EFL postpones Thursday's planned EGM at which clubs were to vote on whether to expel Coventry from league; City issue statement to say talks continuing
Wednesday 24 April 2019 11:04, UK
Coventry are close to agreeing a deal with Wasps Rugby to stay at the Ricoh Arena, Sky Sports News understands.
The English Football League has told SSN that they have postponed Thursday's Extraordinary General Meeting - due to be held at Walsall's Banks's Stadium - at which 72 clubs were to vote on whether to expel Coventry from the league.
City's current Ricoh Arena contract expires at the end of the season and failure to agree a deal could see the club playing home games at Coventry Rugby Club's Butts Park Arena, in a ground-share with Birmingham City, or at another as yet unnamed EFL club.
SSN understands negotiations on a one-year extension to the present deal have reached an advanced stage, with a deal possible this week. The EFL have allowed the two sides a month to agree a deal.
A Coventry statement read: "We have worked closely with Shaun Harvey and the EFL over a long period of time on this matter, and are grateful to the EFL Board for giving us the extra time needed to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion, which would see Coventry City continue to play its fixtures in Coventry.
"We can confirm that Coventry City Football Club has started initial discussions with Wasps Holdings Limited regarding an extension to our current license agreement to play at the Ricoh Arena.
"We can also confirm that a Heads of Terms agreement has been signed to groundshare at an alternative venue. However, the timescales involved with this option means that a deal with Wasps will need to be concluded very quickly, otherwise our option with the alternative venue will be lost.
"We want to conclude this matter as soon as possible, with the continued aim of Coventry City playing at the Ricoh Arena, and will work extremely hard in the next few days to that end."
In a statement, the EFL said: "The EFL has been in regular contact with the Club over an extended period and, over the course of the last seven days, significant progress has been made with a solution believed to have been identified.
"To allow the Club the maximum period of time to finalise appropriate arrangements, the EFL Board has opted to postpone Thursday's EGM and remains hopeful such a meeting will not be required."
