Coventry
Rugby club Wasps Ricoh talks welcomed by Coventry MP.
By Simon Gilbert, Coventry Telegraph
September 19 2014
Labour politician Bob Ainsworth says a move by the Premiership rugby club to the current home of Coventry City FC could be good for the city.
Coventry North West MP Bob Ainsworth has said he welcomes the idea of Premiership rugby club Wasps moving to the Ricoh Arena.
He was speaking after the Telegraph exclusively revealed Wasps are in talks to make the stadium their permanent home and buy a controlling share of Ricoh Arena operating firm ACL - jointly owned by Coventry City Council and The Alan Edward Higgs Charity.
Mr Ainsworth insisted the move could be good for the city and dismissed fears that it could jeopardise the Sky Blues’ ability to continue to play at the venue.
He said: “The Ricoh Arena is an investment in the city’s economy, a tax-payers’ investment.
“There’s a responsibility to the citizens of Coventry to make the most of that in terms of jobs and regeneration in the North West of Coventry, and the council has that responsibility.
“The kind of stadium we have there cries out for an effective anchor tenant. If the football club were prepared to be that partner there would be nobody happier than me.
“But, if not, and the council can secure another team and bring top flight rugby to city, I would be very supportive of them.
“I think the deal recently done with the football club can and should be honoured. We understand the need for primacy of the football club’s fixtures and I have no reason to believe that deal can’t be offered to the football club, including the requirement of primacy.”
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Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 19/09/2014 18:47
19/09/2014 18:47
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What great news for the city that wasps would come to the richo.
it would turn the richo into evan a more supurbe venu .and it would help pay for its self .well said that MP
it would turn the richo into evan a more supurbe venu .and it would help pay for its self .well said that MP
"and I have no reason to believe that deal can’t be offered to the football club, including the requirement of primacy" Wasps may beg to differ on that one. There seems to be a lot of wishful thinking in his statement, lots of "I don't see why not" and "I have no reason to believe" where there are lots of reasons to be wary about the alleged benefits. I suspect the Council financial/legal officers are encouraging the sale to help balance the books and get rid of the headache of all the sisu mess, rather than it being part of some grand plan for the city.
...and this is the arrogant know-all who used a parliamentary debate to whinge that the government wouldn't do anything to prevent football clubs from playing away from their home towns!
One sniff of outside money to get his mates on the council off the hook if being saddled with a share of a 2/3 empty stadium and his proncimes go straight out if the window.
One sniff of outside money to get his mates on the council off the hook if being saddled with a share of a 2/3 empty stadium and his proncimes go straight out if the window.
That's a good point nic. It seems ok to encourage a london team to relocate in cov, but not ok for Ccfc to play in Northampton! You can't be surprised at a politician having double standards though surely? ;-)
CCFC did not pay the rent ,thats why they moved and were trying to hold the council to ransome,if a big rugby club and football club were to get
together that would make sence yes ? ,it looks like ccfc and wasps will buy the richo in a joint venture ,then no council or higgs trust.
then every ones happy
together that would make sence yes ? ,it looks like ccfc and wasps will buy the richo in a joint venture ,then no council or higgs trust.
then every ones happy
It proves what I have always thought, which is that politicians are the most awful, self serving, unethical, myopic wastes of time and space. And that's me being polite!
Wasps average crowd is already below 6000. Assuming this is reduced to die-hard supporters after the move, you could end up with the scenario for certain fixtures of them pulling in less paying customers than Cov; especially if there is a backlash and supporting Cov rugby becomes something of a local cause. Being a premiership club in itself is not enough to attract the crowds as London Welsh have found out. Clubs like LI and Sale also struggle, even without being the best part of 100 miles from their existing supporters. For it to have any chance at all of working they would need to have a fundamental identity change with amongst other things an academy producing local talent. As they reportedly intend to retain their training ground and academy where it is, any such morphing into a club representative of Cov and warwickshire doesn't appear to be their intention.
I see nothing unethical or immoral about the MP's statements. Sooner or later The Ricoh will have a new owner but before that there has to be someone willing to make a deal.
