TUESDAY'S Ibiza clash with Town represents the first kick of a crucial campaign for Coventry.

With a new 32,000-seat stadium to fill, manager Micky Adams is under real pressure to bring Premiership football back to the West Midlands city.

Coventry had built a reputation as survival specialists since winning promotion to the top flight in 1967, when Jimmy Hill was the driving force behind the club.

But they finally lost Premier League status under Gordon Strachan in 2001, since when Rolan Nilsson, Gary McAllister, Eric Black and Peter Reid have all had difficult spells in charge.

Former Leeds player Adams took over in January, and was at least able to guide the Sky Blues away from the black hole of the Championship drop zone.

The finally finished 19th, two points and three places above the relegation places.

While that fight was going on, work continued on the Ricoh Stadium, a £113m project led by Paul Fletcher, the former Town chief executive and one of the men behind the development of the Galpharm Stadium.

Coventry, who had played at Highfield Road since 1899, are due to play their first game at the new arena on Saturday, August 20, when Queens Park Rangers, the other English club involved in the Copa de Ibiza, are the visitors.

Coventry chairman Mike McGinnity is clearly eager for Adams to produce a team to match the slick new surroundings, but it will have to be on a budget.

Two experienced men have been let go since the end of last season - ex-England midfielder Tim Sherwood and Republic of Ireland defender Steve Staunton.

Adams, meanwhile, has agreed new deals with 10 players - influential ex-Arsenal and Everton man Stephen Hughes, his skipper, fellow midfielders Claus Jorgensen and Isaac Osbourne, winger Richie Partridge, strikers Andy Morrell, Gary McSheffrey, Craig Read, Trevor Benjamin and Dele Adebola and centre-back Richard Shaw.

Adams has also made two new signings, Trinidadian goalkeeper Clayton Ince from Crewe and striker James Scowcroft, from his previous club Leicester.

He has also completed the long-term loan capture of Portsmouth's Welsh defender Richard Duffy, who had a Sky Blues stint last term, and is also in the hunt for another Leicester player, centre-back Matt Heath.

Ince's compatriot, striker Stern John, will be unavailable for Ibiza because he is skippering Trinidad and Tobago in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, so Scowcroft will be keen to take his chance to impress.

The 29-year-old Ipswich product has penned a three-year deal at Coventry and said: "I obviously know Micky from our Leicester days and I spoke to him at the end of the season when he knew my contract was up.

"I had a few other options in the Championship and it was just a question of making a choice really.

"I know from experience that Micky gets the best out of players.

"You always look to that and sometimes it's a case of better the devil you know, so I had no hesitation in signing.

"Coventry are a good club as well, so everything fell into place.

"They have a new stadium and there is a lot of potential."

Ince, meanwhile, is aiming to use the Ibiza tournament to stake his claim for the keeper's shirt.

"My ambition is to work hard and, just like every other player at the club, be the first in their chosen position," said the 32-year-old.

"I want to be part of the team and make sure I am part of things on the road to success. I just want to be the best that I can be for the club.

"For the past six years I have only had coaching on and off but now I will benefit from a full-time goalkeeping coach.

"The extra bit to my game that has been missing should be there now because hopefully I will be analysed better."