Coventry to Play at Ricoh Rent Free Next Season, Deadline Set for Offers

Coventry City Football Club have been handed a timely boost with the news they will be able to play at the Ricoh Arena free of charge from next season.

The club have been in rent dispute with stadium landlords Arena Coventry Ltd for over a year but the Directors there have announced the club can play their rent free next season.

Coventry have called the Ricoh Arena home since 2005 and had reportedly been looking at other venues to play their football in the local area, there with a ground-share with Walsall mooted as a possible solution.

A statement issued from ACL said: “To enable the Football Club to fulfil its commitments under Football League Regulations, symptoms | and to provide stability whilst Coventry City Football Club Limited, vcialis 40mg which owns the League Share, remains in Administration, ACL has agreed to allow the club to play its homes games free of any rental fee, therefore removing any need for the supporters to travel outside the City to watch home games.

“All charges incurred on match day as a consequence of staging a football match, will be passed through at cost.

“For example, stewarding, policing, utilities, frost protection, match day repairs to stadium, health safety and compliance management and certification, service charges for maintenance contracts e.g. flood lights, generators etc.”

The move is a big boost to the club who have been in administration and were therefore hit with a 10-point deduction which killed their League One promotion push.

Deadline for offers set

In other news the club’s administrator has set a deadline of noon on Thursday for any remaining offers for the League One club.

So far there are two bids on the table, one from a consortium headed by US tycoon Preston Haskell IV and another from the club’s current owners Sisu.

It has been reported that there could be up to six potential bidders and administrator Paul Appleton has now said he wants a deal in place before the fixture list for the new season is announced on 19 June.

Appleton from David Rubin and Partners said: “Following Friday’s deadline, I have received a number of indicative offers for the assets of Coventry City FC Limited.

“I am now inviting all interested parties to provide their best and final offers by noon on Thursday, June 13.

“Having discussed the situation with the Football League, and with the fixtures for the 2013-14 season due to be published on June 19, I believe the sale process must conclude quickly in order that arrangements can be made for the participation of Coventry City Football Club in the forthcoming season.”

The Sky Blues have faced financial turmoil after disputes in rent payments with the stadium landlords Arena Coventry Ltd.

As a result the club have been in administration since March.