How much Coventry City will be fined if CBS Arena issue continues | OneFootball

Coventry City are set to be fined by the EFL over their agreement with the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Things do appear to be looking up for Coventry City, both on and off the pitch, but the Sky Blues are still set to be handed a fairly frustrating fine by the EFL this month for an off-the-field issue.

Frank Lampard took charge of Coventry mid-way through last season, following the surprise departure of Mark Robins, and he led them to a fifth-placed finish in the Championship, eventually succumbing to a dramatic extra-time loss to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the play-off semi-finals.

Lampard has experienced his first pre-season in charge of the Sky Blues, and there is an expectation that Midlanders will launch another sustained challenge for promotion from the second-tier this season.

However, with things looking up on the pitch and things generally a lot more stable off it, they appear set to be handed a fine by the EFL over new legislation that is being introduced this season.

Coventry have a mid-August deadline to avoid EFL fine

As reported by the BBC in late-July, Coventry owner Doug King is exploring the possibility of constructing a new stadium at Butts Park Arena, the current home of Coventry Rugby Club.

King is said to be looking to find a new home for Coventry, with their current rental agreement at the Coventry Building Society Arena, the CBS Arena for short, set to run out at the end of the 2027/28 campaign.

The short-term issue in that regard is that a new EFL ruling, brought in from this season, states that clubs will be fined if they do not have a minimum of a ten-year agreement to play at their stadium.

Clubs have until Tuesday 19th August to solve that issue, or they will be handed a fine, with that fine being worth £10,000.

That fine will be doubled for each year they do not have an agreement, and if their agreement didn’t cover a whole season, then they will be expelled by the self-proclaimed competition organiser.

Coventry have played at the often renamed Coventry Arena since 2005, after ending a 106-year stay at Highfield Road. Since 2013, there have been several rental disputes, with the Sky Blues having had to groundshare with both Northampton Town and Birmingham City, at Sixfields and St Andrew’s respectively.

Coventry looking up on the pitch

Owner and CEO King took charge of the club in 2023, and has previously attempted to buy the CBS Arena, but missed out with former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley eventually purchasing it.

Since King took charge of the club, everything has become a lot more stable and Coventry are once again seeking to be ambitious in the Championship this season, with a focus on promotion.

So far during this summer’s transfer window, they have brought in three first-team additions, with Miguel Angel Brau signing from Granada on a free transfer, whilst Kaine Kesler-Hayden has signed for an undisclosed fee from Aston Villa. Carl Rushworth has also arrived on a season-long loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion.