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Fans fume at Mike Ashley as Coventry City explain further on being handed stadium eviction

Fans fume at Mike Ashley as Coventry City explain further on being handed a stadium eviction, something which came as a surprise to them.

The former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, who bought the three operating companies and took over the stadium, claims that the Championship club does not have a continuing right to use this ground.

Club officials were advised Friday that they had to return access cards and keys. A FA Youth Cup match on Saturday was moved to Leamington.

The Frasers don’t believe they are bound to the old licence agreement with Wasps rugby club. They went into administration in October .

Coventry will be away at Reading on Saturday as they resume their Championship campaign, with the next home fixture against Swansea is on the 17th December.

Frasers stated that they will have enough time to remove property and goods from the stadium.

Many will remember the time Coventry had a dispute with their landlords which led to them moving to Northampton Town’s Sixfields for home games in 2013-14.

In October 2014, Wasps purchased Coventry City Council’s 50% stake in the stadium and then the Alan Edward Higgs Charity acquired the remaining shareholding. The Sky Blues returned as tenants.

Rent issues forced Coventry to move to Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s Stadium in 2019, where they spent two seasons and won promotion from League One.

The team finally returned home to begin the 2021-22 season, but further issues arose at the beginning of the current campaign due to the pitch’s state after it was used during rugby sevens matches for the Commonwealth Games.

After the collapse of Wasps, the operating companies of CBS Arena, Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL), Arena Coventry (2006) Ltd, and IEC Experience Ltd went into administration. Frasers Group was able to purchase them for £17m.

Judge rejected Doug King’s £25m bid to purchase the stadium. However, he plans to continue with his plan to buy an 85 percent stake from the current owners Sisu. This will be subject to approval from the English Football League.

However, even this is difficult. William Storey, a rival bidder, is challenging the sale. He claims that the deal violates an exclusivity agreement he made with Sisu. They insist that his claim is false and unhelpful.

www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies

COVENTRY CITY STATEMENT

Coventry City can confirm media reports that it received an eviction notice from Frasers Group, new owners of the Coventry Building Society Arena, on Friday afternoon.

Following the Frasers Group acquisition of the stadium from administrators, Coventry City have been told that we must agree a new licence to play at the Arena.

We were surprised to learn of this intention by Frasers Group, given that discussions with Coventry City prior to the completion of their purchase of the Arena led us to understand the existing terms would continue unchanged with Frasers Group as the new owners of the Arena.

Coventry City Football Club has an existing long-term licence to play at the Arena, which was agreed in March 2021 to run until 2031.

Frasers Group have now presented to Coventry City a new agreement with new commercial terms, which have been presented to us without any dialogue or negotiations, and are less favourable to the Football Club. In addition, this licence would only run until May 2023.

Frasers Group have said they would negotiate for beyond May 2023, but this leaves us without the security and certainty that our current deal provides to us and our fans.

To confirm, Coventry City are happy to continue under terms of the current licence which we already have in place to play at the Arena.

Following Frasers Group’s purchase of the Arena, one of the great assets of the City of Coventry, they stated they were “looking forward to working with Coventry City Football Club”.

Coventry City hope that they will act on those words for the good of the Arena, the Football Club, our fans and the City and community that they are now part of.

Coventry City had envisaged being able to deal with this situation internally, but following media reports this morning, we will continue to keep supporters updated regarding the situation going forward and hope that we will continue to be able to welcome our fans to our home at the Coventry Building Society Arena.of the Arena, one of the great assets of the City of Coventry, they stated they were “looking forward to working with Coventry City Football Club”.

Coventry City hope that they will act on those words for the good of the Arena, the Football Club, our fans and the City and community that they are now part of.

Coventry City had envisaged being able to deal with this situation internally, but following media reports this morning, we will continue to keep supporters updated regarding the situation going forward and hope that we will continue to be able to welcome our fans to our home at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

STADIUMS COVENTRY HAVE PLAYED HOME MATCHES

Dowells Field: 1883–1887
Stoke Road: 1887–1899
Highfield Road: 1899–2005
Coventry Building Society Arena: 2005–2013, 2014–2019, 2021– (known as the Ricoh Arena 2005–2021)
Sixfields Stadium: 2013–2014 (ground-share with Northampton Town for 27 competitive matches)
St Andrew’s: 2019–2021 (ground-share with Birmingham City for 46 competitive matches)
Pirelli Stadium: 2022 (ground-share with Burton Albion for 1 competitive match)

Frasers Group gave their response to the Coventry situation: “Following the reports in this morning’s media, the following statement sets out the position of Frasers in relation to CCFC and the stadium.

