Sky Bet EFL 2022/23

[Lineker]

Would be a massive fuck you to Watford...

[The Lusophone]

The bigger news today and perhaps helped cause the above clubs decision...

 

[Lineker]

 

[Szumi]

This is the first non-English black man to manage any club in the top 4 levels of English football.

An absurd stat that definitely highlights hiring issues in England.

[Adam]

9 minutes ago, Szumi - A Polack said:

This is the first non-English black man to manage any club in the top 4 levels of English football.

An absurd stat that definitely highlights hiring issues in England.

There is undoubtedly a problem with BAME representation in British coaching, but that stat isn't correct. Maybe it means currently? Edgar Davids managed Barnet a decade ago, as one example that immediately comes to mind.

Nuno Santo as well, much more recently and prominently.

[9 to 5]

2 minutes ago, Adam said:

There is undoubtedly a problem with BAME representation in British coaching, but that stat isn't correct. Maybe it means currently? Edgar Davids managed Barnet a decade ago, as one example that immediately comes to mind.

Nuno Santo as well, much more recently and prominently.

Tbf Barnet were non league at the time.

[Twist]

16 minutes ago, Szumi - A Polack said:

This is the first non-English black man to manage any club in the top 4 levels of English football.

An absurd stat that definitely highlights hiring issues in England.

Vincent Kompany?

And Patrick Viera.

And Ruud Gullit.

Underlying point stands given that’s three in 100+ year history but there has been others.

[Szumi]

6 minutes ago, Twist said:

Vincent Kompany?

And Patrick Viera.

And Ruud Gullit.

Underlying point stands given that’s three in 100+ year history but there has been others.

Apologies. I believe it was first African international.

[Adam]

33 minutes ago, 9 to 5 said:

Tbf Barnet were non league at the time.

I don't think they were, in fact I think Davids took them down.

Anyway, not really the point. There is a marked issue with black and minority ethnic players not following into coaching in terms of representation, that's unquestionable.

[Hobo]

Chris Hughton (whose parentage is half Irish, half Ghanaian) must be the only person of color to really manage at a high level in England for a considerable amount of time

[9 to 5]

1 hour ago, Hobo said:

Chris Hughton (whose parentage is half Irish, half Ghanaian) must be the only person of color to really manage at a high level in England for a considerable amount of time

Paul Ince, sadly.

[Hobo]

7 minutes ago, 9 to 5 said:

Paul Ince, sadly.

how else can you expect Tom to get a game somewhere?

[The Lusophone]

Paul Ince is the Jos Verstappen of football.

[Naitch]

Norwich City have made a key signing ahead of the January transfer window that should help turn their recent misfortunes around... I start in the kiosks for next Saturday's Blackburn game before moving onto the corporate bars in the New Year.

[Lineker]

Quote

Coventry City have been issued with an eviction notice by the new owners of the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley's Frasers Group took over the stadium last month after buying its three former operating companies.

They say the Championship club has no continuing right to use the ground unless a new licence is agreed.

The club's existing licence runs until 2031, but they say the proposed new one would expire in May 2023.

Frasers do not believe they are bound by the previous agreement with the stadium's former owners, Wasps rugby club, who went into administration on 18 October.

However, Coventry said that discussions with Frasers Group prior to their purchase of the ground led them "to understand the existing terms would continue unchanged".

A club statement said: "Frasers Group have now presented to Coventry City a new agreement with new commercial terms, which have been presented to us without any dialogue or negotiations, and are less favourable to the football club.

"Frasers Group have said they would negotiate for beyond May 2023, but this leaves us without the security and certainty that our current deal provides to us and our fans."

Club officials were informed on Friday they must return keys and access cards and an FA Youth Cup game on Saturday was switched to Leamington Town FC.

Coventry are away to Reading when their Championship campaign resumes on Saturday and their next scheduled home fixture is against Swansea on 17 December.

But they hope Frasers will change tack and agree to let the existing licence remain.

"Following Frasers Group's purchase of the Arena, one of the great assets of the city of Coventry, they stated they were 'looking forward to working with Coventry City Football Club'," the club statement added.

"Coventry City hope that they will act on those words for the good of the Arena, the football club, our fans and the city and community that they are now part of."

In a statement, Frasers Group said they wanted to work with the club to make sure the stadium could host their upcoming matches.

"Frasers has, throughout all its involvement with the stadium, been supportive of securing the long-term future of CCFC playing its games at the stadium. This position remains unchanged," the statement said.

"Prior to acquiring the stadium, Frasers issued a new licence mirroring the terms CCFC had agreed with the previous owners. However, CCFC chose not to sign it at that time.

"A revised proposal, together with a new licence, has been issued to CCFC and will secure the immediate future of CCFC at the stadium.

"Signing the licence would allow for more detailed discussions to take place about CCFC's long-term arrangements at the stadium, including to accommodate a number of requests which were raised by CCFC.

"Frasers looks forward to working with the club to host the upcoming games."

Coventry City Council, meanwhile, say they are hopeful that the issues between the club and Frasers Group could be "successfully resolved through dialogue" as soon as possible.

"The city council has always been clear that one of its strategic objectives is for the football club to continue to play at the CBS Arena and that position has not changed," said a spokesperson.

The Sky Blues moved to the then Ricoh Arena from their former Highfield Road home in 2005.

But a dispute with their landlords saw them decamp to Northampton Town's Sixfields ground for home games in 2013-14.

Wasps bought Coventry City Council's 50% stake in the stadium in October 2014 and the following month acquired the remaining shareholding from the Alan Edward Higgs Charity, with the Sky Blues returning as tenants.

But rent issues saw Coventry move to Birmingham City's St Andrew's stadium in 2019, spending two seasons there and winning promotion from League One in the process.

They finally returned home for the start of the 2021-22 season but there were further problems at the start of the current campaign because of the state of the pitch after it was used for rugby sevens matches during the Commonwealth Games.

Following the demise of Wasps, the CBS Arena's operating companies, Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL), Arena Coventry (2006) Ltd and IEC Experience Ltd, also went into administration, enabling Frasers Group to buy them for £17m.

A judge rejected a £25m bid for the stadium from businessman Doug King, saying it had come too late, but he is going ahead with a plan to buy an 85% controlling stake in the club from current owners Sisu, subject to approval by the English Football League.

But even that is not straightforward, with the sale being challenged by rival bidder William Storey, who says the deal breaches an exclusivity agreement he had with Sisu, although they insist his claim is "untrue and unhelpful".

 

[The Lusophone]

Mike Ashely: Still a dick.

[gunnar hendershow]

If you asked me to guess who was doing that without giving me a name I'd have said it was Ashley.

[Colly]

"Coventry City hope that they will act on those words for the good of the Arena, the football club, our fans and the city and community that they are now part of."

There aren't enough 🤣s to fully react to this.

[Lineker]

Proper snowy at Ewood Park; that shit better not come down here.

[TheGrandAvatar]

4-1 defeat in the snow at Ewood. I was in the less snowy Southport. Glad I missed the game.