Coventry chief executive Dave Boddy has appealed to Wasps not to plunge the entire city into turmoil by kicking them out of their ground.
Coventry’s owners Sisu are in a protracted legal dispute with the city council and Premiership rugby union club Wasps, the Ricoh Arena’s owners.
There is a crunch parliamentary meeting in Westminster today (Thursday) hosted by Jeremy Wright MP, secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, with all the key players.
Coventry’s lease expires this summer and EFL clubs will vote at an EGM on April 25 to decide whether to expel the Sky Blues from the Football League if they cannot secure a new deal.
But landlords Wasps have said they will not enter negotiations about extending Coventry’s stay at the Ricoh while the legal dispute is ongoing.
Sisu claim Coventry council undervalued the venue by £27million when it was sold to rugby club Wasps in 2014.
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“We are at an impasse with the stadium owners Wasps,” said Boddy after City’s home League One win over Fleetwood on Tuesday at the Ricoh.
“We are fighting to protect 135 years of heritage , this is a massive institution within the city of Coventry.
“There are not many families in the city who do not have a Coventry City supporter amongst them.
“There is an awful lot of emotion about the place.
“We are really appealing to Wasps, who have only moved into the city from their London base, to help our supporters.
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“We have been to Wembley twice in the last two years and taken 40,000 supporters to the Checkatrade Trophy final and 37,000 to the League Two play-off final last year.
“When the Lord Mayor of Coventry bestowed us with a civic reception, we had an open top bus ride through the city and there were over 50,000 people on the streets of Coventry so that is what it means to the city.
“All the interested parties are going to be there on Thursday.
“The Coventry city council are going to be represented, Wasps are going to be represented, our owners SISU will be there and the EFL are going and the Rugby Premiership as well.
“Everyone who has an interest will be able to sit down and speak together and hopefully get along.”
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Coventry, who spent the 2013-14 season in a groundshare at Northampton Town, have been told by the EFL that they must play their home games within six miles of the city centre if they are kicked out of the Ricoh.
It means Boddy is drawing up contingencies to play at potential other venues.
He admitted: “It would be naïve of us not to look at other options because the time is ticking away.
“We have to be prudent and we are talking to one or two people at the moment.
“The survival of the club is the most important thing.
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“I believe that the EFL have said we have to be within six miles but if it is marginally outside of that perimeter then so be it.”
The row has cast a huge shadow over Coventry after Mark Robins’ side won promotion last term and are ninth – just three points off the top six.
Boddy added: “We are flirting with the play offs, that is the sad part of it.
“On the field and behind the scenes the club is in a good position.
“We have a good young talented squad with the youngest regular starting line up in League One and at one stage we were the youngest average squad in the Football League. It is an exciting squad – we just need to get it resolved off the field.”
