Coventry City Vice Chairman Resigns Over Transfer

Last updated : 10 February 2011 By Covsupport News Service/RD

Coventry City vice chairman Gary Hoffman has resigned his post over the transfer of 17 year old Conor Thomas to Liverpool.



It is beginning to appear that the transfer was done at the behest of Sisu and against manager Aidy Boothroyd's wishes, and also against the wishes of most of the board.

The Coventry Telegraph are reporting that Hoffman tendered his resignation earlier this week and it was accepted by the new look board. The 50 year old former vice chairman, a banker and lifelong Coventry City fan has reportedly been concerned with recent bard room changes and with the direction the club has been heading.

The CT reports that sources close to Mr Hoffman that the loan and probable sale of Tomas to Liverpool was the last straw and that the move was in direct contrast to the vision that chairman Ray Ranson had when he took over the club in 2008 of bringing in young players and nurturing their talent for the benefit of Coventry City's push for promotion to the Premier League.

Selling any talent for short term gain goes well against the commendable policy and it proved too much for Mr Hoffman.

The same source also said that Mr Ranson was also opposed to the sale of Conor Thomas and he recently admitted that the previous sale of Scott Dann to Birmingham for £3.5m and Dan Fox to Celtic for £1.5m were also done against his wishes.

With Coventry City losing an estimated £4m a year (around £80,000 a week), the club is, once again in financial difficulties and is not helped with falling attendances as a result of the team going into free fall down the Championship league table.

The CT are reporting that a source at the club said, "Gary feels that SISU are losing sight of what they set out to do when they took over. The chairman has been trying to build long term growth and potential by bringing in and developing young players.

"Gary was unhappy with the sale of Fox and Dann, and Conor Thomas is another example of that."

Mr Hoffman is also thought to be unhappy with the recent changes to the board which are mow looking to have been divisive and to have divided the board causing a power struggle.

Last month the former chairman Joe Elliott stepped down as a director to become Life President of the club. His place on the board was taken by PR expert John Clarke whose invitation onto the board was at the order of the club's majority shareholders and SISU, who control the finances at the club.

Mt Ranson is only a minority shareholder and owns a 20 per cent stake in Sky Blue Sport and Leisure which owns Coventry City Football Club.

Mr Ranson is not an employee of SISU.

The club source added, "Gary would like to see clarity on what club are doing, both in terms of good news and bad, a long term plan for the stadium and greater communication with fans about what the club are up to."

One of Sisu's representatives on the Coventry City board is the Swiss educated Nigerian Onye Igwe, but he and Sisu have been very quiet since they took over the reins at Coventry City and have never once come out in support of the club they own, nor have they publicly mentioned any of their plans for the club.


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