Coventry City Executive Managing Director Chris Anderson has said that the Butts Park Arena is a really interesting option.
Speaking to the Coventry Observer's Les Red, Mr Anderson said: "We’ve said all along we are considering all options. I’ve only been here since last autumn. I needed to get up to speed and understand what the options are.
“The Butts Park Arena is one of the options that’s come to the fore that we are actively considering for the obvious reasons. The football club needs to be in control of its own destiny when it comes to revenues.
“It could be a really interesting option. It has real potential in a number of ways. It’s important we consider it seriously and consider the conversations.
“What I love about those options is it is such a good location in the city boundary, with the opportunity to link the two sporting clubs together and make sure both have a future.
“This isn’t a takeover of the rugby club by the football club or vice versa, but a partnership and sharing a ground in the city centre. When you go to the Butts Park Arena you can imagine it and see it in your mind’s eye.
“..The Football League have given preliminary approval to the site. They’ve inspected it (as this newspaper revealed last November). They’ve given us a report and they are on board with it.”
Speaking about the Ricoh Arena, he said: “I can confirm we’ve had ongoing conversations with Wasps to understand what the opportunities might be to stay at the Ricoh Arena long term. Those conversations were amicable but ultimately we haven’t arrived at the point where they’ve been able to give us what we need.
“We respect that and understand they are hemmed in by various arrangements they’ve made, and their own business model – the long-term arrangement with Compass and the need to service their bond scheme.
“They are not free to give us what we want. We respect that. For us we have to seriously consider the other option.
“Since I’m new to the town it’s given me a fresh perspective on what’s going on. I think it seems apparent that the arrangement with Wasps owning the Ricoh, and the arrangements they’ve made to make the Ricoh work for them, has made it more difficult for the club to operate because of the constraints put on the football club.”
More on this - http://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/exclusive-interview-ricoh-talks-failing-butts-move-attractive-says-coventry-city-boss/