By CovSid67
August 16 2005

On Sunday I was treated to a tour of the new Arena, and the main thing that struck me was, there still looks as if there's a hell of a lot to do before it's ready!! Luckily, I was told there are 700 people on site to see that it's ready for the weekend....
Failure to get it ready, I was told, is not an option! The view of the inside (Pitch and seating areas), is fairly immaculate, and looks ready for a paying and hopefully excited public.

The NTL Stand:



The NTL and Jewson Stands:



The Jewson Stand:



The Jewson and Marconi Stand:



The Marconi Stand (Left Side):



The Marconi Stand (Right Side):



The Coventry Evening Telegraph Stand:



Those things we seem to be struggling to hit....:



The "Naughty Boys" Room:



The press room (I'm hoping it stays like this, after the rubbish most of them write about us!):



And this is part of the changing rooms (Compared to the old ones, this whole area is massive!):



This is where the players come out at 2.55 - and where some will go back early! (Best not talk back to the referee if you want to avoid this....):



One of the corridors, on the Marconi side of the Arena:




This is one of the more finished bits that I saw - we might yet have to call in the decorating equivalent of "Ground Force!

The red running area around the side of the pitch is more of a carpet than a gravel track! No advertising hoardings have been put up yet, so as of yet I'm unsure which kindly soles will be giving money to .... somebody.

The turnstiles are full height - with roof above! - which should put an end to those that prefered to hurdle the ones at Highfield Road, and who forgot to pay on their way through.

While we were there the tannoy system was being tested, with Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" playing around the stadium - I can't help feeling they've got tunes ready to try and soften the blow after defeat....

Let's hope the "d" word is consigned to the bin, and the Arena can become our fortress! (We all have dreams....).