SO when will the takeover go through?

[Cockle43]

It may well be considered as "campaigning" and subject to Purdah

Exactly this...

If Cllr Cowan accepted her offer and she was able to foster a deal happening I could see various parties being hauled before Electoral Courts with the police laying charges especially if she should win as that would lay her, and others, open to all sorts of accusations and possible law breaking.

Frustrating as the timing may be it is precisely why the purdah rules are there and they protect the candidates as much as hinder them...

 

[Uncle_Rons_Teapot]

This is the problem. Ron has been told his future by Anna, frequently by the former chair of the ST, anyone who's done business with him, the fans and he just doesn't care.

Nobody has ever held the gun to his head though and put their finger on the trigger before

This is do or die now no going back to the negotiations table

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

Nobody has ever held the gun to his head though and put their finger on the trigger before

This is do or die now no going back to the negotiations table

Person holds gun to his head, trigger is pulled. Police narrow it down to 15,000 suspects!

 

[Target man]

This is the key - he may be the front man but it's the money men who are the key.

Although Cllr Cowan says that "it's take it or leave it", one would hope that if the difference between the respective positions was small there may be some limited room for negotiation - even if it meant, say, COSU receiving £19million instead of £20million towards the redevelopment of Roots Hall.

Totally understand where you are coming from, but the issue with Ron is if you don't give him an ultimatum, he will always look to move the goalposts further. 19mil then becomes further weeks to wrap it up, with more demands that follow and then, suddenly it's 18mil, and so on. There has to be an end of the line put in black and white, and until now, he's got away with treating everyone around him that he calls the shots ..... including court judges. It's time to accept.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Thats the point. They have made the ultimatum and are clear about what is required. To then blink and agree = "oh, yes let's negotiate" and is 100% not the approach however well intentioned. Shame she didn't reach out to Cowan on this prior to posting...

That said she has been supportive to the club so let's not criticise her for trying.

Shame she didn’t reach out a month or two ago.

 

[rigsby]

Person holds gun to his head, trigger is pulled. Police narrow it down to 15,000 suspects!

Callum Powell wouldn't be on the list as he would shoot over the bar.

Only joking Callum. I will certainly be clapping when you rock up at the hall

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

Totally understand where you are coming from, but the issue with Ron is if you don't give him an ultimatum, he will always look to move the goalposts further. 19mil then becomes further weeks to wrap it up, with more demands that follow and then, suddenly it's 18mil, and so on. There has to be an end of the line put in black and white, and until now, he's got away with treating everyone around him that he calls the shots ..... including court judges. It's time to accept.

I agree, but the deadline must remain as Friday and if the money men (not Ron) can prove in the next day or two to their counterparts that the deal doesn't stack up financially then there is no point "spoiling the ship for a hap'eth of tar" or whatever the old saying is.

If CBRE or whoever the other funders are said "Here's our workings out, we'd shake hands now on £19million, but at £20million we have to walk away" - surely we'd all (including the Council) want to shake their hands?

 

[OldWilliam]

Colt Cowan is wrong about this. Anna Firth is not an MP, she is a candidate for a parliamentary seat.

My one and only take away from all of this is Cllr Cowan has a really ****ing cool first name!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Colt Cowan is wrong about this. Anna Firth is not an MP, she is a candidate for a parliamentary seat. She realises, I’m sure, that the fate of SUFC is above politics and the councillor should appreciate this too.
Throughout this interminable and dispiriting saga, no one has expressed the situation so succinctly. The Martins have been and still are using the club as leverage, blackmail if you like, for their own personal gain.
Shame on them and very well done, Anna.

Oh come on. This public intervention is just posturing for political reasons by Anna Firth. She had no expectation of it actually being taken up.

If anything she’s providing cover for Ron. The Council have set out a take it or leave it offer for the Martins. This gives Ron a route out of it.

Plus re-opening negotiations like she is proposing is just delaying matters. The Council have set out what will pass due diligence and it’s now up to the Martins to agree to it. Further negotiations just means having to go back through the DD process again.

Providing cover so that Ron can claim ‘I would have negotiated but the Council said no’ may help her re-election chances but it doesn’t help SUFC’s survival one bit.

There is one deal on the table and Ron isn’t in the position to bargain.

 

[Stan33]

Like many of us, I appreciate AF's desire to help, but this letter, offering to chair a meeting to hammer out a deal is counterproductive and undermine's the council's position and last official statement.

