Not that I'm......

[homer]

advocating being a splitter in any way, but there's an interesting post from Craig on the Champ Manager forum, following his conversation with Tim Davies

 

[homer]

And here it is:

Sorry couldn't ask all the questions because he was pushed for time. Some quite interesting answers im sure you'll agree though...

Where is the money coming from to fund this?
It isn’t! Tigers are buying their half from us. Tim said it’s very complex, and he isn’t able to give me the full details as yet. From what he said, it seems like we have all the payment money put away in a pot (obviously not, just an example), and Tigers are going to put their share into that, and we’ll use that to buy the stadium outright.

Do you not feel that we're losing our unique new found identity?

Same could be said for when we moved from Filbert Street. On a Leicester City matchday it shall be a Leicester City stadium. The ground shall still be ours, and Tigers.

Why have the Tigers decided now to groundshare?

Tim wasn’t involved with the new stadium and the groundshare idea back then. But from what he can gather, they didn’t think they’d ever have consecutive games which sell out. They have now, and feel it’s time to move, and this is their best option.

How many options have you got for the surface so it doesnt get ruined?

We’re investing heavily, the pitch shall NOT get ruined. This is the boards major concern, and they shan’t allow it to happen.

What financial benefits will we get from this agreement?

ALL of the money saved shall go into Craig Levein’s transfer budget.

Will opposition by the majority of City and Tigers fans make any difference to your decision?

Yes. “The fans are the most important part of the football club”, he went on to say that if there were protests, the board would have to look at whether the move is in the best interests of the club.

If we did join with Tigers, Would we be in a binding contract where we would have to be with them for certain number of years. Would we ever be able to kick them out? Would we ever be able to build another stadium?

We would have to buy them out, or if we wanted to move, they’d have to buy us out.

Will the acoustics be improved? Could you swap the kop and family stand around as the fans want for a compromise?

What does a City fan get out of this? Are you guaranteeing that we'll get into the Premiership sooner if this takes place?; will ticket prices come down?; will you offer reduced tickets to ST holders that will want to move when their part of the ground is changed?

The chances of success are enhanced significantly because of the money saved and put into Craig Leveins transfer kitty.

What do you think will happen when Tigers do become 'the Man U of Rugby' and decide they don't want to share a stadium with a football team?

They’d have to sell their share to us.

Will you accept that fans do not want green seats in the stadium, so some neutral colour will have to be chosen...which would mean the whole stadium would have to be re-seated as Tigers would not want blue seats. Will the outside of the stadium also be drastically changed as per the pictures from the Mercury, that looks more like a Tigers stadium.

Artists impressions, nothing more. Nothing has been sorted out as of yet.
Will any joint club merchandise be made? Will our next away kit be green?
Can’t say at this point. But no away kit shall be determined by this groundshare move.

Can the club account for its hypocrisy in trying on one hand to promote the tradition of the club (History DVD, Commemorative Strip, etc.) while at the same time destroying its individuality?

He knows where we’re coming from, but we shall still be the same Leicester City, playing in the same Walkers Stadium.

Will the stands be renamed? Will the ticket office be doubled in size to cope with the extra customers?

This is an issue with stand renaming, as for ticket offices, he expects them to takeover one of the sub ticket offices

Tigers reserves?

As far as he is aware, they shall still play at Welford Road.

Will the acoustics be improved?

Very interesting answer for this. He asked how I would improve it if I could, I said I’d move the Kop to the North stand, there was a long silence, I heard some typing, and he said it was a great idea and he didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it before. He’s going to talk to the safety officer about it, he said obviously he can’t overrule him, but he see’s no problem with it at all. Looks like we’ve been told some lies from undreneath him, as he’s never even considered this.
He’s a genuine bloke, and although I still don’t agree with the groundshare idea, it’s reassured me slightly. He’s city through and through, and he said he can understand why we’re upset, as is he slightly, but for the club to move on we need funds, and this gives us a long term platform for them.

Also - Just sent Tim a message with the idea of bringing back unreserved seating in the new kop (should it happen), just for a FA cup game should we be at home. He said that it shall be tried, he likes the concept

 

[Dunc]

Hmmm, we shall see then.

Like I said yesterday if the majority of the fans (of either club) don't want the move, it won't happen. As for the switching of the kop ends, hopefully it would make for a better atmosphere. Mind you it can't get much worse at the moment.

 

[Craig]

Hmmm, we shall see then.

Like I said yesterday if the majority of the fans (of either club) don't want the move, it won't happen. As for the switching of the kop ends, hopefully it would make for a better atmosphere. Mind you it can't get much worse at the moment.

