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Coventry City

Coventry Building Society Arena - Coventry City Stadium

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Capacity: 32,753
Club Nickname: The Sky Blues
Year Opened: 2005
Pitch Size: 120m x 68m
Address: Coventry Building Society Arena, Judds Lane, Longford, Coventry, CV6 6AQ
Phone: 02476 933444
Pitch Type: Grass
Shirt Sponsors: King of Shaves
Undersoil Heating: Yes
Manufacturer: Hummel
Home Kit: Sky Blue and White
Away Kit: Red and Navy cheques
Third Kit: Green and Black
Last Update: August 16, 2024

The Exterior

When you first arrive at the Coventry Building Society Arena, which until 2021 was known as the Ricoh Arena, you’re likely to be drawn to the fact it’s not your bog standard rectangular shape; instead, you’ll find you will see it has the standard stadium look with a substantial semi-circle building attached; this is a conference centre, hotel and casino, which Grosvenor currently operates.

Regardless of your thoughts on this, there is no denying it makes Coventry Stadium one of the more striking buildings you come across. Beyond the size and shape of the stadium and adjoining building, there is a huge amount of glass frontage with the colours of the team – light blue – a prominent feature along with the white steel structures that form triangular shapes above the stadium roof.

The Interior

Once inside the CBS Arena, you will find all four stands, which are named the East and West Stand, followed by the North Stand, where you will find the family zone from blocks 31 to 34. Crazily enough, you will also find PlayStation 5s in this area which can be used before kickoff. Finally, the South Stand which is where the away fans are located.

These stands merge into one another owing to the modern-day bowl design. This ensures thats there are no restricted views and gives all fans a good view of the action. Seating is single-tiered and steeply includes from the field of play.

This applies all around the pitch except the West Stand, here is a small second tier specifically to allow those in VIP boxes to enjoy the outside atmosphere. It is also important to point out that blocks 14 to 16 in the southeast corner of the ground, nearest to the away fans, is known as the “singers’ corner”, this is due to there being a drum which generates a loud atmosphere that spreads around the CBS Arena.

Away supporters are usually located in the South Stand but positioned towards the west corner. As with most grounds, you’re tucked up a corner but with the modern sculpting of what was the Ricoh Arena you still have decent views of the pitch.

In terms of accessing the ground, it’s straight forward from the train station whilst Car Park C is just a pedestrian bridge away. Burger King, Nandos and that large Tesco we mentioned are that much closer to that side of the stadium too.

The main entrance to the Coventry Building Society Arena can be found adjacent to Car Park A. However, home fans can enter the stadium from one of the several turnstiles dotted around the ground. The only turnstiles they can’t use are those based at the South Stand, as these are used by away supporters.

If you are planning on driving into the stadium then you’ll be pleased to know that the Coventry ground is well serviced for car parking with several thousand dedicated parking spaces. The other reason that Coventry becomes a great away day for so many is because of its positioning in England; as it is centrally located, it means most of the population is within easy travelling distance.

As with many newly developed stadiums, its out-of-town positioning also means access is straightforward. In this instance, the M1 and M40 are nearby with the M6 junction 3 just a mere 800m away.

There is a train station aptly named ‘Coventry Arena’ located towards the southeast corner of the ground; this is serviced by West Midlands railway with London’s Euston station under an hour’s ride away.

Adult: £24-£37
Concession: £19-£32
U18: £15-£25
Junior Sky Blue: £10-£15

The Building Society Arena is obviously recently renamed and revamped from an already modern base i.e. the Ricoh Arena but, for many generations, it’s not the ground that is synonymous with Coventry. Prior to the Ricoh Arena the Coventry stadium was Highfield Road; the Sky Blues played there games here for 106 years between 1899 and April 2005.

2005 saw the birth of the new Coventry stadium – the Ricoh Arena. Coventry played their home games here up until the 2019/20 season. At this point, there were legal issues between Coventry and the landlord, Wasps; it resulted in Coventry playing their games as Birmingham’s St Andrew’s stadium for two seasons.

Latest Developments

The latest change at the Coventry stadium is the renaming from the Ricoh Arena to the Building Society; this took place in July 2021 and will remain the case for a decade. Off the back of this, Coventry City have returned to their own stadium for the 2021/22 campaign.

