Coventry City and Wasps reach breakthrough in CBS Arena talks

Andy Street, the Mayor for the West Midlands, has revealed that Coventry City and Wasps have reached an agreement until at least the end of the season amid their ongoing dispute over the CBS Arena pitch.

City's first two home matches of the 2022-23 Championship season, against Rotherham United and Wigan Athletic, have been postponed because the pitch has been deemed too unsafe. Their EFL Cup defeat to Bristol City was played at Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium.

The CBS Arena played host to the Rugby 7s tournament as a part of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games this summer and as a result the pitch rapidly deteriorated. Sky Blues chief executive Dave Boddy had insisted the only way forward was for Wasps to fulfil their ‘promise’ of relaying a new pitch, and says the football club have even offered to help towards the cost.

Now, Mayor Street has confirmed that a solution has been reached by the two parties.

"As Mayor, I've always been willing to try to play my part in helping to step in and resolve disputes across our region," Street said, via a statement sent to .

"As long-term observers of this matter may be aware, I was recently asked to mediate between Coventry City and Wasps after the football club triggered the dispute resolution mechanism in their ten-year contract at the CBS Arena.

"A number of conversations have since taken place and I'm pleased to confirm that progress has been made. Coventry City and Wasps appear to have found a solution for this season, and I hope that Championship football can resume at the CBS as quickly as possible to build on the excellent season the club had last year."

The game against Huddersfield, due to take place this weekend, has been thrown into doubt although the relevant