Search for a new stadium goes on

COVENTRY City bosses have said the search for a new stadium is still progressing and that “a small number” of sites had been identified for a replacement training ground and Academy base.

The statements were included in the latest Coventry City accounts, which cover the 12 months up to May 2016 and have been published today.

Coventry City’s deal to play at the Ricoh Arena expires next year, its training ground is being lined up for a housing development and the club’s Academy faces being homeless when its deal to use the Alan Higgs Centre expires in June.

But CCFC bosses say the club remains in talks over a short-term solution for the Academy and repeated their stance that the Sky Blues want to build a joint first-team training centre and Academy base to replace Ryton in the long term.

Club officials have previously been clear that Ryton would not be built on until an “adequate replacement has been provided for”.

On the stadium, a statement in the latest set of accounts reads: “Efforts to progress relocating to an alternative home ground for the club continue.

“The need for match-day non-ticketing revenues and on-match-day revenues remains undiminished.”

It added: “The key concern for the business remains the partial and lim- ited access to non-ticketing match day revenues and no non-match-day turnover putting the club firmly at a competitive disadvantage relative to its peers.”

On the Academy, a statement in the accounts reads: “Significant on-going investment in the Academy continues. Under Elite Player Performance Plan rules, to retain its category two Academy status, the club had to commit to a minimum contribution of £510,000. As with the prior year 2014/15, for the period 2015/16, the club committed in excess of £600,000.”

It currently has prized “category two” status which attracts additional funding from the Premier League and helps to attract better quality youngsters.

It is increasingly likely that City will be relegated to League Two, where only two clubs currently have category two status academies.

The accounts added: “It should be noted that a category two status academy in League Two is exceptional. Today, only Colchester United and Crewe Alexandra have a category two status academy in League Two.

“The Academy relocation remains an open challenge but, at the time of writing, discussions are progressing on a site.

“The longer term relocation project to a co-joined academy-first team training site continues with a small number of target sites identified in the area.”