Coventry City .... fiasco

[bobo the clown]

I've only really viewed Coventry as a club who punched above its weight for twice as long as we did, one who redefined the concept of escaping relegation by the skin of its teeth for year after year after year.

Famed for its Chairman being Jimmy Hill, some pretty dodgy strips atop a generally rather pleasant sky-blue, their pitch having its grass cut in circular fashion and some dubious strokes being pulled (like kicking off a final game of the season, where they were yet again on the precipice of relegation, 20 min later than everyone else due to crowd safety' reasons and so knowing they only needed a draw in the final few minutes).

I always felt that if they lost their top league status they could plummet ... and they did ... really quite spectacularly.

However, I've sort of taken my eye of them in recent seasons ... noting they went into Division 3 and were struggling there, watching take-over after take-over. The Ray Ransome fronted sagas. Their really very impressive new Ricoh Arena is as fine a new stadium as any. I knew they'd had financial issues, but I was oblivious to their extremity and to the current position.

So, today, I was taken aback to read that they were in dispute with the owners of the Ricoh. That the ground had been re-mortgaged, that the club was in Administration and some dodgy splitting of the business meant the left hand, literally, didn't know what the right hand was doing and that they were looking to exit the Ricoh (which would then do what, I ask ?!?!?) and build a new one (another ?) this time outside Coventry as the Council won't give planning permission for another in the city boundary (I assume accompanied by "... there's a perfectly good one already" sort of remarks.

New owners are sought and it looks like a consortium of more or less the people who've just fckd it all up have won that chase.



In the 3 years that will take to build they are now planning to play 36 miles away at the 7,500 capacity Northampton Town ground ... presumably to gates of 5,000 or so normally.

Sheesh ... we should count ourselves blessed.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/c ... an-4865748" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2 ... oventry-fc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[a1]

meh, that ron atkinson like spending their money.

made allardyce look thrifty.

ricoh , who the feck can buy ricoh stuff over here ?

like a japanese baseball stadium being sponsored by greenhalghs.

[Raven]

I could go on and on about this, the council are a disgrace and seem to be embarrassed about having a football team associated with it and do all their utmost to ruin it, that say SISU the owners are not little angels and if anyone want to see how not to run a football club from top to bottom just look at Coventry

[Wandering Willy]

like a japanese baseball stadium being sponsored by greenhalghs.

[bobo the clown]

like a japanese baseball stadium being sponsored by greenhalghs.

Except all the attached products are available ...

http://www.ricoh.co.uk/products/index.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[officer_dibble]

like a japanese baseball stadium being sponsored by greenhalghs.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Jimmy Hill. That takes me back to the World Cup of 1966. He was manager of Coventry City at the time and was taken on board by the Beeb as a colour commentator. There was a quarter final (I think) match between the Russians and Hungarians (led by the brilliant but unpredictable Albert). These teams disliked each other and the match was full of the same sporting spirit that had characterized Brazil versus Uruguay (whose thugs did a number on Pele). Ultimately the Russians prevailed and the commentator turned to Jimmy to ask for an incisive analysis of the game - he said something along the lines pf "What is your view, Jimmy?". Hill, who appeared to have has a couple of drinks, responded: "They'll be spitting in the gutters of Budapest tonight!" Actually I think that summed it up rather well.

I remember it well as it took place on my 22nd birthday and I was surprised that Jimmy appeared to have drunk more than I did.

[mrkint]

Club has gone into liquidation

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Club has gone into liquidation

Wow. I thought they were buggering off to Zulu country to escape the millions in rent. Why didn't that plan work I wonder?

[Lord Kangana]

How many assets do they have to liquidate?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

The more I read about this the less I understand.
Coventry City FC has been liquidated, but it is just one of the companies that comprises the club and the team is expected to start in League One from its new home in Crawley but is expected to be deducted 15 points.

[Gravedigger]

Looks like a right clusterfuck!! Move 36 miles, with attendant extra costs for fans. Can't get the council investor bit to agree with the other bits, the council now have an empty stadium gracing the skyline, probably convert to it to luxury flats, a la Arsenal at Highbury. And all those unused utilities still have to be paid for. God only knows how they are going to pay the squad with about a dozen fans attending. I wonder. If the business is liquidated then Coventry FC as is should be as was and not be allowed to play next season in that division. Oh, well, the microwave has just bleeped so the popcorn must be ready.

[Il Pirate]

Absoloute disgrace allround. My uncle is a lifelong Cov fan and is (at the age of 80) distraught at the shenanagins occuring. I love the fact there is an organisation who state 'no more money to Cov' as they seek to play games at Northampton, and that only 200 season tickets have been sold. However, with hindsight, one has to say; but there for the grace of god..................................................

[bwfcdan94]

Absoloute disgrace allround. My uncle is a lifelong Cov fan and is (at the age of 80) distraught at the shenanagins occuring. I love the fact there is an organisation who state 'no more money to Cov' as they seek to play games at Northampton, and that only 200 season tickets have been sold. However, with hindsight, one has to say; but there for the grace of god..................................................

That is redicoulas no wonder only 200 season tickets have been sold and they are probably to the people of Northants.