Could the Allams flog City but retain the SMC?

Im working on the basis that things can't get much worse, and European clubs are used to the concept of having multiple sports played from the same site/ownership. Galtasaray play Basketball, Volleyball and a whole host of other things for example. So while they won't know RL, the fact another sport is using the facilities won't be a new concept.

Technically yes, but in practice cant see why they would. They'd be left with a company that doesn't make money that is tied in to maintain an aging stadium with a backlog of repairs.

They could hike FC and City's lease terms to pay themselves back, but collectively FC and City could build a new stadium, and the Council would be slated if they allowed both the Football team and leading RL team to struggle or even face expulsion from their leagues.

You make a logical argument but nothing with those guys is logical in fact Adam Pearson said last year that selling the club but retaining the SMC was something that the Allams had actually threatened.

As you say UllFC it is possible though if the Allams retained ownership and control of the SMC then they would have to completely change how the SMC operates and run the Stadium to turn a profit whilst carrying all responsibility for upkeep and any losses purely by management of the stadium and promoting it as a venue etc. the danger of that is they then hold Hull FC, Hull City and Hull City Council to ransom.

The fact the have run up debt against the SMC is probably an issue for any possible investor in Hull City if the SMC ownership is tied in to the deal for the football club as who would want to pay a lot of money for a loss making management company? With the debt the SMC is not a very good looking investment either as part of the Football club or as a separate entity.

So be interesting to if this particular interest turns out any different to the other so called interested parties.

Just a shame AP can’t be part of a consortium that that takes control of the football club, and in turn the SMC.

There again if he was interested, Allams would probably double the price.

Its a mess. I do think if both FC and City were faced with either massive new lease costs or eviction something would get moving with a new stadium though. You'd have both clubs, the council, the Football League and RFL all lobbying for a solution.

Quote: UllFC "Im working on the basis that things can't get much worse, and European clubs are used to the concept of having multiple sports played from the same site/ownership. Galtasaray play Basketball, Volleyball and a whole host of other things for example. So while they won't know RL, the fact another sport is using the facilities won't be a new concept.'" https://turkishrugbyleague.com/ Shame about the colours

Quote: UllFC "Im working on the basis that things can't get much worse, and European clubs are used to the concept of having multiple sports played from the same site/ownership. Galtasaray play Basketball, Volleyball and a whole host of other things for example. So while they won't know RL, the fact another sport is using the facilities won't be a new concept.'" https://turkishrugbyleague.com/ Shame about the colours

if the allams were to sell the tigers,ould they still be the owners of the smc.

It is a crying shame the stadium has never been utilised properly, concerts, sporting occasions, etc,

I went so see Bryan Adams, and Rodders, and they both were great concerts.

Nothing but conflict with the present SMC custodians, someone said earlier, don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing for us, I’m of the opinion we wave good bye to the Allams ASAP

Probably EY, but at the moment all the grass is being removed, hope they are not selling that as well.

Many interesting points made re the SMC.

I wonder if this concept of a stadium being managed by a company created specifically to do so, is unique to the KCOM or if it’s a common practise?
How does DW Stadium work ? Or the Salford /Sale Sharks arrangement ? Etc etc. Is it transparent and fair in other arrangements ? Or does it work against one of its host teams as with the KCOM stadium arrangement??

One would think also that the council, in handing over management of the stadium, to the said, SMC, it would have been far wiser to have given equal control to both users/teams ?

Yes hindsight is a fine thing, but of course the way ours operates, the controlling party would always butter their own bread first wouldn’t they?. Wouldn’t that be clear to anyone unless rules guaranteeing fairness had been drawn up first by the council. But they were not !!

And the other party (HullFC) would then, effectively become paying tenants, whilst the SMC can have accounts that are tied to the association football club and may not reflect what is actually being paid by the football club, whereas the true tenant ie HullFC is not tied to the SMC in a business or accounting sense, so FC know exactly what they are paying as it leaves their accounts ‘never to return’

If there are other examples of SMC type arrangements in Sport how do they work ? What is the benchmark ? Do they all have relatively new stadia with tired even dilapidated look ? Are they all running at a loss like the SMC ? Is an SMC actually needed ? Could it be dissolved ?

The whole idea of an SMC seems to be a misnomer to me, because they are not actually managing it, the stadium is actually being mis-managed, and the evidence is clear for every travelling supporter to witness, every time they enter it, to our shame.

Surely the SMC has to be accountable in some way ? It must have minimum targets of safety/ cleanliness/ hygiene, structural wellbeing etc. If they are not achieving those minimum levels, surely they are not fit and proper managers of such an operation?.

I wonder how Derby County was run when Adam was there ? what percentage of 1 teams turnover went into
The management of Pride Park ? And did that one team manage to keep an even bigger stadium than the KCOM in good order ?

There is something not right at all about the whole contrived way the SMC/ Tigers arrangement works, lack of clarity, absence of checks and balances. A Situation which is slowly squeezing the Airlie Birds to financial bursting point.

In a normal renting situation the tenant has a choice to leave and rent at better value, whenever charges are increasing whilst services and quality of accommodation reduces. However, the Council have fashioned an arrangement where their is no alternative for tenant Hull FC.
They, the council have created a recipe for disaster. This is serious, and without intervention one association football club could be responsible for the death of its partner Rugby League Football Club in full view of the local council.

Of that there is no doubt, it’s real and happening, and the council look on, whilst their lack of foresight in their decision making must have them wondering, what actually could be the worst case scenario of the folly of their incompetence?

The council need to act now, there is an iceberg ahead , the council have seen it and they have the wheel and the opportunity to change the present status quo or they too may be left with blood on their hands if this great club, present since 1865 falls simply because the people who built and owned the stadium, have allowed, without legal recourse, for it to be delivered into the hands of those who wish only discomfort and pain to it’s partners who play, and whose supporters love Rugby League, who of course should from day 1 of the stadium’s existence, had absolutely equal say in the management of the stadium.
Wilfs often held back comments re donning tin hats and fighting for the club may become reality sooner than we think, unless the council act soon.
Right Now is the time for the Council to act before it is too late.

I think Man City had a similar arrangement when they first moved into the Etihad from Maine Road.

The stadium was built for the Commonwealth Games and then converted for football. At the time, they could keep the revenue from the first 30,000 fans (average from Maine Road) and then shared 50% of the remaining gate. Originally the Council owned the ground, but don’t know if this was via a SMC?

Not sure what arrangement they have got since their mega rich owners took over. However, that stadium is a success story as it’s been extended capacity wise and a whole sporting village built.