GunnersGunners
Wherever we lay our hat...

Wherever we lay our hat...

Russell Webster
Russell Webster
AUG 1, 2025

PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has a range of persistent and distressing symptoms, significantly impacting daily life, including flashbacks, emotional numbing and feeling on edge. Thousands of Coventry fans will be experiencing the full range of them today after the BBC reported that City owner Doug King has asked the Council about permission to build a new 40,000-seater stadium at the Butts (where those rugger buggers play), calling into question whether we can remain at the CBS Arena. It's only four years since we finally got back to Cov after two years playing home games at Birmingham City (and of course one year playing at Northampton Town in 2013/14).

Uncertainty

Unsurprisingly, the Council were not keen which Mr King probably anticipated. The reason for fans' concern is that the Frasers Group who own the ground (and which, as most readers will know, is controlled by Mike Ashley, former owner of Newcastle) have been extremely reluctant to give the Sky Blues long term permission to play at the CBS Arena - the current agreement runs out at the end of the 2027/28 season. City Fans will remember that Mr Ashley previously refused to sell the ground to us.

Under new English Football League (EFL) rules introduced for this season, Championship clubs will be fined ÂŁ10,000 if they do not have at least a 10-year stadium agreement by 19 August. While this might be seen as a minor annoyance, the rule states that the fine would double for each consecutive season without a deal and the EFL would ultimately be able to expel the club from the league if they did not have an agreement covering a whole season.

Clearly the situation is serious enough for Mr King to be looking for alternatives. I've never understood why Mike Ashley didn't want to sell us the ground - it can't be much of an income generator. Unless, of course he has long terms to redevelop the site, the thought of which is certainly putting me on edge.

While three years is a long time in football, it's certainly not very long to find and build a new ground. I always said we should never have left Highfield Road...

While this does throw a little bit of a shadow over the new season, we'll try to ignore it and focus on getting back in the Prem.

Most Read

Home, Sweet Home
Home, Sweet Home
Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the Sky Blues first home game at the Coventry Building Society Arena (then known as the Ricoh, of course). We won 3-0 against QPR who, coincidentally, are the opposition at the CBS this Saturday. That anniversary gives us the chance to celebrate our home. The CBS is a 29,109-seater stadium as well as the other facilities which include a 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft) exhibition hall, hotel and casino. The site is also home to Arena Park Shopping Cent
AUG 21, 2025Russell Webster
Entering the danger time
Entering the danger time
Sky Blue fans will be fairly pleased at our start to the season. Two wins and a draw and looking much more likely to score against Derby County. Worries persist though. On the pitch, we look vulnerable at the back despite playing our first choice defenders. But it may be off the pitch that the main concerns are. We've already raised the spectre of losing our best players in the transfer window before the season is in full swing. Last week brought refreshed worries with a host of clubs (includin
AUG 18, 2025Russell Webster
Experts tip Sky Blues for promotion
Experts tip Sky Blues for promotion
It's the hope that kills you... Hope springs eternal before the start of every season, of course and the Sky Blue Army will be hoping that Coventry can kick on from the near misses in two out of the last three seasons and finally make it back to the promised land. For an extra boost, it's good to see some of the "experts" in the national press tipping City for promotion. Of the five sports writers in the Daily Telegraph putting their predictions down in print, two go for the Sky Blues for auto
AUG 8, 2025Russell Webster
Hull City Reluctant to Sell Coventry City Target Charlie Hughes
Hull City Reluctant to Sell Coventry City Target Charlie Hughes
The bottom line For most clubs and players, transfers are about the financial bottom line. However, fans get upset if players move to their biggest rivals. While transfers between Rangers and Celtic, Man United and Man City remain relatively rare, most fans know that if the move means a profit for the club or a big wage increase, the deal is likely to take place. Even so, managers talk about not wanting to sell to their rivals. Why do I bring this up? Because of the Sky Blues' ongoing "interes
AUG 7, 2025Russell Webster
Assessing the Sky Blues squad ahead of the new season
Assessing the Sky Blues squad ahead of the new season
Feast and famine Well it's August tomorrow, so hopes and fears for the new season are reaching fever pitch (apologies to Nick Hornby). With 9 days to go, has Frankie Lampard strengthened the squad sufficiently to get us back where we belong? In all honesty, it's been a quiet transfer season so far. There have been just three arrivals: we've spent ÂŁ2.2m on Kaine Kessler-Hayden and hoovered up keeper Carl Rushworth on loan from Brighton and left back Miguel Angel Brau on a free from Granada. On
JUL 31, 2025Russell Webster