Coventry agree five-year deal to stay at CBS Arena

[dutchman]

Coventry City played their first game at the CBS Arena in 2005 when it was first opened



Coventry City have agreed a new rental deal to carry on playing at the CBS Arena for the next five years.

The Sky Blues had a deal in place until the end of this season, having signed that in December just days after being given an eviction notice by stadium owners, Mike Ashley's Frasers Group.

Frasers argued they were not bound to a previous 10-year deal, signed in 2021, with the ground's ex-owners Wasps.

Coventry owner Doug King said the new deal would provide "further stability".

"We are delighted to sign this agreement, which we know will be welcomed by Sky Blues fans," King said in a statement.
"The licence will enable us to play at our home, the Coventry Building Society Arena, for a minimum of five years and we will continue to positively engage with Frasers Group with regard to the longer term at the Arena."

King was in the process of taking the Championship club over when the interim agreement to finish the season at the CBS Arena was reached.

At the time, the Sky Blues had hoped they might take ownership of the stadium after then Premiership rugby union club Wasps went into administration on 18 October.

But, although King made a £25m offer, a court ruled that the offer had come too late - and allowed Ashley's group to take over.

King also added that the new agreement with the stadium owners means there will be no groundshare arrangement allowed with any other club.

Wasps played their home games at the stadium between 2014, when they relocated to Coventry from High Wycombe, until they went into administration.

"We have also agreed that we won't have a groundshare for another home team," King told BBC CWR.

"It will be for our use. There will obviously be internationals and whatever when they come and go and there will be concert season, but we won't be back again in a one-in, one-out situation which is important for us to build what we want pitch-wise there for the future."

The uncertainty over where the club might be playing next season, following on from the protracted takeover deal, has provided an unsettling backdrop to Coventry's promotion-chasing efforts.

But the news of the five-year agreement has now provided some much-needed clarity and has delighted Sky Blues boss Mark Robins.

"It's fantastic. Clearly there's a relationship that can be built upon and hopefully we can rub along nicely and ensure we are good tenants," he told BBC CWR.

"Finally it's done and we can move forward in a way we anticipated we could. It gives you the platform for everything else to follow on from.

"We've got every right to be happy and optimistic. The supporters can now look forward to some, hopefully, entertaining and good times."