A regional daily chief reporter is writing a book chronicling how a local football club ended up playing 35 miles away from home.

Coventry City FC relocated to Northampton’s Sixfields ground in 2013 after a rent row with the city council left them unable to play at their previous Ricoh Arena stadium.

They returned in 2014 followng a campaign by the Coventry Telegraph – but by then council had sold the arena to rugby club Wasps, which granted the Sky Blues’ a tenancy due to expire in 2018.

Now the Telegrpah’s chief reporter Simon Gilbert has been commissioned to pen a book on the affair which is due for release in October.

Simon Gilbert was shortlisted in the Sports Journalist of the Year category at the British Journalism Awards in 2014 for his work covering the Coventry City saga.

Entitled ‘Coventry City: A Club Without A Home’, the book will explore how a club which spent 34 consecutive years in the top flight until 2001 ended up homeless just over a decade later.

Said Simon:  “This may appear a strange book to write in many ways. But there are several very important reasons, not least that this was a huge moment in the history of Coventry City Football Club that deserves to be properly recorded.

“I felt it was necessary to produce an accurate and full record of what went on during this time in the words of the people directly involved. It also aims to demonstrate the impact the move had on CCFC, its fans, the people of Coventry and the wider football world.

“I want to use this book to challenge perceptions, and underline the positives that came out of the club’s move away from Coventry. That might seem an odd thing to say, but I can assure you that there were inspirational tales during what was an extremely demoralising period for Sky Blues fans.

“There were some fantastic displays of fan unity, cracking football performances and real examples of how fan power can make a difference when people pull together.

“When I spoke to people about the move to Sixfields, the overwhelming majority of people described the feeling as similar to if a family member had died.

“That was the very real and significant impact the loss of the football club had on the city – and another reason why I felt strongly that this period of time should be documented.”

A Club Without a Home is available to pre-order on Amazon now by clicking here..