Please see below a statement from the club owners SISU.
We have been made aware of Cllr Duggins’ statement at yesterday’s Coventry City Council meeting. We would prefer not to respond; yet again, we have no choice when highly misleading and inaccurate comments are made.
Most of Cllr Duggins’ points have been dealt with in our previous open letters and accompanying evidence and we suggest a review of that evidence. Typically, rather than relying upon the evidence and facts, Cllr Duggins provides select quotes from one media outlet only.
Additionally, the quotes he depends on were made both before the first mediation process in summer 2014 and CCFC’s return to the Ricoh. Indeed, as late as August 2014 the then-acting Leader of Coventry City Council publicly stated that there needed to be a period of time to rebuild trust before discussing Ricoh Arena ownership (see attached article). Clearly, this was never going to happen as by then, the Council were in their final exclusivity sale stage to London Wasps (as they were then called).
We have never had the opportunity to buy a stake in the Ricoh: we now know that by December 2012 the Council’s actions and intent were emphatically against CCFC ever owning a stake in the Ricoh, “Member authority given to say CCC will not/never do a deal with SISU” (see attached email).
Now it is indeed puzzling that Cllr Duggins seems confused as to our objectives for CCFC. We have been crystal clear, CCFC needs its own stadium to aspire, grow and progress up the leagues. The Council failed to engage in a competitive, transparent sales process for the Arena.
We question why Cllr Duggins has felt the need to issue such a statement now, in what seems to be a deliberate attempt to destabilise the Club as it prepares for the upcoming season.