CCFC and Tesco unite as stadium future secured

Coventry City FC may be able to begin work on its new stadium within months after supermarket giant Tesco agreed to sign a massive deal with the local authority.

The First Division promotion chasers have struck a multi-million pound agreement with Tesco that will see the new arena built in the city, but alongside one of the biggest stores in the country.

Paul Fletcher, chief executive of Arena Coventry who will deliver the project, said: "This is a pivotal moment, as the money from the Tesco deal is a major foundation stone in making the arena a reality, and a major hurdle has been cleared."

Decontamination experts will move in on the former gas works next month and their job will take around eight weeks, before the initial building work and engineering can take place.

Although there remain some undisclosed conditions that need settling before the end of March, all being well, the infrastructure will then be built ahead of the stadium's opening in time for the 2004-05 season.