‘WE HAVE a proposal for a return to the Ricoh Arena ready to go’ – the words of Sky Blues chief executive Tim Fisher that brings new hope for a return to Coventry in time of the 2014/15 season.
Both the club and stadium owners Arena Coventry Limited (ACL), which is which is jointly owned by the council and the Alan Higgs Charity, have remained tight-lipped since over 6,000 fans took to the streets for a hugely successful protest march.
Talks have yet to take place between the two parties however the Sky Blues have confirmed this week that they have a proposal for an interim return ready for ACL to review.
Fisher claims the club are happy to pay money owed to ACL, believed to be £590,000, but not until the matter is resolved by the Football League at a meeting on August 7, just TWO days before the start of the new season.
In a statement to the fans, Fisher said: “We promised to keep you informed about our thinking and our efforts to progress getting the club back to Coventry as soon as possible.
“We have our proposal ready to go but given ACL’s position we await the outcome of the Football League meeting in 16 days time.
“We can then pay the required money and get down to the business of agreeing the terms of an interim deal at the Ricoh Arena.
“As we’ve maintained all along, we are happy to pay any amount owed and sufficient funds are already sitting in an escrow account waiting to be paid following the outcome of their discussions.
“We are ready and willing to talk about a deal that brings the club back to the Ricoh Arena, until we can own our own stadium.”
ACL have maintained they are happy to discuss a deal for the Sky Blues to return to the Ricoh.
But they will not consider any deal until they money owed to them has been paid in full and they also want the club to drop all legal challenges after the council won the judicial review hearing back in June.
ACL have no further comment to make following the statement.
Fisher also confirmed that the club are continuing to meet groups of fans to outline their long term vision.
He added: “We understand the need for transparency and intend to re-build the relationship with our supporters through regular communication.
“I will continue to meet fans and clearly explain the club’s position. Some of these fans meetings have taken place over the last few days and more meetings are happening this week.
“We want our supporters to know that we want what is best for the long term future of the club, built on financial stability and ensuring that Steven Pressley has access to the money you spend on match days to improve and grow the calibre of the first team squad.”
Sky Blues chief executive Tim Fisher. Photo by Jon Mullis (buyphotos247.com)