“Frasers has, throughout all its involvement with the stadium, been supportive of securing the long-term future of CCFC playing its games at the stadium. This position remains unchanged.

“Prior to acquiring the stadium, Frasers issued a new licence mirroring the terms CCFC had agreed with the previous owners. However, CCFC chose not to sign it at that time.

“A revised proposal, together with a new licence, has been issued to CCFC and will secure the immediate future of CCFC at the stadium. Signing the licence would allow formore detailed discussions to take place about CCFC’s long-term arrangements at the stadium, including to accommodate a number of requests which were raised by CCFC.

“Frasers looks forward to working with the club to host the upcoming games.”

BBC CWR political editor Simon Gilbert said: “This is truly turning into the nightmare before Christmas for Coventry City fans.

“When new owners of the football club and the stadium were confirmed last month, many hoped this would be the end of nearly two decades of off field drama.

“Those hopes appear to have been dashed in just a matter of weeks.

“The reasons for the notice of eviction are not yet clear. But what we do know is that hope of the Sky Blues returning to the venue is not yet entirely lost.

“Coventry City’s next scheduled home game isn’t for another 12 days – and that’s a long time in a saga where we saw new owners of the club and stadium named in just 24 hours.

“Officials will be working round the clock to try to find a resolution and bring Sky Blues fans some much needed festive cheer.”

“Let me be very, very clear here. All hope is not yet lost,” Gilbert added. “The club, I understand, will be working extremely hard to try and iron out the issues they have with the new owners of the stadium.

“It’s not the case, at this moment in time, that the club have any plans to up sticks and move to another venue. They have got a bit of time to sort this out because of the World Cup. They’ll be hoping to use that period, I’m sure, to try and find a sensible solution which would see the Sky Blues remain at that stadium.

“A week on Saturday is a long, long time. Within a period of 48 hours we had new owners of the football club and of the stadium announced. So a lot can change in a very, very short period of time.

“I think they will be working extremely hard to find a solution that is in everyone’s interests. Coventry City’s presence in that arena is obviously an income stream for the new owners of that stadium.

“If there’s a deal to be done, I’m sure they’ll be trying to find a way to do it. And obviously it’s in the football club’s interest to remain there as well. After years of upheaval and uncertainty, the last thing they really need… Their club shop is closed over Christmas, that’s financially not great for the football club. We’ve already had games postponed at the start of the season because the pitch wasn’t ready and the club had to foot the bill for that in the short term.

“And there’s the possibility of a legal challenge over the entire ownership of the football club. So it never rains, but it pours at Coventry City and that certainly seems to be the case again today.”

As mentioned, fans fume at Mike Ashley as Coventry City explain further on being handed a stadium eviction…

@Jimi_Dyer: Mike Ashley W⚓️

@Cookiedisco: And there was me worrying about buying my lad a shirt that had been out of stock since September 😩🤷‍♂️

@collett_neil: The new ground near the uni can’t be far off finished now anyway can it?? 🤥🤡

@ftblalfie225: If they only want to keep us for 6 months we can’t sign a deal like that, we need security

@DannyBR01: they want us to stay but want more money.

@1BFCS: Is it bad I can’t see a positive outcome? Im trying to be optimistic but disappointment seems to be never far away. So exhausting with the constant disappointment and uncertainty. I feel for us fans, King Robins and the squad. Very disappointing day (again) #PUSB

@johnrebound: Sad news , just as when you appear to be getting on your feet again. Hope you can find a way to solve this

@m_w890: Wrexham have been in this position before and managed to find a way through. Wish you all the best going forward to get that crook Ashley away from the football club.

