Comments on: Coventry City – The Ricoh Arena

By: Shoon sfc

Shoon sfc — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:28:55 +0000

Went to the Ricoh in Nov 2011 for Cov Vs Saints in the Championship, it’s an impressive view from the outside & the pies were great (go for Balti) with friendly staff & a roomy congregating area. The loos were looking a bit neglected for a ground not open for long.

I found the stands very steep, the ground seemed confined & stuffy thanks to it’s very boxy nature, it’s almost is though there was a micro atmosphere in there that is a few degrees warmer than the outside & I couldn’t help thinking it was more of an attachment to the other leisure facilities itself rather than being the main attraction itself. Maybe it’s because I’m used to the more open bowl shape of St Marys.

There was no atmosphere whatsoever & there seemed to be an air of gloom about the place, I was waiting for late comers to come up from the bar or late arrivals but they never showed, I can only guess this is down to the current troubles they are going through. Kind of reminded me of what we went through a couple of years back. Good luck CFC.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:40:52 +0000

I visted the Ricoh by car in Nov 2011.
Road Journey was fine.
The pub they say drink in on this website is awful (JK English pub). Its been turned into a curry house so i wouldnt recommend and its a good 25 min walk from ground.
I suggest you have a drink in the ground as the beer is cold and not overpriced.
When parking drive to the ground and work your way back there are car parks all over price on average £5.00. within 5/10 mins walk.
Do not go by train unless you wait a least an hour wait for a bus or taxi after the game.

By: Kevin Halls

Kevin Halls — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:20:05 +0000

As a season ticket holder at the Ricoh Arena and a Sky Blues long suffering fan of fifty years I feel I can give any supporter of a team coming to Coventry some much needed advice and guidance.
Firstly the majority of our fans are friendly and sociable,but like most football clubs around the country we have a few who aren’t that friendly,and want to have a fight instead of offering the hand of friendship.
Secondly our ground is ultra modern which means to some it’s fantastic but to others it’s a boring place to sit and watch the beautiful game,as the saying goes beauty is in the eye of the beholder or those who need to go to Specsavers.
And thirdly there are plenty of watering holes around the ground and greasy spoon cafes too most of them are supposed to be for Sky Blue fans only,but as we are still in a nasty credit crunch all the landlords welcome away fans with open arms especially those who are alcoholic and love their grub !

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 19:09:57 +0000

i visited the ricoh arena in december and was impressed with my visit. There was a burger king and pizza hut outside the ground, and its accesibility is brilliant. All of the home fans were friendly, however there was not many of them there, only 15,000 infact which is half of there capacity. They made virtualy no noise leaving the away support to create the atmosphere. I found the stewards very friendly and we had no problems atall. The concourses are very roomy with plenty of room to chat, and the queues were suprisingly short. It was a lovely stadium and there was plenty of legroom. The stairways are steap and require alot of effort making your way to your seats.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 16:10:01 +0000

I think it necessary to say that ,whilst I don’t disbelieve the two supporters who experienced “ferocity” and “intimidation”, we didn’t see one scrap of trouble and felt safe and welcome at all times. I went on 606 as a result of these posts and was met with messsages from several Coventry fans assuring me that it would be fine to take my son, which it was.

By: tom

tom — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 09:27:39 +0000

i went to the ricoh on the opening game of the championship for portsmouth it was my first away game dislcuding wembley but got to say it is a very nice staduim and very easy to get to but us portsmouth fans seemed to wake the staduim up coventry fans hardly sang so their was no atmosphere form their end their was only 18,000 thousand attendance its a shame really becasue it is a really nice staduim but overall it is a good day out and one of the championship staduims u should go to.

By: David Mc Gee

David Mc Gee — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:13:55 +0000

Hi, just wanted to explain to fans that their is a fantastic Casino / catering establishment that is part of the Ricoh Arena complex. It is open to fans and has a friendly atmosphere. Very modern and lush with great TV cameras. The stadium it self is off course brilliant. If full it is fantastic for acoustics but when empty a little lacking All facilties are very modern and has a very continental feel about it Car parks are free or cheap around if you know where your going Pubs do exist around the Arena and I have never had reports of bad fan behaviour Good views and catering facilties all round I think and there is a Burger King and Pizza Hut in walking distance as well as tescos adn other shops. Cheers Dave Mc Gee.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:50:23 +0000

Went to The Ricoh last October and was fairly pleased with my visit. Lots of cheap parking in the back of pubs near the stadium and also lots of shops and food outlets. The largest Tesco in Britain is within 100 yards of the stadium and also 2 food outlets, Pizza Hut and Burger King. Can be intimidating for younger fans due to ferocity of Coventry City fans towards the visiting supporter. Also, lack of legroom so legs are likely to be very soor

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:22:12 +0000

I visited the Ricoh Arena this season, I was very impressed with the acoustics and overall layout of the ground as it is close to variosu shops/restaurants such as one of the largest tescos in Britain, piza hu and burger king, although it is to be noted that that Coventry fans are very passionate about their team which can make for a hostile environment outside the ground and surrounding areas, so it is advisable not to wear/show club colours until in the ground.

By: John

John — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:48:21 +0000

Getting to the Ricoh is a piece of cake. Just follow the “Football Parking” signs from the M6, and there’s a car park literally just off Junction 3 (cost £3 iirc) – The Ricoh is then around a 10-15 minute walk (longer if you stop in a pub!), and best of all it means that after the game, you’ll be back on the M6 and moving at 70mph within 20 minutes. Park anywhere near the stadium and you’ll still be in sight of the stadium after 20 minutes!

As with a lot of new stadiums, the Ricoh lacks “character”, but you can’t argue with the sheer size of it, and the acoustics are really fantastic, particularly when all four sides of the ground are singing.

The concourses under the stadium are nice and big, and allow plenty of room for chatting. The queues for food and drink were huge last time I visited, so maybe worth filling up before the game!