Commonwealth 7s - Pitch

[SBSam]

The state of the pitch is that it is unsafe for football players and match officials.

Has Andy Street got anything to do with this? If he is involved, it is Wasps he need to talk sense in to.

I have never called out the EFL and I’m not sure that bigad’s statement is accurate.

I haven’t seen the agronomists report in the public domain but Wasps will have seen a copy and so will have had plenty of opportunity to challenge the conclusions drawn and which are in public.

Do you really think that the CWG brought a team of groundsmen with them. They rented the facility and associated services which would have pitch maintenance. CBS ground staff were commenting publicly on the difficulties they were having given what was available to them before and during the CWG. The CWG exclusivity is a smoke screen, and in any event they released the pitch early.

[SBSam]

The football club have offered to help with the cash flow despite suffering in the regard themselves. I have paid about £1,000 to attend home games this season and I am being denied that pleasure because of Wasps - whom you at last seem to acknowledge are in financial difficulty.

One of the things I struggle with is your insistence that Derek cannot know for certain the future of his own businesses, yet you can.

Do successful business people and investors deal only with certainties? Derek will have had very detailed information available to him and would be able to weigh up the probabilities. Certainly would have known the HSBC deal wasn’t happening and what potential ramifications could be.

[BlackAndGoldSunglasses]

The state of the pitch is that it is unsafe for football players and match officials.

Has Andy Street got anything to do with this? If he is involved, it is Wasps he need to talk sense in to.

I have never called out the EFL and I’m not sure that bigad’s statement is accurate.

I haven’t seen the agronomists report in the public domain but Wasps will have seen a copy and so will have had plenty of opportunity to challenge the conclusions drawn and which are in public.

Do you really think that the CWG brought a team of groundsmen with them. They rented the facility and associated services which would have pitch maintenance. CBS ground staff were commenting publicly on the difficulties they were having given what was available to them before and during the CWG. The CWG exclusivity is a smoke screen, and in any event they released the pitch early.

Andy Street called in as a moderator after CCFC invoked "dispute resolution mechanism": https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/coventry-city-cbsarena-pitch-crisis-24752168

Whilst Dave Boddy is on record as saying that ("The state of the pitch is that it is unsafe for football players and match officials"), it would be interesting to see the report, and the context in which it was framed (which I think someone else mentioned).

Everyone agrees the pitch issue needs resolving, but I don't think there's any magic way of accelerating the grass growth?

[Vespula Vulgaris]

The football club have offered to help with the cash flow despite suffering in the regard themselves. I have paid about £1,000 to attend home games this season and I am being denied that pleasure because of Wasps - whom you at last seem to acknowledge are in financial difficulty.

One of the things I struggle with is your insistence that Derek cannot know for certain the future of his own businesses, yet you can.

Do successful business people and investors deal only with certainties? Derek will have had very detailed information available to him and would be able to weigh up the probabilities. Certainly would have known the HSBC deal wasn’t happening and what potential ramifications could be.

Is the HSBC deal not happening?  Or are there now new conditions attached to it that Wasps are looking to meet?

[SBSam]

The state of the pitch is that it is unsafe for football players and match officials.

Has Andy Street got anything to do with this? If he is involved, it is Wasps he need to talk sense in to.

I have never called out the EFL and I’m not sure that bigad’s statement is accurate.

I haven’t seen the agronomists report in the public domain but Wasps will have seen a copy and so will have had plenty of opportunity to challenge the conclusions drawn and which are in public.

Do you really think that the CWG brought a team of groundsmen with them. They rented the facility and associated services which would have pitch maintenance. CBS ground staff were commenting publicly on the difficulties they were having given what was available to them before and during the CWG. The CWG exclusivity is a smoke screen, and in any event they released the pitch early.

Andy Street called in as a moderator after CCFC invoked "dispute resolution mechanism": https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/coventry-city-cbsarena-pitch-crisis-24752168

Whilst Dave Boddy is on record as saying that ("The state of the pitch is that it is unsafe for football players and match officials"), it would be interesting to see the report, and the context in which it was framed (which I think someone else mentioned).

Everyone agrees the pitch issue needs resolving, but I don't think there's any magic way of accelerating the grass growth?

The Cov Tel have indeed reported that Street is involved in the context of a Dave Boddy interview. I heard the interview, and whilst triggering the dispute resolution process was discussed, no mention was made of Andy Street. Whilst he may end up being involved because of his past involvement, at the moment I would say it is media speculation. I suppose that Wasps application for £13 million from WMCA could create a conflict of interest for him, but that is just me speculating.