For any disabled supporters wishing to attend a match at the CBS Arena, please visit the official Coventry City website for all of the relevant information.

Record attendance at the CBS Arena

32,128 – England W vs Italy W, Arnold Clark Cup, 19th February 2023

Coventry City record attendance at the CBS Arena

31,407 vs Chelsea, 7th March 2009

Average attendance
2023-2024: 24,785 (Championship)
2022-2023: 19,718 (Championship)
2021-2022: 19,325 (Championship)
2020-2021: 0 (Covid) (Championship)
2019-2020: 6,677 (League One)

Reviews

Avatar of Stuart Ottery Stuart Ottery
Game AttendedCBS, Coventry
CompetitionChampionship
Date29/12/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I’d been to CBS before, but was a new ground for my daughter

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Easy 2 and a bit journey from south wales with no traffic issues. We parked at the Bill and Anchor pub, which is literally a 10 min walk from the ground, free of charge. There was also plenty of street parking available around here. Much cheaper than the £15 for the club car park!

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Bull and Anchor for food and a few drinks. Cracking pub, lovely food, and Sky sports on TV for the football. Mix of both home and away fans. Well worth a visit.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

For a fairly new ground (given Cov moves in back in 2005) it’s one of the favourites. Quite a steep stand, and a huge away end. A bit different to your normal new ‘bowl’ ground.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Less said about a dull 0-0 the better. Facilities, as with most new grounds were decent.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Easy. As we parked that little bit away from the ground, we were back on the M6 within 10 mins of getting back to the car.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Cov is a good away day. Fairly close, easy to get to, decent banter with the locals.
Avatar of Ash Ash
Game AttendedRotherham United
CompetitionEFL Championship
Date25/10/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

A new ground to tick off and to us continue our recent set of impressive results.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Followed the sat nav all the way down the M6 from Cheshire. An easy journey. Parked up in Car Park "C" which is a stone's throw from the away entrances. Cost was steep at £15. Stewards were very rude however. Apparently the first bunch we encountered did not know where the away end was quite appalling let alone unhelpful.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Attended the all impressive Dhillon's Brewery. Plenty of beer on tap and great music. Dhillon's had the early Chelsea UCL game on big screen too.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Wow. This stadium looks absolutely fantastic from the outside. Very impressive.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Robbed of 3 points by a penalty for Coventry in the 91st minute of the game. Having sat right behind the goal never in a million years was that a penalty. Another point towards safety is the way most of us will look at it!

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Very easy.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Another point gained. Another ground ticked off. Very impressive stadium - one of the best in the EFL I would say.
Avatar of Paul Sheppard Paul Sheppard
Game AttendedCoventry vs AFC Bournemouth
CompetitionChampionship
Date18/04/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I knew we would take a good away following as we are going for promotion and it was a subny bank holiday so a good atmosphere was almost guaranteed. The ground was also directly en route for my journey from my home town to my current home near Manchester.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

The drive from Bournemouth was pretty straightforward, if a little trickier nearer to the ground, which I had to pass to get to the pub we were meeting at.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Met my friend at The Bull and Anchor pub where we had a couple of pints and a decent lunch. From there it was a 10 minute walk to the ground. I spoke to a home fan about parking at the pub when I arrived and she was really friendly and advised it was free and there were no restrictions. Home fans friendly enough in the pub.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

I had been before a few seasons back so knew what to expect: a decent ground with a decent view from the away end but the ground itself must sometimes feel a little too big for the home team, but you need to be ambitious I guess (I certainly wish we had a bigger ground at times!)

