Coventry City F.C.: Difference between revisions
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===.... And staying there=== |
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Coventry retained their First Division status at the end of the 1967-68 season and would continue to defy the odds as the seasons passed, finishing between 6th and 19th in the top division and sometimes avoiding relegation on the last day of the season when all hope seemed gone. |
Coventry retained their First Division status at the end of the [[1967-68 in English football|1967-68]] season and would continue to defy the odds as the seasons passed, finishing between 6th and 19th in the top division and sometimes avoiding relegation on the last day of the season when all hope seemed gone. |
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In 1970 Coventry scored one of the most famous goals in the history of the game. In their home game against [[Everton F.C.]], City were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Toffees' penalty area. [[Willie Carr]] proceeded to grip the ball between his ankles before flicking it up into the air behind him for [[Ernie Hunt]] to volley it over a bewildered Everton wall and into the top corner. Though the 'Donkey kick' was allowed to stand, the FA banned the technique on the grounds that it constituted a 'double-touch' of the ball. Aside from changing the laws of the game, the goal also won the [[Match of the Day]] 'Goal of the Season' competition. |
In [[1970 in football (soccer)|1970]] Coventry scored one of the most famous goals in the history of the game. In their home game against [[Everton F.C.]], City were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Toffees' penalty area. [[Willie Carr]] proceeded to grip the ball between his ankles before flicking it up into the air behind him for [[Ernie Hunt]] to volley it over a bewildered Everton wall and into the top corner. Though the 'Donkey kick' was allowed to stand, the FA banned the technique on the grounds that it constituted a 'double-touch' of the ball. Aside from changing the laws of the game, the goal also won the [[Match of the Day]] 'Goal of the Season' competition. |
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In 1970-71, manager [[Noel Cantwell]] led Coventry into their only European campaign to date. They played in the European [[Inter-Cities Fairs Cup]] (renamed the UEFA Cup the following season), beating Bulgarian side [[PFC Botev Plovdiv|Trakia Plovdiv]] 6-1 on aggregate in the first round. In the second round they notably beat [[Bayern Munich]] (a team that included a young [[Franz Beckenbauer]]) 2-1 in the home leg, but lost 3-7 on aggregate. |
In [[1970-71 in English football|1970-71]], manager [[Noel Cantwell]] led Coventry into their only European campaign to date. They played in the European [[Inter-Cities Fairs Cup]] (renamed the UEFA Cup the following season), beating Bulgarian side [[PFC Botev Plovdiv|Trakia Plovdiv]] 6-1 on aggregate in the first round. In the second round they notably beat [[Bayern Munich]] (a team that included a young [[Franz Beckenbauer]]) 2-1 in the home leg, but lost 3-7 on aggregate. |
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Jimmy Hill returned as Managing Director in 1974 and continued to reform the game. In 1975 Derrick Robins retired as chairman, emigrating to South Africa, to be replaced by Jimmy Hill. In 1981 he transformed Highfield Road into the country's first all-seater stadium under the slogan "You can't be a hooligan sitting down.". However, the idea backfired when Leeds United fans tore the seats out to use them as missiles when they lost their League Cup quarter-final to Coventry. The terraces were reinstated and Hill left the club in 1983. The stadium also gained the first electronic scoreboard, flashing in scores from around the country. The 1983- |
Jimmy Hill returned as Managing Director in [[1974 in football (soccer)|1974]] and continued to reform the game. In [[1975 in football (soccer)|1975]] Derrick Robins retired as chairman, emigrating to South Africa, to be replaced by Jimmy Hill. In [[1981 in football (soccer)|1981]] he transformed Highfield Road into the country's first all-seater stadium under the slogan "You can't be a hooligan sitting down.". However, the idea backfired when Leeds United fans tore the seats out to use them as missiles when they lost their League Cup quarter-final to Coventry. The terraces were reinstated and Hill left the club in [[1983 in football (soccer)|1983]]. The stadium also gained the first electronic scoreboard, flashing in scores from around the country. The [[1983-84 in English football|1983-84]] season also saw Coventry thrashing Liverpool 4-0 at Highfield Road, at a time when Liverpool were arguably the best team in the world and constituting the Reds' single worst defeat in over a decade. |
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Coventry City have a reputation for 'innovative' kit designs. The club's chocolate brown 'egg timer' away shirt of the mid-late 1970s regularly tops polls for the worst kit in football league history, a fact that has since given it cult status in the game. The club re-issued replicas of the shirts in 2000 in response to increased interest in vintage shirts. |
