Sponsor hunt helped by new stadium deal
THE search for a new stadium partner to replace Ricoh has been strengthened by Coventry City’s return.
That is the view of Wasps chief executive Stephen Vaughan, after a deal was finally agreed to welcome the Sky Blues back to the ground ahead of the 2021/22 football season.
Since the summer of 2018, stadium owners the Wasps Group have been searching for a new sponsor to put their name to the ground.
The deal with Japanese electronics firm Ricoh, which started upon the stadium’s opening back in 2005, was renewed on a short-term basis in March 2016. But the Telegraph understands for at least the last three years, no income has been received in the form of a lead stadium partner but the Ricoh branding remains in situ along with the venue’s name.
Rumours have been rife of a leading electronics brand showing interest in succeeding Ricoh but Vaughan confirmed the search is ongoing - and that other projects alongside Coventry City’s return will boost the prospects of securing the stadium’s secondever sponsor.
“We make no bones about it, having the City of Culture events this year, the Commonwealth Games, the Rugby League World Cup, and the myriad of new building projects we’ve got going on around the stadium, we’re upgrading as we speak,” he said.
“We’ve got a sports bar that is going to be opening in the next few weeks, we’ve got exhibition halls being updated, we’ve got new entrances in the south stand being updated and all sorts of plans.
“All of those things will be really helpful towards trying to get a new stadium naming partner.
“Coventry City coming back is another part of that. We are actively looking for partners, in all angles, and should a stadium partner come out of it, fantastic, but I imagine Coventry City coming back in can only be positive as part of that.”
The Telegraph revealed recently that the former Wasps shop located by the Jimmy Hill statue by the main entrance is being replaced by a ‘state-ofthe-art’ sports bar and grill which is set to open this spring.