[Football] Coventry New Stadium

[Iggle Piggle]

It's really the University of Warwickshire like we have thhe University of Sussex on the edge of Brighton.

PG (Warwick 81-85).

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Definitely NOT a Cov Poly student then?

 

[Simster]

Insane that they can't share the current one. No problems sharing with rugby teams these days. Not with the advanced grassing systems.

I'm sure they could, if SISU would pay the rent asked, but they fell out with the original stadium owners over rent payment and then fell out with Wasps when they took over. Who knows if they were reasonable demands.

What I find interesting is that Coventry supporters on twitter appear to be behind SISU these days. I've not really seen a fan base turn from outright hatred to genuine respect before now...

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'm sure they could, if SISU would pay the rent asked, but they fell out with the original stadium owners over rent payment and then fell out with Wasps when they took over. Who knows if they were reasonable demands.

What I find interesting is that Coventry supporters on twitter appear to be behind SISU these days. I've not really seen a fan base turn from outright hatred to genuine respect before now...

Wasps really, REALLY don't want them there, is my impression from dealings with them.

 

[Simster]

Wasps really, REALLY don't want them there, is my impression from dealings with them.

Interesting, I wonder why that is the case?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Interesting, I wonder why that is the case?

Not sure really - I'm sure there is money to be made (or saved) by having a tenant.

I think its about Wasps own insecurities from years of being tenants themselves. They were desperate to get their hands on the ground for years, and as soon as they could they've eradicated all trace of the football club, in terms of signage, suite names, branding, etc. Not sure if they've finished the (wasteful) process of swapping out all the sky blue seats for yellow ones, yet.

The only Cov thing left at the whole place, I think, is the statue of Jimmy Hill - hopeful they will be allowed to relocate that to the new ground in time - not much point him standing there being ignored by a load of franchise rugger buggers.

 

[Simster]

Not sure really - I'm sure there is money to be made (or saved) by having a tenant.

I think its about Wasps own insecurities from years of being tenants themselves. They were desperate to get their hands on the ground for years, and as soon as they could they've eradicated all trace of the football club, in terms of signage, suite names, branding, etc. Not sure if they've finished the (wasteful) process of swapping out all the sky blue seats for yellow ones, yet.

The only Cov thing left at the whole place, I think, is the statue of Jimmy Hill - hopeful they will be allowed to relocate that to the new ground in time - not much point him standing there being ignored by a load of franchise rugger buggers.

Cov fans also had memorial stones in place at the Ricoh, much like we have. It's pretty shit that they're going have to take those with them too.


As for Wasps, say what you like but their average gates have been excellent since the move:

2014–15 19,911
2015–16 15,051
2016–17 18,096
2017–18 17,904
2018–19 16,161

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Cov fans also had memorial stones in place at the Ricoh, much like we have. It's pretty shit that they're going have to take those with them too.


As for Wasps, say what you like but their average gates have been excellent since the move:

2014–15 19,911
2015–16 15,051
2016–17 18,096
2017–18 17,904
2018–19 16,161

I will - I'll say that I HATE the use of a franchise model, in UK sport. Coventry has its own (Championship / second tier) rugby club, that has been shafted by the arrival of (London) Wasps.

 

[Barrow Boy]

Always had a soft spot for Coventry going right back to our time in the old First Division, remember them as always being an attacking team and those glorious brown away shirts. Their fans have been through the mill over the last 20 years, so good luck to them.

 

[Official Old Man]

Why would you put a football stadium next to a university?!

Cheap labour for the bars and restaurants.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Cov fans also had memorial stones in place at the Ricoh, much like we have. It's pretty shit that they're going have to take those with them too.


As for Wasps, say what you like but their average gates have been excellent since the move:

2014–15 19,911
2015–16 15,051
2016–17 18,096
2017–18 17,904
2018–19 16,161

The Wasps move has been an immense success. The club themselves have done all the right things. Free Buses from local boozers to the ground, Wasps Players doing the rounds in local rugby clubs & gyms with free tickets for kids in scout groups, rugby clubs and the like. I go to the odd game and all I have to do is fall into my local pub. The ground itself has local beers on (which were shut when Cov were playing) and has kept the Sky blue seats for now.

