Nov 21 2008 by Andrew Coleman, Birmingham Mail

THE prayers of Take That fans in the Midlands have today been answered with the group announcing a regional date on their forthcoming 2009 tour.

They will perform at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on Tuesday June 9. Tickets, priced £45 and £55, go on sale at 9am on Wednesday from 0871 2200 260, 0844 277 9000 and 0871 424 4444.

There had been fears that the band, who enjoyed hits like Pray, Everything Changes and Back For Good, would miss the Midlands completely after they said they would only be performing their The Circus Live show in London, Cardiff, Manchester and Sunderland. A petition was begun by Heart FM to persuade group members to think again. Demand for tickets at the previously announced gigs broke UK box office records. Toppling Michael Jackson’s 1987 Bad Tour as the fasting selling tour in UK history, 750,000 tickets were snapped up by fans across the country.

The band today said: “We were totally astounded by the response and amazed at being able to break such records – we feel very privileged to be in this position at such a time. We promise to make this tour the very best shows we’ve ever done. See you in 2009!”

Take That release their new album, The Circus, on December 1, preceded by the single Greatest Day, on November 24.

http://www.birminghammail.net/news....2310426

May 29 2009 by Duncan Gibbons, Coventry Telegraph

Recommend DOZENS of eye-catching Take That trucks will roll into Coventry next weekend to prepare for the band’s three-night concert extravaganza in the city.

Fifty-nine lorries packed with staging, lighting and sets will travel in convoy down the M1 and M69 for the circus-themed gigs at the Ricoh Arena, which start on Monday, June 8.

The unusual convoy has set off from the band’s rehearsal venue in Bedfordshire for the first gig in Sunderland.

The shows are part of a 20-date tour for Gary, Jason, Mark and Howard.

Tickets for the three sold-out Ricoh concerts can be collected from the stadium unless fans have asked for them to be put in the post.

Caroline Lissaman, of the Ricoh Arena, said although all of the standing and seating tickets had been sold, around 80 corporate hospitality tickets still remained.

She said: “The gigs are set to be three of the biggest music nights in the Ricoh’s history and we want as many people as possible to enjoy them.”

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news....3736084

Coventry City FC groundsman prepares pitch for Take That
Jun 5 2009 By Andy Turner

GROWING grass for a living, you’ve got to have a little... patience.

And that quality is being tested to the full for Coventry City’s groundsman Michael Finch when Take That take to the stage at Ricoh Arena for three nights next week, killing a quarter of the lush pitch that he lovingly cares for 52 weeks of the year to ensure the Sky Blues have a world class surface to play on.

But Finchy – as he is inevitably known in the footballing idiom – is a master in the art of cultivating the perfect sports pitch and he sees Gary, Jason, Mark and Howard’s bandwagon rolling into town – complete with tons of stage equipment and the foot traffic of 114,000 fans over the three days bearing down on his grass – as a challenge rather than a turf war.

It is, after all, a highly lucrative business venture for the Ricoh whose reputation as a top quality venue for more than just football is growing all the time, and clearly enhanced by attracting acts like Take That, and Oasis who follow hot on their heels next month.

But there lies another hurdle for Finch. Just when he gets the grass back to near its best, he will have to go through the whole process all over again. But it is highly technical stuff growing grass, and the development of fertilisers, seeds and growing conditions mean that threadbare and sandy pitches from the seventies are firmly a thing of the past.

“It is all very scientific these days and I plan things weeks in advance to cope with events like this,” said City’s head groundsman who has been at the club for 22 years.

“I began preparing for the Take That concerts 10 weeks ago, changing the fertilisers leading up to putting the grass into hibernation by slowing down the growing process which puts all the energy into the roots.

“It’s soil science and my biggest challenge comes from the weather. The stage area, which extends from the Jewson Stand end to the D of the 18-yard box is covered by a solid aluminium mat that pushes the air movement away from the plant.

“The rest of the pitch is covered by a honeycomb membrane which has air holes and allows the plant to remain upright, so that stays green and is not damaged too much. And that can be back to near normal within two days.

“But the stage area, which takes up about a quarter of the pitch will be scorched, turning brown and killing the grass.”

Finch and his team of five grounds staff will move into action the minute Take That’s roadies have dismantled the elaborate stage that has a strip running down to the centre circle.

Having access to all areas apart from backstage during the concerts, to the average Take That fan it appears he has the dream ticket. But asked where he will be when Barlow and co are belting out their hits, he said: “I will probably be up in the control room worrying about my grass!”

But it is a similar story on a Sky Blue match day. Although Coventry born with his heart firmly in the club, he rarely watches the action.

