COVENTRY City could face ‘action’ from the EFL after they postponed their third home fixture of the season – having finally come to a resolution over the pitch at the CBS Arena with owners Wasps.
A six-figure investment will be made into the pitch after Coventry released a joint statement with Wasps confirming that work would start immediately.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street acted as mediator in the dispute which has seen Coventry postpone home matches against Rotherham United, Wigan Athletic and this weekend’s clash with Huddersfield Town.
The club also moved their home tie against Bristol City in the Carabao Cup to Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium after the pitch at the Arena was deemed ‘unsafe and unplayable’ having staged 65 rugby sevens matches during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Coventry hope to return to playing home matches at the Arena at the end of the month when they are scheduled to host Preston North End on Wednesday, August 31.
The EFL statement read: “The EFL welcomes the news that the Club and the CBS Arena have accepted the recommendations of internationally-recognised sports turf experts to undertake a re-lay of substantial parts of the pitch to try and avoid further issues for the remainder of the season.
“The timescales presented to the EFL by the Club will allow a further inspection of the pitch before their next home game on Wednesday 31 August, against Preston North End, in order to ensure that the new surface is declared safe for the players and match officials.
“The primary objective for the EFL is to get Coventry City playing at the CBS Arena as soon as the pitch is in a safe condition for the participants. It is only then that the League will consider the collective circumstances of each postponement before determining what course of action could be taken in accordance with the Regulations.”
Coventry asked for this weekend’s fixture to be reversed but the Terriers were unable to accommodate the request due to the timescales involved.
