Opinion by Mail columnist Angus Young.
So what should be done about the great KC Stadium stand-off?
Hull City chairman Assem Allam appears unwilling to reopen talks with Hull City Council over ownership and development options surrounding the stadium.
Council leader Steve Brady has suggested a referendum on the issue should an offer from the Allams unexpectedly arrive on his desk.
Neither scenario fills me with much hope that progress is on the immediate horizon.
Surely, whatever has happened in the past between the two parties should be consigned to the history books.
The time must be right for common sense and a degree of comprise on both sides to come to the fore.
The stadium was specifically designed to allow an extra 5,000 seats to be installed without too much disruption.
The building industry typically quotes about £1,000 per seat when calculating the cost of a new sports stadium.
So, for £5m – the same amount pledged by the city council to cover infrastructure costs associated with the proposed Siemens factory on Alexandra Dock – the stadium's capacity could be increased to meet the demand for Premier League tickets, while providing an increased revenue stream for the stadium management company, which is meant to share some of its profits with the council.
What is needed now is a trusted mediator to bring the two sides together.
Perhaps ex-council leader Pat Doyle is the man for the occasion? I'm told Lord Haskins has also offered his services.
The nettle needs to be grasped now, otherwise the current stalemate will continue to drag on for the foreseeable future.
• IT WAS close but no cigar for Ukip at last week's East Riding Council by- elections.
But what of the victorious Conservative candidates?
Victoria Aitken, the winner in Howdenshire, is already being tipped by some as a future group leader when Steve Parnaby finally decides to step aside.
Already an approved parliamentary candidate, she's clearly no mug.
Over in Mid-Holderness, former East Riding High Sheriff John Holtby squeezed home with a narrow 84-vote majority.
According to my sources, it was only after he agreed to stand as a candidate that someone pointed out it might be a good idea if he was to actually sign up as a party member.
