The first Coventry City fans’ demonstration of the year takes place on Saturday aimed at highlighting the need to Get Cov Back To The Ricoh now – whoever owns either.
The rally takes place outside Coventry City Council House at 1pm. All are welcome.
Organisers, the Get Cov Back To The Ricoh fans’ campaign, is urging a united front among the majority of fans who believe all sides should be held to account for the disastrous dispute which led to the Sky Blues playing in Northampton.
Speakers will include fans themselves, and Brian Patton, the former councillor who is standing on a ‘Get Cov Back To The Ricoh’ platform against council leader Ann Lucas in Holbrook in council elections on May 22.
The Get Cov Back To The Ricoh campaign was set up last year to ensure fans’ pressure on ALL sides in the dispute.
It wants to pressurise the council to do more to get the Sky Blues back to the council-owned stadium for next season, before it is too late and the club is lost altogether.
GCBTTR organiser Stuart Cosgrove said: “We welcome all fans and people who care about the club’s future and want to see a Ricoh return next season, regardless or who owns the stadium or the club.
“If you only blame the club’s owners, this demonstration is probably not for you. We are not apologists for Sisu. They have made mistakes and we have publicly criticised them. We have supported other fans groups’ activities.
“But we believe the majority of people believe all sides should shoulder responsibility. Now is the time to hold the council to account, whatever comes from the forthcoming Judicial Review next month, which may or may not move the situation forward.”
“In October, we held a small demonstration at the Council House on a weekday lunchtime. It was never intended as a mass demonstration, but to present one of the largest petitions the council has ever received. The council leader Ann Lucas broke her silence at the council meeting that day and it lead to talks between her and Sisu’s Joy Seppala.
“This will be the first full demonstration during a weekend for us, when more people are available.”
The Get Cov Back To The Ricoh campaign is also calling for all voters to contact candidates including sitting councillors in their wards to ask what they would do to get the Sky Blues back to the Ricoh – and vote against them if they are not satisfied.
Fellow GCBTTR organiser Rob Stevens said: “The council needs to explore all options urgently for returning the club to the Ricoh before it is too late.
“Some fans do not realise the club is on record as saying it would enter into discussions over a leasehold sale of the Ricoh, not just a freehold sale. We would expect any sale to be on reasonable valuations.
“The current strategy of trying to starve Sisu out or expecting them to return as tenants has not worked. It looks likely to go on failing. The council’s economy is losing out too from no longer having the football club.
“While the club’s owners Sisu must take a good part of the responsibility for the dispute, most people accept the football club needs to own its own stadium to obtain vital commercial revenues. The Sky Blues’ future remains in doubt with £7million further losses last year recently announced.
Liquidation remains a threat, whether or not the plan is to build a new stadium in Warwickshire would could take years. The club’s owners have repeatedly said they will not return as tenants, and will not sell the club before acquiring a stadium.
“The council is heavily Labour dominated and the Conservative opposition have supported councilllors’ and council officers’ strategy over the football club. Councillors have also mainly been sworn to secrecy, refusing to speak to fans, voters and taxpayers while hiding behind legal advice.
“There has been a lack of transparency and democratic accountability at Coventry City Council. We do not know how much council taxpayers’ money has been spent of legal and PR fees in the dispute; and our call in December at a council meeting with leader Ann Lucas for an economic impact survey into losing the club was ignored.
“We also want to call the Higgs charity to account and pressurise it to do the right thing in the interests of the club and city.”