League One side Coventry City will return to the Ricoh
Arena "for the first time in over a year as they welcome Gillingham in Friday's Sky Bet League One clash," according to SKY SPORTS. More than 20,000 fans are expected to "turn out for the club's first appearance at
the stadium since they were forced to play elsewhere after a rent
dispute with stadium owners Arena Coventry Limited" in May '13. ACL Chair Chris Robinson said that "preparations are well under way for the clubs highly anticipated return." Robinson: "It's been a little bit dusty without the fans for the last year but they should find it in pretty good condition on Friday night" (SKY SPORTS, 9/3). In Coventry, Simon Gilbert reported the team has "announced plans to put 1,000 more tickets on sale for the club's first game back at the Ricoh Arena." The club has said that it will "make the tickets available after approval from the Safety Advisory Group to open up more seats in the South Stand." Tickets in Block 11, which holds just more than 1,000 supporters, will be put
up for sale at 9:30am on Thursday -- "but will only be available to
purchase in person at the CCFC Superstore in the Gallagher Retail Park."
They will "not be available online or over the phone" (COVENTRY TELEGRAPH, 9/3). Also in Coventry, Matthew Bates reported "Coventry's economy will get a much-needed boost from the Sky Blues return to the Ricoh Arena, it has been claimed." The north of the city could "especially benefit with extra spending in
nearby clubs and shops, on transport and car parking and at the stadium
itself." One social club member said that his venue was "just weeks
away from closure after missing out" on £25,000 ($41,150) in "beer takings alone
during the Sky Blues' exodus in Northampton last season." Another club said that it missed out on around £20,000 ($32,900) and had "only
managed to survive because its bowling green helped to bump up takings." R.A.O.B Club steward Richard Foreward said, "We were on the brink of closure -- just a few weeks away from
shutting the doors. This has given us a second chance and hopefully they can stay up at the Ricoh this time" (COVENTRY OBSERVER, 8/28).
