Coventry are forced to postpone a THIRD successive Championship home fixture due to pitch issues

Coventry City have cancelled their third straight home match due to issues with the pitch at the Coventry Building Society Arena, but have confirmed that ‘extensive work’ on the playing surface will get underway ‘immediately’.

The Championship club have already called off games against Rotherham and Millwall this season after their pitch was deemed ‘unsafe’. Coventry share their ground with rugby side Wasps, and have blamed them for the state of the pitch.

They have now postponed their match with Huddersfield on Saturday. However, Coventry and Wasps Group released a joint statement on Wednesday to assure fans that plans have been put in place to solve the problem.

The pitch at the Coventry Building Society Arena has been a major issue so far this season

The club have now postponed their third successive Championship home match

The statement read: ‘Coventry City Football Club and Wasps Group are very pleased to confirm that extensive work is taking place this week on the pitch at Coventry Building Society Arena.

‘A six-figure investment is being made into pitch improvements that will make the pitch safe and playable.

‘Saturday’s game against Huddersfield Town will be postponed to allow for this work to take place successfully. Coventry City had sought to reverse the fixture against Huddersfield this Saturday, but unfortunately Huddersfield could not accommodate this request due to timescales involved.

‘The Sky Blues’ first game back at the Arena will be on Wednesday 31st August against Preston North End.’

Coventry’s chief executive, Dave Boddy, added that work would begin straight away, and has thanked Wasps for reaching a compromise with his club, after previously accusing them of breaking promises to put a new surface in.

Coventry’s CEO, Dave Boddy (L), has confirmed work will start immediately to fix the pitch

‘We are very pleased to bring news to our supporters that this work is taking place and beginning immediately.

‘The extensive work will begin immediately – while this is not soon enough for Saturday, we will then be able to return to the Arena for our home game against Preston North End on Wednesday 31st August.

‘I would like to thank Wasps Group and the Arena for agreeing to this work taking place,’ he said.

Due to the multiple postponements that have already taken place, Coventry have only managed to play two league matches so far this term, leaving the possibility of fixture congestion becoming a concern later in the campaign.