Coventry City FC (The Bantams, Sky Blues)

Hi all The CCFC statement opens with the statement that "Everybody knows . . . ". If there is one thing that I am sure about, it is the simple fact that everybody does not know the facts. With so many statements made over recent times that have not been accurate, or where there may have even been deliberate prevarication, I will wait to see what really happens. The real sad part of all of this is that the whole purpose of a game of football as a sport is supposed to be for enjoyment, but CCFC appear to have missed this, the fundamental reason for the existence of the club. It is usually an idea for any boardroom to at least have the principle of a cause as the focal point in any activity. The Saturday crowd, turning up in their tens of thousands sixty years ago, often did so in order to get away from the drudge & drama of business & work-a-day life. They did not expect it to be thrown in there faces on a Saturday afternoon. The first duty of an airline pilot is to fly his plane. The first duty of a football club boardroom is to play a game of football, not a game of 'Dallas'.

I'm going to Tesco at Ricoh tomorrow, and am willing to bet an obscene amount of money that the CCFC crest is STILL emblazoned on the side of the Ricoh stadium. This story is a classical 'Mexican stand-off' - both parties are waiting to see who blinks first. If CCFC ARE serious, the first thing they will do is remove the giant club badge to show they mean business.

Good day everyone, Well I have signed the petition, do you really think it is going to make any difference?

Sadly I doubt it. Companies in the line of business SISU are don't care what others think. The only thing that will make them change their mind is the one thing they want - money. Mind you that hasn't stopped them making some extremely bad decisions thus far, although they have mainly been following the programme they'd go with with a normal business, just that it won't work in this industry and is a false economy. I think they just thought it was easy money - treat the customers with complete disdain and yet they'll still come back because it's more than just a business to them. Yet somehow they've managed to make such a pigs ear of the PR they've managed to push even the most ardent of fans to breaking point. Frankly I'm sick of the entire thing and think both sides have shown a massive amount of unprofessional behaviour bordering on downright childishness at times, almost to the point where I want both to fail. Setting up a new club (Coventry AFC as it were) crossed my mind but there are many CCFC fans from the wider Warwickshire region rather than just Coventry and I think it'd be much fairer to see those people follow their local team, be it Bedworth, Nuneaton, Leamington, Rugby or Warwick. Those from Coventry I'd suggest changing allegiance to Coventry Sphinx. In fact that's my tagline "if you think it stinks, follow the Sphinx!"

Well AD they say 'money is the root of all evil' so you could be right. After reading your post I think the CCFC fans deserve a better deal than the pantomime they are witnessing now. It is dragging on, but there doesn't seem to be an easy solution.

Dreamtime, that is a common misquote. It is the LOVE of money. I absolutely agree that CCFC is now a complete basket case though. We have suffered from years of dreadful management of the club, dating back long before Sisu arrived. I just feel now that with every passing day, the club is being run further into the ground. Except we have no ground, of course! I have been a season ticket holder since we were promoted 46 years ago. I doubt it will be 47 somehow.

MisterD-Di, Please do not renew your season ticket while SISU are in charge. All they have done since they have been here is sell every player they could get money for. They have purchased no one and have relied on loan players and free transfers. They have not paid the rent on the stadium - which they are under contract to do. I have supported the City since 1946 but decided not to go again whilst SISU remained, it's a 350 mile round trip for me just to give them money, I even stopped going to my home games - Preston & Carlisle. It hurts not to go but fans need to stay away until they are history. Roll on Preston Haskell IV and let's start moving up the divisions again. Regards Artful alias Skybluefred.

"Highfield Road II" - report

Might be a blessing in disguise.

Afraid not Dreamtime. It would mean CCFC playing "home games" in Walsall for three years by which time there would be no supporters left. The whole idea is totally ridiculous and SISU know it.

Couldn't agree more. I really do worry where it will all end.

Tim Fisher's answers to Telegraph questions PS Did I hear last night on TV that they're planning to build a 15,000 seater stadium?

I didn't hear the exact numbers but I think it is supposed to be "expandable" in the future. I cannot believe they argue over the reduced rent package offered, then go and say they will buy some land "build their own". Apparently it will be with private money - although that begs the question "which offshore arm of SISU will it be borrowed from?" I don't reckon they will have a fan-base left if they move out of Coventry for three years.

I wonder if PHIV bought the share of the stadium and CCFC Ltd if he'd even need to acquire the bits SISU hold anyway, as apparently the FL can decide to reallocate the golden share if they so wish? If it can be shown this is a better base for a football club in Coventry and is supported by the fans can the FL just hand it over? SISU have hardly shown themselves to be fit and proper. Sure, they'd have no players but frankly most of them are rubbish and overpaid as it is and there are a lot of uncontracted players out there. Without a share in the league SISU would be stuck with a load of contracts on thousands a week without anything for them to do. Available on the cheap I reckon. And CCFC Ltd don't actually exist - it's Coventry City FOOTBALL Club Ltd, so the clue as to their business is in the name - you can't call your company something that is a misrepresentation (such as International if it's a local corner shop or something). So SISU's argument that the company exists solely for the ground lease doesn't really hold water.

AD, my thoughts exactly, the thing that worries me is that SISU might outbid PHIV if they are allowed to bid. Although they claim to have sunk £70m into the club - and I find that hard to believe - they would only be shifting money around their various companies.