I also wish Cowan's reply was more along the lines of "Thank you for your offer, Anna, but we must decline. We have been very clear regarding our position and what is acceptable and by when. There is nothing further to discuss. The cards are on the table and it is now a matter of 'take it or leave it'.

Brilliant post

 

[shrimper61]

Really hope the Martins are not going to drag this out till Friday, its either a YES or NO to Cllr Cowans demands.

It should not take 5 days to make a decision..I hope..

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Let's leave the party political sniping and get back to Ron and the deal. I think enough aspersions have been cast. Behave people.

 

[Paulie Walnuts]

I bet the Martins cat (and probably Julie) are on the end of the Rat's size 6 loafers when he gets home from these council meetings.

Whatever happens its nice to see him fully understand the utter contempt everyone in our town has for him and that will destroy his huge ego no doubt.

 

[nevereatwhitesnow]

My observations based on what’s known and limited additional knowledge is that things are looking promising for resolution and some parties are very keen to being seen as helping with the final “push”.

Notwithstanding that their motives may well be honorable and genuinely being behind SUFC but Chris Philips “open letter” seems to be timed brilliantly to stand behind the ultimatum the council have issued. If it happens imminently the paper can celebrate with the fans and claim a bit of credit

AF is clearly a fan but her letter is poorly timed by opening a door to negotiations that are counterproductive to the new council’s ultimatum and so seem designed to be an opportunity for her face to be associated with good news in the event this week goes well (and cynically if it fails, politically at least, it may claimed by her supporters because she wasn’t allowed the chance to give the final push)

Agnostic of which colour rosette anyone stands behind the current council have also played a blinder politically and (hopefully) commercially by following a process and going for the strong arm approach. Looks good then if it comes off, if it fails they can claim they couldn’t do more because of their duty to the taxpayer.

All things considered and despite the political spin I think things are looking more positive than they have for a while and purely because stars (and politics) have aligned and forced everyone into taking a tough stance, fortunately one which puts the in a corner where his only decision really is to take the offer or roll the dice a final time when the odds are really stacked against him.

I hope for all concerned this is a really good week for SUFC,

Best wishes (from a Col U fan)

 

[NZamba Legend]

Let's leave the party political sniping and get back to Ron and the deal. I think enough aspersions have been cast. Behave people.

But some of it is facts not sniping, a matter of record even. But never mind, I can see it's not easy moderating this stuff!

 

[Stuart W]

Agreed that AF’s timing might not be the best, but I genuinely believe she speaks from the heart. Suggesting it is a cynical electioneering stunt is a cheap shot and not worthy of decent SZ contributors. I suspect some people just can’t help themselves.

 

[NZamba Legend]

Agreed that AF’s timing might not be the best, but I genuinely believe she speaks from the heart. Suggesting it is a cynical electioneering stunt is a cheap shot and not worthy of decent SZ contributors. I suspect some people just can’t help themselves.

It's not about electioneering, bad timing or questioning AF's sincerity; it's all to do with the fact that it's counterproductive to re-open negotiations with Ron.

 

[CC51DAS]

So everyione lining up to find a way to push this over the line. Probably AF's number one motive for offering to bash heads together - without perhaps seeing the detrimental side of the offer?

If Our Great Saviour lets the club die he loses his key bargaining chip. But on his past form, he'll try to find a way out somehow - play for time -maybe he'll even offer to pay the WUP, then turn up at the Court and plead for a further extension?

 

[Stuart W]

It's not about electioneering, bad timing or questioning AF's sincerity; it's all to do with the fact that it's counterproductive to re-open negotiations with Ron.

I wasn’t necessarily addressing your earlier response. Other comments do imply that she had other motives. For what it’s worth I agree with your comment about not reopening negotiations with Ron. Not only because we haven’t got any time to play with, but I seriously think it is having an adverse affect on peoples’ health.

 

[Cricko]

I wasn’t necessarily addressing your earlier response. Other comments do imply that she had other motives. For what it’s worth I agree with your comment about not reopening negotiations with Ron. Not only because we haven’t got any time to play with, but I seriously think it is having an adverse affect on peoples’ health.

I think you are 100% right, it has dragged on so long for so many years it of course has effected fans. This needs to be over now for all of us.



As a suggestion i think it is only right all Zoners pay for a months holiday in Barbados for all the admin team on here for keeping us all pretty sane.

We can take @Tinks along as our woman servant.