“I am out helping to prepare the pitch beforehand but come kick-off and I usually go back to my office and catch up on e-mails. I keep an eye on the game on the TV monitor, but I am not really watching the football, I am watching to see if there is any damage to the pitch,” he said.

It is a round the clock job at times that can involve Finch rolling into work at 3am to turn the under soil heating on during a hard frost – a facility that ensures there should never be an occasion when a match is postponed due to a frozen pitch.

“The heating goes on every six hours in freezing temperatures,” he said. “The pitch is worth £350,000 so I have got to keep it healthy.”

And Finch has achieved that on a consistent basis, earning the accolade of the Championship’s best pitch in 2006 when it was on a par with Arsenal and Man City, and regularly getting high marks from post match assessors.

“The pitch is given a mark out of five by the match referee, away team manager and an independent assessor from the FA after every game,” he explained.

“Between August and December we got an average score of 4.6 which is very highly rated.”

And strange as it may sound, groundsmen can sometimes find themselves having more in common with the high-earning footballers that enjoy the fruits of their labours. Not so long ago Arsenal’s head groundsman was head hunted by none other than Real Madrid.

But home is where the heart is for Finch who said: “You have to have a passion for it and I take great pride in working for Coventry City and the Ricoh Arena. It is a show piece and I really enjoyed it when Chelsea came here with the Sky cameras in the FA Cup.

“The next two concerts will be my sixth and seventh, so I am very experienced in coping with them now. The first was Elton John at Highfield Road and since then I have had Bon Jovi twice, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Rod Stewart, and each time I have delivered.”

And Chris Coleman can rest assured that come August 8 when the Championship season kicks off again, the pitch will be back in pristine condition. Well, almost, as Finch explains: “As far as the players are concerned they won’t notice any difference. It will look and feel as good as it always does.

“You try to achieve 90 per cent cover and it will be very young grass so it will be at its best probably two or three games into the season as far as I am concerned, so you have to be patient.”

Take That fans warned over online fake tickets

Jun 8 2009 by Helen Thomas, Coventry Telegraph

TAKE THAT fans without tickets for this week’s Coventry Ricoh Arena gigs are being warned about websites offering fakes.

Coventry Trading Standards say callers are concerned at the number of “unofficial” websites offering tickets which have to be paid for in advance and collected at the venue.

Officers fear that fans may turn up tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday to collect tickets, only to be disappointed.

Mike Lynn, of Coventry Trading Standards, said: “It’s vital that people research online to see if other people have complained about a company. The best place to start is the official website for the band or venue.

“Taking action against such sites is not easy. Most of the websites are based outside the UK and EU.”

Stephen Ebanks, ticketing manager at the Ricoh Arena, said: “We are concerned about the number of calls that we have received from fans who have paid for tickets and want to know where to collect them.”

* A member of one of the support acts at the Ricoh Arena gigs could be performing in a wheelchair.

Vanessa White, of The Saturdays, did so in Dundee on Wednesday after falling down stairs.

Jun 8 2009 by Martin Smith

POP royalty Take That will perform to the biggest crowd ever at Coventry's Ricoh Arena as part of a three-night sell-out stint.

The Fab Four - Gary, Mark, Howard and Jason - will bring their UK Circus tour to Coventry tonight (Friday) in front of 40,000 screaming fans.

It's the biggest concert the Ricoh has ever hosted with one of the biggest pop acts in the world with a string of Number One singles and albums.

And we want your reviews of the historic night.

Simply fill in the comment box below with your name and town/district and we'll pick a selection to be published in the Telegraph this week - along with all our pictures and interviews from the big night.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/2009....3815955

Jun 9 20009 by Roz Laws

IT takes a spectacular show to fill a huge stadium and entertain 40,000 people, but Take That have more than delivered with their Circus tour.

Jason Orange introduced the evening by promising “loads of tunes and loads of dancing”.

They didn’t let us down, but what he didn’t mention was everything else we were going to get.

Like all the circus performers – acrobats, trapeze artists, dancers with feathered head-dresses, clowns and a tightrope walker.

Britney Spears is also currently touring a circus show (though not to the Midlands) but has come under fire for miming.

Not only do the multi-talented fab four sing every note, but they dance, play instruments and even ride unicycles.

They are witty, humble and delighted at their continued success, as if they can’t quite believe their luck.

They offer value for money, playing 23 hits in the two-hour show and changing into seven different outfits, mainly variations on the ringmaster theme.

At one point they dress in clown suits and put on garish make-up. With their charm, they make us all want to run away and join their circus.