The Cov ground move is generally seen as pie in the sky. No-one I've spoken to today reckons it will happen. SISU are still untrusted.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

Insane that they can't share the current one. No problems sharing with rugby teams these days. Not with the advanced grassing systems.

Didn't the Ricoh Arena originally belong to Coventry City? I thought they built it. I don't know what the process was that led to Wasps moving there. They were called London Wasps for a while, and were supposed to be going to share Brentford's new ground (mind you, I suppose Harlequins might move there at some point and sell the Stoop for housing). Also, with all the furore around MK Dons and the franchising of football, I'm surprised there wasn't the same controversy among rugby fans - it's the equivalent thing. I suppose, though, that Wasps didn't have the same tie to Sudbury as Wimbledon did to their local area, having already moved in with QPR and Wycombe Wanderers.

Saying all that, I can't understand why they got rid of Highfield Road. Sure, it wasn't in the nicest area of Coventry, but it was fairly easy to access by train, and there wasn't much wrong with the ground. They had built a new stand in the early 1990s and refurbished the other ones.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

The Wasps move has been an immense success. The club themselves have done all the right things. Free Buses from local boozers to the ground, Wasps Players doing the rounds in local rugby clubs & gyms with free tickets for kids in scout groups, rugby clubs and the like. I go to the odd game and all I have to do is fall into my local pub. The ground itself has local beers on (which were shut when Cov were playing) and has kept the Sky blue seats for now.

The Cov ground move is generally seen as pie in the sky. No-one I've spoken to today reckons it will happen. SISU are still untrusted.

Wasps are as bad as mk dons. To think these were the twats that decided to brand themselves as London Wasps, as if they were the only team in London. Tosses!

Coventry Rugby club helped us (Cov poly rfc) with facilities and coaching. Lovely club which is more than you can say for wasps.


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[MattBackHome]

I remember going to an event at the Ricoh back before Falmer was won and thinking that if we had anything like that I'd be over the moon. It seemed like a (sorry) pipedream.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Didn't the Ricoh Arena originally belong to Coventry City? I thought they built it. I don't know what the process was that led to Wasps moving there. They were called London Wasps for a while, and were supposed to be going to share Brentford's new ground (mind you, I suppose Harlequins might move there at some point and sell the Stoop for housing). Also, with all the furore around MK Dons and the franchising of football, I'm surprised there wasn't the same controversy among rugby fans - it's the equivalent thing. I suppose, though, that Wasps didn't have the same tie to Sudbury as Wimbledon did to their local area, having already moved in with QPR and Wycombe Wanderers.

Saying all that, I can't understand why they got rid of Highfield Road. Sure, it wasn't in the nicest area of Coventry, but it was fairly easy to access by train, and there wasn't much wrong with the ground. They had built a new stand in the early 1990s and refurbished the other ones.

The council and the Higgs trust owned it. Whilst well meaning, the Higgs trust tends to make a dogs dinner of anything it gets involved in.
After SISU refused to pay the rent to the Ricoh and moved to Northampton for a season, they sold it to Wasps
Wasps now own it. As HKFC mentions above, they'd probably like to see the back of the football club but are nervous of the bad local press having launched a charm offensive ever since they got here.

Highfield road was a great old fashioned ground. The Ricoh is mournful in comparison

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Didn't the Ricoh Arena originally belong to Coventry City? I thought they built it. I don't know what the process was that led to Wasps moving there. They were called London Wasps for a while, and were supposed to be going to share Brentford's new ground (mind you, I suppose Harlequins might move there at some point and sell the Stoop for housing). Also, with all the furore around MK Dons and the franchising of football, I'm surprised there wasn't the same controversy among rugby fans - it's the equivalent thing. I suppose, though, that Wasps didn't have the same tie to Sudbury as Wimbledon did to their local area, having already moved in with QPR and Wycombe Wanderers.

Saying all that, I can't understand why they got rid of Highfield Road. Sure, it wasn't in the nicest area of Coventry, but it was fairly easy to access by train, and there wasn't much wrong with the ground. They had built a new stand in the early 1990s and refurbished the other ones.

