'Business as usual' for Coventry

Coventry manager Steven Pressley has been assured it is "business as usual" by the administrator.

It was confirmed on Thursday that Coventry City Football Club Limited had gone into administration. However, this company is distinct from Coventry City Football Club (Holdings), which runs the football operation. It means that Paul Appleton, managing partner of David Rubin & Partners LLP, has been able to offer Pressley assurances about his squad, including confirmation they will continue to be paid as normal. "I was pleased to meet with Steven and give him reassurances that, as far as what happens on the pitch and in the general running of the Club, it is absolutely business as usual with the operating company executives very much in charge," said Appleton. "Steven, the players and all the staff at the football club will continue to be paid as normal by the operating company which is not in administration - that is an important message I was keen to put across." The administration issue centres around the costs involved with playing at the Ricoh Arena, which Coventry moved into eight years ago. A High Court judge is next week due to analyse the finances of the club after the owner of the stadium said it was owed rent. Arena Coventry said earlier this month that it was owed more than £1.3 million and planned to ask a High Court judge to place the club into administration. Lawyers representing Arena Coventry appeared at the High Court in London today to outline the latest state of play. They said Arena Coventry bosses had been concerned by a statement made by the club earlier this week - and needed more time to consider their position. A judge adjourned the hearing until Tuesday. Eighth-placed Coventry travel to bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth - a club placed into administration more than a year ago - on Saturday. There has been talk of City reaching a ground-share agreement with one of their Midlands neighbours before building a stadium of their own, even though the 32,000 Ricoh Arena is a newly-built stadium. It is now thought Coventry will have a 10-point deduction imposed by the Football League, which would end any outside chance of promotion from League One, City having mounted a successful run under Pressley, who was only appointed as Mark Robins' successor a fortnight ago.