Highlights for me were a visually-stunning staging of Up All Night, a rousing Relight My Fire involving real fire, and the wonderful final song, Rule The World. As Gary Barlow sang “we’re lighting up the sky for you,” fireworks went off. How cool is that?

Take That continue to party at the Ricoh until tomorrow.

Verdict: * * * *

http://www.birminghammail.net/news....3822684

Jun 9 2009 by Tina Junday

A GAGGLE of clowns, jugglers and acrobats rolled into Coventry last night for Take That’s circus-themed extravaganza.

Their jaw-dropping show saw flames bursting through the air, shimmering showgirls with feather plumes and the band sing from a giant mechanical elephant as a reflection of their hit album The Circus.

It was the first of three shows to be held at the Ricoh Arena which enticed a staggering 38,000 diehard fans.

Gary, Howard, Jason and Mark emerged from under a huge hot-air balloon in the middle of the stadium and kicked off their rainbow-coloured show with the song Greatest Day as huge balloons were released into the sky.

They sang Hello, which they performed on ladders, followed by their timeless classic Could It Be Magic.

Mark said: “Coventry we are here at the Ricoh stadium – the beautiful stadium.”

Jason addressed the audience and said: “Hopefully it won’t rain – have you all got your brollies with you just in case? We’ve got some.

He added: “Hopefully we won’t let you down – we’ve got loads of songs and loads of dancing.”

The group had even been trained on unicycles except Gary who rode on a bicycle with stabilisers.

Other tracks included a medley of It Only Takes A Minute, Do What You Like, Promises and Take That And Party before finishing with Rule The World.

Circus Live, which sold 35 million tickets in one day, broke all UK box office records for the 14-date stadium tour.

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news....2

Jun 9 2009 bt Tina Junday

WAVES of screaming fans swept through the Ricoh’s big top last night to welcome Take That and their circus troupe.

Thousands roared with excitement as the former teen heartthrobs took to the stage at the lavish spectacle.

Among the packed-out stadium was Kirsty Armitage, and boyfriend Tony Collins, both aged 39, who were excited to bring their daughter Holly, aged 12, to see the talented group for the first time.

Kirsty, a receptionist, of Lutterworth, said: “They’re my favourite band of all time – I just love them and so does my daughter.

“It’s the second time round I’ve seen them. They were fantastic on stage – we’re their biggest fans.

"We saw them on TV but it was nothing compared to seeing them live

"It was fabulous. Gary is my favourite – he’s gorgeous.”

Hannah Rose, aged 11, of Binley, and sister Sophie, aged 14, dragged their dad out to see the hotly anticipated show.

Mum, Sarah Rose, aged 44, said: “We’ve all been fans for years including my daughters.

"Their dad paid for our tickets so we brought him with us so he could see what the fuss was all about.”

IT manager, Mike Beard, aged 38, and full-time mum, Tracey Chatterley, aged 46, were amazed at the turnout.

Tracey, of Leamington, said: “The crowds were fantastic. It makes for an incredible atmosphere and as for Take That they never fail to impress.

"You can just tell from their faces that they love doing what they do.

“Mike bought me the ticket as a Christmas present.

"I was trying to get tickets but he was glad I didn’t so he could surprise me with his.”

Sister-in-laws, Victoria Smith, aged 36, Kerry Harriman, aged 40, and their niece Katie Collins, aged 17, had a successful girls night out.

Victoria, of Bedworth, said: “I can remember when they first came out. I liked them from when I was a kid – I grew up listening to them.

"This is like nostalgia for me. They’re all-rounders – they can sing and dance. I knew it would be a great show. I had no doubt in my mind!”

Emma Pegg, aged 27, has seen the band four times. She went with her mum, Sally Bayliss, aged 51, and her 21-year-old sister, Carrie.

She said: “I got the tickets as a Christmas present for my mum because she’s never seen them.

"It was brilliant. Every time I see them it gets better. It’s always just as exciting as the last.”

Neighbours, Emma Deakin, aged 41, Claire Patton, aged 36, Abbey Ferrar, aged 10, and her mum Hannah, aged 36, loved every minute of the show.

Emma said: “The music was really good; they do a bit of everything – easy listening and more up-tempo stuff.

“It was great for all ages. They still look good too.

"They always put on a good show; it’s guaranteed. It was good fun – we didn’t take our eyes off them!”

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news....3

I like dancer's umbrella. it's like a beautiful flower.

I ran a thousand miles to be by your side...

Mary, you're welcome.. I can't get these clowns out of my head.. it's so fantastic show!!