Coventry City empty stock from Ricoh Arena

[dutchman]

Staff at the Ricoh Arena have reported the Sky Blues club shop and offices being unusually emptied of stock - heightening rumours the club is about to quit the stadium.

This picture taken by a passer-by shows a lorry backed up to the club shop near the Jimmy Hill statue, with stock loaded onto it.

Paul McCarthy, the football club's newly appointed spokesman, said a club statement could be released tonight in response to today's High Court action - which may or may not shed some light on this evening's dramatic developments.

But he said the situation over releasing a statement was unclear, with lawyers still locked in meetings.

It came as the stadium company Arena Coventry Limited reiterated this evening it would not force the football club out - after the club last night placed part of its business - Coventry City Football Club Ltd - into administration.

ACL this morning took Coventry City Football Club Ltd to the High Court in London in an attempt to force the club into administration with ACL's own chosen administrator - with a view to a takeover at the club, forcing out current hedge fund owners Sisu which owe ACL £1.4million in unpaid rent for playing at the stadium.

But unconfirmed rumours were this evening spreading on websites and social media that the football club might carry out its previous threats to quit the Ricoh - and possibly play their matches at Walsall's Banks' stadium.

High Court judge Mrs Justice Proudman adjourned ACL's application for administration order until Tuesday, with ACL seeking more information from the club about the appointment of Rubin and Partners as its chosen administrators.

ACL is seeking clarity on the club's claim that CCFC Ltd was a non-trading arm with no assets, and Coventry City Holding Club Ltd remained the trading arm with the club's key assets.

ACL says Football League records, and the club's last filed accounts from June 2012 show the key assets - players' contracts, the share with the Football League which enables it to play, and the stadium lease - were all located in the limited company now in administration.