I was surprised that Tim didn't know about the idea. Because it had been raised before at fans forum meetings etc. He sounded really positive about it, we'll have to wait and see though

 

[homer]

I'm sure it has been raised in face to face meetings with him before, so I'm amazed by that one

Top work Craig, by the way

Almost as good as the Bellion rumour

 

[Craig]

Apart from this is all actually true

 

[Dunc]

"my mate Tim says...." - Yeah yeah! :roll:

 

[Naughty Fox]

Top job Craig

 

[Graz]

Thanks for the info. How did you manage to speak to him personally and get him to answer all that?

I wasn't totally against the groundshare anyway, and this helps reassure me. Him saying that all the money saved will go to Levein is obviously good news.
As long as the stadium doesn't look more like a Tigers ground (like in the artists impressions) then really I don't have too much of a problem with it.


Can I ask...how would swapping the Kop and Family stands over help improve the atmosphere in the stadium? I havn't beeen that many times, so don't really understand.

 

[beaumontfox]

because at the moment all the away fans can hear are those who are vocal in L1(ehich is next to them)

how the Stadium is designed acoustically means that all the noise generated by the crowds is pushed towards hte pitch-so at pitch level it is noisy,but in the stands it sounds muted, and so the atmosphere is duller than dishwater!

also,having the away fans 'surrounded' by vocal home fans would certainly give awawy fans the feeling of a more noisy atmosphere, a lot i speak to on other forums say that there's no noise from the home fans from where they sit.

 

[Graz]

because at the moment all the away fans can hear are those who are vocal in L1(ehich is next to them)

how the Stadium is designed acoustically means that all the noise generated by the crowds is pushed towards hte pitch-so at pitch level it is noisy,but in the stands it sounds muted, and so the atmosphere is duller than dishwater!

also,having the away fans 'surrounded' by vocal home fans would certainly give awawy fans the feeling of a more noisy atmosphere, a lot i speak to on other forums say that there's no noise from the home fans from where they sit.

Ah, thanks for explaining that

Actually, I went to the Ipswich game with an Ipswich fan, and he said in the away end he could hear no noise from us at all, so that is a good point.

 

[beaumontfox]

it's a sore point trying to explain it to away fans.

they all assume we sit there and don't sing.. .which of course, is NOT true.

 

[Mike - True Blue Tinter]

I too am still sitting on the fence. I have only been a fan for about 10 years and a ST holder for 4.

I can understand the emotional argument even though I do not personally feel it. Filbert Street was an embarrassment to me. How must MON have felt leading a potential player down the tunnel to show them the Cowshed?

Maybe the problem lies with our fans understandable but unreasonable belief that we are really a Big Club that struggles and that a groundshare will mean we can only ever become half of a Big Club.

For myself my biggest concern is that the 'Stadium Company' is not for profit. No shareholders to pay unless they are solely the two clubs.

Using the space, (I imagine their trophy cabinet is bigger than ours!), sorting the pitch and 'branding', doing 12 hour 'makeovers' to turn a rugby stadium back to a football stadium are logistical challenges which can be overcome but I would want to know at what cost.

The potential is a stadium that houses TWO of the world's greatest football teams. The Tigers are already the World's Number One Rugby Team. Would we really not want to aspire to that? Could we really not be proud of the success we both chase?

If Tim Davies can convince me that this is really for the benefit of BOTH clubs and not a private money-making scheme then I would be first in the queue to buy my combined Foxes/Tigers Season Ticket for 2006!

 

[Joe_Fox]

I too am still sitting on the fence. I have only been a fan for about 10 years and a ST holder for 4.

I can understand the emotional argument even though I do not personally feel it. Filbert Street was an embarrassment to me. How must MON have felt leading a potential player down the tunnel to show them the Cowshed?

Maybe the problem lies with our fans understandable but unreasonable belief that we are really a Big Club that struggles and that a groundshare will mean we can only ever become half of a Big Club.

For myself my biggest concern is that the 'Stadium Company' is not for profit. No shareholders to pay unless they are solely the two clubs.

Using the space, (I imagine their trophy cabinet is bigger than ours!), sorting the pitch and 'branding', doing 12 hour 'makeovers' to turn a rugby stadium back to a football stadium are logistical challenges which can be overcome but I would want to know at what cost.

The potential is a stadium that houses TWO of the world's greatest football teams. The Tigers are already the World's Number One Rugby Team. Would we really not want to aspire to that? Could we really not be proud of the success we both chase?

