A typically pedantic reply. I'll rephrase to make it easier for you - I may be wrong but I get the distinct impression that some past members of CTWD and current members of HSST (the new name for CTWD, ironically!) would be happy to see us not get Academy 2 status.
I still get the feeling we are being lead a dance by the council though. I'm just not sure who the participants are or the end result. Learned my lesson and will refrain from idle speculation.
Dont be daft, we may not agree on some things but I'd rather read your posts than some of the rubbish on here. In what way are we being lead a dance?
Council confirms 'invite' to take over running of SMC from Hull City owners please log in to view this image HULL City Council is believed to have been invited to take over the running of the KC Stadium's operating company. Details of the offer made on behalf of Hull City owner Assem Allam, who also heads the Stadium Management Company (SMC), by his son Ehab have not been made public. However, it is thought the offer follows media interviews conducted by Mr Allam last week in which he said he was prepared to hand over the SMC to the council for just £1. Those comments came after it emerged that a number of amateur sports clubs had been given notice to quit the Airco Arena by the SMC to allow the Walton Street venue to be converted into an academy facility for use by Hull City. In a statement, the council's chief executive Darryl Stephenson said: "We can confirm that the council has received a letter from Mr Ehab Allam and we have responded. However, until we gain an understanding of the full financial implications, we are not in a position to make a proper assessment and an informed decision. "We are engaged in dialogue on the matter, and will need full access to the SMC accounts, which has been agreed. "This process will take a number of weeks to work through so we are not in a position to make any further comment." A statement issued by Hull City said: "We can confirm that Ehab Allam and Darryl Stephenson have been in contact in recent days and that the discussions have been positive. "The owners of the football clubs have always enjoyed a good relationship with officers of the council such as Darryl Stephenson and regeneration manager Mark Jones." The SMC was originally set up when the stadium was constructed in 2002. Originally headed by current Hull FC owner Adam Pearson when he was in charge of Hull City, the company was given the responsibility of managing day-to-day business at the stadium, the indoor sports arena and the adjacent outdoor all-weather sports pitches under a 50-year lease. As such, the SMC's tenants include both Hull City and Hull FC. Under the lease, the company pays the council a peppercorn annual rent and is required to pay a share of any yearly profits if they reach a certain amount. Speaking last week, Mr Allam said he was prepared to offload the SMC, which he took over as part of his takeover deal for Hull City in 2011. He said: "I cannot carry on spending the money. Sports clubs in the community are the responsibility of the council, not the responsibility of one person. "I choose to take responsibility of the football club. You don't force me to look after the whole thing. "There are elected councillors for that, rates and taxes for that. "The council can have it [the SMC] for £1, have it for the community. The whole site was meant for the community but the SMC loses money every year. "The contract with the rugby club loses money for the SMC every year. The arena loses £250,000 every year but we have contracts and we accept them with a smile. We have never complained. I have been accepting this every year." http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Coun...tory-26233031-detail/story.html#ixzz3VUAbADvq
Unless they do a 'bubble' pitch on one of the outdoor ones. Either way time is running out. 23rd April is 4 weeks today. Surely they can't lay the indoor pitch whilst still talking to the Council about the SMC ?
I think they will allow the club to do the 3g pitch in the Airco and then allow them to bulld a 3g on the KC site and re convert the Airco afterwards. Piece of piss this running things.
Its a lot of little things that started adding up to 4 or maybe 5. 1. It was clear from the CTWD meeting with Steve Brady and Alan Johnson that the Council wanted, desperately, to do a deal with Assem Allam to develop the area. So desperate they submitted a fairly bland response to the FA on the name change. They didn't want to do anything more to upset him. 2. Discussions between the SMC over the warranties and the mortgage. Its possible that relations started to thaw. 3. The mortgage was paid off in full. Either Assem Allam doesn't understand mortgages (unlikely) or there was another reason for paying it off. 4. Hull City Tigers Limited lent the SMC the money to pay off the mortgage and the accounts say it is irrecoverable. If the SMC was paying the mortgage then there is no reason why they couldn't have repaid Hull City Tigers Limited. They could have agreed to pay more rent to repay the debt. 5. Assem Allam complains about the way the lease was set up and points out Hull City Council could lose control over the KC. The Council's response is to look into the lease. No real war of words. 6. The council holds its meetings on the lease and two things come out. The council gets no financial benefit from the KC and there is a lack of community access. The return of the SMC to the Council would satisfy both those points. 7. For the Allams it makes business sense for Hull City Council to increase the capacity of the stadium and Hull City AFC to pay an increased rent (although that may not be the case). Increasing the capacity would not just be seats but corporate boxes. Hull City Council could borrow on the freehold to fund the £20 million cost. 8. The obvious place for Geraghty's swimming pool and ice arena is West Park. The stadium freehold could be security for the building costs. 9. The letter from Stephenson to the Premier League. Very odd unless the Council felt they would soon have the KC back. 10. By getting rid of the SMC Hull City AFC (or Allamhouse) would not longer be required to subsidise Hull FC and the Airco Arena. We could argue about the actual figures quoted in the press but you get my point. 11. Assem Allam says he wants to concentrate on the football and has offered to get rid of the SMC for a £1. I think he is serious and the only argument is about whether any, or how much of the internal debts are written off. 12. The tone of Ehab's interview(s) with David Burns. He was all over the place on the name but a lot more assured on the Arena. It was as if he knew what the outcome would be. The only thing that is throwing me is the Airco Arena. It could be a mishap or it could be part of the dance. Personally I wouldn't put such a stroke past the Council. City get the Category 2 status, the council helps build an indoor playing pitch/full academy and the community groups get the arena back within a short period of time. The Council are heroes and we all go back to arguing about the name. The other assumption underlying all this is that Assem Allam wants to remain owner of Hull City. I suspect he does as selling the SMC to the Council would affect the selling price of Hull City AFC.
Interesting post. He definitely wants to remain in charge of City. No matter what the mongs say he is an astute businessman and knows finances. The money coming in is going to be handled well by him for the good of the club. I think he still wants the name change even if it all comes out rosy with the council.
I don't I think he sees it as a way of backing down,hence the calls to Burnsy saying it was all about the spat with the council. He gets all lovey dovey with the council and the name change can be quietly brushed under the table as if it didn't happen, not to mention all the maintainence costs of the KC and the Airco are landed in the councils laps which would save him a ****load of money, even if he has to pay a much bigger rent for us playing there. Me thinks there has been some secret meetings between the council and the Allams that we don't know about.
A bit of celebrity support... Johnny Vegas @JohnnyVegasReal LOVE my new T-shirt courtesy of Holly & the team @hullsangels Plus all those involved with #AircoForAll #wearehard x please log in to view this image