Rage Online feels that the City Council have got its agreement with Firoz Kassam over the new stadium exactly right. We’ve said before that we felt they should not back down over allowing Kassam to start the multiplex development before the football stadium is completed, but that Firoz should be allowed to build his hotel in order to make the conference centre more viable. This is exactly what has happened.

The Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee has also agreed to the proposed land deal with Kassam, whereby he gets the land to build his projects in return for ?1 million pounds plus %20 of the new stadium company, subject to an agreement with Thames Water and ratification of the full council. Rage Online again feels that the balance in this deal is exactly right – Kassam gets what he wants and the Council (and therefore the constituents – us) get a substantial interest in the stadium company plus a cash settlement which should go some way towards satisfying those elements on the Council opposed to the original deal.

Congratulations to all concerned.

It is a shame therefore, that while the off-the-pitch stuff appears to be progressing so well (fingers crossed – who knows what’s around the next corner?) this is not being reflected on the playing side of things. Sub-standard performances from players used to a higher level of football, grinding out draws or narrow victories against opposition far worse than anything we met last season, whilst on the sidelines Malcolm Shotton does his best to destroy any confidence the fans might have had in him by obscure subsitutions and bizarre rantings. Shotts still has Rage Online‘s support, but this is now severely qualified and, it has to be said, wavering. The moustachioed one is in dire need of some public relations training.

Rage Online also notes with dismay the new sponsorship deal between Unipart and Gloucester, a Rugby Union club, no less, worth an estimated ?200,000 over a year. Twice as much as the Oxford-based motor factors company paid out to its local football team. What next? Wiltshire Cricket Club? Heaven forbid!!