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Ricoh Arena bosses have launched an eleventh-hour official complaint to the Football League against the Sky Blues' plans to play at Northampton.

The Telegraph can reveal part council-owned Arena Coventry Limited (ACL) has lodged the complaint, calling on the League to refer the matter to its Football Disciplinary Commission (FDC).

The commission’s role is to rule on complaints where any party claims the Football League’s regulations have been breached.

ACL will also ask for an independent ruling on the groundshare plan from the Football Association - particularly if the FDC does not intervene. The FDC is made up of selected Football League board members.

James Powell, the lawyer acting for ACL - jointly owned by Coventry City Council and the Alan Edward Higgs Charity - contends the Northampton groundshare plan is in breach of Football League regulations 13.4, 13.6, 13.7 and 13.8.

The League “reluctantly” approved the groundshare, in a statement on July 8, for up to five years pending a new stadium being built in the Coventry area.

Mr Powell said the regulations required groundsharing arrangements to have regard to the interests of any club’s stakeholders, including fans.

He added: “You only have to look at the protests from Coventry City supporters to see all these things need to be taken into account.”

Mr Powell also claims the regulations over groundsharing require the club to have demonstrated a clear plan to return to the Coventry conurbation - and there was a legal contention over whether prospective owners Otium had a right to even call themselves “the club” - with CCFC Limited currently in administration and owned by administrator Paul Appleton.

Mr Powell said the Football League on July 8 had only announced a groundsharing decision “in principle”. He contended full approval for the groundshare would have to go back to the Football League board.

He said: “We’ve been left with no alternative but to make a complaint against the Football League.

“We’ve asked them to refer it to the Football Disciplinary Commission. A further option is to appeal to the FA under regulation 79.

“The FA should in any case intervene. It would provide a decision that stands apart from the executive, and decisions and mistakes made by the Football League (in registering players in Coventry City FC Holdings, not CCFC Ltd which held the League’s “golden share” right to play matches).

“Supporters and stakeholders would respect a decision from the Football Association.

“It is difficult to see how the Football League can act in an objective and independent way.”

ACL lawyer Mr Powell also said it should not automatically be the case that CCFC Ltd will be liquidated if Mr Appleton’s Compulsory Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) proposal to end administration is rejected in tomorrow’s meeting - even though it is thought Mr Appleton has stated that is the case.

Mr Powell said the law allowed Mr Appleton to instead put forward an alternative CVA proposal to prevent liquidation.

Mr Powell said ACL might consider an appeal to the Football League or the High Court if CCFC Ltd is liquidated tomorrow - without any alternative CVA which all creditors might be able to sign up to being tabled instead.

But Mr Powell emphasised he was not concluding the current CVA proposal would definitely be rejected tomorrow.