Coventry City crisis reaches Parliament

The long-running crisis surrounding Coventry City will today be the focus of a Parliamentary debate led by Coventry North East MP Bob Ainsworth, with support expected from other Midlands MPs.

(Update 23rd October – the debate is available to watch again at the BBC.)

The Sky Blues currently play “home” fixtures 35 miles away in Northampton and the vast majority of fans have chosen to boycott these games. On Saturday more than 3,000 City fans travelled to Wolves, a far higher figure than any game in Northampton.

Ainsworth has previously used Early Day Motions to raise strong concerns about the situation at the club and the involvement of the Football League, Administrator Paul Appleton and hedge fund owners SISU Capital.

Ahead of today’s debate Ainsworth has placed more than a dozen documents in the public domain relating to Coventry City Football Club Limited, which is now in liquidation, and its parent company Coventry City Football Club Holdings.

Fans from the Keep Cov in Cov campaign have welcomed the Parliamentary debate and some are travelling to London to hear what is said.

The group are calling for supporters’ groups to unite and believe the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee should undertake an inquiry into the club as a case study of the problems facing English football.

Campaign Co-ordinator Michael Orton said: “Coventry City is being torn apart and no other set of fans should ever have to go through what we are suffering.

“Unity among Sky Blues supporters is vital and an independent inquiry calling to account all those responsible for the mess CCFC is in is an important way forward. Today will help build the case and support for such an inquiry.”

Thanks to Action Images for the image used in this article.