Coventry City visitor guide | Ricoh Arena guide

The 32,500 seater Ricoh Arena has been the home of Coventry City F.C. since 2005. The clubs previous home was Highfield Road, a ground it had used since 1899. When the new stadium finally opened its gates the project was nearly four years over schedule; the original completion date had been 2001. Luckily, home fans were treated to a 3-0 win over QPR during the first competitive game played at the Ricoh Arena on the 20th August 2005. The stadium complex also contains an exhibition hall, casino, leisure club and its very own Ricoh Arena Hotel. Outside the ground, the 'Sky Blues Wall of Fame' celebrates Coventry City heroes such as Jimmy Hill and John Sillett.

Visiting supporters will find themselves seated in blocks six and seven of the Jewson South Stand near the corner that joins it with the Telent West Stand. Seat allocation for away fans is around 3,000. The good acoustics of the Ricoh Arena help to create a lively atmosphere but some fans feel the seats are too far from the pitch, causing viewing problems that can make it hard to follow the action at times. Match favourites such as hotdogs, burgers and pies are available on the concourses as well as lager and bitter. A number of television screens ensure that fans can keep an eye on the match as they queue for their refreshments.

Musical concerts are regularly held at the arena; Brian Adams, Bon Jovi and Red Hot Chili Peppers are all big names that have played here.

Getting To The Ricoh Arena

By Car

Due to it’s out of town location, the Ricoh Arena is fairly straightforward to reach by car. It is located very close to the M6 motorway; most fans travelling to the stadium will come in on this road. Exit the M6 at Junction 3; take the A444 towards the city centre and you will reach the ground after a mile. There are plenty of parking spaces at the ground and adjoining retail park but on match days there are many restrictions in place. Stadium parking is for permit holders and fans are generally encouraged to make use of existing Park and Ride schemes. Parking on the retail park is well monitored on match days with parking free if £25 or more is spent in one of the parks shops. 'Residents Only' parking in enforced in all residential streets within one mile of the stadium, so those looking for street parking will have to look further afield. A number of private car parks can be found nearby, chiefly around Junction 3 of the M6. Prices tend to be around the £5 mark. Parking problems can be avoided by staying at the Ricoh Arena Hotel or choosing a Ricoh Arena hotel in the centre of Coventry and travelling to the game on public transport.

By Public Transport

The Ricoh Arena is located over 3 miles from the centre of Coventry so unless you are driving to the ground it is likely that you will need to use public transport.

Coventry's main railway station is in the centre of the city. It is regularly served by intercity and cross-country trains, so fans travelling by train will arrive here. Taxis are widely available outside the station; the 10-15 minute journey costs about £8-9. Alternatively, a match day bus service runs from the Pool Meadow bus station to the stadium complex and costs £3 for a special match day ticket. The Pool Meadow bus station is across the city centre from the railway station so check which buses departing from the train station also stop at Pool Meadow and buy your match day ticket onboard. The match buses arrive and depart from the stadium at the Jewson South Stand. Be warned, the post match crush for the buses can be a bit of a battle.