The Ricoh Arena, home to Coventry City F.C., is a complex situated in the Foleshill district of the city of Coventry, 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 a retail park containing one of the UK's largest Tesco Extra hypermarket. The site was previously home to the Foleshill gasworks. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixels, file size: 2. ... Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, is an English football club based in Coventry, UK. Coventry City were founding members of the FA Premier League in 1992. ... Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, is an English football club based in Coventry, UK. Coventry City were founding members of the FA Premier League in 1992. ... Tower Court and Foleshill Rd, Foleshill. ... For other uses, see Coventry (disambiguation). ... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... This article refers to Tesco PLC - the international retailer headquartered in the UK, see also Tesco (Disambiguation). ...

Inaugural events

The arena became the venue for Coventry City's home games at the start of the 2005-06 season, 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) 23,000 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 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England. ... One of the entrances to Highfield Road Stadium (now demolished) The Highfield Road Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Coventry, England. ... Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English football club, based at Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London. ... is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Claus Bech Jørgensen (born April 27, 1976 in Holstebro, Denmark) is a Danish-born footballer who played internationally for the Faroe Islands. ... Hull City Association Football Club are an English football team based at the Kingston Communications Stadium in Hull. ... is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... There have been several well-known people named 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 June 7, 2006 (35,000 attendance), as did Red Hot Chili Peppers on July 2, 2006 (40,000). For both the Bon Jovi and Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts, the fans were able to stand on the pitch. However, after both events, many of those who attended complained that the road system was flawed, with some claiming to have waited over an hour to leave the car park. This is also hastened by the fact that an application for a train station very close to the stadium was rejected, which the complex genuinely needed. 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) will also play at the Ricoh Arena in the Heineken Cup again against Munster on 10 November 2007. For other persons of the same name, see Brian Adams. ... is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bon Jovi is a hard rock band originating from Sayreville, New Jersey. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1983. ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Heineken Cup sponsored by Heineken (known as the H Cup in France due to alcohol advertising laws) is an annual rugby union competition involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. ... Official website www. ... Official website www. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Bon Jovi have announced they will be returning to the Ricoh on the 24th June 2008.

The arena was opened officially by Dame Kelly Holmes and Sports Minister Richard Caborn on 24 February 2007. Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE (born April 19, 1970) is a retired British middle-distance athlete. ... The Right Honourable Richard Caborn, PC (born October 6, 1943) is a British politician for the Labour Party, and member of Parliament for Sheffield Central. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

History and background

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. This article is about the year. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

The original design for the arena was for a 45,000 seater stadium with a retractable roof, and a pitch that could slide out to reveal a hard floor for concerts. After Coventry City's relegation, 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.

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. is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... First International England U-21 0-0 Wales U-21 (Molineux, Wolverhampton; December 15, 1976) Largest win England U-21 8-1 Finland U-21 (Boothferry Park, Hull; October 12, 1977) Worst defeat Romania U-21 4-0 England U-21 (PloieÅŸti, Romania; October 14, 1980) & England U-21... First International U-23: Turkey 0-2 West Germany Ankara, October 18, 1970 U-21: Bulgaria 1-0 West Germany Plovdiv, December 2, 1980 Largest win U-23: West Germany 3-0 Turkey Augsburg, April 24, 1971 U-21: Germany 8-0 Ireland Baunatal, March 23, 1993 Worst defeat U... European Under-21 Football Championship logo The European Under 21 Football Championship is football competition organised by the sports European governing body, UEFA. It is held every two years. ... Leighton John Baines (born December 11, 1984 in Liverpool, England) is an English footballer, who currently plays at left fullback for Everton in the English Premier League. ...

The name comes from a sponsorship deal, rumoured to be worth £10 million over 10 years,^{[citation needed]} 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. Ricoh Company, Ltd. ... Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer, originally with headquarters in Browns Lane, Coventry, England but now at Whitley, Coventry. ... Browns Lane in Coventry, England was the home of Jaguar Cars from 1951 until 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 Alan Higgs Trust, a charity (of which CCFC and ACL director Sir Derek Higgs is a trustee), and includes shopping facilities, a casino, exhibition halls and a concert venue. Alan Higgs was a successful self-made businessman who became a multimillionaire mainly from his house building business in Coventry, as well as from other businesses in Birmingham, England. ... Sir Derek Higgs is an English businessman and merchant banker. ...

At the end of the 2006-2007 Championship season in May 2007, the stadium had still not achieved a capacity 32,600 crowd. In fact, the stadium's highest attendance for a home game had been some 4,000 short of full capacity back in February 2006 during an FA Cup match against Premiership side Middlesbrough.

