Frasers Group responds to Coventry City after eviction notice
Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group has responded to a statement from Coventry City Football Club stating it had received an eviction notice from its stadium’s new owners.
The football club said that discussions with Frasers Group, who own various retail brands including Sports Direct and House of Fraser, prior to their purchase of the Coventry Building Society Arena (CBS Arena) led them to understand that the existing terms would continue unchanged.
Coventry City said it has an existing long-term lease to continue playing at the CBS Arena till 2031.
The football club described the new terms as “less favourable”.
“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”, they said in the statement.
Frasers claims the club’s current licence to use the stadium no longer stands as it was with previous owners.
Frasers Group said in a statement: “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.”
“Frasers looks forward to working with the club to host the upcoming games”, it added.
Frasers Group’s purchase of the stadium is thought to have saved some 1,000 jobs.