Coventry City Football Club could return to the Ricoh Arena next season, even if the club kicks off the 2014/15 campaign playing in Northampton, the English Football League has confirmed.
The Sky Blues have been ground-sharing with Northampton Town at Sixfields stadium since August 2013, after the club was
forced to leave its former home at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, due to a rent dispute with the ground’s operator Arena Coventry (ACL).
Since then, Coventry fans have faced a 70-mile round-trip to attend their club’s home games, however the governing body has clarified that a mid-season return to the Ricoh would be possible if permitted by the Football League board.
League rules state that any deal to move back to the Ricoh would need to run until the end of the 2014/15 season, unless special dispensation is granted.
The potential boost for the club’s supporters – who have often expressed dissatisfaction with their replacement ground – comes after Coventry City confirmed a clause is in place enabling it to break the ground-share agreement with Northampton Town – even after the season has started.
Last week meanwhile, Coventry City revealed plans – submitted to ACL for review – expressing a desire to return to the Ricoh Arena “as soon as possible.”
The statement, published on the club website, said: “We want the club playing home games in the right place as soon as possible - back in the Coventry community. We are ready and willing to talk about a deal that brings the club back to the Ricoh Arena, until we can own our own stadium.”
Background:
• The 32,000-seater Ricoh Arena has enjoyed a colourful past since being built in 2005.
• It was specially selected to host football matches during the London 2012 Olympic Games, but just six months later was the subject of a
£14m bailout from Coventry City Council. • Operator ACL – which runs the stadium on behalf of the council and the Alan Edwards Higgs Trust charity – received finance to consolidate its debt repayments, prompting a legal challenge from Coventry City Football Club.
