Coventry City

by Simon Gilbert

  ‘You can trace mistakes back to 1995 – basically it was slovenly long before Sisu came on the scene.

  ‘The problems started the day they left Highfield Road, so we need to get our own stadium so that all revenues generated will go to the football team.’

  He later told fans, in a tongue-in-cheek fashion: ‘They should put a statue of Joy Seppala outside the ground for the £45m she has put into the club.’

  He later pointed to the conduct of ACL during the administration process as another reason why the club could not stay at the Ricoh Arena.

  Speaking shortly after the Creditors Voluntary Agreement had been rejected by ACL, he said: ‘We can now get on and put our future plans into action, which means building and owning our own stadium in the Coventry area.

  ‘It has been a very difficult time but Coventry City Football Club moves forward.

  ‘Surely the events of the last few days and the abuse of the administration process highlight that the club had been left with very little room for manoeuvre.

  ‘Indeed, I am sure that all the fans are aware that the very reason ACL stated for filing for administration in the first place was to avoid liquidation and a points deduction this season.

  ‘Liquidation is exactly what they pushed for and succeeded in getting today.’

  The hunt for the new stadium was on, but trying to uncover details about it and where it would be was not easy. In fact, it felt at times as if it would have been easier to prove the existence of unicorns. The new stadium, of course, was never built. Some doubt it ever really existed other than in the minds of certain club/Sisu officials.

  Having investigated this matter more thoroughly than any other media outlet, I have to say there has never been any solid proof for its existence.

  I would accept that there may have been a desire to build a new ground at a very early stage. But it appears to me that at some point this became little more than a negotiating tool and was simply posturing by club officials and Sisu.

  It is impossible to definitively prove that something doesn’t exist. All you can do is provide as much evidence as possible and allow people to make informed decisions – and so that’s what I dedicated my investigative journalism skills to after arriving at the Coventry Telegraph in July 2013.

  Obviously we know the stadium was never built.

  But let’s look at some of the developments and rumours which have emerged to date in relation to the new stadium project.

  In May 2013, Coventry City had appointed property agents CBRE, who said a deal for stadium land was likely to be ‘weeks away’. The firm said it had been instructed to secure a deal to pave the way for firm stadium proposals to go to the Football League the following month.

  A CBRE spokesman told the Coventry Telegraph: ‘CBRE is advising Sisu, owner of Coventry City Football Club, on the club’s proposed relocation.

  ‘The firm has been working on finding a site for a new stadium within the Coventry area and is close to agreeing a land deal.

  ‘This will secure the future of the club going forward, providing first-class new facilities for the team, fans and the local community. Proposals will go before the Football League in June.’

  Mr Fisher said he expected a purchase to be completed within ‘three to four weeks’ but still refused to name the site, which he insisted had moved to a second round of bidding. He also declined to identify back-up sites, saying they must remain confidential for commercial reasons.

  In July 2013, it was reported that the football club had signed a provisional agreement to purchase land in Brandon, although no official confirmation or evidence of this deal has ever emerged. The land in question was the area occupied by Coventry Stadium – the home of the Coventry Bees speedway team. Quite what any deal would have meant for the speedway team had it been completed was never made clear.

  However, no deal was ever completed by the football club and the land was eventually sold off with a view to building housing on the site – although the battle to save the home of Coventry Bees continues to this day.

  Apparent problems with the Brandon deal appeared to prompt a slight shift in position from club officials. Having previously said the club would never play at the Ricoh Arena again, Mr Fisher now said a return might be possible – if ownership was on the table. There was also a subtle change in the timeline for the new stadium construction up from three years to ‘three to five years’.

  In August 2013, shortly after the club had begun to play ‘home matches’ at Sixfields (which we will cover in the coming chapters), he told the Coventry Telegraph: ‘The club was expecting the council to consider whether it wished to renew discussions on the basis on a transaction, but no response has been received.

  ‘The club simply needs all the revenue which comes from owning its own stadium.’

  In response to scepticism from fans over the project, he added: ‘If we say we’re going to build a stadium, then we will. We have provided clear evidence to the league on our ability to deliver on those plans. It’s not, and never will be, our intention to mislead, filibuster or posture.

  ‘Overall, our primary objective was to fulfil our fixtures with a ground-share. People questioned whether we would proceed. We’ve done that.

  ‘Our second objective is to develop a site to capture all the revenues from stadium.’

  As the end of 2013 approached, other sites apparently considered by the football club appeared to be ruled out by owners – including land owned by Coventry University and Warwick University.

  The owners of the former Peugeot factory site in Ryton also said no approach had been made, as did landowners at Ansty Park.

  But CBRE insisted plans were still being progressed.

  In a statement released in September 2013, it said: ‘We are continuing to work closely with the club to find a suitable location, with four potential sites currently being considered, one of which we have agreed terms on, and this continues to progress well.

