Pitch battle concerns Coventry chief executive as another home game is postponed

Coventry have had a second Sky Bet Championship game postponed due to the condition of their pitch, with chief executive Dave Boddy calling the situation a “mess”.

The Sky Blues’ home game against Wigan on Tuesday has been postponed by the English Football League due to ongoing issues with the playing surface at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Last weekend, Coventry’s opening home fixture against Rotherham was postponed, and the Carabao Cup tie with Bristol City was moved to Burton’s Pirelli Stadium.

An EFL statement on the latest postponement read: “The decision follows the commissioning of an independent report by an internationally established group of sports turf experts to fully examine the current condition of the pitch.

“After a full and thorough evaluation, the League has been advised that playing on the surface in its existing state would pose a risk to players and match officials.”

Coventry claim promised investment of a pitch – which hosted 65 rugby sevens matches at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at the end of July – has not materialised.

But Coventry’s landlords, the Gallagher Premiership rugby union side Wasps, say the contract to host Commonwealth Games events was signed before the football club committed to returning to the ground in March 2021.

Wasps also stress the Sky Blues offered no objections when told in May that the pitch would not be relaid ahead of the new season.

Boddy said: “I met with Stephen Vaughan at Wasps/the Arena on Monday and have been in regular contact via email since. To be clear, this is not the fault of the grounds staff.

“Promised investment into a new pitch, which was a fundamental part of the extensive negotiations for the club to return and then again a promise made publicly