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Having read the reviews on this website from Coventry fans who had been to the reverse fixture (where their away support was terrific throughout the game) and were somewhat disparaging about our home support I was delighted we took a decent number who created the best atmosphere I have witnessed this season. We were very fortunate to be two up very much against the run of play at half time. The third goal early in the second half killed the game as we were able to see it out without much stress and there was a carnival atmosphere in the away end. Toilets were fine but we didn't have anything to eat or drink. Stewards were friendly but it was an easy game for them as our away fans were in good spirits and better behaved than several other games I have been to this season.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

On the way out of the ground we noticed an away fan on the floor with some blood on his head and being attended to by stewards so not sure what had happened there. It was noticeable that home and away fans were not separated beyond the away section itself and some of the home fans were being very vocal in their support but it didn't feel intimidating (although I felt there was also the potential for it to kick off and was surprised by the lack of any visible police presence from what I could see). We walked back to the Bull and Anchor and decided to have another drink to celebrate and let the traffic die down. I was driving to my home near Manchester and despite the Waze travel app taking me very close to the ground the traffic had died down and I was home in two hours. The Bull and Anchor is ideal if you are travelling north after the game as it's north of the ground.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

One of the best away days I have had as the result left us four points clear in second place with 5 games left to play in the battle for automatic promotion (watch this space!). We had a great time in the pub where both sets of fans mixed without any problem. You can't really ask for better than a three nil win away from home at a ground like Coventry on a sunny bank holiday when you are battling for promotion can you?
Avatar of Robbie Sargent Robbie Sargent
Game AttendedCoventry v AFC Bournemouth
CompetitionChampionship
Date18/04/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Always good to meet up with mates, whilst the stadium was a new one for me. As an exile, a fairly short trip from my home in Milton Keynes.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Despite the West Coast Mainline having engineering works over the Easter weekend, trains between MK and Coventry were not affected. So a direct train that was only about 50 minutes. Then an Uber to the vicinity of the ground for about £8

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Had a couple of drinks in Coventry city centre at the Wetherspoons Earl of Mercia. Then got an Uber to the Bull and Anchor just to the Northwest of the ground. Away fan friendly and a well organised queuing system at the bar! A decent beer garden where we enjoyed some April sun! On the walk to the stadium we then happened upon the Coventry Welsh Rugby Club where we stopped for a quick drink.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Impressive from the outside, and equally as impressive on the inside.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Bournemouth could consider themselves fortunate to be two ahead at half time, but the second period was a breeze, with the Cherries easing to a comfortable 3-0 win. Stewards were friendly, whilst the bar had standard food and drink offerings. The travelling support of over 2,200 made themselves heard and to be fair to Cov fans, they got behind their team throughout.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Walked about 10 minutes towards the city before ordering an Uber that arrived within 2 minutes. Back to the station within about 30 minutes of the game ending,

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

A decent day out, albeit the ground is a bit of a pain to get to from the station.
Avatar of Michael Sneddon Michael Sneddon
Game AttendedCoventry City v AFC Bournemouth
CompetitionThe Championship
Date18/04/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Not done the ground before so another one to tick off plus being an Easter Monday match it had been on the cards since the fixtures were released.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

We parked near the Byatts Brewery some 10-15 min walk away which was fairly easy.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

We had a look around the ground before popping into the casino for a quick pint before going in. Home fans seemed really friendly and up for the game as they saw it as make or break to get in the playoffs and for us another big step towards promotion.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

Very impressed with the ground which to be honest would not of place in the Premier League.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

For the game the 1st half was the ultimate for us in how to do smash and grab as Coventry dominated the first half and yet we ended up being 2-0 up at the break. Second half much more control and game management from us after we got the third and saw it out. Atmosphere from both sets of fans was good and for me Coventry best home fans for atmosphere of the away days I’ve done this season. Stewards did a good job while concourse very open spaced for large crowds instead of being rammed in.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Walked park to the Byatts Brewery and fairly easily got out onto the M6

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Throughly enjoyed the trip and the 3 points definitely would do Coventry away again but next time maybe stay up the night before and do a night out.
Avatar of Paulos Keith Paulos Keith
Game AttendedCoventry City v QPR
CompetitionEFL Championship
Date22/01/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

QPR are on a great run at the moment and we were taking 4,000 fans to cheer the team on. I was last at Ricoh (now named CBS arena) when we last played in 2018 and enjoyed my visit so was looking forward to re-attending.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Very easy. We travelled up by car and came in via the M6. Parking is now much more tricky as the council have now implemented a controlled parking zone. You have official parking at the stadium (A,B and C car parks) at £12 a car. A much better and cheaper option is the unofficial car park on Wilsons Lane, just opposite the Novotel entrance. It’s just off the M6 and only a 20 min walk to the stadium. It’s in a field, but very well managed and I parked here on my last visit when it was recommended on this very website. It’s still there and I recommend it, altogether strangely no longer on this page?!