  ‘Due diligence on the site is likely to take a further four weeks.

  ‘As previously confirmed, we have short-listed a handful of sites, all of which are within six miles of Coventry city centre.

  ‘Remaining close to the club’s fanbase is one of the key drivers in the site selection process. Vectos, appointed transport consultants on the project, are looking at each of the sites to ensure they will be easily accessible to the fans.

  ‘Likewise, we are working closely with the other advisers on the project, including planners [Turleys] and architects [AFLS+P], to ensure its ultimate deliverability.

  ‘Otium has invested significant financial resources in the project to date and continue to do so to ensure expedient completion of the stadium within the Coventry area.

  ‘Those sites which we are currently in discussions on are commercially sensitive and it would not be appropriate to release this information at the current time.

  ‘CBRE is providing regular updates to the Football League as part of the process.’

  Sisu chief executive Joy Seppala even waded in to add weight to the new stadium plans. Later that month, she took part in an interview with the Coventry Telegraph.

  She said: ‘Plan A is building a new stadium. There is something very exciting about building something that is a new beginning. It feels like the club is at a new beginning.

  ‘The business side is operationally in a good place. Tim Fisher’s done a good job. The football side is going well.

  ‘What’s exciting is being involved in the beginning to the end of building something like that, from purchasing land to planning permission to the designs for the stadium. Building it is exciting, different and new.

  ‘Things have moved on since the Ricoh. The ability to expand [as the club grows] is exciting. We can start smaller and then build around it, whether or not it’s a multi-purpose sports stadium.

  ‘We could have various sporting events there from a business model perspective and develop around it, whether it’s retai
l, restaurants or homes. There is a lot of flexibility in how we develop it. It’s something we would relish. It’s a dream.’

  She added: ‘Most councils would love the idea of having a football club, given the economic impact it has.

  ‘The new stadium will be close to Coventry but not in the jurisdiction of Coventry City Council. We met the Football League in January and discussed where it should be and what it should be.

  ‘Instinctively, it would not cross my mind to have it within Coventry City Council’s boundary given the history, histrionics and the issue of freehold ownership.

  ‘I am not concerned about the funding of a stadium. I’m reasonably comfortable that won’t be an issue.

  ‘I have got people who are more than happy to fund that. I’m having discussions all the time with investors.’

  But, with an apparent lack of public progress over the new stadium, fans continued to question whether the new stadium plans were an idea based in reality.

  In December, as attendances suffered massively following the the club’s move to play ‘home’ games in Northampton, the owners upped the ante with a massive publicity drive for the new stadium.

  Flashy images were unveiled by architects AFLS+P and the club also formed the CCFC Stadium Forum with respected lawyer Sandra Garlick at its helm. The purpose of the group was to allow supporters to have input over what should be included in the new stadium.

  In a statement issued at the time of her appointment, Sandra Garlick said: ‘The purpose of the Stadium Forum is to provide a voice for fans when it comes to the creation of the new ground.

  ‘Having met with members of the Coventry City Football Club board and the owner, I have seen both their enthusiasm and determination to create a new stadium that brings a range of commercial benefits to the club. The board and the owner want the fans to be at the heart of the whole process.

  ‘The benefits to owning a new stadium are not just financial but will also allow the club to offer an even greater community provision to supporters – something which is very close to my heart as a trustee of Sky Blues in the Community. That can mean anything from health and education to social enterprise.

  ‘As a supporter, it has been very difficult to see the club playing outside the region and the new stadium plans are vital in getting Coventry City back in the Coventry area.

  ‘I am also here in a very neutral capacity and have experience in listening to different views and condensing them down into workable recommendations.

  ‘I very much look forward to working with fellow supporters on this project for the lasting benefit of the club, its fans and the community.’

  The CCFC Stadium Forum held its first meeting in January 2014, and I attended. But, in truth, the whole thing seemed utterly bizarre. No stadium site had been identified but a group was set up to debate and decide things such as the colour of carpets and curtains at the new ground.

  The group eventually became a subject of ridicule among many supporters and was ultimately shut down in 2015.

  Accompanying the images, and new stadium talking shop, was a lengthy Q&A about exactly what the new stadium project entailed. It was posted on the CCFC official website and addressed questions such as ‘What is the inspiration behind the outer design?’ and ‘What will the capacity of the stadium be?’

  The Q&A revealed that the project would ideally include first team and academy training facilities on one site and that it would likely be in excess of 50-acres.

  Tim Fisher was quoted as saying: ‘The size of the plot is key given that the stadium build is only phase one of the whole project. For phase two, we will introduce the academy and first-team training facilities. We have a unique opportunity to consolidate all our physical resources on one site.

  ‘The stadium and academy site will also be a community hub and will promote sport, health, education, employment and training, social enterprise and social inclusion for all.’

