Frasers Group, majority owned by billionaire Mike Ashley, has served Coventry City football club with an eviction notice ordering the Championship side to leave its home stadium.

After the club refused to sign a new tenancy agreement it claimed was “less favourable”, new stadium owner Frasers Group said the club no longer had a right to play at its home ground.

News of the eviction notice came after Coventry switched an FA Youth Cup game against Southampton to Leamington FC “due to unforeseen circumstances”, The Guardian reported.

After Frasers Group’s purchase of the stadium from former owner Wasps rugby club, which went into administration in October, it said it was “looking forward to working with Coventry City football club”.

However, the club said in a statement: “Following the Frasers Group acquisition of the stadium from administrators, Coventry City have been told that we must agree a new licence to play at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

“We were surprised to learn of this intention by Frasers Group, given that discussions with Coventry City prior to the completion of their purchase of the arena led us to understand the existing terms would continue unchanged with Frasers Group as the new owners of the arena.

“Coventry City football club has an existing long-term licence to play at the arena, which was agreed in March 2021 to run until 2031.”

In response, Frasers Group said it wanted to work with the club to secure its future at the stadium.

“Frasers has, throughout all its involvement with the stadium, been supportive of securing the long-term future of CCFC playing its games at the stadium. This position remains unchanged,” the company said.

“Prior to acquiring the stadium, Frasers issued a new licence mirroring the terms CCFC had agreed with the previous owners. However, CCFC chose not to sign it at that time. A revised proposal, together with a new licence, has been issued to CCFC and will secure the immediate future of CCFC at the stadium.”