Not a happy place like the Ricoh!

[Tigerbeat]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/hurry-up ... into-wasps

[Dangerous4]

Well, Wasps are not exactly flavour of the year among Coventry City fans. Who can blame them after this sordid affair?

[TomWeston]

Well, Wasps are not exactly flavour of the year among Coventry City fans. Who can blame them after this sordid affair?

I’m no great fan of the Insects and am completely ignorant of any possible underhand dealing in their negotiations with Coventry City, but get onside with them when City are reported to have complained to the European Union.

What the hell does the EU have to do with a contractual dispute about ground sharing terms between two sports clubs?

[sam16111986]

Well, Wasps are not exactly flavour of the year among Coventry City fans. Who can blame them after this sordid affair?

I’m no great fan of the Insects and am completely ignorant of any possible underhand dealing in their negotiations with Coventry City, but get onside with them when City are reported to have complained to the European Union.

What the hell does the EU have to do with a contractual dispute about ground sharing terms between two sports clubs?

The EU bit is all to do with the original sale of the stadium.

See here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48281254

All sounds a bit desperate by the football club.

[TomWeston]

Thanks for that, Sam, but I still find it hard to accept that Coventry City Council’s decision could be considered ‘state aid’, particularly when our steel industry is collapsing because our state isn’t allowed to offer it aid, despite state aid being permissible in France and Germany having had its part in founding the EU itself.

[1989Tiger]

I have no sympathy for Wasps. They’re the guilty party for moving cities. The rest is irrelevant for me. To treat their loyal fans like they have in moving to Coventry is disgraceful. It all came from Wasps overspending in previous years. If they'd have run the business properly and spent money that they actually had, they wouldn’t have needed to treat their loyal fans so badly and move to a completely different city 80 miles away.

It also leaves a bad taste that a club who for so many years relied on other clubs to share grounds with, couldn’t come to an agreement with a club to use their ground now they have their own.

I don’t support Coventry City by the way.

[TomWeston]

......

The EU bit is all to do with the original sale of the stadium.

See here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48281254

All sounds a bit desperate by the football club.

Bit much to suggest the Ricoh was undervalued on the sale to the Insects. Iirc their accounts showed a diminution in value from cost, but I haven’t looked it up recently.

[sam16111986]

Thanks for that, Sam, but I still find it hard to accept that Coventry City Council’s decision could be considered ‘state aid’, particularly when our steel industry is collapsing because our state isn’t allowed to offer it aid, despite state aid being permissible in France and Germany having had its part in founding the EU itself.

I suspect the state aid thing is wheeled out by our government when it suits them and that should they actually want to they'd could write a cheque to save the steel industry tomorrow.

Coventry City are grasping at straws. They built a stadium they couldn't afford and have spent more than a decade fighting about that fact.

[wellstiger]

Wasps name change for 2019/20 season "The Cuckoos"........

Gord strewth Mr Hill (Jimmy not Vince) will be turning in his grave.

[BFG]

As a teenager I went to trials for the old YTS for CCFC and have a friend who's Coventry born and bred son is currently on the books and now has to play for his hometown club in another City.
It's all about the money with speculative owners and all very sad for the community and supporters.
Coventry already had several rugby clubs and although CCFC's owners may not be liked I still find it bizarre that the council saw fit to sell to a club from London and who are still bringing southern players through.
Two wrongs don't make a right!

[CitizenSmiff]

What a complete disaster, which could have been avoided if somebody competent had seized the reins at any point. It'll cost Wasps a chunk of their new 'home' fans and an awful lot of good will.

[mol2]

Or is it a case lower division football club can't afford to rent the use of major stadium and the owners of that stadium deciding that the money on offer doesn't justify sharing?

[1989Tiger]

Or is it a case lower division football club can't afford to rent the use of major stadium and the owners of that stadium deciding that the money on offer doesn't justify sharing?

Wasps shouldn’t be there anyway. They should still be in the London area. I’ll never change my mind on that.

[ourla]

Or is it a case lower division football club can't afford to rent the use of major stadium and the owners of that stadium deciding that the money on offer doesn't justify sharing?

Wasps shouldn’t be there anyway. They should still be in the London area. I’ll never change my mind on that.

Have you ever changed your mind about anything ellis?

Go on - give us one example where you have changed your mind?

[Dangerous4]

What happened to their official title of London Wasps?