Fans plead for return to negotiations
FANS have joined forces to demand that Wasps and Coventry City return to the negotiating table to agree a deal for the return of the Sky Blues to the Ricoh Arena for the 2020/21 season.
The Sky Blues will again play their home games at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s stadium next season, as they did this season.
City have made clear their desire to play in Coventry, but after failing to agree with Ricoh owners Wasps Group, they will spend another season at the home of the Blues.
Longer-term, the club are working with the University of Warwick on plans to build a new stadium on the university campus at a cost of nearly £100m, which the Sky Blues would own and be entirely responsible for.
Now a number of Coventry City fan groups have produced the following ‘Open Letter on Behalf of Coventry City Fans’.
“On behalf of all Coventry City fans we, as fan groups, demand representatives of both Wasps RFC and Coventry City FC to return to the negotiating table to agree a deal for the return of Coventry City to the Ricoh Arena for the 2020/21 season and beyond,” the statement says.
“Rather than dwell on what has gone, we request that all parties return to negotiations to bring Coventry City back to Coventry. All unreasonable requests for restriction of legal rights should be dropped.
“We ask Coventry City Council to publicly confirm that they do not require any legal restrictions, or indemnification, to be written into any contract for Coventry City to play at the Ricoh Arena.
“We ask Wasps to not request any legal restrictions, or indemnification, from Coventry City or Sisu.
“We ask that both Coventry City/sisu and Wasps put their differences aside and immediately return to negotiate in good faith for a deal that is mutually beneficial.
“We call on the English Football League to confirm they will enable Coventry City to return to Coventry to play at the Ricoh Arena, even if the season has commenced when a deal is agreed.
“If a deal was as close as has been reported, then there is no reason why a deal cannot be concluded if the unreasonable terms implied by a third party to the deal are removed.”