I remember a certain KP almost buying and relocating Bedford to Coventry to take their premiership place, even more unethical and immoral than a business buying new real estate.
If it were to happen we need to use the opportunity to grow both Cov as a partner club and grass roots rugby to have a career path for junior players, an opportunity currently denied them unless moving on to Saints, Tigers or Warriors academies.
We need to make this an opportunity rather than a dispute, rugby is about comradeship not emnity.
I remember a certain KP almost buying and relocating Bedford to Coventry to take their premiership place, even more unethical and immoral than a business buying new real estate.
If it were to happen we need to use the opportunity to grow both Cov as a partner club and grass roots rugby to have a career path for junior players, an opportunity currently denied them unless moving on to Saints, Tigers or Warriors academies.
We need to make this an opportunity rather than a dispute, rugby is about comradeship not emnity.
Covkid53 think you have your last post slightly wrong!!!! - it was a KF NOT A KP .... and at the time the blues (Bedford) were in our league NOT the premiership.
What has been mentioned elsewhere are the possible affects on other local sides with aspirations such as Moseley, Bedford Blues and even Nottingham, its already a crowded market in this area.
Yes it was KF... A typo. I dispute they were in our division at the time but were the following season.
Yes Wasps would not like Cov higher than the championship.
My point is there is nothing unethical about buying a piece of real estate.
Yes Wasps would not like Cov higher than the championship.
My point is there is nothing unethical about buying a piece of real estate.
As far as I can remember it was the time we were relegated so Keith tried to buy our way back in.
Quote:zinzanh
As far as I can remember it was the time we were relegated so Keith tried to buy our way back in.
Exactly, a forced relocation like a thief in the night and unethical, Wasps want a stadium and there is one for sale.
They can buy what they like, their fans should fight it if they disagree.
KF's plan was clearly unethical, but had no support as I remember and quickly came to nothing. I am not sure how much relevance it has.
Quote:I agree there is no relevance other than others critisizing an MP for "welcoming" Wasps interest.rustyroof
KF's plan was clearly unethical, but had no support as I remember and quickly came to nothing. I am not sure how much relevance it has.
It is relevant the effect on Cov rugby club, but does it have to be a bad thing. Are there ant positives ?
Would we be able to have dual registration with Wasps and would that be so bad???
Oh dear.
No it wasn't just after we were relegated, and, yes, Bedford were in the Prem, one league above us (it was 1999 if you wish to look it up).
I clearly remember KF banging on about it in a members' meeting in the Pemberton Room. He said something about us probably not surviving the season in the Prem, but we'd have a bit of fun trying. I expect others will remember.
If you search, it's all there on t'web.
Here's a quote:
Bedford Fixtures Suspended Pending Ruling on Coventry Takeover
London
October 12, 1999
English Rugby Partnership, the governing body for England's 22 Premiership clubs, announced Wednesday that it had postponed Bedford's October 10 Premiership One match against Newcastle, and suspended future fixtures.
This follows moves by Coventry of Premiership Two to acquire the playing team at Bedford, rename the team Coventry Blues, and effectively leapfrog into the top division.
Don't make it right though.
No it wasn't just after we were relegated, and, yes, Bedford were in the Prem, one league above us (it was 1999 if you wish to look it up).
I clearly remember KF banging on about it in a members' meeting in the Pemberton Room. He said something about us probably not surviving the season in the Prem, but we'd have a bit of fun trying. I expect others will remember.
If you search, it's all there on t'web.
Here's a quote:
Bedford Fixtures Suspended Pending Ruling on Coventry Takeover
London
October 12, 1999
English Rugby Partnership, the governing body for England's 22 Premiership clubs, announced Wednesday that it had postponed Bedford's October 10 Premiership One match against Newcastle, and suspended future fixtures.
This follows moves by Coventry of Premiership Two to acquire the playing team at Bedford, rename the team Coventry Blues, and effectively leapfrog into the top division.
Don't make it right though.
