Ricoh Arena
Encyclopedia
The Ricoh Arena home to Coventry City F.C.
, is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city
of Coventry
, England
containing a 32,609 seater football
stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel
, a leisure club, and a casino
. The site is also home to Arena Park Shopping Centre containing one of the largest Tesco Extra hypermarkets. The site was previously home to the Foleshill gasworks
. It is named after its sponsor, Japanese company Ricoh
who paid £10million deal for the naming rights over ten years. For the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and the 2015 Rugby World Cup
, where stadium naming sponsorship is forbidden, the stadium will be known as the City of Coventry Stadium.
The arena was opened officially by Dame
Kelly Holmes
and Sports Minister Richard Caborn
on 24 February 2007. This was after the arena had been open for a year which included hosting a sell out England under 21 football match against Germany and a full season of Coventry City football matches.
The decision to relocate Coventry City from Highfield Road
to a new stadium – with a larger capacity and better road links and parking facilities – was made in 1997 by the club's then chairman Bryan Richardson. It was anticipated that the new stadium would be ready for the 2000–01
season.
Permission for the ground's construction was given in the spring of 1999, with a targeted completion date of August 2001. This deadline was not met by almost four years – the final gas holder wasn't demolished until September 2002.
The original design for the arena was for a state-of-the-art 45,000 capacity stadium with a retractable roof, and a pitch that could slide out to reveal a hard floor for concerts. If the plan for a 45,000-seat stadium had gone ahead, it would have given the Sky Blues one of the biggest club stadia in Britain.
After Coventry City's relegation in May 2001, a number of contractor/financier withdrawals and England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals ended in failure, the plans were significantly downsized to reflect new realities, and by the summer of 2002, there were plans for a more basic 32,500-seat stadium in its place.
On Friday 6 October 2006, the Arena hosted its first international football game when the England U-21 team
played the German U-21 team
in the first leg of a European U21 Championship qualifying play-off. England won the game 1–0, with the winning goal scored by Leighton Baines
.
The name comes from a sponsorship deal, reported to be worth £10 million over 10 years with camera and photocopier manufacturer Ricoh
, though during construction the stadium was variously referred to as the Jaguar Arena, Arena Coventry, and Arena 2000.
The sponsorship deal with Ricoh came about after the stadium's initial sponsor, the motor firm Jaguar
, was forced to pull-out due to the same financial difficulties that had caused the controversial closure of the large Jaguar assembly plant at the city's Brown's Lane, previously a major source of employment in Coventry. On 4 August 2004, 12 months before the stadium's opening, it had been announced that the new stadium would be called the Jaguar Arena in a deal worth up to £7million until 2015. However, the deal was cancelled on 17 December 2004.Ricoh's sponsorship of the new stadium was confirmed on 26 April 2005.
The Arena is run by Arena Coventry Limited (ACL) and is separate from the running of Coventry City Football Club who are the Arenas first tenants. It was funded largely by Coventry City Council & the Higgs Charity, a charity (of which CCFC and ACL director Sir Derek Higgs
was a trustee), and includes shopping facilities, a casino, exhibition halls and a concert venue.
At the end of the 2008–09 Championship season in May 2009, the stadium had still not achieved a capacity 32,600 crowd. The stadium's highest attendance for a home game was an FA Cup
match against Chelsea
in 2009. This game was technically a sellout as the fan segregation took up a whole block and all available tickets were sold.
The Ricoh Arena was the first cashless stadium in the United Kingdom, with customers using a prepay smartcard system in the grounds bars and shops.
However, for the 2010–11 football season, one third of the bars and kiosks will accept cash.
On 28 July 2011 a bronze statue of Jimmy Hill
was unveiled at the entrance to the stadium.
, less than 1 mile south of junction 3 of the M6 motorway
, on the A444 road
from Coventry to Nuneaton
. Although officially designated as being situated in the Foleshill
district, it is in fact located in the small suburb of Rowleys Green, between two larger suburb
s, namely Holbrooks
to the west, and Longford to the east. However, the stadium was constructed on the former site of the 'Foleshill' gasworks complex, although the Foleshill district itself begins more than a mile to the southeast. The stadium is located within a quarter-mile of the boundary with Nuneaton and Bedworth and the county of Warwickshire. It is next to the Arena Park Shopping Centre
.
, following 106 years at the Highfield Road stadium. The first competitive football match played at the Ricoh Arena was against Queens Park Rangers
on 20 August 2005, in front of a reduced (for safety reasons) 23,012 capacity crowd. The game ended 3–0 to Coventry, with Claus Bech Jørgensen
becoming the first player to score at the arena. Hull City
became the first away team to win at the Ricoh, snatching a 2–0 win on 24 September 2005, with both goals coming from John Welsh
.
