Coventry United FC in talks over Butts Park Arena ground

Football could be played at The Butts Park Arena after it emerged Coventry Rugby Club have held talks with a non-league team in the city about relocating to the stadium.



Coventry United officials say they are in regular contact with the rugby club about a long term move to the 3,000-seat stadium as the Midland Division One outfit pursues its ambition of climbing the football pyramid.

The club currently ground-shares with Coventry Sphinx, in Stoke, but bosses are eyeing up a move to the city-centre Butts Park Arena in the future.

Pete Schofield, Coventry United vice chairman, told the Telegraph that serious challenges would have to be overcome for the move to happen, but that they remained hopeful.

He said: “The Butts Park move idea is still active.

“There’s a lot more behind it than just thinking ‘there is The Butts’. We are talking to them all the time.

“But there are difficulties. Turning a rugby pitch into a football pitch sounds easy, but there are issues with drainage and things like that.

“It’s more of a logistical nightmare. But the powers that be in the city of Coventry are interested in that.”

Coventry RFC chairman Jon Sharp confirmed that discussions had taken place and told the Telegraph he had a long term vision of the stadium becoming the heart of the community.

He said: “The difficulty we have is playing football and rugby on the same grass pitch. It’s on hold until we do something about the pitch.

“My long term ambition is to have a 5G pitch, but we’re a long way away just yet.”

He added: “I’d like a community set up there where we can have all sorts of sports and kids running around on that pitch all year. I want to make it the heart of the community.

“It requires some investment, there’s some going in at the moment and something else will be coming along in the next few weeks.”

Any move by Coventry United to play at the stadium would need to be signed off by Coventry City Council as the owners of the venue’s freehold.

The whole site is currently held by Coventry Rugby Properties LLP on a long lease from the council. It has a user clause restricting the site to use as a rugby club and pitch, sports hall and other leisure uses.

Coventry Rugby Ltd has a long under lease - direct from the main lease - to restrict the pitch and current stand for rugby football club and clubhouse use only. This lease can only be passed on to another rugby union club.

Coventry RFC chairman reveals Butts Park Arena development plans as land deal draws closer

Coventry RFC chairman Jon Sharp has said he wants to develop the Butts Park Arena to benefit the rugby club, and poured cold water on rumours of a groundshare with Coventry City FC.

The Telegraph recently revealed Mr Sharp was in talks with Butts Park Arena leasehold owner Chris Millerchip about taking over the lease for the stadium land as he aims to progress plans for the club.

Mr Millerchip, a former Coventry Rugby Club player, donated thousands of pounds to the club when the outfit was struggling financially. He currently owns Coventry Rugby Properties LLP, which owns the 125-year lease from Coventry City Council for the Butts Park Arena site. That lease contains restrictions which mean the site can only currently be used by a rugby club.

Mr Millerchip currently lives in New York, and has struggled to remain involved with the club.

Now, Mr Sharp has now revealed the paperwork to take over the land lease is “ready to go” and is due to be signed in the near future.

Plans for the site focus on off-field activity and Mr Sharp recently told the Telegraph discussions had been held with events organisations.

He said the aim was to increase revenue by developing non-rugby activities at Butts Park, building on its growing conference and events business.

Speaking on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire, Mr Sharp said: “The most important thing is that I’m committed to the development of Coventry Rugby and to see the club consolidate it’s success, both in terms of the commercial success, business success and in terms of playing success.

“What we have there is a brilliant city centre location, and I see it as being an under-used location. How can we make a business out of it when we only use it 15 times a year to play rugby on?

“I wish to improve the facilities. I believe there’s not enough corporate hospitality capacity there and I wish to improve that.”

He added: “I am acquiring, personally, the whole of the land from the railway line down to The Butts Road and from side to side. Not just the area where the pitch and stand is.

“This is currently owned by a gentleman who lives in New York, he has been very helpful to the club in the past and we thank him for that.

“But being in New York, it’s a bit of a distance. So I’m now in a position to acquire it and the lawyers have drawn the documents up, they’re ready to go.

“When that’s all done I can speak to potential joint venture partners, be they property developers, be they caterers or event managers - we are talking to some professional event managers.

“That will give us superior income and allow us to improve the squad and put this club back where it should be.”

Asked about longstanding rumours of talks with the Sky Blues over a potential move to The Butts, Mr Sharp indicated any possibility of that had seemingly been ruled out some time ago.

He said: “As everybody knows, we’re selling their tickets for them. We talk to them, but we do not have any specific plans to work with them.

“I’m quite adamant about this. That’s why I’m trying to develop this stadium for Coventry Rugby.

“They’ve certainly had a look at it. The size is a restriction, cost of development is another restriction. The fact we play rugby there and that the pitch is not suited to football is yet another restriction.”