[Other Sport] Coventry City forced to play 19/20 home games in Birmingham

Lower West Stander · Jun 7, 2019

Sorrel said:
Sisu - the owners of CCFC - are shits. They are a hedge fund who don't appear to understand anything about how to run a profitable business - instead they they treat everyone like crap and sue people rather than talk to them. Everyone hates them.

They could have stayed at the stadium if they stopped suing the Wasps and the Council, but they refused. They will lose every legal action they run but they are hoping to wear all the other parties down with costs and being bloodyminded and objectionable. The best outcome would be if Wasps could start their own Coventry football club and get the fans to support that one instead, but a lot of Coventry fans (understandably) want to stay with City even though there is no end in sight.

Nothing will improve until the club is run into the ground or whoever is making decisions at Sisu is removed.

I deal with hedge funds quite a lot with my job and I’m still struggling to see what Sisu are doing here.

They are a really aggressive bunch and by no means stupid. They must have a motive but I just don’t know what it is. The only assets they’ve got are the players. I haven’t seen the accounts but are they taking money out?

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Sorrel · Jun 7, 2019

Lower West Stander said:
I deal with hedge funds quite a lot with my job and I’m still struggling to see what Sisu are doing here.

They are a really aggressive bunch and by no means stupid. They must have a motive but I just don’t know what it is. The only assets they’ve got are the players. I haven’t seen the accounts but are they taking money out?

No - I don't understand their motives either. They seem to think negotiating involves refusing to compromise and then walking out. Maybe it works as a tactic in some other sphere of business but in Coventry I know it's put a lot of people's backs up. The council gave up trying to help them get the ground and sold it to Wasps directly because of Sisu's intransigence and unpleasantness. Sisu are then suing that decision, therefore confirming everyone's instincts to not sell to them.

I can only guess from the financial point of view that there is some tax dodge going on; there's lots of offshore companies in other jurisdictions. Maybe they are running the club so badly to deflect interest from what else they are doing.

I'm a fairly Conservative kind of person, but this lot do bring out the aggressive socialist in me.

Horses Arse · Jun 7, 2019

Easy 10 said:
Coventry were relegated from the Premier League in 2001. They started playing at the Ricoh in 2005 as a Championship club.

Thought the contracts were signed whilst they were still in PL re ground sale and lease arrangements. From an internet search it seems the ground was 4 years in delay as a result of contaminated land issues; it was meant to be ready in 2001, so the expensive rent based on prem league football still stacks up. Mind you it was a long time ago and my brain is pretty old....

Iggle Piggle · Jun 7, 2019

I live near the Ricoh and have been to watch both Wasps and Coventry.

Wasps have been superb in the area. Players are out and about doing charity work, supporting local Rugby clubs and have captured the rugby void in a rugby area. Like it or not, it's 'thier' stadium now and despite being shit for much of this year they have had multiple sell outs. They are here to stay. Coventry by contrast is a soulless experience with half the catering closed, half the stadium empty and the fans largely apathetic rather than angry about the situation. I've no idea what they will do long term but they are as far off the Premier league as we were at Gillingham. Genuine sympathy and no solution on the table with owners as bad as Archer.

The best bit is the Ricoh Arena train station that does not run on match days. Genius.

Sirnormangall · Jun 7, 2019

Tubby Mondays said:
"The EFL remains firmly of the view that its member clubs should play in the towns and cities from which they take their name'.

Bolton don't play in Bolton though.

That may well be the EFL view but they seem to do xxck all about it. “Nothing to see here” cue fingers in ears, la la la.

GT49er · Jun 7, 2019

Iggle Piggle said:
The best bit is the Ricoh Arena train station that does not run on match days. Genius.

I suppose there is some kind of justice that the station is open for the rugby matches either (or for concerts). Seems the villains in this case is more the TOC - claiming they don't have the trains, and that to provide trains foe everyone that wants to use them wouldn't be cost-effective, Seems to go against the whole idea of running trains to me .................................