The first concert held at the arena was Bryan Adams
on 23 September 2005. The bar in the Eon Lounge, overlooking the pitch, was named 'The Bryan Adams Bar' after the Canadian rocker. Bon Jovi
played there live on 7 June 2006 (35,000 attendance), as did Red Hot Chili Peppers
on 2 July 2006 (40,000). For both the Bon Jovi and Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts, the fans were able to stand on the pitch. The venue played host to the Heineken Cup
semifinal match between Northampton Saints
and London Wasps
on Sunday 22 April 2007. London Wasps (who went on to win the cup) also played at the Ricoh Arena in the Heineken Cup again against Munster on 10 November 2007 narrowly winning 24–23. Saracens have announced that they will play their semi final against Munster at the arena. The stadium hosted its first ever American football game on 6 May 2007, when the Coventry Cassidy Jets beat then British national champions London Olympians 27–20. The Jets had hoped to play their inaugural EFAF Cup game against Madrid Bears on 29 April but they were forced to change venue. The Heineken Cup the previous week to the Madrid game had led to CCFC objecting in case of damage to the pitch.
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
containing a 32,609 seater football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, a leisure club, and a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
. The site is also home to Arena Park Shopping Centre containing one of the largest Tesco Extra hypermarkets. The site was previously home to the Foleshill gasworks
Gasworks
A gasworks or gas house is a factory for the manufacture of gas. The use of natural gas has made many redundant in the developed world, however they are often still used for storage.- Early gasworks :...
. It is named after its sponsor, Japanese company Ricoh
Ricoh
or Ricoh, is a Japanese company that was established in 1936 on February 6th, as , a company in the RIKEN zaibatsu. Its headquarters is located in Ricoh Building in Chūō, Tokyo....
who paid £10million deal for the naming rights over ten years. For the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and the 2015 Rugby World Cup
2015 Rugby World Cup
The 2015 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by England from 4 September to 17 October 2015. In addition, Cardiff's 74,500-seater Millennium Stadium in Wales will also be used...
, where stadium naming sponsorship is forbidden, the stadium will be known as the City of Coventry Stadium.
The arena was opened officially by Dame
Dame (title)
The title of Dame is the female equivalent of the honour of knighthood in the British honours system . It is also the equivalent form address to 'Sir' for a knight...
Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
and Sports Minister Richard Caborn
Richard Caborn
Richard George Caborn PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Central from 1983 to 2010...
on 24 February 2007. This was after the arena had been open for a year which included hosting a sell out England under 21 football match against Germany and a full season of Coventry City football matches.
History and background
Highfield Road
The Highfield Road Stadium was a football stadium in the city of Coventry, England. It was the home ground for Coventry City F.C. until the club moved to the new Ricoh Arena after the 2005-06 season...
to a new stadium – with a larger capacity and better road links and parking facilities – was made in 1997 by the club's then chairman Bryan Richardson. It was anticipated that the new stadium would be ready for the 2000–01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
season.
Permission for the ground's construction was given in the spring of 1999, with a targeted completion date of August 2001. This deadline was not met by almost four years – the final gas holder wasn't demolished until September 2002.
The original design for the arena was for a state-of-the-art 45,000 capacity stadium with a retractable roof, and a pitch that could slide out to reveal a hard floor for concerts. If the plan for a 45,000-seat stadium had gone ahead, it would have given the Sky Blues one of the biggest club stadia in Britain.
After Coventry City's relegation in May 2001, a number of contractor/financier withdrawals and England's bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals ended in failure, the plans were significantly downsized to reflect new realities, and by the summer of 2002, there were plans for a more basic 32,500-seat stadium in its place.
On Friday 6 October 2006, the Arena hosted its first international football game when the England U-21 team
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
played the German U-21 team
Germany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
in the first leg of a European U21 Championship qualifying play-off. England won the game 1–0, with the winning goal scored by Leighton Baines
Leighton Baines
Leighton John Baines is an English footballer who plays for Everton and the England national football team.He started his career with Wigan Athletic, with whom he won the Second Division in the 2002–03 season and was a runner-up in the 2004–05 Championship and the 2006 Football League Cup Final....
.
The name comes from a sponsorship deal, reported to be worth £10 million over 10 years with camera and photocopier manufacturer Ricoh
Ricoh
or Ricoh, is a Japanese company that was established in 1936 on February 6th, as , a company in the RIKEN zaibatsu. Its headquarters is located in Ricoh Building in Chūō, Tokyo....
, though during construction the stadium was variously referred to as the Jaguar Arena, Arena Coventry, and Arena 2000.