If Tim Davies can convince me that this is really for the benefit of BOTH clubs and not a private money-making scheme then I would be first in the queue to buy my combined Foxes/Tigers Season Ticket for 2006!

Good post but I really hate calling Rugby "Football". It has, and never will, make sense to me. I know it's a historic thing but surely it is just a load of bollocks. Rugby is not Football. It's boring.

 

[Bobby Smith]

I too am still sitting on the fence. I have only been a fan for about 10 years and a ST holder for 4.

I can understand the emotional argument even though I do not personally feel it. Filbert Street was an embarrassment to me. How must MON have felt leading a potential player down the tunnel to show them the Cowshed?

Maybe the problem lies with our fans understandable but unreasonable belief that we are really a Big Club that struggles and that a groundshare will mean we can only ever become half of a Big Club.

For myself my biggest concern is that the 'Stadium Company' is not for profit. No shareholders to pay unless they are solely the two clubs.

Using the space, (I imagine their trophy cabinet is bigger than ours!), sorting the pitch and 'branding', doing 12 hour 'makeovers' to turn a rugby stadium back to a football stadium are logistical challenges which can be overcome but I would want to know at what cost.

The potential is a stadium that houses TWO of the world's greatest football teams. The Tigers are already the World's Number One Rugby Team. Would we really not want to aspire to that? Could we really not be proud of the success we both chase?

If Tim Davies can convince me that this is really for the benefit of BOTH clubs and not a private money-making scheme then I would be first in the queue to buy my combined Foxes/Tigers Season Ticket for 2006!

Good post, when we went into administration one of the few things that I had to cling to was that we may not have had a pot to p*ss in but we had a new stadium that was the envy of many other clubs, now it feels like even that is being taken away (even though we don't own it).

I'm with you on your concerns about the new company which is being set up. We need to know at what point (if ever) LCFC will stop paying rent to it? and is this company non-profit making? People rarely do something for nothing, lets hope it's for the good of City.

 

[beaumontfox]

there's definitely a lot of things to be discussed and hopefully we can find out all of this.

i know many people who have follwed LCFC all theirs lives from the 'older generation' who have finally decided enoguh is enough. many wil lnot renew their season tickets if this goes ahead. we need to get ALL the information in the open so we know exactly why they decided to choose this path, and just in what ways do each Club benefit from it,where ALL the money is coming from to fund this,and as others have already said-that this 'holding company' is not there to make profits for those on board but is there in name only to pay the bills etc and that the profits go where they belong to each Club.

it IS a head v. heart situation. and until every little detail has been shown to help not hinder either Club then i'm going with my heart.

 

[leicester_til_i_die]

there's definitely a lot of things to be discussed and hopefully we can find out all of this.

i know many people who have follwed LCFC all theirs lives from the 'older generation' who have finally decided enoguh is enough. many wil lnot renew their season tickets if this goes ahead. we need to get ALL the information in the open so we know exactly why they decided to choose this path, and just in what ways do each Club benefit from it,where ALL the money is coming from to fund this,and as others have already said-that this 'holding company' is not there to make profits for those on board but is there in name only to pay the bills etc and that the profits go where they belong to each Club.

it IS a head v. heart situation. and until every little detail has been shown to help not hinder either Club then i'm going with my heart.

i'm sorry but i find this sad, doesn't matter what happens i will still be going down to support my team whether it's at walkers stadium owned by us/part owned/not owned or at welford road, would make no difference.[/b]

 

[Steven]

there's definitely a lot of things to be discussed and hopefully we can find out all of this.

i know many people who have follwed LCFC all theirs lives from the 'older generation' who have finally decided enoguh is enough. many wil lnot renew their season tickets if this goes ahead. we need to get ALL the information in the open so we know exactly why they decided to choose this path, and just in what ways do each Club benefit from it,where ALL the money is coming from to fund this,and as others have already said-that this 'holding company' is not there to make profits for those on board but is there in name only to pay the bills etc and that the profits go where they belong to each Club.

it IS a head v. heart situation. and until every little detail has been shown to help not hinder either Club then i'm going with my heart.

Being one of the older generation I have not decided that "enoguh is enough." Indeed it would seem to me that the younger crowd are the ones who are most opposed to the ground share.

 

[highland fox]

Good on you Steven....keep the Faith(as long as it doesn't interfere with your Bingo afternoons,cross-stitch club or Over 60's Whist Nights)

 

[Steven]

Do you still feel like this Homer? :? :?