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Arena_railway_station

Perhaps we should be (very slightly) less damning of Southern Rail!

strings · Jun 7, 2019

From memory, weren't Coventry City effectively forced out of Highfield Road by the council. It was almost a case of (to paraphrase and probably oversimplify things) 'we don't think your stadium is worth a safety certificate any more, but you can play at this new stadium we're building'.

As has been said elsewhere, most of the sums were based on Premier League income. Hence everyone lost money on the stadium (Coventry couldn't afford the rent, the income of the stadium wasn't covering the Council's running costs, etc). Wasps buying the stadium and allowing Coventry City to ground share was the best solution for everyone at the time.

Wasps seemed happy with this arrangement until the football club's owners became impossible for them to deal with.

I'm sure this post is not entirely accurate... Trying to remember what I read several years ago.

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Juan Albion · Jun 7, 2019

I'm sure I read that Wasps were very happy for CCFC to use the Ricoh next season, their only stipulation was that Sisu had to stop suing them first. Seems reasonable.

withdeanwombat · Jun 7, 2019

I was a frequent visitor at Highfield Road when I was at college in Coventry. My best memory was Feb 19th 1972. Albion were going for promotion, but we’re 0-0 at halftime at Shrewsbury. Cue ribbing from mates. As the full times were announced it came over “ Shrewsbury Town 3”...gales of laughter from “friends”......” Brighton and Hove Albion........5”.

Excellent!

I’ve seen the Albion at the Ricoh which I think is a bit of a dull stadium, perfectly suited for its current use. Highfield Road was a proper football ground, and it’s sad that it has gone. So good luck to CCFC.Hope things turn a corner for them soon, though they
would certainly be better off with new ownership.

Bolton va va · Jun 7, 2019

Tubby Mondays said:
"The EFL remains firmly of the view that its member clubs should play in the towns and cities from which they take their name'.

Bolton don't play in Bolton though.

Horwich is in the metropolitan borough of Bolton.

Mr Putdown · Jun 7, 2019

Two Professors said:
Easy trip for Cov fans straight along the A45.Regular stopping service on the train to Adderley Park and New Street.Superior facilities and pitch,welcome to Brum.

I cant believe your complete and utter lack of empathy for fans of another team, who through no fault of their own, have lost the ground they owned through the actions of dubious ownership, and are now facing this sort of shit. Do you know the history of the club you support?

When the Goldstone was ripped from under the fans, would you have posted this?

‘Easy trip for Brighton fans straight along the A23. Regular stopping service on the trains to East Croydon and Norwood Junction. Superior facilities and pitch, welcome to SE25.’

Really?

Gritt23 · Jun 10, 2019

Easy 10 said:
The only time I went to Highfield Road was for a dreadful 0-0, we had BZ playing up front.

I can't remember the year, but it was a cold day. I went with [MENTION=272]Gritt23[/MENTION], we were in hospitality and got very, very drunk. You see at the top left of that aerial pic in the corner there's a little roof at the angle between the two stands - those were the executive boxes, we were in one of those, 2 or 3 stories up. Tremendous day.

Ah yes, what a marvellous, hopelessly drunken day. It was a guy i worked with who ran the "Midlands" business, who had the box. It was always a bit of a joke that I would get an invite if Brighton ever got to play Coventry in the League. We had the looks of perennial 4th Div fodder at the time, while Cov were top flight furniture. I'm sure he made the offer never truly believing he'd have to come good on it. But credit to Ben, when we made it up teh divisions and Cov began their slip, it was on the fixture list and he was good to his word.

Not exactly Arsenal was it, but a great day.

Two Professors · Jun 10, 2019

Mr Putdown said:
I cant believe your complete and utter lack of empathy for fans of another team, who through no fault of their own, have lost the ground they owned through the actions of dubious ownership, and are now facing this sort of shit. Do you know the history of the club you support?

