Would ACL buy CCFC if we went into admin and no buyer came forward? (5 Viewers)

OyJimmy

Member
I think they would because they would want to protect their investment in the Ricoh. Without a club they would loose a significant amount of revenue.

Also ACL would be easier to privatise (for the council) if it owned the club.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Like your thinking Oyjimmy, have wondered on many scenarios whhere the stadium comes to the club ,the company structure of ACL is more complex than appears on the surface,don't know if i'm being naive ,but in 2006 the freehold on the arena was independently valued at a mere£600,000 with ACL holding the fifty year lease,my biggest dream for this football club is to gain control within the stadium ,but not for the current occupants :D
 

coundonskyblue

New Member
As the Council own 50 % of ACL I don't think it could happen. Is it not a bit of a gray area for a local authority to fund a private company?
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
Does ACL have lots of cash to put into CCFC? No, so even if something could happen it would be done on loans. Our loans now are interest free. Made by our owners. If done by someone else they would attract interest, meaning we would be worse off financialy.
 

Tonylinc

Well-Known Member
Let's just suppose that CCFC did go into admin. and were wound up. Would the Ricoh then become a white elephant? or could it be converted into another use for most of the year?
 

Gaz

Well-Known Member
Does Sisu have lots of cash to put in to ccfc ?
No,
 

OyJimmy

Member
ACL really would have no choice but to buy the club in such a scenario. And the administrator would have to let the brand go cheap because he wouldn't actually have anything else to sell.

Which is why those who argue we could go down and never come back are completely wrong. ACL/ Council/ Higgins would have to buy the club to stop the stadium becoming a big white elephant.
 

Tonylinc

Well-Known Member
ACL really would have no choice but to buy the club in such a scenario. And the administrator would have to let the brand go cheap because he wouldn't actually have anything else to sell.

Which is why those who argue we could go down and never come back are completely wrong. ACL/ Council/ Higgins would have to buy the club to stop the stadium becoming a big white elephant.
That is exactly my view also.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
That would be a fairytale ending for us. we would be owned by our ground owners.

Could it happen? The answer has to be no.

Have the ACL/Higins trust millions in the bank? How many banks would lend any money to them?
How many councils have a stake in their football teams?
Even if the council wanted to throw millions into our club could they? They have serious budget cuts to contend with. People are losing their jobs with the council as they can't afford everyones wages.
 

crowsnest

Well-Known Member
ACL would love it if we went bust as it would give them the freedom to book all sorts of events in the stadium without city getting in the way. Could take out the grass and use it as a multi purpose stadium.

There is no way any council could buy a football club.
 
J

Jack Griffin

Guest
Some posters need a reality check, the council and a charity (who own ACL) are not going to team up to run a football club. LOL++
 

TommyAtkins

New Member
ACL are highly unlikely to want to buy us.

The sad truth is that the City, the Council, ACL and the stadium can all survive without Coventry City Football Club.

We as fans may not wish to think this but the Ricoh doesn't need the football club.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
CCFC are the biggest income for the Ricoh. Money can, and is earned from concerts and similar. We are the Ricoh's bread and butter. The rest is extra income.

We will never be able to build another stadium even if we could afford to. We would never get planning permission from Cov council. Maybe they will never sell the stadium to us. Too much of a money earner. How good will our future be if we never have our own ground again? Who would want to take over a team that would never own their own ground?
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
Sorry Astute but CCFC is the biggest single income (which is discounted from market value) it is not even 50% of the total income.

ACL turnover is £6m+ we pay a rental of between 1 and 1.5m depending on what you believe. Admittedly the rents received from the various outlets there then bolster the turnover further, and losing CCFC would leave a big hole. But those outlets also cover other events at the Ricoh so they are not there just because of CCFC.

Everyone assumes losing CCFC would be the end of ACL and the Ricoh - not sure it would be the case. The hotel there doesnt rely on CCFC for business (infact CCFC hinders it) nor does the exhibition halls or the Casino all of whom pay for the benefit of being at the site

I think you are under estimating the income streams from other sources on the site. The rest isnt extra income as you put it. There is a well placed and thriving functions business at the Ricoh which provides more than a minor secondary income. That is why the Council wont be in a big rush to hand over ownership to CCFC

Ownership of the site is the ultimate target but CCFC wont fail because we dont - it will fail because the club fails to live within its means and to provide a successful on field product. There are cases of successful clubs that do not own their ground. Owning it works only if the costs of financing that ownership are affordable - unless we get a large stack of interest free money then that is at present a mute point.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread

Top