You couldn’t make it up

When we suggested that Coventry City might start playing games at Rushden and Diamonds’ old ground in Northamptonshire, we meant it as a joke and also as a means of illustrating the limited number of viable alternatives to the Ricoh.

When we suggested that Coventry City might start playing games at Rushden and Diamonds’ old ground in Northamptonshire, we meant it as a joke and also as a means of illustrating the limited number of viable alternatives to the Ricoh.

Now it appears that the option is being given serious consideration by the Sky Blues.   Admittedly, Nene Park is a modern stadium of League 1 standard and it is available since Kettering Town vacated it.  But it’s a ninety mile round trip from Coventry to Irthlinborough.

ACL, the operators of the Ricoh, have made a new offer to Coventry City which represents a substantial concession on their part.   They are prepared to reduce the rent from £1.28m to £400,000 a year and allow the club to retain match day revenues.   They would also allow the club ten years to pay off what they owe.

This suggests that ACL are desperate to keep the Sky Blues at the Ricoh which would look rather odd without a football club playing in it.   However, the deal doesn’t appear to be good enough for Sisu. Admittedly, the rent would still be well above what is normally paid for a League 1 ground, but then the Ricoh Arena is no ordinary stadium.