No - Coventry never owned the Ricoh. It was owned by the council (sort of - through the Alan Higgs charitable trust)

Wasps were never going to be tenants at the new Brentford ground - London Irish are.

 

[Eeyore]

Didn't the Ricoh Arena originally belong to Coventry City? I thought they built it. I don't know what the process was that led to Wasps moving there. They were called London Wasps for a while, and were supposed to be going to share Brentford's new ground (mind you, I suppose Harlequins might move there at some point and sell the Stoop for housing). Also, with all the furore around MK Dons and the franchising of football, I'm surprised there wasn't the same controversy among rugby fans - it's the equivalent thing. I suppose, though, that Wasps didn't have the same tie to Sudbury as Wimbledon did to their local area, having already moved in with QPR and Wycombe Wanderers.

Saying all that, I can't understand why they got rid of Highfield Road. Sure, it wasn't in the nicest area of Coventry, but it was fairly easy to access by train, and there wasn't much wrong with the ground. They had built a new stand in the early 1990s and refurbished the other ones.

Could make sense. But being a huge Quins fan I'd rather we remain at The Stoop.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Wasps are as bad as mk dons. To think these were the twats that decided to brand themselves as London Wasps, as if they were the only team in London. Tosses!

Coventry Rugby club helped us (Cov poly rfc) with facilities and coaching. Lovely club which is more than you can say for wasps.


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I live in Kenilworth. The locals that have lived here since school believe that Coventry RFC have been shafted and many Cov City fans have no love for Wasps either. The town though has a high volume of people who have moved in from elsewhere - myself included - whose support wasps have hovered up by giving them something to do on a weekend. By laying on free transport, giving free stuff to kids & laying on a charm offensive everywhere they go they have picked up a healthy regular fan base. Like or loath franchising, they have done it very well. Imagine going to your local pub, buying an Albion ticket and being transported door to door with Trossard and Maupay occasionally showing up for football training with the kids and photo opportunities. That's how they operate.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

No - Coventry never owned the Ricoh. It was owned by the council (sort of - through the Alan Higgs charitable trust)

Wasps were never going to be tenants at the new Brentford ground - London Irish are.

Oh right, I must have got the two mixed up, as London Irish were at the Madjeski Stadium (they presumably still are). I suppose Wasps must have gained loads of new fans in the Midlands, but then territorial loyalty isn't as strong in rugby as in football, with obvious exceptions such as Gloucester, and many of them will just be going because they want to see a rugby game. I seem to remember that Wasps and Leicester were great rivals (rugby fans correct me if I'm wrong - the obvious rivals for Leicester would be Northampton), and if that's the case they are now only 20 miles apart.

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

I live in Kenilworth. The locals that have lived here since school believe that Coventry RFC have been shafted and many Cov City fans have no love for Wasps either. The town though has a high volume of people who have moved in from elsewhere - myself included - whose support wasps have hovered up by giving them something to do on a weekend. By laying on free transport, giving free stuff to kids & laying on a charm offensive everywhere they go they have picked up a healthy regular fan base. Like or loath franchising, they have done it very well. Imagine going to your local pub, buying an Albion ticket and being transported door to door with Trossard and Maupay occasionally showing up for football training with the kids and photo opportunities. That's how they operate.

One word .... ********


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[atfc village]

Didn't the Ricoh Arena originally belong to Coventry City? I thought they built it. I don't know what the process was that led to Wasps moving there. They were called London Wasps for a while, and were supposed to be going to share Brentford's new ground (mind you, I suppose Harlequins might move there at some point and sell the Stoop for housing). Also, with all the furore around MK Dons and the franchising of football, I'm surprised there wasn't the same controversy among rugby fans - it's the equivalent thing. I suppose, though, that Wasps didn't have the same tie to Sudbury as Wimbledon did to their local area, having already moved in with QPR and Wycombe Wanderers.

Saying all that, I can't understand why they got rid of Highfield Road. Sure, it wasn't in the nicest area of Coventry, but it was fairly easy to access by train, and there wasn't much wrong with the ground. They had built a new stand in the early 1990s and refurbished the other ones.

London Irish playing at Brentford ,even Irish club colour seats.