  He added: ‘The design will be modular in the sense that the stadium capacity will grow as the club becomes more successful. Initially, we are proposing a capacity of 12-13,000. The next stage of the club’s development will see the capacity grow to 15-17,000. We believe that, ultimately, the stadium capacity will target some 21–23,000.

  ‘The first-draft stadium brief also includes ten 12-seat hospitality boxes, one 24-seat hospitality box, a 100-seat silver service restaurant and a 430-seat function room.’

  The comments on relocating the academy to any new site would eventually come back to haunt the club. They were made at a sensitive time, with club and Higgs Centre bosses having agreed the academy could return to the venue just ten days earlier. That agreement followed months of wrangling over maintenance costs following CCFC Ltd entering administration.

  At the time of writing, the academy’s future was in serious doubt with the club’s agreement to remain at the Higgs Centre due to expire in June 2017. Higgs Centre bosses said they had to explore other uses for the site as a direct result of CCFC’s statements about relocating the academy. Whether the academy can continue at the Higgs Centre, or another site, in its current level remained to be seen.

  In December 2013, Coventry City’s chief executive Tim Fisher and the club’s development director were continuing to talk up the new stadium vision.

  Tim Fisher said: ‘We are very pleased and excited to be able to share these initial images with supporters as, ultimately, we want this to be a home the fans can be proud of.

  ‘A great deal of time, effort and investment has gone into bringing the plans to this stage and it has been a real team effort to develop the technical aspects of the stadium.

  ‘We’ve come a long, long way in a very short space of time as we only reconstituted the club in August and are now announcing our plans for the new stadium.

  ‘I understand that the key question on everybody’s lips is, “where is it going to be?” We are working very hard with CBRE to purchase our preferred site and we will, of course, keep supporters informed when that happens.

  ‘At that stage, we can then start to plot a timeline of applying for permission, time it takes to build and when we could open.

  ‘There is still a huge amount of effort required and I would urge supporters to make full use of the stadium forum that has been set up so their views can help to shape how we make this a home for the club and its fans.’

  Steve Waggott added: ‘There are several ingredients for creating a sustainable and successful club and owning your own ground is one of the main ingredients.

  ‘A football club needs to squeeze every penny it possibly can out of its stadium, both on match days and non-match days, in order to be able to invest on the pitch. Owning our own stadium, as well as investing in our academy and youth development, are the key to the long-term future of the club.’

  As we entered 2014, and with so much buzz being created about the new stadium but little sign of obvious progress, I took it upon myself to uncover as much information as possible about where this new stadium would be.

  With public authorities, consultants, the Football League and the club all unwilling, or unable, to reveal which sites were being considered for development, this was easier said than done.

  So I turned to the trusty Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. For those who aren’t au fait with the finer details of geeky investigative journalism techniques, this wonderful piece of legislation allows members of the public to obtain information held by public authorities – in this case councils and government agencies.

  It’s important to clarify exactly what these authorities can and cannot do in relation to FOI requests. They can refuse to provide certain documents if they would breach commercial confidentiality or they can heavily redact information provided. They cannot, however, lie about whether or not they hold certain information.

  To uncover whether, at the very least, discussions about developing a large sporting stadia had been held with relevant parties, I submitted a bunch of Freedom of Inform
ation requests. These were sent to organisations which, according to an independent planning expert, would routinely be consulted ahead of any land deal for a project of this size.

  They included nine local authorities – Coventry, Solihull, Hinckley and Bosworth, North Warwickshire, Warwick, Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Daventry and Stratford councils.

  Also contacted were the Department For Transport/ The Highways Agency, The Environment Agency and The Department for Culture Media and Sport.

  The office of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the police forces in Warwickshire, Leicester, Northampton and the West Midlands were also contacted, along with the University of Warwick and Coventry University.

  All bar Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council denied having contact with any organisation about the development of a large sporting stadium within the previous 18 months.

  Club officials sought to dismiss the findings on the basis that public bodies would not disclose commercially confidential information – but this was incorrect.

  As previously covered, the fact that denials were issued was key as public bodies cannot deliberately mislead in their responses to FOI requests. Had they declined to answer on the basis of commercial confidentiality, that would have been a different matter. But they didn’t. They categorically said there had been no contact in the 18 months up to January 2014.

  Those findings were also backed up by similar subsequent FOI requests from the Sky Blue Trust supporters group.

  Nuneaton and Bedworth did confirm contact but insisted that amounted to a single speculative enquiry.

  Nuneaton council leader Dennis Harvey said: ‘I can confirm that an enquiry has been made by a developer to council officers. However, this was of a very speculative nature and at an early stage.

  ‘Since that initial exploratory contact, we have received no further approach and we are therefore not considering any proposal for any particular location.’

  Eleanor Deeley, of the club’s property consultants CBRE, scrambled to provide me with an explanation for the findings.