Port Vale Boss and Cov Kid Offers To Broker Ricoh Deal

Last updated : 13 December 2012 By Covsupport News Service

A Coventry born businessman Norman Smurthwaite has offered to broker a deal to keep Coventry City playing at the Ricoh Arena.

The former Barker Butts Schoolboy and Port Vale owner has offered his services to sort out a deal and told the Coventry Telegraph's Andy Turner: 

“If I had known Coventry were looking seriously I might have looked into it, but I didn’t even know until recently that they hadn’t been paying their rent.

“But £400,000 a year rent is not sustainable for Coventry City for a two or three day a month venue.

"Given the full use of the stadium and the food and beverage then that’s a different proposition, but I understand they haven’t got that.

"i would happily offer my services as a third party mediator. They need someone to bring the two sides together and to negotiate. And that way, at the end of it, I'd be the bad guy who could step away and everyone saves face.

"I can't believe the Council could even contemplate driving Coventry City out of their own ground because I think the repercussions for the Council would be quite unpleasant.

"I don't believe Coventry will leave the Ricoh Arena. There have been lots of city councils, including Stoke On Trent, who have had to put their hand in their pocket and taken some collective action to ensure a community based business/football club like Coventry continues to exist. The Council have got as much as an obligation to do something as the club itself.

"Someone will have to make a commercial decision. It will cost the City of Coventry but the implications if they don't support the biggest icon in the city it will cost the council for a long time to come.

"It would become a park and ride car park, the best in the country. What a waste!"

More on this: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-news/2012/12/13/cov-kid-owner-of-port-vale-offers-to-broker-coventry-city-ricoh-arena-deal-92746-32419540/