@leadballoon74: Let’s get out of there the place is cursed. We got promotion in Brum so let’s go get a lease somewhere else and get promotion. We’re debt free now aren’t we so no need to sell anyone. Also whilst we’re playing away let’s hit the Fraser group with legal challenges galore. #PUSB

@Jonesyy1997: He’s going to play SISU at there own game… and he will do with Sisu what they did to wasps. The next few years are going to be fun #pusb

@simontodd89: It’s shit like this that makes me want to give up supporting the City but I just can’t, how sad is that. 🥺 #PUSB

@BraddersCCFC: Where is the SISU pawn Doug King? Silly mop head. Load of bollocks this is called it at the time they were trying to position themselves to get the best deal before Ashley inevitably takes over. #PUSB

@BryterMoon: Not the news I needed or wanted on a Monday morning. I swear being a Cov fan is going from one disaster to another, but with a team that are on the edge of brilliance. Clown actions by Mike Ashley. #PUSB

@RogueBaboon57: Coventry should be supported by the EFL, FA & local councils to build a new stadium & end this farce. Let Mike Ashley sit on an empty stadium if that’s the game he wants to play

@psb_group: Sisu lose every single battle and this is one they will never ever win. The end is now for them. I’d put Mike Ashley as favourite to be the new owner of CCFC. Just a matter of time now surely #PUSB

@RoystonDooley: And as usual, it’s the staff, the team and most importantly, the fans that get absolutely shafted. Football is nothing without the fans. #PUSB

@TElves15: Mike Ashley doing Mike Ashley things: 2 year deal on the table with less favourable terms to the football club. Eradicating our existing 10 year deal. Prick

@egradus: Unbelievable, blackmail the club into a higher rent. And will only commit to end of the season. Equally how did the club allow themselves to be so vulnerable.

@louisjones04:
Ashley making the obvious play, that I suspect he’d planned all along.
1) Starve CCFC of cash and/or place to play
2) Buy club on the cheap

@rich92_H: Whole situation is a shambles. We deserve so much better. #PUSB

@Joe_Litchfield: Exactly what i thought was going to happen when Ashley took the stadium. He will bleed the club dry until he gets the club ridiculously cheap. But I don’t want a guy anywhere near our club who is willing to treat the fans like this from the off.

@agbnufc_: Mike Ashley forcing Coventry to leave their stadium sounds about right. Can you believe the media and many neutrals told us we should be grateful for this clown and accept our lot as a bottom 6 club. Never forget.

@seth_b2509: @rioferdy5 surely the fans should just get the money together to buy the club and the players they want, maybe even the manager isn’t that how it works? 🤡

@Ryanlcfc2: What a disgrace!! 😡 Putting rivalry aside it’s shameful. Sums up how badly Coventry been run for years whether its SISU, Douglas King or Mike Ashley. Feel for fans as no one is bigger than the club and its fanbase. No wonder Newcastle fans wanted Ashley out for many years. #PUSB

@Keith_Maloney: @rioferdy5 should @Coventry_City fans be thanking Mike Ashley?

@flair_twenty: He should be banned from anything to do with football clubs, nasty piece of work him like.

@billyredhead1: As he handed ‘power’ to his son in law a few months ago is this decision by Ashley or his son-in-law? Both tarred with the same brush. Money consumes them. But it’s ok as all those journos said he was ‘good for NUFC’ in the same way Bruce was!

@Haxdenbfc: Mike Ashley needs a restraining order against football clubs

@AlanColeman86: Why don’t their fans pay for a new stadium @rioferdy5

@waspsfamily: I take no pleasure in this, and actually feel so sorry for the majority of CCFC fans. For the section of their fans who celebrated us going under it feels like just desserts, but let’s not forget the majority of good, proper CCFC fans being put through this shift as well.

@MagpieKit: Lol, all the non NUFC football fans that preached to us he was a good owner because weren’t in debt. They never saw or was blind too, these types of decisions he makes.

@GeordieChris_F: What, Mike Ashley is a terrible person and a cancer on football? Could’ve told you that years ago lads, evidence was all there but we were told to shut up and be thankful.

@RogueBaboon57: Coventry should be supported by the EFL, FA & local councils to build a new stadium & end this farce. Let Mike Ashley sit on an empty stadium if that’s the game he wants to play

@StandUpForBarry: Mike Ashley giving it the big one today, banning Coventry from their own ground because he has enough money from selling tat to do that now. The UK bloody worships money, if you have enough you can do whatever, it’s a complete joke. No protection for people, institutions #PUSB

@BraddersCCFC: If any of our fans think this isn’t the end result of years of SISU mismanagement and trying to get the stadium on the cheap then you’re mad. The reason our club is in this position is purely down to them and their tricky dealings. #PUSB

@JackLynch1992: I think worst comes to the worst we will take up Ashley’s proposal of May 23 and try and renegotiate during that period to get a long term agreement in place and more security. God awful times but imo we will be at the CBS for the rest of the season! #PUSB

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