Coventry City have a reputation for 'innovative' kit designs. The club's chocolate brown 'egg timer' away shirt of the mid-late 1970s regularly tops polls for the worst kit in football league history, a fact that has since given it cult status in the game. The club re-issued replicas of the shirts in [[2000 in football (soccer)|2000]] in response to increased interest in vintage shirts. |
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The 1980- |
The [[1980-81 in English football|1980-81]] season saw Coventry reach the League Cup semi-final, narrowly losing away to [[West Ham United]] in the second-leg after being ahead from the first game. The following season saw the club banned from wearing their home shirts during televised games. Under advertising regulations, teams were not permitted to display sponsors names on their shirts (this ban was lifted for the 1983-84 season). Coventry had just announced the football league's first club sponsorship deal, and so to work around the ban Jimmy Hill tried to have the club renamed 'Coventry Talbot' to highlight the partnership with the locally-based car manufacturer. When this failed he commissioned a club home shirt onto which the Talbot 'T' symbol was boldly integrated into the design, which was promptly banned for televised games. |
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===FA Cup glory & 1987-1990=== |
===FA Cup glory & 1987-1990=== |
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Revision as of 14:54, 16 September 2007
| Coventry City badge | |||
| Full name | Coventry City Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Sky Blues, The Singers, The Bantams | ||
| Founded | 1883 | ||
| Ground | Ricoh Arena, Coventry | ||
| Capacity | 32,609 | ||
| Chairman |  Geoffrey Robinson | ||
| Manager |  Iain Dowie | ||
| League | The Championship | ||
| 2006–07 | Championship, 17th | ||
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| |||
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, is an English football club based in Coventry, UK. Coventry City were founding members of the FA Premier League in 1992. They currently play in the Coca-Cola Championship. They are currently managed by Iain Dowie, following the departures of Micky Adams on 17 January 2007, and Caretaker Manager Adrian Heath on 18 February 2007.
Between 1967 and 2001, a period of 34 years, they were continuously members of England's top division although they never finished higher than sixth. At the time of their eventual relegation, only Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton could claim to have amassed a longer tenure in top-flight English football than Coventry. Their only major trophy came in 1987 when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 to win the FA Cup, whilst they also reached two League Cup semi-finals in 1981 and 1990.
From 1899 to 2005, Coventry City played at the Highfield Road stadium. During the 1980s it became the first all-seater stadium in English football, but by the end of the following decade the club's directors decided it was time to build a bigger stadium and chose on a site in the Foleshill area of the city. The Ricoh Arena was opened in August 2005.
History
Formation
When originally founded in 1883 by the employees of a cycle manufacturer, the club was known by the name of that company, Singers (a local firm). Ten years later, the club turned professional after a very successful season (1891-92) in which three separate cups were won (The Birmingham Cup, The Wednesbury Cup and The Walsall Cup). Local businessman David Cooke (later to become an infamous chairman) produced a 'Three Cups Tobacco' to celebrate the event. In 1898, the club was renamed Coventry City just prior to a move to new playing fields on the site of Highfield Road in the Hillfields district of the city, the stadium they called home for the next 106 years. The club became a registered Limited Company in 1907 recording a capital of £2,000 in 5-shilling shares.
Coventry City were originally known as 'the Bantams' (a nickname shared with Bradford City before adopting their sky blue identity in the early 1960s. Coventry were first called the Bantams in December 1908 after the local newspaper noted that they were one of the few clubs who did not have a nickname. Being the lightweights of the Southern League, the Bantams was suggested and stuck with the press and supporters. (They remained as the 'Bantams' until the summer of 1962 when Jimmy Hill re-christened them the 'Sky Blues' and the club switched to an all sky blue kit.)
Rising to the top....
The club was elected to Football League Division Two immediately after the First World War. In the first season they found themselves second-from-bottom with only two games to play, both of which were against Bury F.C. Coventry narrowly avoided relegation, drawing 2-2 at Bury and winning 2-1 at home, consigning Lincoln City to relegation from the league. However, three years later in March 1923, an FA investigation concluded that 'an arrangement was made between Bury and Coventry City, allowing the latter to win'. The Coventry City chairman David Cooke, along with ten other officials, received a life ban from football.
