Coventry City can confirm plans to open the South Stand for home supporters.
The Sky Blues and Coventry Building Society Arena have worked in collaboration on a successful trial for the final games of 2023/24, resulting in Blocks 10, 11 and 12 being open for the 2024/25 campaign and supporters also being able to purchase Season Tickets for these areas.
Block 13 in the East Stand will also be opened for supporters to purchase Season Tickets.
The new configuration has been successfully trialled in the final few months of the most recent campaign, with positive feedback received from supporters about the option to sit behind the goal.
During the summer, infrastructure works are being planned in the South Stand concourse and the bowl itself to look at reducing the segregation between the home and away supporters in a safe manner to further improve the matchday experience.
In pursuing this option the Club has also noted supporter feedback about the configuration being reversed, with away fans in Block 10 to 12 and home fans then in Blocks 6, 7 and 8. On review, this option presented several concerns which we believe are important to share:
- This would mean an increased segregation as there would be a need for segregation lines either side of the away fans, which would result in a reduction of home tickets.
- This would also mean major infrastructure amendments within the stand, concourse, and external areas around the away area. Whilst all options required some form of development, this option would require major development and would result, as noted above, in a reduced capacity.
- The ingress and egress of away supporters would create significate safety challenges around the outside of the stadium.
Coventry City would like to thank the Coventry Building Society Arena for their support in making these changes possible.
Supporters will be able to purchase or move their current seat to the South Stand areas once 2024/25 Season Tickets go on sale, which will be confirmed shortly.
For Emirates FA Cup fixtures, where Coventry City may be required to provide 15% of capacity to the away side, the Sky Blues are advising supporters that they would be required to purchase tickets in a different location for any affected game – however these fans would receive priority access to buy elsewhere.
