Sky Blue Trust

Countdown to Homelessness - 8 Games to Go

Details: Published: 01 February 2018

Dear Mr Collins

I am writing on behalf of the Sky Blue Trust, the largest
independent group of Coventry City supporters, with almost 3000 members.

Following the match against Cambridge United on 30 January 2018, Coventry
City have only 8 League Two matches scheduled to be played at the Ricoh
Arena before the end of the current season. As you may know, the
agreement between the Football Club and the Arena's owners - Wasps Rugby
Club, which allows such games to be played at the Arena, expires at the
end of the season.

Coventry City are therefore just 8 games away from homelessness. Unless a
suitable home ground, which meets all the relevant standards, can be
secured before the start of the 2018/19 season, Coventry City may cease to
exist.

You may also know that Otium Entertainment Group Ltd (who trade as
"Coventry City FC"), Sky Blue Sports & Leisure Ltd and ARVO Master Fund
Limited are taking court proceedings against Coventry City Council and
Wasps. Following a recent preliminary Court of Appeal hearing, mediation
is to take place and is due to be concluded by 28 March 2018. That may
resolve the issue of the future home ground for the football club. But if
it does not, by 29 March 2018, there will only be 3 home games left before
the season - and possibly the Club's very existence - ends.

Under your Chairmanship, what is now the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Committee has carried out some powerful investigations into the state of
English football. We believe that the crisis at Coventry City highlights
many of the worst features of governance in our national game.
Therefore, please can you tell me what steps you could now take, as a
matter of urgency, to bring about a resolution to the continuing grave
uncertainty as to where Coventry City will play their home games? I hope
you share the strong wish of Sky Blues fans everywhere that the Club must
be enabled to play their home games in the City of Coventry beyond the end
of the current season?

I have recently written in similar terms to the following Members of
Parliament for constituencies in and around Coventry:

Colleen Fletcher (Coventry North East)
Geoffrey Robinson (Coventry North West)
Jim Cunningham (Coventry South)
Dame Caroline Spelman (Meriden)
Mark Pawsey (Rugby)
Marcus Jones (Nuneaton & Bedworth)
Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam)
Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry)
Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford)
Craig Tracey (North Warwickshire)
Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington)

Several of those have replied to me and I gather may be considering some
sort of joint initiative.

As Coventry City supporters are increasingly alarmed about the
growing urgency of this matter and the apparent brinkmanship of the
various parties involved, please could I have your response to this
message by Saturday 10 February 2018, the date of the home game with
Accrington Stanley?

Yours sincerely

Roger Ellis
Secretary, the Sky Blue Trust

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Countdown to Homelessness - 9 Games to Go

Details: Published: 23 January 2018

The following letter was sent to the recipients below:-

Dame Caroline Spelman (Meridan)

Marcus Jones (Nuneaton & Bedworth)

Jeremy Wright (Kenilworth & Southam)

Mark Pawsey (Rugby)

Chris Heaton-Harris (Daventry)

Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford)

Craig Tracey (North Warwickshire)

Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington)

I am writing on behalf of the Sky Blue Trust, the largest independent group of Coventry City supporters, with almost 3000 members, including numerous residents in your Constituency.

Following the match against Swindon Town on Saturday 20 January 2018, Coventry City

have only 9 League Two matches scheduled to be played at the Ricoh Arena before the end of the current season. As you know, the agreement which allows such games to be played at the Arena expires at the end of the season.

Coventry City are therefore just 9 games away from homelessness. Unless a suitable home ground, which meets all the relevant standards, can be secured before the start of the 2018/19 season, Coventry City may cease to exist.

You will know that Otium Entertainment Group Ltd, Sky Blue Sports & Leisure Ltd and ARVO Master Fund Limited are taking court proceedings against Coventry City Council and Wasps. Following the recent preliminary Court of Appeal hearing, I understand that some form of mediation is now supposed to be taking place, although no information has been given to the supporters or the general public on progress with that - or even whether a mediator has been appointed. You will realise that fans would like clarity.

Unless the mediation process has made some progress behind the scenes, we fear that it will be some time before any solution to the problem regarding a home ground can be reached. If, for example, the mediation process is not concluded by the 10th March, the date of the home game against Barnet, Coventry City will have just 4 games at home before the season - and possibly the Club’s very existence - ends.

Therefore, please can you tell me what steps the you, as one of the Members of Parliament for a constituency near Coventry, have taken, are taking or propose to take to bring about a resolution to the continuing grave uncertainty as to where Coventry City will play their home games? I hope you share the strong wish of Sky Blues fans everywhere that the Club must be enabled to play their home games in the City of Coventry beyond the end of the current season?

I wrote in similar terms to the three MPs for Coventry constituencies on 22 December 2017. I have had replies from two of them, Jim Cunningham and Colleen Fletcher, which were helpful but did not indicate that any solution is imminent.

As Coventry City supporters are increasingly alarmed about the growing urgency of this matter, please could I have your response to this message by Saturday 10 February 2018, the date of the home game with Accrington Stanley?

Yours sincerely

Roger Ellis

Secretary, the Sky Blue Trust

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Cyrille Regis - A Gentleman, an Ambassador, an Inspiration and a Legend !

Details: Published: 15 January 2018

All at the Sky Blue Trust are deeply shocked and saddened to hear todays awful news about Cyrille Regis.

Many players these days are described as “legends” but few really fit the bill. Cyrille was most certainly one that did.

Not just for the way he graced the field of play, and anyone who ever saw him play will tell you what a fine player he was, but also in the way he conducted himself both on and off the pitch.

Sky Blues fans of a certain generation still wax lyrical about Cyrilles contribution to the fabled 87 cup win; his incredible goal at Hillsborough in the quarter final against Sheffield Wednesday; the way he led the line with power, aggression and flair; his inspirational performances throughout his stay at Coventry City.

Cyrille was the sort of player fans love, massively talented, exciting to watch and a man who scored great goals, not just for the Sky Blues but also for West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa and Wolves. It says everything about Cyrille that wherever he went on his footballing travels he was adored. Not necessarily a great goal scorer …but a scorer of great goals. A player who led by example.

He was also a trailblazer. One of only a small number of black players in the game, he was subject to abhorrent racist abuse in his early playing days. He responded with dignity, power and the best answer possible, spectacular winning performances.

One of the finest players to grace the shirt of Coventry City his untimely death at the ridiculously early age of 59 has left many city fans distraught.

Our thoughts are with Cyrille’s family at this incredibly sad time.

He will be greatly missed.

A gentleman, an ambassador, an inspiration…and without doubt a legend !