The sponsorship deal with Ricoh came about after the stadium's initial sponsor, the motor firm Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
, was forced to pull-out due to the same financial difficulties that had caused the controversial closure of the large Jaguar assembly plant at the city's Brown's Lane, previously a major source of employment in Coventry. On 4 August 2004, 12 months before the stadium's opening, it had been announced that the new stadium would be called the Jaguar Arena in a deal worth up to £7million until 2015. However, the deal was cancelled on 17 December 2004.Ricoh's sponsorship of the new stadium was confirmed on 26 April 2005.
The Arena is run by Arena Coventry Limited (ACL) and is separate from the running of Coventry City Football Club who are the Arenas first tenants. It was funded largely by Coventry City Council & the Higgs Charity, a charity (of which CCFC and ACL director Sir Derek Higgs
Derek Higgs
Sir Derek Alan Higgs was an English businessman and merchant banker. He was knighted in 2004. His father, Alan Higgs, was a multimillionaire through property businesses in the Midlands.-Early life:...
was a trustee), and includes shopping facilities, a casino, exhibition halls and a concert venue.
At the end of the 2008–09 Championship season in May 2009, the stadium had still not achieved a capacity 32,600 crowd. The stadium's highest attendance for a home game was an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
match against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in 2009. This game was technically a sellout as the fan segregation took up a whole block and all available tickets were sold.
The Ricoh Arena was the first cashless stadium in the United Kingdom, with customers using a prepay smartcard system in the grounds bars and shops.
However, for the 2010–11 football season, one third of the bars and kiosks will accept cash.
On 28 July 2011 a bronze statue of Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
was unveiled at the entrance to the stadium.
Location
The stadium is situated on the northern side of CoventryCoventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, less than 1 mile south of junction 3 of the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, on the A444 road
A444 road
The A444 is a primary road running between Coventry and Burton on Trent in England, usually referred to as the "A treble four".-Route:Starting on the A4600 Sky Blue Way in Coventry, the road heads north on a dual carriageway road, crossing the M6 at junction 3. It bypasses Bedworth to the west and...
from Coventry to Nuneaton
Nuneaton
Nuneaton is the largest town in the Borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth and in the English county of Warwickshire.Nuneaton is most famous for its associations with the 19th century author George Eliot, who was born on a farm on the Arbury Estate just outside Nuneaton in 1819 and lived in the town for...
. Although officially designated as being situated in the Foleshill
Foleshill
Foleshill is a suburb in the north of Coventry in the West Midlands of England.Longford. Courthouse Green and Rowley Green are to its north and Keresley is to its west.- History :...
district, it is in fact located in the small suburb of Rowleys Green, between two larger suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s, namely Holbrooks
Holbrooks
Holbrooks, also written Holbrook's, is a residential area of Coventry, West Midlands, England.Most of the length of the four brooks which pass through the area are covered or culverted, one culvert is adjacent to the recently built housing on Watery Lane. Another brook passes through and under the...
to the west, and Longford to the east. However, the stadium was constructed on the former site of the 'Foleshill' gasworks complex, although the Foleshill district itself begins more than a mile to the southeast. The stadium is located within a quarter-mile of the boundary with Nuneaton and Bedworth and the county of Warwickshire. It is next to the Arena Park Shopping Centre
Arena Park Shopping Centre
Arena Park Shopping Centre is a shopping park in Coventry, England. It is located in the north of the city and adjacent to the boundary with the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire. It was constructed at the same time as the neighbouring Ricoh Arena, from which it takes its name...
.
Inaugural events
The arena became the venue for Coventry City FC's home games at the start of the 2005–06 season2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
, following 106 years at the Highfield Road stadium. The first competitive football match played at the Ricoh Arena was against Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
on 20 August 2005, in front of a reduced (for safety reasons) 23,012 capacity crowd. The game ended 3–0 to Coventry, with Claus Bech Jørgensen
Claus Bech Jørgensen
Claus Bech Jørgensen is a Danish-born Faroese international footballer currently without a team following his release from Tamworth on 11 August 2010....
becoming the first player to score at the arena. Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
became the first away team to win at the Ricoh, snatching a 2–0 win on 24 September 2005, with both goals coming from John Welsh
John Welsh (footballer)
John Joseph Welsh is an English football player who plays for Tranmere Rovers. He was also captain of the England under-20 team, and has been capped eight times for the under-21s. He represented England U20 at 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.- Liverpool :Wavertree born Welsh, joined Liverpool...
.