When the Goldstone was ripped from under the fans, would you have posted this?

‘Easy trip for Brighton fans straight along the A23. Regular stopping service on the trains to East Croydon and Norwood Junction. Superior facilities and pitch, welcome to SE25.’

Really?

Did you ever go to Highfield Road?If not,just shut up.A lot of Cov fans live along the A45 into Brum anyway,in places like Arley and Meriden,but you wouldn't know,not being local,so don't try to be clever,something you very obviously ain't!

John Byrnes Mullet · Jun 10, 2019

Very sad indeed. We are still at least 2 months away from the season and a deal cannot be agreed.
I always remember that Coventry owners wanted to buy The Ricoh but it was never offered to them.
Seems like too much internal politics between the Council and Coventry owners.
The Council are obviously idiots in not realising how important the Football club is to Coventry City people.

Mr Putdown · Jun 10, 2019

Two Professors said:
Did you ever go to Highfield Road?If not,just shut up.A lot of Cov fans live along the A45 into Brum anyway,in places like Arley and Meriden,but you wouldn't know,not being local,so don't try to be clever,something you very obviously ain't!

Yes I’ve been to Highfield Road on a number of occasions, so I don’t “need to shut up” as you so eloquently put it. Quite what that has to do with your complete disregard for their fans who, like Brighton, lost their ground, I have absolutely no idea. At a guess the date of 8th February 1997 means absolutely nothing to you.

You don’t have to be ‘local’ to be clever, as your post clearly so clearly demonstrates.

wellquickwoody · Jun 10, 2019

Megazone said:
Brighton don't play in Brighton

So in which borough do we now play?

Deportivo Seagull · Jun 10, 2019

Two Professors said:
Did you ever go to Highfield Road?If not,just shut up.A lot of Cov fans live along the A45 into Brum anyway,in places like Arley and Meriden,but you wouldn't know,not being local,so don't try to be clever,something you very obviously ain't!

Lived in Cov for three years. A lot of the lads on the degree worked for courtalds (sp) and most went to games. They were all city boys living in tile hill, Redford, stoke etc.

Meriden is hard is hardly a metropolis (large village) so not sure what your getting at other than trying to be clever ......

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Curious Orange · Jun 10, 2019

John Byrnes Mullet said:
Very sad indeed. We are still at least 2 months away from the season and a deal cannot be agreed.
I always remember that Coventry owners wanted to buy The Ricoh but it was never offered to them.
Seems like too much internal politics between the Council and Coventry owners.
The Council are obviously idiots in not realising how important the Football club is to Coventry City people.

You might want to read this:

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ntry-slide-oblivion-litigious-hedge-fund-sisu

Iggle Piggle · Jun 10, 2019

Deportivo Seagull said:
Lived in Cov for three years. A lot of the lads on the degree worked for courtalds (sp) and most went to games. They were all city boys living in tile hill, Redford, stoke etc.

Meriden is hard is hardly a metropolis (large village) so not sure what your getting at other than trying to be clever ......

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Meriden is tiny but appears on the local news loads up here. It is the centre of England (I miss the sea), had a long running battle with a Gypsy camp https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-22256655 and has a very nice chippy.

Back on point, I haven't met a single Cov fan this weekend that is remotely satisfied with the news proximity or not.

Madafwo · Jun 10, 2019

GT49er said:
I suppose there is some kind of justice that the station is open for the rugby matches either (or for concerts). Seems the villains in this case is more the TOC - claiming they don't have the trains, and that to provide trains foe everyone that wants to use them wouldn't be cost-effective, Seems to go against the whole idea of running trains to me .................................

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Arena_railway_station

Perhaps we should be (very slightly) less damning of Southern Rail!

At the time Southern and London Midland were both operated by Go-Ahead.

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[Other Sport] Coventry City forced to play 19/20 home games in Birmingham

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