Coventry City FC CAN kick off the new season at the Ricoh – without any cost or risk to owners sisu.
The Keep Cov in Cov Campaign Group (kcic) have offered to pay the rent at the Ricoh for the next one, two or even three seasons, in order to get the Sky Blues back to Coventry.
kcic coordinator, Michael Orton, said: “Everyone we talk to just wants the Sky Blues to return home but there is no sign of any movement at all. Many fans are giving up on CCFC and we are losing the next generation of supporters. Something has got to change so we have put together a plan that allows us to return to the Ricoh at no cost or risk to sisu”.
The offer made by kcic to sisu is to pay rent and associated match day costs. Only if crowds are over 5,000, more than double the average attendance for Sky Blues games at Northampton Town FC last season, will reimbursement be sought, meaning there is absolutely no financial risk to SISU. Even if no fans at all turned up for a City game back at the Ricoh, it would not cost sisu a penny. Finance is in place and proof of funds will be immediately available to sisu, if sisu say they will take up the offer.
kcic wrote to sisu earlier this week (the letter is copied below) and, given the urgent need to prepare for the new season, asked sisu to reply within 48 hours. No response has been received from sisu so the offer is now being made public in order that fans are aware of the situation.
In terms of how the offer has come about, Michael explained: “kcic operates through an informal but very large network of City fans. People help out in a hundred and one different ways and this plan has developed in exactly the same way as all our other initiatives. What all those involved with kcic have in common is we are City fans and we just want to see the Sky Blues back at the Ricoh”.
Many fans are also worried that sisu may decide to liquidate the Club so separate to the offer to pay rent and match day costs for up to three years, kcic has made an offer to purchase the Club. CCFC has been described as a worthless, debt-ridden liability with no financial value at all. But fans are so concerned with the situation that kcic has made an offer to buy the Club for £50,000 plus a symbolic £1987 (reflecting the year City won the FA Cup) and an additional 35 pence, a reference to the distance from Coventry to Northampton Town.
Michael added: “The key point is that our first home League game of the season against Sheffield United on 16 August, and the Capital One Cup home tie against Cardiff City the same week, can both kick off at the Ricoh without any cost or risk to sisu at all. We desperately hope sisu will respond positively”.
Note: The offer to sisu was made in a letter from kcic dispatched on Tuesday 17 June. The Royal Mail tracking system shows the letter was received at 8.36am on Wednesday 18 June.