Coventry City - Painful Questions

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Published: 22 March 2019

After tomorrow’s game against Oxford United, the Sky Blues will have just three games to play at the Ricoh Arena before the end of the season. Unless agreement can be reached to extend the Club’s use of the Ricoh, in just 33 days the English Football League (EFL) will be meeting to consider possible expulsion of the Club from the League.

 

There is still time for SISU, Wasps and Coventry City Council to work together constructively to solve this crisis. There are several possible solutions, for example:

 

SISU could drop their legal action and do a deal with Wasps.

 

Wasps could come to the negotiating table and enable the Sky Blues to play at the Ricoh next season.

 

Coventry City Council could offer help and support, to keep the Club alive.

 

SISU could sell the Club to new owners who might be more able to agree terms with Wasps.

 

In recent discussions, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and many local MPs have urged the three organisations to solve the problem and remove the threat to the Club’s existence. The EFL have been pressing the Club for a long period of time to make satisfactory arrangements for the Club’s home games and to make their intentions clear to the League and to supporters. But the politicians and the EFL can only urge, persuade and cajole.  They do not have the power to compel the parties to sort out the mess. At the time of writing, the Club have not informed the EFL where they will play home games in 2019/20 and have not proposed a ground-share to the EFL

 

If, by 25 April 2019, Coventry City do not have an arrangement to play matches in Coventry for the 2019/20 season, would you be in favour of Coventry City being permitted to play matches at a stadium outside the Coventry area under a ground-sharing arrangement as an alternative to expulsion from the EFL?

 

SUPPORTERS WILL BE ASKED TO PICK ONE ANSWER. Note that supporters who select option (b) below should recognise that this is the equivalent of a ‘no’ vote should the club be unwilling/unable to provide a binding commitment.

 

a) a ground-share within 50 miles from Coventry;

b) a ground-share within 50 miles from Coventry, subject to a binding commitment to return to Coventry within 3 years;

c) opposition to a ground-share outside Coventry as an alternative to expulsion from the EFL.

 

The Trust has agreed to ask its Members to answer the EFL’s suggested questiona above. The Trust has also decided to invite supporters who are not Trust members also to let us have their answers to the question.

 

The survey is available via this link and your participation is encouraged

 

https://survey.zohopublic.eu/zs/3TOhYH

 

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