Fossetts Way

[OldBlueLady]

No chance. Even if work started tomorrow its too small a time frame.

I agree, now, if he'd have said "last FULL season...." then I might agree with him!

 

[Jai]

No chance. Even if work started tomorrow its too small a time frame.

Plus the small matter of actually gaining planning permission for a massive, complex development.

 

[Beefy]

City lease the Ricoh at a whopping 1.3 million per year payable to the council....the club has no income from food and bar sales,restaurant ,hotel or casino on site,Corp facilities,concerts.........merchandise and tickets are the only income.

Any cup revenue I would imagine goes into paying rent which at nearly £30,000 per week is mental.

Ok... firstly Coventry's landlords are Wasps and not Coventry council. Secondly, Coventry weren't paying that £1.3m rent anyway so none of any cup revenue that they generated went into paying it.

 

[mrsblue]

Ok... firstly Coventry's landlords are Wasps and not Coventry council. Secondly, Coventry weren't paying that £1.3m rent anyway so none of any cup revenue that they generated went into paying it.

As I understand it the council bailed the club out by completing the stadium as City had run out of money....City were forced to lease the Ricoh from the council .

 

[Beefy]

That's true and your £1.3m figure was right but like us and our £400k rent it was never paid (although unlike us this was not a decision agreed to by both parties!).

Wasps bought the Ricoh from the council a year or two ago and are now Coventry's landlord.

 

[Beefy]

Interesting thing about the Ricoh stadium and what we can learn from it is that Wasps bought it because they were only earning 10p in the pound on matchday (non-ticket) revenue in High Wycombe and wanted all of that money plus the potential to earn 365 days a year from events, concerts etc. And that Coventry City FC still have plans to move from there because they know that their prospects for the future are wholly linked to owning their own ground for the exact same reasons.

The idea of a nice shiny stadium appeals to me, obviously, and I recognise that it has been this dream and the surrounding money associated with the development which has kept us alive the last 15 years but until we understand how the ownership of the ground will work and what revenue streams, if any, the club will have access to then it is no guarantee of success or prosperity for the Club.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I am guessing, only guessing, that the main site access and egress will be off Eastern Avenue and thru the current B & L site. We (SUFC) need a training facility and would that be the first part completed/started if work begins?
And won't that be at the back of the complex?

#clutchingatstraws

 

[mrsblue]

Interesting thing about the Ricoh stadium and what we can learn from it is that Wasps bought it because they were only earning 10p in the pound on matchday (non-ticket) revenue in High Wycombe and wanted all of that money plus the potential to earn 365 days a year from events, concerts etc. And that Coventry City FC still have plans to move from there because they know that their prospects for the future are wholly linked to owning their own ground for the exact same reasons.

The idea of a nice shiny stadium appeals to me, obviously, and I recognise that it has been this dream and the surrounding money associated with the development which has kept us alive the last 15 years but until we understand how the ownership of the ground will work and what revenue streams, if any, the club will have access to then it is no guarantee of success or prosperity for the Club.

Agreed.

We don't know anything regarding revenue the club may or may not recieve,my fear is if the club relied on tickets only and had to pay sizeable rent at FF....then we are in trouble.

 

[Beefy]

The only way this club can or will pay a penny's rent is if we're earning enough money that we can afford to. And if that is happening then the stadium move has been a success. Rent is a red herring and should be way down the list of issues that the fanbase need clarity on.

 

[Sherif H]

Just to be clear, Coventry City never owned the Ricoh. The stadium was built as a joint-venture between the City Council and the Alan Higgs Trust (a local Charity that is involved in a number of sports centres and facilities across the City).

Re. FF, there is absolutely no way on Earth we could be in the new stadium by 18/19.

As an extremely crude timeline, you can probably assume the following:

Obtain planning permission / undergo various stages of public consultation (if/where necessary) - 6-9 months
Tender for Contractor / pre-contract due dilligence (even in the event that Ron had previously selected a preferred contractor) - 4 months
Site set-up - 2 months
Stadium (only) build - 18 months

The above is on the basis that we have an agreement in place with BL / other stakeholders on the phasing and delivery of the enabling development which is their payback.

 

[Tommy2holes]

It's simple really.

New stadiums don't win you games or trophies. They do however offer more to the paying fan and that is what entices bums on seats, well partly great facilities and what's on the pitch.

It also gives you room to grow. Roots hall Is great and we love it but we will not get gates of over 10500 on a regular basis at any level. We just don't have the space to accommodate. A new ground may not be filled very often but it's better to have ambition than be unable to fulfill that ambition.

