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Tim Fisher says Coventry City are closing in on deal for new stadium site Sky Blues chief executive expects decision within three weeks - while Brandon speedway site is being sold Share on printShare on email Tim Fisher Coventry City’s boss claims they are closing in on a deal for a new stadium - just as the Brandon speedway site is being sold. Coventry City Holdings Limited chief executive Tim Fisher also said the club was still in commercial negotiations with clubs in the region over sharing a ground outside Coventry while the new stadium is being built. Speaking publicly for the first time in two weeks, Mr Fisher told the Telegraph that Nene Park in Northamptonshire was NOT among groundsharing stadia “on the club’s radar”.
It is thought two or three preferred groundshares are still within the West Midlands . He was responding to renewed Sky Blues fans’ internet speculation over the disused former Kettering Town and Rushton and Diamonds ground - after the Telegraph revealed the League is not insisting the groundshare must be within a 30-mile radius of Coventry , as had been previously speculated. Fans’ rumours about Nene Park were also heightened after reports the electricity had been switched back on by an un-named third party.
On the site for a new stadium, which Mr Fisher hopes would be built within three years, he said: “We’re down to two or three sites in the immediate Coventry area, and we’re going into the final furlong of site negotiations. “It is likely that in two or three weeks, we could be selected as the preferred buyer for one of those sites.
“We’re trying to get a site which meets all the requirements, not just around the first team, but academy too.” The club would have to place a bond with the League of possibly £1million as deposit, to be paid should the new stadium plan fall through at any stage. But some sources contend the League will not insist on advanced plans early on, as insolvency practitioner Brendan Guilfoyle suggested this week - but will instead seek phased evidence of deliverability over months and years. Mick Horton Jeff Davies Meanwhile, property agent GVA, based in Birmingham, said it had received final offers from shortlisted buyers of Brandon stadium, home of Coventry Bees.
GVA’s Andrew Moss and Mr Fisher refused to say if Coventry City was among them. Mr Moss added: “Within the next two weeks, I’d like to think we will have identified a preferred purchaser.” He said any final sale would be concluded in “due diligence” talks with stadium owner Avtar Sandhu, which could include any ongoing challenge to the site’s ownership by HM Revenue and Customs. Coventry Bees speedway owner Mick Horton has stated he recently signed a new four-year deal to use Brandon for speedway. The venue’s greyhound racing lease is also reported to be long-term.
Mr Horton has also claimed the infrastructure and road network around the Brandon site would make a football stadium a non-runner. On ground-sharing arrangements, Mr Fisher said: “It’s not Nene Park. It’s not been on our radar for consideration. “We’re trying to keep within the realms of credibility. I don’t believe it’s a credible option. “We’re continuing to work with the Football League and the police to come up with a solution that works for all parties. “Any possible stadium for a ground-share has got to accommodate do-able travel time for fans, a minimum standard in terms of facilities and a minimum capacity of around 10,000 or more.” He added: “We have been consulting with the Football League on this ever since it first became clear that Arena Coventry Limited might prevent us from continuing to play at the Ricoh.”
Some sources claim the League is prepared to be flexible in a process of elimination, should several clubs reject groundsharing approaches by Coventry City - including over distance from Coventry. It is not known if Walsall’s Banks’s stadium remains an option - after its team manager Dean Smith spoke out against the plan , saying it would destroy the pitch. Hedge fund Sisu-owed Coventry City Holdings’ parent company Otium Entertainment Group Ltd - in which Mr Fisher is a director - has been selected as preferred buyer for the company in administration , Coventry City Football Club Limited. As the Telegraph reported yesterday , the League is awaiting the administration process - including a creditors’ meeting provisionally expected around July 15 - before deciding whether or not to transfer the “golden share” right to play in the league to Otium, or a related company. ACL has offered to administrator Paul Appleton for home matches to be played at the Ricoh rent free , on a matchday costs only basis - for as long as the club remains in administration.
It is thought two or three preferred groundshares are still within the West Midlands . He was responding to renewed Sky Blues fans’ internet speculation over the disused former Kettering Town and Rushton and Diamonds ground - after the Telegraph revealed the League is not insisting the groundshare must be within a 30-mile radius of Coventry , as had been previously speculated. Fans’ rumours about Nene Park were also heightened after reports the electricity had been switched back on by an un-named third party.
On the site for a new stadium, which Mr Fisher hopes would be built within three years, he said: “We’re down to two or three sites in the immediate Coventry area, and we’re going into the final furlong of site negotiations. “It is likely that in two or three weeks, we could be selected as the preferred buyer for one of those sites.
“We’re trying to get a site which meets all the requirements, not just around the first team, but academy too.” The club would have to place a bond with the League of possibly £1million as deposit, to be paid should the new stadium plan fall through at any stage. But some sources contend the League will not insist on advanced plans early on, as insolvency practitioner Brendan Guilfoyle suggested this week - but will instead seek phased evidence of deliverability over months and years. Mick Horton Jeff Davies Meanwhile, property agent GVA, based in Birmingham, said it had received final offers from shortlisted buyers of Brandon stadium, home of Coventry Bees.
GVA’s Andrew Moss and Mr Fisher refused to say if Coventry City was among them. Mr Moss added: “Within the next two weeks, I’d like to think we will have identified a preferred purchaser.” He said any final sale would be concluded in “due diligence” talks with stadium owner Avtar Sandhu, which could include any ongoing challenge to the site’s ownership by HM Revenue and Customs. Coventry Bees speedway owner Mick Horton has stated he recently signed a new four-year deal to use Brandon for speedway. The venue’s greyhound racing lease is also reported to be long-term.
Mr Horton has also claimed the infrastructure and road network around the Brandon site would make a football stadium a non-runner. On ground-sharing arrangements, Mr Fisher said: “It’s not Nene Park. It’s not been on our radar for consideration. “We’re trying to keep within the realms of credibility. I don’t believe it’s a credible option. “We’re continuing to work with the Football League and the police to come up with a solution that works for all parties. “Any possible stadium for a ground-share has got to accommodate do-able travel time for fans, a minimum standard in terms of facilities and a minimum capacity of around 10,000 or more.” He added: “We have been consulting with the Football League on this ever since it first became clear that Arena Coventry Limited might prevent us from continuing to play at the Ricoh.”
Some sources claim the League is prepared to be flexible in a process of elimination, should several clubs reject groundsharing approaches by Coventry City - including over distance from Coventry. It is not known if Walsall’s Banks’s stadium remains an option - after its team manager Dean Smith spoke out against the plan , saying it would destroy the pitch. Hedge fund Sisu-owed Coventry City Holdings’ parent company Otium Entertainment Group Ltd - in which Mr Fisher is a director - has been selected as preferred buyer for the company in administration , Coventry City Football Club Limited. As the Telegraph reported yesterday , the League is awaiting the administration process - including a creditors’ meeting provisionally expected around July 15 - before deciding whether or not to transfer the “golden share” right to play in the league to Otium, or a related company. ACL has offered to administrator Paul Appleton for home matches to be played at the Ricoh rent free , on a matchday costs only basis - for as long as the club remains in administration.
