CBS Arena: Coventry City fan John Dawkins upset at administrators' 'silence' over bid
- Published
Coventry City first moved to what was then the Ricoh Arena in 2005, before Wasps moved in nine years later
Prospective bidder John Dawkins says he "cannot understand" why administrators have not considered his bid to buy the Coventry Building Society Arena.
The operating companies who run the CBS Arena, which began this season as home to Coventry City and Wasps, applied to enter administration on 7 November.
Ex-Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley's Frasers Group then emerged as preferred bidder to buy the 17-year-old stadium.
But Dawkins is upset as he feels his bid has been overlooked.
CBS Arena operators, Arena Coventry Limited (ACL) are due to go into administration on Thursday when an insolvency court hearing is scheduled - and preferred bidder Ashley could gain control.
Dawkins' proposal to ACL's administrators, FRP Advisory, was first mooted in October.
That is now fully backed by United States billionaire John McEvoy, founder of a San Diego-based mobile device distribution company, who already holds ownership stakes in US National Hockey League team Nashville Predators and Major League Baseball outfit Colorado Rockies.
"There is a US investor in my consortium who has a rich tapestry in sport," Dawkins told BBC CWR, external. "He owns a major league baseball team, an NHL ice hockey and has a major investment in the McLaren Formula 1 team too.
"John's a very quiet operator. In 25 years I don't think he's come out at the front of anything.
"He is behind the bid and I am the public face," added Dawkins, managing director of international artist management company Various Artists, whose clients include music acts Tom Grennan, The Libertines and Supergrass.
ACL have declined to comment, while FRP Advisory are set to formally take on the role of administrators when appointed by court on Thursday.
'I'm a long-standing City season ticket holder surrounded by big investors'
"I'm a long-standing Coventry City season ticket holder who is fortunate enough to find himself surrounded by big investors," Dawkins said.
"We have assembled a team on this bid who completely and passionately buy into the importance of the CBS Arena to the wider cultural infrastructure of Coventry."
Aside from his close connection to Coventry, Dawkins alleges that his consortium's bid is higher than that made by Ashley, founder of Sports Direct, who sold his stake in Newcastle United 13 months ago.
Ashley's Frasers Group offer is understood to be a total of £17m, which includes a £1.2m advance fee to assure 'exclusivity' as preferred bidder.
"We now know that we have offered significantly more money than Mike Ashley," he said. "And we have made assurances to creditors about terms and timelines that will all be met.
"With this in mind we cannot understand why we are being denied a chance to submit our plans and for them to be considered as part of a fair, transparent bid process."
ACL has operated the Arena since 2005, when it was partially funded by the estate of a late Sky Blues fan, Alan Higgs, and Coventry City Council.