Coventry City.

[gandhisflipflop]

What a strange 15 years it's been for that football club. I was there for our last ever visit to Highfield Road around 2004 where I think we won 1-2 courtesy of John Oster and maybe Ian Moore? Anyway they move out of Highfield Road to the Ricoh Arena which is your typical out of town industrial estate bowl (also happens to be the coldest away ground I'd been to for some time), they stay for a few years then move out and start ground sharing with a few clubs for the next few years.

Today they have announced plans for a new stadium. With the added benefit of hindsight and I admit that I don't know all the ins and out just an outsider looking in but what the hell was wrong with Highfield Road in the first place? It did look tired when I went from what I remember but it was a real old school ground in the city that although looked tired in places, didn't appear much wrong with it? Why did they leave in the first place?

A strange 15 years for that club.

[Corky]

What was wrong with the old ground. Well, if you stood at the back of the terraces behind the goal with the stand above then you couldn't see the goal at the other end. But apart from that it was fine!!!

[Bosscat]

What was wrong with the old ground. Well, if you stood at the back of the terraces behind the goal with the stand above then you couldn't see the goal at the other end. But apart from that it was fine!!!

Crystal Palace's away section not much better imho ... unfit for purpose if stood up at the back (plus if you don't stand up you cannot see anything anyway due to everybody standing ) a lose lose situation.

[Silkyskills1]

What was wrong with the old ground. Well, if you stood at the back of the terraces behind the goal with the stand above then you couldn't see the goal at the other end. But apart from that it was fine!!!

Anfield is another ground where views are restricted from behind the goal. And then there's Goodison Park!!

[Bosscat]

Blackburn Rovers also a poor view...

Not because of restricted viewing .... just its a poor view looking at that sh**hole

[claretburns]

The club is working with the University of Warwick and the ground will be built in the south west of the city on the land of the University, Coventry hope to also build a railway station at the ground also to make it easily commutable for fans, all could cost roughly £100,000,000, looking at the artist design of the stadium it is basically the rebirth of the Ricoh.

[gandhisflipflop]

Corky I think you've missed the point somewhat. I wasn't saying it was perfect far from it however it really does seem a strange decision to move to the Ricoh Arena in the first place with nothing to protect them from the current situation. I should imagine it would be like us moving to network 65 business park into a stadium and start paying rent. Did they own the stadium when they moved in?

[claretburns]

Corky I think you've missed the point somewhat. I wasn't saying it was perfect far from it however it really does seem a strange decision to move to the Ricoh Arena in the first place with nothing to protect them from the current situation. I should imagine it would be like us moving to network 65 business park into a stadium and start paying rent. Did they own the stadium when they moved in?

I believe the football club did originally own the stadium when they moved, but financial difficulties in the years since allowed the council to buy the stadium and begin renting it to the football club as well Wasps rugby league side, I believe now Wasps have bought the stadium from the council and Coventry were in talks with Wasps about a rent agreement for next season.

[Rowls]

I don't think they ever owned the Ricoh and it has to be one of the worst decisions in football. They owned Highfield Road outright and agreed to an outrageous rental price on the Ricoh which was only feasible if they maintained Premier League status.

They deemed Highifield Road insufficiently profitable for their needs but then swapped it for a ground that crippled them.

People make bad decisions when they're gambling.

[scouseclaret]

So a club that’s been crippled by financial problems ever since it left its original home is about to spend £100m on a new one? Wow! Even in the crazy world of football that strike me as mental.

[Burnley1989]

Is their goal keeper that lad that went Burnley College? Played in the Shadow squad or whatever it’s called

[jdrobbo]

I loved Highfield Road and in truth, I quite like Coventry City. Strange decade for them.

[mkmel]

The last time I watched us play at the Ricoh I kid you not I was shivering and it was I think in about early September or at least not in winter

And it must have been the way the stadium was built but you would get more atmosphere on the moon. A bit like Milton Keynes stadium

[gandhisflipflop]

The last time I watched us play at the Ricoh I kid you not I was shivering and it was I think in about early September or at least not in winter

And it must have been the way the stadium was built but you would get more atmosphere on the moon. A bit like Milton Keynes stadium

I think we may be referring to the same game. You're right definitely not winter but to say it was freezing would be an understatement. We lost too if I remember rightly.

[ElectroClaret]

So a club that’s been crippled by financial problems ever since it left its original home is about to spend £100m on a new one? Wow! Even in the crazy world of football that strike me as mental.

I was wondering this too. Where's the dosh coming from?

[Rowls]

I was wondering this too. Where's the dosh coming from?

The Magical Marvellous Footballful Dosh Bush

[jrgbfc]

Moving to the Ricoh ripped the heart out of the club, similar to West Ham leaving Upton Park. Wasn't the Ricoh part of the failed 2006 World Cup bid as well? That may have put extra pressure on the club.

[ElectroClaret]

The Magical Marvellous Footballful Dosh Bush

Well, that's as good as anywhere in this bat-sh1t barmy
financial football world.

[Claretforever]

It must have benefitted the owners to move the club from Highfield Road? I can’t see another reason as the ground was about the right size for them (24,000?), and was similar to the Turf in some ways. I’m sure angry Coventry fans could explain what went on.

I think one of the issues with the Ricoh, as well as it being on the edge of town and slightly too big for them, was that they made no money from match days other than gate receipts. The kiosks were, I believe, owned by Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL). So a loss of that important revenue stream, coupled with the fact they had to pay rent, meant being outside the Premier League made it hard for them to compete.

[gawthorpe_view]

Is their goal keeper that lad that went Burnley College? Played in the Shadow squad or whatever it’s called

Yes, Marko Marosi.

16 appearances for Barnoldswick Town before Roberto Martinez signed him for Wigan Athletic.

[ClaretTony]

It was very cold the first time we played at the Ricoh but hasn’t been since.

One hell of a lot gone on at Coventry in these last few years with the owners.

[jollyjack]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46324069

Moved on already from this article with the St Andrews share and plans for the new arena.

EFL looking at the deals to sell stadia to owners of Sheff Wed and Derby. Legal wranglings over Wigan and Macclesfield.

League Two and Championship issues to be decided in the courts. All pretty depressing really.

[Chester Perry]

The Magical Marvellous Footballful Dosh Bush

There is a thread opportunity for such a title methinks

[JohnMac]

I'm almost certain they didn't get any of the Matchday revenue from Bar and Catering at the Richo so were paying lots out and getting very little in.

Highfield Road was a cracking ground with bags of character and atmosphere.

[Corky]

Corky I think you've missed the point somewhat. I wasn't saying it was perfect far from it however it really does seem a strange decision to move to the Ricoh Arena in the first place with nothing to protect them from the current situation. I should imagine it would be like us moving to network 65 business park into a stadium and start paying rent. Did they own the stadium when they moved in?

Well you did ask the question. Even put a question mark at the end of the sentence. And although my comment was an actual fact I was trying, and clearly failing, to be humorous. Well, in my head anyway

[bodge]

Is Michael Mifsud still up front ?

[aggi]

It was a weird one was Coventry and the Ricoh.

Highfield Rd was pretty knackered and the costs to update it would have been pretty significant from what I remember.

The Ricoh was owned by Coventry Council and a charity so may have been viewed as a low risk option but as others have said the deal they had didn't give them the rights to matchday revenue which led to the dispute and them moving out (although surely that must have been obvious when they signed the contract).

For scale, at about the same time Burnley had sold Turf Moor and the rent we were paying (plus getting full matchday revenue) was about a third of the rent that Coventry were paying for the Ricoh.