weeks and £160K and you still can not provide the correct figures? If CCFC Ltd is non trading then how can it have a turnover of 9m and losses of 3m as disclosed in the administrators report
13) if you are aware that the accounts are wrong is it acceptable to provide the administrator ( an officer of the court) with information you know to be wrong?
14) if the debt to CCFC H by CCFC Ltd includes historic debt pre SISU why is the full amount of those debts included when SISU settled those debts at a greatly discounted amount. Is this not SISU trying to profit from the club on amounts they have never paid
15) Why do SISU still want to fund CCFC
16) how can you have as yet a financial plan or vision when you dont own another site. Therefore you do not know what could be built there and how much could be raised as "equity" to fund the stadium build. If you do not know that how can you plan facilities, equipment, stadium size etc. You just do not know the numbers so you can not give the fans any assurance it will work at all.
17) Is it at all unusual for a group of companies to have a centralised accounting system ? Accounting principles rely on where the liability lays not who paid it. So is this not the situation at CCFC a single bank account for administrative ease that in itself does not prove the trade was in CCFC Ltd at all.
hope that might help
Yes, the FL rules state this, but I am sure they would allow special discompensation as an emergency until the ground share has been agreed. It could be just 2 or 3 games.
The other alternative if we are still in admin is not being able to play any home games at all.
I am sure the league would allow it as a very temporary measure.
He talked of an interim ground. A short term stop gap.
My guess would be a vacant ground such as Nene Park. I'm sure the FL would allow a stop gap interim solution until a ground share is agreed.
Well that's what he said. He said they were looking at an interim ground as well as a ground for ground sharing .This of course will be in tandem with a location for the new ground too.
Looks like he has 3 grounds on the go at the moment.
What a busy little bee.