Sky Blues call on non-disclosure agreements to be lifted
COVENTRY City owner Joy Seppala has called for all parties to come clean over what really happened during failed talks to return the club to the Ricoh Arena this summer.
Last week it was confirmed that Mark Robins’ side will play at St. Andrew’s after talks over a Coventry return were said to have broken down.
BOSS Mark Robins admits he is “disappointed” Coventry City will not be based in their home town this coming season.
It was announced on Friday that the Sky Blues – who lost 2-0 to Rangers in a pre-season friendly on Saturday night – will again play their home games at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s stadium for the 2020/21 campaign, as they did last term.
City have made clear their desire to play in Coventry, but after failing to strike an agreement with Ricoh Arena owners Wasps Group, they will spend
The Sky Blues told their supporters that an agreement with stadium owners Wasps Group had proven impossible to reach and that, due to an EFL deadline, negotiations had not been completed on time.
CEO Dave Boddy pointed to last summer’s talks, claiming that Wasps Group had insisted on imposing an another season at the home of the Blues.
This time, however, both teams will be in the Championship, after Robins’ side were promoted as title winners.
In the longer-term, the club are working with the University of Warwick on recently announced plans to build a new stadium at a cost of nearly £100m on the university’s main campus, which the Sky Blues would own and be entirely responsible for.
And that means the future does look bright, according to Robins.
“Disappointed not to be playing in Coventry. I think everybody wants that,” he told CWR indemnity clause that he says would have put the future of their very existence under threat. The same clause, he says, proved to be a stumbling block this time around.
Wasps have since appeared to have denied such a clause, claiming that Coventry City walked out on talks, but key details of the conversation are after his side’s defeat at Rangers.
“The owner (Joy Seppala) included, there’s no point having a go at anybody, I think she’s done as much as she possibly could do to get us back there. “We’ve got to get back there. “The way forward was revealed last week.
“If we can get a stadium of our own built, that is a massive thing for this football club.
“Because it’s something which has sadly been missing for a long, long time.
“And it would mean these discussions won’t have to take place anymore, which is the sooner, the better, really.” unable to be revealed by either party due to a non-disclosure agreement.
But Seppala, in an email sent by the club’s owner to the Coventry Telegraph, has now called for the non-disclosure agreement to be waived, saying she will oblige if all other involved parties follow suit. The
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