dongonzalos
Well-Known Member
Coventry council leader Ann Lucas has issued a fresh invitation for Ricoh Arena talks with Sisu boss Joy Seppala.
The latest plea follows an open letter in the Telegraph from Coun Lucas to Mrs Seppala in July when she offered to meet face-to-face with the head of London-based Coventry City owners Sisu.
The delay in arranging the meeting has been put down to Coventry City Council officials being unaware that the Sisu boss was in the country.
Coun Lucas wants to discuss the Ricoh Arena rent row which has seen the club leave its home city to play home matches 35 miles away in Northampton.
A Coventry City Council spokesman said: “Coun Ann Lucas, leader of Coventry City Council, remains determined to resolve the on-going issues over the Ricoh Arena and Coventry City FC.
“After hearing that Joy Seppala was back in the country earlier this week Coun Lucas wrote to her and again stressed her willingness to meet face to face as soon as possible.
“The letter included Coun Lucas’s contact details. This follows her earlier invitation in July.”
There have been claims that a meeting had been arranged since the letter appeared in the Telegraph on July 30 and that Coun Lucas failed to attend although a meeting attended by Ms Seppala and ACL board members was five days before the letter appeared.
A spokesman for Ms Seppala said: “As the letter from Councillor Lucas requested a private meeting “away from the glare of the media” she will honour that and respond accordingly rather than publicly. And, as ever, if the council has a constructive proposal to make it will receive full and careful consideration from the directors of the club.”
Since the open letter appeared in the Telegraph a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) which would have brought the club out of administration was rejected by Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL) – which operates the Ricoh Arena on behalf of Coventry City Council and the Alan Edward Higgs Charity.
That resulted in a ten point deduction for the Sky Blues from the Football League and followed a 10 point deduction last season after the club entered administration.
The club has relocated to Northampton Town’s Sixfields stadium on a ground-share basis with club owners suggesting the move will last for at least three years while a new stadium for the Sky Blues is built in the Coventry area.
The latest plea follows an open letter in the Telegraph from Coun Lucas to Mrs Seppala in July when she offered to meet face-to-face with the head of London-based Coventry City owners Sisu.
The delay in arranging the meeting has been put down to Coventry City Council officials being unaware that the Sisu boss was in the country.
Coun Lucas wants to discuss the Ricoh Arena rent row which has seen the club leave its home city to play home matches 35 miles away in Northampton.
A Coventry City Council spokesman said: “Coun Ann Lucas, leader of Coventry City Council, remains determined to resolve the on-going issues over the Ricoh Arena and Coventry City FC.
“After hearing that Joy Seppala was back in the country earlier this week Coun Lucas wrote to her and again stressed her willingness to meet face to face as soon as possible.
“The letter included Coun Lucas’s contact details. This follows her earlier invitation in July.”
There have been claims that a meeting had been arranged since the letter appeared in the Telegraph on July 30 and that Coun Lucas failed to attend although a meeting attended by Ms Seppala and ACL board members was five days before the letter appeared.
A spokesman for Ms Seppala said: “As the letter from Councillor Lucas requested a private meeting “away from the glare of the media” she will honour that and respond accordingly rather than publicly. And, as ever, if the council has a constructive proposal to make it will receive full and careful consideration from the directors of the club.”
Since the open letter appeared in the Telegraph a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) which would have brought the club out of administration was rejected by Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL) – which operates the Ricoh Arena on behalf of Coventry City Council and the Alan Edward Higgs Charity.
That resulted in a ten point deduction for the Sky Blues from the Football League and followed a 10 point deduction last season after the club entered administration.
The club has relocated to Northampton Town’s Sixfields stadium on a ground-share basis with club owners suggesting the move will last for at least three years while a new stadium for the Sky Blues is built in the Coventry area.