COV FACE RACE AGAINST TIME
UNDER-PRESSURE Coventry City have insisted they are doing everything in their power to avoid the threat of expulsion from the EFL.
On Friday, the League announced they had written to the Sky Blues with ‘a final request for clarity in regard to where the club will stage its home matches for the 2019/20 season’.
In their statement, they warned: “The EFL is yet to receive any indication of where Coventry City intend to play next season.
“The club has until March 5, 2019 to provide a further update to the Board, addressing the outstanding matter, and should a satisfactory solution not be found over the next two months, an Extraordinary General Meeting of Clubs will be convened to consider Coventry City’s expulsion from the League.
“This would be held on April 25 in order to provide clarity regarding the club’s future membership in advance of relegation and promotion issues being resolved during the run-in to the end of the season.
“The EFL considers it untenable for a member club to seek to continue competing in its League competition if it is unable to stage its home matches.
“However, it understands that, despite the complex challenges facing Coventry City at this current time, it is the club’s preference to extend their stay at the Ricoh Arena for future seasons and the EFL would view this as a sensible and suitable solution to the matter.”
Solution
The Sky Blues’ rental agreement at their current home runs out in the summer.
Wasps bought the stadium in 2014 but City’s owners Sisu remain in a legal battle with the Premiership rugby union club over the sale. Wasps have previously stated they will not discuss a new tenancy while legal proceedings continue.
In their response to the EFL’s statement, Coventry said: “These dates show how stark the situation facing the football club now is and that time is running out.
“Our only option is to continue to play at our home, the Ricoh Arena.
“Coventry City Football Club wants to do a deal with Wasps Rugby Club as soon as possible, to resolve this impasse so that the dates above are not encountered.
“All parties now need to work together for the good of Coventry City Football Club, its supporters, the Ricoh Arena, the City of Coventry and our community – the continued future of the football club needs to be everyone’s focus to prevent more heartache and worry. No one should be in any doubt of the significance of Coventry City to Coventry – not in the past, now or in the future.
Focus
“The Westminster meeting in early March called by the Minister of State for Culture, Media and Sport, inviting all of the key parties, is an opportunity to resolve this issue.
“However, our offers to meet with both Coventry City Council, as freehold owner and the democratically elected local authority, and Wasps RFC, as landlord, still remain open - in the hope that a deal can be agreed before the Westminster meeting is necessary.”
EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey is hoping Coventry can find a way out of their ground problem.
He said: “The objective of the EFL, as it has always been, is to secure an appropriate solution for the longterm future of the club as they are a much-valued member of our competition.
“The course of action taken this week is with reluctance, but the League has to ensure the integrity of our competitions is maintained and all clubs meet the obligations that come with being a member of the EFL.
“We remain in regular dialogue with the club and will provide all practical available assistance in line with EFL regulations.”
If the matter is referred to an EGM, a majority vote of 75 per cent of member clubs would be required to determine an expulsion of Coventry from the League.
Meanwhile, the Sky Blues face a daunting task on the field of play this afternoon. Mark Robins’ men visit table-topping Luton, who are on a 20-match unbeaten league run.