Critics have maintained that stadium is simply too large for a club which for several years has underperformed in the second-tier of English football and that a 25,000 seater stadium would have sufficed (the former Highfield Road stadium had a 23,600 capacity and was rarely sold-out). Most match days see the stadium only 55% to 60% full. However, the stadium's capacity was based on Coventry's rapid promotion to the Premiership (and therefore bigger attendances), which has not yet transpired. The stadium's immediate surroundings have also been criticised for not being well-landscaped, with much of the adjacent land looking highly unkempt and tatty^{[citation needed]}. One of the entrances to Highfield Road Stadium (now demolished) The Highfield Road Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Coventry, England. ...

In July-August 2007, the stadium was to host pre-season friendly games against Spanish La Liga side (and 2007 UEFA Cup finalists) Espanyol and Italian Serie A side Udinese in a major coup for the club. The matches ended in a 1-1 draw with Espanyol and a 2-0 loss against the latter.

Highest attendances

• 30,812 England U21 v Germany U21 (Qualifier)
• 28,600 Coventry v Middlesbrough (FA Cup)
• 27,216 Coventry v Birmingham City (league)

First International England U-21 0-0 Wales U-21 (Molineux, Wolverhampton; December 15, 1976) Largest win England U-21 8-1 Finland U-21 (Boothferry Park, Hull; October 12, 1977) Worst defeat Romania U-21 4-0 England U-21 (PloieÅŸti, Romania; October 14, 1980) & England U-21... First International U-23: Turkey 0-2 West Germany Ankara, October 18, 1970 U-21: Bulgaria 1-0 West Germany Plovdiv, December 2, 1980 Largest win U-23: West Germany 3-0 Turkey Augsburg, April 24, 1971 U-21: Germany 8-0 Ireland Baunatal, March 23, 1993 Worst defeat U... Middlesbrough Football Club (commonly known as Boro) are an English football club based in Middlesbrough. ... Birmingham City Football Club are an English professional football club based in the city of Birmingham. ...

Arena Shopping Centre

Main tenants:

• Marks & Spencer
• Tesco

--212. ... For other uses, see Tesco (disambiguation). ...

References

Coordinates: 52°26′53″N, 1°29′46″W Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, is an English football club based in Coventry, UK. Coventry City were founding members of the FA Premier League in 1992. ... One of the entrances to Highfield Road Stadium (now demolished) The Highfield Road Stadium was a multi-use stadium in Coventry, England. ... The Football League Championship (often referred to as The Championship for short, the Coca-Cola Football League Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League. ... The Football League is contested through three Divisions. ... Ashton Gate is a stadium in Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol City F.C. Located in the south-west of the city, just south of the River Avon, it has an all-seated capacity of about 21,500, with an effective capacity for football matches (depending on... Bloomfield Road is the home of English football club Blackpool Football Club. ... Bramall Lane Stadium is the home of Sheffield United Football Club in Sheffield, England and is the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches. ... The Britannia Stadium is the home of Stoke City Football Club. ... Carrow Road is the football stadium of Norwich City Football Club who currently play in the Football League Championship. ... Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and Englands National Football Museum. ... Glanford Park is a football (soccer) stadium in Scunthorpe, UK and the current home of Football League Championship team Scunthorpe United F.C.. It was the first time that an English football team had moved to a new purpose-built stadium. ... The Hawthorns is the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. ... Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club in Sheffield, England. ... Home Park is an Association Football stadium located in Plymouth, England, and is home to Plymouth Argyle, who currently play in the Football League Championship. ... Kingston Communications Stadium or KC Stadium is a new facility for the city of Hull hosting football, rugby league and a series of pop concerts. ... Layer Road is a multi-use stadium in Colchester, England. ... Loftus Road is a side-street in Shepherds Bush London W12. ... Molineux Stadium is the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., who are currently members of the Football League Championship. ... Ninian Park is a football stadium in Cardiff, Wales. ... Oakwell Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Barnsley, England. ... Portman Road is the home ground of English Football club Ipswich Town. ... Selhurst Park is a football stadium located in the south London suburb of South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon. ... St Marys Stadium is the home stadium of Southampton F.C.. The Saints have been in residence since August 2001 when they moved from the The Dell, which for the final years of its life, held just over 15,000 spectators - less than half the size of the new... Turf Moor is the home ground of English football club Burnley F. C., located in Burnley, Lancashire. ... The Valley is a 27,111-capacity football stadium in Charlton, London. ... Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford F.C. and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. ... The Walkers Stadium is a football stadium which plays home matches to English football team Leicester City F.C. The stadium, inaugurated in July, 2004, holds 32,500 and is named after Leicester Citys sponsers Walkers. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

External links

• WorldStadiums.com entry