Coventry City: Mike Ashley serves Sky Blues' CBS Arena 'eviction notice'

Coventry City have been served with an eviction notice from Mike Ashley's Frasers Group on the Sky Blues' long-time home ground.

The football club were told on Friday afternoon they must agree a new licence with the group to play at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

However, Frasers Group, owned by former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, took over the stadium in November and the Sky Blues have been asked to leave.

The Sky Bet Championship club are next due to play at home against Swansea on December 17.

In a statement, the club said: "We were surprised to learn of this intention by Frasers Group, given that discussions with Coventry City prior to the completion of their purchase of the Arena led us to understand the existing terms would continue unchanged with Frasers Group as the new owners of the Arena."

It adds: "Coventry City Football Club has an existing long-term licence to play at the Arena, which was agreed in March 2021 to run until 2031.

"Frasers Group have now presented to Coventry City a new agreement with new commercial terms, which have been presented to us without any dialogue or negotiations, and are less favourable to the Football Club.

"This licence would only run until May 2023."

"Frasers Group have said they would negotiate for beyond May 2023, but this leaves us without the security and certainty that our current deal provides to us and our fans."

The club continued: "To confirm, Coventry City are happy to continue under terms of the current licence which we already have in place to play at the Arena.

"Following Frasers Group’s purchase of the Arena, one of the great assets of the City of Coventry, they stated they were ‘looking forward to working with Coventry City Football Club’.

"Coventry City hope that they will act on those words for the good of the Arena, the Football Club, our fans and the City and community that they are now part of.

"Coventry City had envisaged being able to deal with this situation internally, but following media reports this morning, we will continue to keep supporters updated regarding the situation going forward and hope that we will continue to be able to welcome our fans to our home at the Coventry Building Society Arena."

• Coventry City FC fan Myles Cadden says all the fans want is to play in Coventry at the CBS Arena and make it to the play-offs.

In response, Frasers Group said: "Frasers has, throughout all its involvement with the stadium, been supportive of securing the long-term future of CCFC playing its games at the stadium. This position remains unchanged."

"Prior to acquiring the stadium, Frasers issued a new licence mirroring the terms CCFC had agreed with the previous owners. However, CCFC chose not to sign it at that time."

"A revised proposal, together with a new licence, has been issued to CCFC and will secure the immediate future of CCFC at the stadium."

"Signing the licence would allow for more detailed discussions to take place about CCFC's long-term arrangements at the stadium, including to accommodate a number of requests which were raised by CCFC."

"Frasers looks forward to working with the club to host the upcoming games."