Correct Kimbo. I remember the 'Cov Tel' publishing the fixtures for 'Coventry Blues' that were to start with an away game at Newcastle. I also recall the picture of a rather bemused-looking Bedford squad at Coundon Rd listening to a talk from KF. One of those players was future England Wing Paul Sackey.
The politicians comments aren't unethical, however they are hypocritical.
That is in the context that he was obviously (and correctly) critical of, and against, his team (Ccfc) playing fixtures out of its home town. However apparently it's ok for the council and him to encourage and welcome a team (wasps), to relocate to another city.
So for me it's encouraging another team to do exactly what he was against only a few months ago. But it's not his team in his constituency, so it's ok!! Not unethical, but hypocritical to have one set of morals for cov and another for wasps.
That's how I see it anyway!
That is in the context that he was obviously (and correctly) critical of, and against, his team (Ccfc) playing fixtures out of its home town. However apparently it's ok for the council and him to encourage and welcome a team (wasps), to relocate to another city.
So for me it's encouraging another team to do exactly what he was against only a few months ago. But it's not his team in his constituency, so it's ok!! Not unethical, but hypocritical to have one set of morals for cov and another for wasps.
That's how I see it anyway!
Quote:Trite and ridiculous bearing in mind they already relocated to High Wycombe.Nige H
The politicians comments aren't unethical, however they are hypocritical.
That is in the context that he was obviously (and correctly) critical of, and against, his team (Ccfc) playing fixtures out of its home town. However apparently it's ok for the council and him to encourage and welcome a team (wasps), to relocate to another city.
So for me it's encouraging another team to do exactly what he was against only a few months ago. But it's not his team in his constituency, so it's ok!! Not unethical, but hypocritical to have one set of morals for cov and another for wasps.
That's how I see it anyway!
They view this an investment for their future, Sisu are blind to the fact a realistic bid would have done the same for Cov City.
What a rude reply covkid53..
Considering your stated views on how our club is run, I feel that calling my views 'trite and ridiculous' are not what this bored is about, and totally uncalled for!
And just a lesson in geography... Coventry is quite a way further (outside of what is considered greater london) from Sudbury than high Wycombe is..
A 24 mile one way trip to watch your team, is somewhat different to a 99mile one way trip.
Considering your stated views on how our club is run, I feel that calling my views 'trite and ridiculous' are not what this bored is about, and totally uncalled for!
And just a lesson in geography... Coventry is quite a way further (outside of what is considered greater london) from Sudbury than high Wycombe is..
A 24 mile one way trip to watch your team, is somewhat different to a 99mile one way trip.
Nige sorry for the offence, but you accuse an MP of encouraging Wasps to leave their home. But they already play 30 miles outside London in a small town. They had no encouragement to do that or to make an offer for the Ricoh , the decision was 100% Wasps.
I get serious stick on here for my comments, but I still maintain your accusations of Bob Ainsworth were as I said.
I get serious stick on here for my comments, but I still maintain your accusations of Bob Ainsworth were as I said.
I'm not accusing him of encouraging them.
I'm accusing him of double standards.
How can he say its bad for Ccfc to play only 20 miles away from their home town, yet it's ok for wasps (a london team) to play 100 miles (from london) or 70 miles (from high Wycombe). Whichever way you look a it from whichever location, you are transplanting a club away from its supporters. (Which was awful when it was cov, but, it's ok for a wasps supporter).
You can't say one is wrong, whilst not acknowledging the other is also wrong too.
Sorry, it's as simple as that for me.
I'm accusing him of double standards.
How can he say its bad for Ccfc to play only 20 miles away from their home town, yet it's ok for wasps (a london team) to play 100 miles (from london) or 70 miles (from high Wycombe). Whichever way you look a it from whichever location, you are transplanting a club away from its supporters. (Which was awful when it was cov, but, it's ok for a wasps supporter).
You can't say one is wrong, whilst not acknowledging the other is also wrong too.
Sorry, it's as simple as that for me.
I was going to blame tectonic plate movement. Or climate change. Or Worcester....
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