Coventry City's Ricoh Arena chosen for Olympics

Coventry City's Ricoh Arena has been chosen as one of the football venues for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The 33,000-capacity stadium was selected to stage the Midland-based games of the Games after Villa Park was ruled out due to planned building work.

The venue will be renamed the City of Coventry Stadium for the duration of the games with all branding removed.

Lord Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, said: "It is a great venue and ideally located."

He added: "The City of Coventry Stadium will be an excellent host for football matches for the London 2012 Olympic Games."

Former athlete David Moorcroft, chairman of the West Midlands Leadership Group for the 2012 Games, said: "We were the best bid, best partnership and best series of people working together who understood what the Olympics was about and really felt the spirit of the games."

Daniel Gidney, chief executive of the Ricoh Arena, said: "We are looking forward enormously to staging Olympic football in Coventry.

"This is a great honour and we are proud to be involved with the Games."

The decision by the London 2012 Organising Committee means that all venues are now in place for the Olympics.

Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, said: "The stadium is ideally located for thousands of people to come and watch the London 2012 football competition and be inspired to get involved in sport."

Spot the deliberate mistake in this article? The Ricoh has never belonged to Coventry City!

That's fantastic news for Coventry and will hopefully bring in some much needed revenue

Brilliant news and we might get to see some quality football at the Ricoh for a change!

does that mean we will be getting a railway station too ?? am well made up

does that mean we will be getting a railway station too ?? am well made up

Good thinking Mozoke - but don't hold your breath. How long have they been talking about it

Possibly will get a temporary railway station if they haven't built a proper one by then.