The first concert held at the arena was Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
on 23 September 2005. The bar in the Eon Lounge, overlooking the pitch, was named 'The Bryan Adams Bar' after the Canadian rocker. Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
played there live on 7 June 2006 (35,000 attendance), as did Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
on 2 July 2006 (40,000). For both the Bon Jovi and Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts, the fans were able to stand on the pitch. The venue played host to the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
semifinal match between Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
and London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
on Sunday 22 April 2007. London Wasps (who went on to win the cup) also played at the Ricoh Arena in the Heineken Cup again against Munster on 10 November 2007 narrowly winning 24–23. Saracens have announced that they will play their semi final against Munster at the arena. The stadium hosted its first ever American football game on 6 May 2007, when the Coventry Cassidy Jets beat then British national champions London Olympians 27–20. The Jets had hoped to play their inaugural EFAF Cup game against Madrid Bears on 29 April but they were forced to change venue. The Heineken Cup the previous week to the Madrid game had led to CCFC objecting in case of damage to the pitch.
Further events
- Bon Jovi returned to the Ricoh on 24 June 2008.
- Scouting for GirlsScouting for GirlsScouting for Girls are a Brit and Ivor Novello nominated band from London, formed in 2005 by Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard. Stride and Ellard met in the Cub Scouts and Churchouse met Stride on their first day at school. They have sold over 1.2 million albums and over 1.5 million...
performed on 30 November 2008, it was held in the Jaguar Exhibition Hall. - The EDF Rugby Semi-Finals took place at the arena on 28 March 2009.
- In 2009, the Ricoh Arena hosted a series of concerts for Take ThatTake ThatTake That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, showcasing The Circus Live Tour at the arena from 8–10 June 2009. They were supported by The SaturdaysThe SaturdaysThe Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
, James MorrisonJames Morrison (singer)James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
, The ScriptThe Script (band)The Script are an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin. Based in London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic, the band released their eponymous debut album in August 2008...
& Gary GoGary GoGary Baker, also known by his stage name Gary Go is a British pop-rock singer, songwriter and producer. His debut single "Wonderful" was a Top 30 track in the UK, the debut album Gary Go was released May 2009 and reached number 22 in the UK Albums Chart...
. - OasisOasis (band)Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
performed at the Ricoh on the 7 July 2009, where they were supported by Free Peace, Twisted WheelTwisted Wheel (band)Twisted Wheel are an indie rock band from Oldham, Greater Manchester, England.-Formation and debut album:Twisted Wheel formed in February 2007 in Saddleworth, Oldham, Greater Manchester by guitarist and singer Jonny Brown and bassist Rick Lees, later joined by drummer Adam Clarke...
& local Coventry band The Enemy. - Premier League Darts were held at the Ricoh on 21 February 2008 and returned on the 19 February 2009 as the Jaguar Exhibition Hall became the venue for the sport.
- PinkPink (singer)Alecia Beth Moore , better known by her stage name Pink , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress....
performed at the Ricoh as part of her Funhouse Summer Carnival TourFunhouse Summer Carnival TourThe Funhouse Summer Carnival Tour is an extension of the Funhouse Tour , the fourth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Pink. The tour supported her fifth studio album, Funhouse...
on 24 June 2010. - The Women's FA Cup finalFA Women's CupThe Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England – designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier...
, won by Arsenal LadiesArsenal L.F.C.Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...
, was held at the ground on 21 May 2011. - The arena is one of the grounds named as hosts for the rugby union world cupRugby World CupThe Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
in 2015. - There are long term plans for an Arena railway stationCoventry Arena railway stationCoventry Arena railway station is a prospective new railway station to serve the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, West Midlands, England. It has yet to be passed and is still in planning stages.It would be located on the Coventry-Nuneaton Line....
. - It was announced on 3 June 2010 that the Arena would be one of the regional host stadia for the 2012 Summer Olympics2012 Summer OlympicsThe 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
. Since corporate sponsorship on venue names is prohibited, it will be renamed City of Coventry Stadium for the duration of the Games.
Highest attendances
- 31,407 Coventry 0–2 ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
(FA Cup quarter-final – March 2009) - 30,919 England U21England national under-21 football teamEngland's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
1–0 Germany U21Germany national under-21 football teamThe Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
(Qualifier) - 30,325 SaracensSaracens F.C.Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
16–18 MunsterMunster RugbyMunster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
(Heineken Cup) - 28,184 Coventry 2–3 Leeds United (League) – November 2010
- 28,163 Coventry 0–5 West Bromwich Albion (FA Cup) – February 2008
- 28,120 Coventry 1–1 MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
(FA Cup)- January 2006 - 27,997 Coventry 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers (League) – April 2008
External links
- Stadium information from Coventry City official website
- recent photos at www.geograph.co.uk
- Arena Park Shopping Centre