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Prior to the match we went to The Longford Engine for a pint. They welcome away fans except on police advice and that’s usually when playing rivals. Opposite here is the Longford fish and chip shop and does great food. The stadium is a 15 min walk. Don’t bother going to the town centre. It’s 4.5 miles away and you will need to get a £15 taxi back to the stadium! There is a tiny station next to the arena but this only caters for a two coach train!!!! The station was closed on my visit and many fans who travelled up by train had expensive taxis to and from the stadium as buses are not particularly good either! Be mindful of this!

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

This was my second visit to the CBS. The only change is that they have strangely moved the large colour scoreboard from the south east corner to the back of the south stand. The issue with this is that the away fans have no view of the scoreboard at all?! Very unusual for such a modern stadium. QPR had sold the away end out for 4K fans. There were plenty of empty seats in all of the home sections. The north stand was almost empty and looked very strange. Nice ground. But it’s far too big in my opinion.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Game was excellent. QPR edged the match and had that quality to push on and managed a 1-2 win scoring a late goal. Great atmosphere by the away fans. Social media videos showed Coventry fans commenting that QPR were the best away fans they have had there all season. Unbelievably, considering their home attendances, QPR have the 4th highest away following in the championship this season. Bars ok the concourse were all Open as qpr had sold out the entire south stand. As such bars were fully staffed and service was very quick with no queues!

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

We stayed at the Novotel as we wanted to relax after the game and have a drink. This is on Wilsons Lane and was only £50 a night (free parking too for guests). Lovely bar here too and very nice staff.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Nice day out. Awful out of town location and poor infrastructure in order to convey fans from Coventry town centre to the ground. If you are getting a train, don’t bother trying to get a bus of the tiny train to the stadium. You will be waiting forever and it can’t be relied on. Get a taxi. Better still, drive. It’s not a fixture I would rely on a train. But if you have to… Taxi it in and out but factor another £30 on your travel expenses.
Avatar of Gavin Roger Gavin Roger
Game AttendedCoventry vs Derby
CompetitionFa cup 3rd round
Date08/01/2022

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Had been to Highfield Road on several occasions but never been to the new ground

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

This was ground was number 73 of the current 92 and i deliberately picked an earlier kick off as I was travelling from Glasgow by train and it gave me plenty of time to get back. The journey down went with no problems and I arrived in Coventry around 11 am. Knowing the ground is miles outside the city centre I was told by locals to get the number 3 bus from Trinity Street just off the main pedestrian precinct. The thing that surprised me was that only a handful of supporters were on the bus and 20 minutes later I arrived at the stadium. I got talking to a Derby fan who told me he intended to walk back but had changed his mind by the time we got there as it's literally miles away.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Went straight into the ground and had a couple of beers ( card payment only) at a fiver a pint, a coventry fan told me that the price changes depending on the opposition.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The ground is big and impressive with excellent views although I was in row m of the east stand and still got wet with the rain.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

Derby started well but as the half went on Coventry started to get a foothold and scored just before halftime . The second half saw Derby press but unable to score so Coventry went into the hat for the fourth round.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Got the number 3 back to coventry with no problems

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Enjoyable day out, poor gate and average game and 19 grounds left to do.
Avatar of brendan patrick lowe brendan patrick lowe
Game Attendedcoventry city v millwall
Competitionchampionship
Date29/12/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

been to the ricoh 4 times for rugby but never for football

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

just over an hour from euston then taxi via a few pubs

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

found a great bar about 5 mins from railway station called the four provences great service not to busy great guinness bar staff very chatty

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

been there before for rugby so this was new expierience first time no beer in seating area and segregation

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

good atmostphere through whole game , stewards very helpful and pleasent , food was standard fare pies , sausage rolls generally plenty of options

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

bit crazy as no train from the coventry arena stadium station but buses were laid on to take millwall fans back to coventry station

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

good evening out great result
Avatar of Justin Bentley Justin Bentley
Game AttendedCoventry V Peterborough United
CompetitionChampionship Game
Date24/09/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

