Coventry City

Coventry City agree groundshare with Northampton Town


Sky Blues strike deal to play 'home' games at Sixfields Stadium while closing in on site for new ground in “the Coventry area”

Coventry City have agreed a deal to play their home matches at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium, the Telegraph can exclusively reveal.

The Football League’s board will meet on Thursday to discuss whether to approve the arrangement.

The Telegraph also understands the Sky Blues are set to be selected as the preferred buyer for a site in “the Coventry area” to build a new stadium - and to enter exclusive negotiations over a sale.

It coincides with a sales process for the Coventry Bees speedway stadium site at Brandon, as we have previously revealed.

Several Telegraph sources confirmed Coventry City and Northampton Town have agreed a deal for the Sky Blues to play at The Cobblers’ 7,600-capacity stadium from the new season, which begins on August 3.

The first Coventry City home game there would be against Bristol City on Saturday, August 10.

The deal could be approved by the League whether or not City are still in administration at the start of the season.

As the Telegraph also reveals today, Coventry City Football Club Limited’s administrator Paul Appleton has now issued his confidential proposals for creditors to sign a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) that would bring the club out of administration, preventing liquidation.

It is not yet known if creditor Arena Coventry Limited - the part-Coventry City Council-owned Ricoh stadium firm owed rent arrears by the Sky Blues - will try to block the CVA and prolong administration.

An absolute disgrace and if we thought we previously had an incompetent board then SISU the owners of CCFC are right up there as well.
The Cov fans are naturally spitting feathers and are planning to boycott the home games at Sixfields.
Cov's average home attendance last year was over 11,000 so seeking a new home with a capacity of 7,600 just doesn't work.
Interesting times for Coventry City Football Club.

I've no problem with it being a short-term measure.

I've never been to the Rich - from the outside it looked big & glossy unlike the old Highfield Road which had character. But Sixfileds is all that's bad about new stadia. Sixfields is claptrap, minuscule and soul-less. What's worse is that there are no good pubs nearby!

Can't see more than 7k Coventry fans travelling the 20 miles or so to Northampton anyway.

maybe argyle could play at the ricoh, decent sized stadium, out of match income generating, sounds perfect  

Tringreen wrote:

Can't see more than 7k Coventry fans travelling the 20 miles or so to Northampton anyway.

There's very straightforward access along various motorways or other good roads. In fact the Ricoh is on the N-E edge of Coventry and Sixfields is on the Western edge of Northampton so the difference is not huge. But I agree, even that distance may put off lots of fans - if only on principle.

Are there many fans with principles left nowadays Knect?

Iggy wrote:

Are there many fans with principles left nowadays Knect?

Such cynicism in one so young!!!!!

I am sure Coventry will be at the Ricoh for the start of the new season. The Ricoh will be desperate to have them back and I would not be surprised if this was nothing more then CCFC playing hardball to get the Ricoh to wipe out the debt the club owe the management company.

Tad more than 20 miles.

They were looking at both Kettering and Hinckley prior to coming up with Norf, who incidentally have just got 12 Bar from the council for ground improvements.

Crazy situation, especially when you throw in the Ricoh which batters Sixfields in the soulless stakes, fecking money wankers should be driven the feck out of football.

On that we agree Tis.

It's 34miles exactly from point to point. I have never had a single thought either way about Coventry it's a bit bland. City centre designed by same bloke who did such a good job with Plymouth, cathedral, lady Godiva, brown away shirt, Peugeot and winning the FA Cup. Still more than we've ever done.

The Specials and The Enemy both from Coventry so that makes it ok by me  

And the Cov central ring road is an experience not to be missed!

Walsall would surely have been better

Elias wrote:

Walsall would surely have been better

Walsall .... don't start me on that. I lived there for a few years. At least Fellows Park had charm. The away end that was maybe five levels deep before the railway line should have been preserved as a national monument. The Bescot is tucked away behind a commercial development - shops, supermarket etc. Why would anyone do that to a football club!?

Surprised to hear the council part own it. I'm sure they will do all they can to accommodate the club if they want to be voted back in.
Could be what TE is planning