The Football League have approved, with ‘deep regret’ according to a statement, Coventry City’s plans to groundshare with Northampton Town for the next three seasons.
Approval, given on condition that the club does exit administration in accordance with the league’s conditions, means that Sixfields will become the Sky Blues’ home on a temporary basis while the club say they pursue the option of building a new stadium in the ‘Coventry area’.
Football League chairman Greg Clarke said: ‘The Football League believes that clubs should play in the towns and cities from which they take their name.
‘Nonetheless, from time to time, the board is asked to consider temporary relocations as a means for securing a club’s ongoing participation in our competition.
‘With no prospect of an agreement being reached between Otium and ACL, the board was placed in an unenviable position – with the very real possibility of Coventry City being unable to fulfil its fixtures for next season.’
CCFC chief executive Tim Fisher claimed that moving to Northampton was the only option on the table.
He told the official club website: ‘If there had been an economic option which would have allowed us to stay at the Ricoh we would have pursued it.
‘There was no proposal on the table in time for us to make realistic plans for the coming season. We could not wait any longer.’
The only other barrier, it now seems, to the end of a long and proud tradition of league football being played in Coventry is the meeting of creditors on 22 July at which ACL will outline their position.
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