Easy to get to from South Lincs, done the ground a few times before but glad they are back in Coventry

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

Journey easy, left after work (Friday night game), I'd street parked previously near one of the footpaths but this was permit holder only this time so parked at the excellent Byatts Brewery approx 10 mins walk away. It's risky but locals were parking all over the place in permit areas so I don't know how much it's policed especially night games

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

Had a pint in said brewery, chatted to home fans who were friendly, then to the ground, I didn't have a ticket and it was cash only so had to run to Tesco cashpoint,

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

It's a decent ground, similar bowl to other new build and branded Wasps more for obvious reasons, views and seats decent

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

We held on until approx 60 mins then 3 goals for Coventry, they were flying at the time and the place was rocking when they scored. Pie ok and I thought the Stewards did fine especially as we had a fairly large 'risk' element

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

10 minutes walk back, bought a crate of excellent beer to drown my sorrows (after driving home obviously)

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Glad they are home and a decent away day, we just never get a result there!
Avatar of Tony MacRae Tony MacRae
Game AttendedCoventry City v Bristol City
CompetitionChampionship
Date06/11/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

A relatively short trip and a ground I’ve not visited before.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

We travelled by train. The journey to Coventry from Bristol was fairly straightforward but the onward journey much less so. It would be nice if Coventry City put up some bus guidance at or near the station. We worked out we needed a number 3 or number 20 bus which could be picked up from the centre.

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

On our way to find the bus we saw the Litten Tree pub which had plenty of Bristol City fans in it. There was plenty of singing but it was all good natured and there was no bother with the home fans there. The beer prices seemed pretty reasonable. We had difficulty finding the right bus stop so took a Taxi instead which cost just under £15

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The ground was well out of the centre of Coventry. The view from the away end was very good and there was plenty of room, even for 3,000 of us. The part of the ground that our tickets were for was already forwarded but the stewarding was relaxed so you could sit/stand wherever you liked.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

CIty took the lead at the end of a fairly even first half when Coventry gave away a penalty and a straight red card. That was as good as it got however as 10 man Coventry dominated the second half and ran out deserved 3-2 winners, with the winner coming in the 92nd minute. The Coventry fans were excellent throughout and got right behind their team, even when they were twice behind. The loudest home fans I’ve heard in a long time. Bristol City fans were much less impressed at full time! Letting in very late calls has become a regular and worrying habit.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

We had no real idea how to get back to the station and traffic was at a standstill so we tried to walk it. We followed City Centre signs and asked a few locals. We got to a Sainsbury’s and got an Uber the rest of the way as the route back didn’t seem particularly pedestrian friendly. All of the Coventry fans we spoke to were friendly.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

Bitterly disappointed to lose again, although we half expected it given our very poor form. It looked like Coventry had the extra man, not City. At this rate we could well be visiting League One grounds next season. It was an exciting game but we could have done without the 92nd minute drama. An undeserved point would have made it much more enjoyable.
Avatar of Steve Andrews Steve Andrews
Game AttendedCoventry City v Cardiff City
CompetitionThe Championship
Date15/09/2021

Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the ground itself?

I’m doing ‘the 92’ and this was one of league grounds that I had not visited. Previously I had been to the old Highfield Rd ground and therefore was looking forward to seeing how things had changed.

How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking?

I travelled up on a coach with the Cardiff City Supporters Club. The trip was extremely well organised

What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly?

We arrived at the ground approx an hour before kick-off. I used this time to walk around the impressive stadium and did not encounter any problems from the Coventry fans.

What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the stadium?

The ground is very modern. However, outside it is quite different from other new stadiums as it incorporates an exhibition hall and a casino. Inside the ground I was impressed with the uniformity of stands.

Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc..

I was in the away section of the ground and the atmosphere created by the Cardiff fans was first class. Facilities in the away end were average and I had to queue for some time to get refreshments. The game itself was frenetic and both sides had early chances. Coventry took the lead after 15mins and from that the point onwards certainly had the better of the game.

Comment on getting away from the ground after the game

Extremely easy as the supporters coaches were parked only a short walk from the stadium.

Summary of overall thoughts of the day out

An enjoyable and well organised trip. Credit to all at the Cardiff City Supporters Club.