In terms of a new pitch, there is an approach called “lay and play, used by Spurs and others, whereby a pitch grown off site is laid and playable in less than a week. What I don’t know is whether you have to give n weeks notice for the pitch to be prepared off site  or whether there are fields of pitch quality turf just waiting to be called upon.

 Of course, if notice is required, Wasps could have given that notice when they promised to lay a new pitch this summer. These pitches apparently cost £400k to £500k.

[SBSam]

The football club have offered to help with the cash flow despite suffering in the regard themselves. I have paid about £1,000 to attend home games this season and I am being denied that pleasure because of Wasps - whom you at last seem to acknowledge are in financial difficulty.

One of the things I struggle with is your insistence that Derek cannot know for certain the future of his own businesses, yet you can.

Do successful business people and investors deal only with certainties? Derek will have had very detailed information available to him and would be able to weigh up the probabilities. Certainly would have known the HSBC deal wasn’t happening and what potential ramifications could be.

Is the HSBC deal not happening?  Or are there now new conditions attached to it that Wasps are looking to meet?

It wasn’t happening by May, or by end of June or by 12 August. The 29 July statement says that Wasps are pursuing different finance options.

[SBSam]

Further, the 29 July statement says that Wasps will pursue efforts to improve profitability and asset value (? Through £13 mill grant application).

I would be surprised if the current fiasco is helping either of those efforts.

[Neils]

As you have taken over this board I note you haven't commented on Ashley's return yet.

[Shugs]

With respect you’re tying yourself in knots Sam. When they talk of pursuing other options it’s likely that’s in addition to HSBC. It seems likely to me that they’ve attached covenants or at the least conditions that Wasps are now seeking to meet - but these things take time. They will not have a team tapping their fingers just doing Wasps stuff. Everyone understands the frustration over the pitch but I seriously wouldn’t rule out Boddy being told to put a spin on a report. CCFC have time and time again put fans last to pursue business interests. Fact is these events will likely be sequential with the first domino being the refinancing being sorted.

[SBSam]

Sorry, only just seen it

Great news, Ashley has returned.

[bigad82]

Anybody else think this is turning into a EFL/SISU f**k up?

[Vespula Vulgaris]

In terms of a new pitch, there is an approach called “lay and play, used by Spurs and others, whereby a pitch grown off site is laid and playable in less than a week. What I don’t know is whether you have to give n weeks notice for the pitch to be prepared off site  or whether there are fields of pitch quality turf just waiting to be called upon.

 Of course, if notice is required, Wasps could have given that notice when they promised to lay a new pitch this summer. These pitches apparently cost £400k to £500k.

If we believe Steve Vaughan then CCFC were fully aware that there were no plans to lay a new pitch some time ago and raised no objections.

[Rossm]

Anybody else think this is turning into a EFL/SISU f**k up?

I would like to know why Dave Boddy said that it was "impossible" for CCFC to rearrange and play all their early fixtures away. Were EFL being particularly unhelpful and threatening CCFC with fines and/or points deductions? I understand (though could be quite wrong here) that some precedent had already been set when EFL were kind and understanding with Spurs.

[Neils]

Anybody else think this is turning into a EFL/SISU f**k up?

I would like to know why Dave Boddy said that it was "impossible" for CCFC to rearrange and play all their early fixtures away. Were EFL being particularly unhelpful and threatening CCFC with fines and/or points deductions? I understand (though could be quite wrong here) that some precedent had already been set when EFL were kind and understanding with Spurs.

Not that I take any interest but the EFL don't have anything to do with Spurs until they are relegated.

[SBSam]

With respect you’re tying yourself in knots Sam. When they talk of pursuing other options it’s likely that’s in addition to HSBC. It seems likely to me that they’ve attached covenants or at the least conditions that Wasps are now seeking to meet - but these things take time. They will not have a team tapping their fingers just doing Wasps stuff. Everyone understands the frustration over the pitch but I seriously wouldn’t rule out Boddy being told to put a spin on a report. CCFC have time and time again put fans last to pursue business interests. Fact is these events will likely be sequential with the first domino being the refinancing being sorted.

I answer a direct question directly and I am tying myself up in knots. You have no idea what other finance options are being pursued or whether HSBC are still involved, but you suggested ages ago it would take but a few weeks.

If Boddy had spun the report, I am sure Vaughan would have contradicted him by now.

Dominos can fall one of two ways, depending on which end is tipped over first. Wasps don’t have control of either end.

To be honest, I think it’s you who is tying himself up in knots.

PS we should have a beer sometime, when all this is sorted out.