The EFL has announced its agreement that Coventry can groundshare with Birmingham City next season.
The EFL statement said: ‘it remains firmly of the view that its Member Clubs should play in the towns and cities from which they take their name,’ but added it was placed in ‘an unenviable position and as a result, it has reluctantly agreed to a ground-share option at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium for 2019/20.’
The EFL also said: ‘This is a decision that has not been taken lightly, and it is regrettable that the parties involved have been unable to find a suitable and sensible solution. The EFL Board calls on all parties to resolve this matter at the earliest convenience for the benefit of the City of Coventry, the Club and people living in the local community,’ but makes no mention of the club’s long-suffering supporters.
The statement followed the announcement but Coventry City confirming the groundshare which stated the club felt it was a very sad day ‘for Coventry City Football Club, the City of Coventry, Coventrians and most importantly Sky Blues supporters.’
In a statement that hinted at the ongoing animosity between the parties involved they added what the Ricoh Stadium landlords asked of the club’s owners as tenants was ‘undeliverable’ and stated the club felt the landlords were ‘fully aware of this.’
The Ricoh Arena is owned by rugby club Wasps, whose purchase of the stadium from Coventry City Council in 2014 has been the subject of repeated and increasingly bitter legal challenges by the Sky Blues owners Sisu.
Negotiations over an extension of a tenancy have broken down, and the club’s owners have moved to do a deal with Birmingham City to ensure the club can fulfil its fixtures next season.
The statement by the EFL provoked an angry response from many Coventry City fans and supporters of other clubs on social media.
Widely accused of a climbdown and impotence on the issue, after previously stating the club must play its games in Coventry, the governing body not surprisingly comes in for heavy criticism for its role in what many fans feel is a sorry and shameful saga.
Here is a selection of their responses on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/deantc84/status/1136961395650699264
Where was all the safeguarding to make sure this didn't happen again after Sixfields? You as an organisation are not fit for purpose.
— Matt Partridge (@partridge1971) June 7, 2019
https://twitter.com/TheBluestStar/status/1136966230475251713
This is your doing, too. Absolute shambles of an organisation.
— Liam Murphy (@LiamMurphyy02) June 7, 2019
Absolute disgrace for letting this happen. 😡😡😡
— Si Dixon (@skybluedicko) June 7, 2019
You as an organisation are not fit for purpose and are letting this sort of thing happen up and down the country while the bigger clubs get richer and your fat cats get large salaries they do nothing for.
— Jay Stuart (@SkyBlueJay) June 7, 2019
So basically after all the threats of expulsion, and all of the bluster of insisting a club play within their own city, you've caved in. Which of course SISU knew you would. Pathetic governance of the game.
— Martin Baker (@ytfcbadger) June 7, 2019
You are a total shambles.
Not fit for purpose.
Embarrassing.
Well done @BCFC for being gracious to your neighbours @Coventry_City in their hour of need.
I wish you both the best (until you play us of course).
A #cafc fan.— Smudge (@KBslittlesis) June 7, 2019
EFL doing nothing to protect its members! Complete waste of space
— Ryan Johnston (@CCFCRJ) June 7, 2019
https://twitter.com/foxster1977/status/1136974137900064770
https://twitter.com/YourSweetVenom7/status/1136969389440458753
The EFL are a joke organisation. Birmingham have had their own issues with them this season over FFP. We are the only club punished when at least 5 other clubs have overspent more than us over 3 years. I dread to think the state of the pitch with so many games played on it. Hopefully you can sort out your issues with Wasps ASAP and this doesn’t drag on for years.