I BACK THE FANS BID TO GET COV HOME

THIS week I threw my support behind a campaign organised by Coventry City fans to seek government intervention into their club’s situation.

To get that they need 100,000 signatures. Any football fan can lend their support by signing up on line. Let me make my position clear. I completely understand there may be a business issue between the owners of Coventry City FC and the owners of the Ricoh Arena.

If terms cannot be agreed for the football club to play at the stadium, then I have no issue that the club have chosen to leave that stadium. But to then choose to play 35 miles away from Coventry in Northampton against the wishes of the fan base is plainly wrong.

It would be different if the fans had backed the move. If the fans knew that a new stadium was a certainty within, say, two years; if the fans reluctantly signed up to the move because the club simply couldn’t keep affording rents which were based on the higher levels of income earned at Championship level. But even then – is Northampton really the closest alternative?

I understand the position of owners in these situations. But I know that football is not like any other business. Football is at the heart of communities. Football affects the mood in a city. Football gives people heart and soul. Football cannot be seized by owners and taken from its fans.

Coventry give us all a great opportunity to tighten things up and achieve two goals: to give Coventry fans their club back in their city. And second to prevent this type of thing from happening again. I will be signing their petition.