Coventry City: London High Court hearing adjourned for four days

Coventry City's High Court hearing in London has been put back for four days.

Along with owners Sisu, the promotion-chasing League One club were due in court on Friday to face the threat of an administration order.

The application, from Arena Coventry Limited, City's Ricoh Arena landlords, claims that they are owed unpaid rent of £1.3m stretching back a year.

But the hearing has now been adjourned and is now not due to be heard until next Tuesday (26 March).

The delay is due to legal teams wanting to analyse the repercussions of Coventry City Football Club Ltd, the company that held the lease and licence in relation to the Ricoh Arena, having been put into administration on Thursday evening.

Paul Appleton, managing partner of David Rubin & Partners, who have been appointed as administrator for Coventry City Football Club Ltd, has had a meeting with Sky Blues manager Steven Pressley to reassure him that Coventry City Football Club (Holdings) Ltd, the entity that runs the Football operation, remains unaffected.

"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," 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."

Reports have suggested that Coventry might still try to resolve the ongoing row by playing home games away from the Ricoh Arena, their base since the decision in 2005 to leave Highfield Road, their home for the previous 106 years.

And BBC Midlands Today were reporting on Friday evening that the Sky Blues' offices and the club shop have been emptied as the row over unpaid rent escalates.

The club are now understood to be in talks with the Football League, arguing their case for not being docked the statutory 10 points for going into administration.

The Sky Blues currently stand three points adrift of the League One play-off places having picked up seven points out of a possible nine under new boss Pressley.

But, if ACL succeed and the club as a whole is deemed to have gone into administration, a 10-point deduction would immediately scupper their bid to return to the Championship at the first attempt.

No statement from ACL, who manage the Ricoh Arena for joint-owners the Alan Edward Higgs Charity and Coventry City Council. has yet been made.