After each matchday programme this season, we publish the regular column from the Coventry City board on our website. You can read Coventry City Chief Executive Dave Boddy's column from our game against AFC Bournemouth below:
Good afternoon and welcome to the Coventry Building Society Arena as we face AFC Bournemouth here on Easter Monday.
I would also like to welcome the players, staff, officials and supporters who join us this afternoon from Bournemouth. I would particularly like to welcome their Chairman Jeff Mostyn, who always affords us the most hospitable of welcomes when we visit Dean Court.
The Club is becoming increasingly concerned about the behaviour of a very small minority of supporters, both at games here at the Coventry Building Society Arena and also away from home. The last home game here against Blackburn Rovers saw a confrontation on the A444 Jimmy Hill Way after the game, which was instigated by a small section of home supporters. We are also hearing of minor incidents at away games.
Coventry City is a family club and cannot and will not accept such behaviour. We are working closely with West Midlands Police and the Arena to identify anybody who is involved in such incidents, and when found they will be banned.
We have all witnessed a wonderful atmosphere here at the Arena during matches this season and we are determined that the very small minority will not tarnish the name and reputation of this Club and of our supporters, and will not damage the matchday experience for everyone else.
Further to that, there becomes a cost implication on policing games. Our policing costs rose for the remainder of the season following the incidents during the league game against Derby County back in October and have risen again for the last two games, as a consequence of the troubles versus Blackburn. Every penny that we spend on extra policing directly affects what we can spend elsewhere.
We have previously mentioned that we will be bringing in a new ‘Ticket Priority Points’ scheme for the 2022/23 season. This replicates what most Clubs do at the level we are now at, and we have done work to look at how these Clubs operate their schemes and how this may work for us and our supporters.
Details are still to be finalised and full information will be confirmed during the Summer, ahead of the new season, however I am happy to be able to clarify some points for supporters now.
Points will be allocated based on purchases over the last 3 years – this will therefore include 2019/20 (pre-COVID), 2020/21 and 2021/22, as well as 2022/23.
This will take into account Season Ticket purchases, as well as home and away ticket purchases, with different point levels applied to different purchases.
Fans will need to have purchased tickets under their Supporter Numbers for this to be shown within the points system. This is why it is important that ticket purchases are assigned correctly, especially when you buy online.
For some games, the points required to purchase at different stages may vary and will be confirmed on a game-by-game basis.
Through using a three-season approach, rather than basing only on one season for example, we hope that this will prove fair to supporters and their circumstances (which we appreciate can change) and will reward commitment both home and away.
Thanks for your support as always, enjoy the game - PUSB.
Dave