Essex has a huge catchment area which is vastly armchair hammers, but the chance to sample live footy down the road at a reasonable price in a great stadium will entice quite a few. A trip to roots hall Is nostalgic at best. The view is poor in certain stands. The facilities are God awful. The catering and bars are not fit for purpose.

Nobody is saying that a new stadium is a guarantee of better players and higher football levels, but it would increase our chances for sure.

 

[Jam_Man]

I have heard a few mutterings that next season will be our last at Roots Hall and we will be in the new stadium for the 2018/2019 season.

We havent even had planning agreed, or even submitted the plan so dont see how thats possible.

It's simple really.

New stadiums don't win you games or trophies. They do however offer more to the paying fan and that is what entices bums on seats, well partly great facilities and what's on the pitch.

It also gives you room to grow. Roots hall Is great and we love it but we will not get gates of over 10500 on a regular basis at any level. We just don't have the space to accommodate. A new ground may not be filled very often but it's better to have ambition than be unable to fulfill that ambition.

Essex has a huge catchment area which is vastly armchair hammers, but the chance to sample live footy down the road at a reasonable price in a great stadium will entice quite a few. A trip to roots hall Is nostalgic at best. The view is poor in certain stands. The facilities are God awful. The catering and bars are not fit for purpose.

Nobody is saying that a new stadium is a guarantee of better players and higher football levels, but it would increase our chances for sure.

Saturday showed that even in Roots Hall with a decent season we can fill out the home end.

The potential for growth is certainly there, not sure how a 3 stand stadium (if thats even still the plan) would help for now though.

 

[Smiffy]

We havent even had planning agreed, or even submitted the plan so dont see how thats possible.


Saturday showed that even in Roots Hall with a decent season we can fill out the home end.

The potential for growth is certainly there, not sure how a 3 stand stadium (if thats even still the plan) would help for now though.

It is.

On the latest drawings the stadium has now been rotated round another 90 degrees. Meaning the missing main stand will now be on the Fossetts link road side rather than the Crematorium side. I presume this has been done to interest the hotel operator more by facing the main road rather than the trees. If it entices them to part with the cash to get the main stand constructed then all good. But, I still have huge concerns over this. The away fans are now due to be housed in the corner at the retail end of the development.

I still think these plans are just so ridiculously huge now, that it will be very difficult to get planning permission for it all. It has gone from a simple stadium development in the early days to what is now a huge leisure and residential project with a stadium plonked in it to get the plans over the line. It is up there with the biggest developments this town has ever seen, if not the biggest and I can't believe that the nod is going to be given on this easily. If I were a resident along Eastern Ave/Sutton Road I would be selling up!

 

[londonblue]

Just to be clear, Coventry City never owned the Ricoh. The stadium was built as a joint-venture between the City Council and the Alan Higgs Trust (a local Charity that is involved in a number of sports centres and facilities across the City).

Re. FF, there is absolutely no way on Earth we could be in the new stadium by 18/19.

As an extremely crude timeline, you can probably assume the following:

Obtain planning permission / undergo various stages of public consultation (if/where necessary) - 6-9 months
Tender for Contractor / pre-contract due dilligence (even in the event that Ron had previously selected a preferred contractor) - 4 months
Site set-up - 2 months
Stadium (only) build - 18 months

The above is on the basis that we have an agreement in place with BL / other stakeholders on the phasing and delivery of the enabling development which is their payback.

Can't you tender for a contractor (again) whilst waiting for planning permission?

 

[The Big Dady]

The last published plans.

 

[Benfleet A1]

We could promote forest fighting in that wooded area to the left.

 

[Sherif H]

You can tender a contractor at any time in the design and build process, but tendering so early means cost uncertainty when you receive the returns from the various bidders, as without planning permission, nobody knows the extent of the planning conditions, and therefore the possible impact those conditions may have on both programme and cost.
I won't bore you with the various methods of procurement open to the club by which to secure a preferred contractor, but suffice to say, Ron could already have a contractor lined up from previous iterations of the stadium design, and may simply choose to negotiate with them on an open book (basically 'round the table') basis, already knowing that said contractor is most suitable for the project, and will offer the best price.

 

[leeblue]

Planning application being submitted thus month....interesting times ahead

 

[kaymac]

Don't like the idea of an East-West pitch, most stadia are South-North orientated....unless free sunglasses are being provided for those in the (proposed) main stand?

 

[mrsblue]

Don't like the idea of an East-West pitch, most stadia are South-North orientated....unless free sunglasses are being provided for those in the (proposed) main stand?

Contact Ron as he might change the entire scheme to suit your pitch needs:hilarious: