Reda Johnson, the Coventry City captain, has called on supporters to help to ensure a happy homecoming as the club return from a year-long exile to the Ricoh Arena tonight.
A crowd of more than 20,000 is expected to attend the Sky Bet League One match against Gillingham as Coventry play their first home match in their own city since being locked out of the stadium.
A rent dispute with Arena Coventry Limited (ACL), the stadium owner, meant that the 1987 FA Cup winners had to play home matches at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium, 34 miles away from Coventry.
The disagreement has been settled, helped by the intervention of the Football League, which ordered Coventry to pay ACL £500,000.
Tonight’s match, which will be televised by Sky Sports, represents what supporters hope will be the end of a painful period in the club’s history.
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“I’m very excited about the Ricoh, all the players are excited,” Johnson, the 26-year-old French defender, said.
“The most important thing is the three points. We need to focus on the game rather than the occasion. But the fans’ excitement will help us. They can lift us when we have heavy legs.”
Coventry have won only once in the league this season but are unbeaten in their past five matches.