In the same season Coventry City went eleven games (equivalent to 997 minutes of football) without scoring a single goal, a feat which is believed to still be a league record. In contrast, in April 1934 Coventry recorded their largest ever league victory, 9-0 against Bristol City F.C. This tally included five goals from cult City striker Clarrie Bourton, who still holds the record for the number of goals scored in one season (50).
The introduction of a new continental-style all sky blue kit (making Coventry the first team to play in matching shorts and shirts) and the new nickname the 'Sky Blues' in 1962 was the start of a revolution at Coventry City, aided by investment by chairman Derrick Robins. They had won promotion from the Fourth Division in 1959 and, basking in the success of England's legendary win the 1966 World Cup, finished the 1966-67 season as Division Two Champions, under the management of Jimmy Hill.
Hill's revolutionary touch saw him introduce special sky blue trains to away matches, pre-game and half-time entertainment (pre-dating Sky Television by almost 30 years), supplied young fans with soft drinks and snacks, and even penned the club's signature anthem "The Sky Blue Song" (sung to the tune of the Eton Boating Song). Jimmy himself, riding a white horse, could often be seen dodging the young men employed to serve hot Bovril to the fans from insulated backpacks, around the edge of the pitch. Controversially, Jimmy Hill resigned from the club on the eve of the team's First Division debut to move into a career in television.
.... And staying there
Coventry retained their First Division status at the end of the 1967-68 season and would continue to defy the odds as the seasons passed, finishing between 6th and 19th in the top division and sometimes avoiding relegation on the last day of the season when all hope seemed gone.
In 1970 Coventry scored one of the most famous goals in the history of the game. In their home game against Everton F.C., City were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Toffees' penalty area. Willie Carr proceeded to grip the ball between his ankles before flicking it up into the air behind him for Ernie Hunt to volley it over a bewildered Everton wall and into the top corner. Though the 'Donkey kick' was allowed to stand, the FA banned the technique on the grounds that it constituted a 'double-touch' of the ball. Aside from changing the laws of the game, the goal also won the Match of the Day 'Goal of the Season' competition.
In 1970-71, manager Noel Cantwell led Coventry into their only European campaign to date. They played in the European Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (renamed the UEFA Cup the following season), beating Bulgarian side Trakia Plovdiv 6-1 on aggregate in the first round. In the second round they notably beat Bayern Munich (a team that included a young Franz Beckenbauer) 2-1 in the home leg, but lost 3-7 on aggregate.
Jimmy Hill returned as Managing Director in 1974 and continued to reform the game. In 1975 Derrick Robins retired as chairman, emigrating to South Africa, to be replaced by Jimmy Hill. In 1981 he transformed Highfield Road into the country's first all-seater stadium under the slogan "You can't be a hooligan sitting down.". However, the idea backfired when Leeds United fans tore the seats out to use them as missiles when they lost their League Cup quarter-final to Coventry. The terraces were reinstated and Hill left the club in 1983. The stadium also gained the first electronic scoreboard, flashing in scores from around the country. The 1983-84 season also saw Coventry thrashing Liverpool 4-0 at Highfield Road, at a time when Liverpool were arguably the best team in the world and constituting the Reds' single worst defeat in over a decade.
Coventry City have a reputation for 'innovative' kit designs. The club's chocolate brown 'egg timer' away shirt of the mid-late 1970s regularly tops polls for the worst kit in football league history, a fact that has since given it cult status in the game. The club re-issued replicas of the shirts in 2000 in response to increased interest in vintage shirts.
The 1980-81 season saw Coventry reach the League Cup semi-final, narrowly losing away to West Ham United in the second-leg after being ahead from the first game. The following season saw the club banned from wearing their home shirts during televised games. Under advertising regulations, teams were not permitted to display sponsors names on their shirts (this ban was lifted for the 1983-84 season). Coventry had just announced the football league's first club sponsorship deal, and so to work around the ban Jimmy Hill tried to have the club renamed 'Coventry Talbot' to highlight the partnership with the locally-based car manufacturer. When this failed he commissioned a club home shirt onto which the Talbot 'T' symbol was boldly integrated into the design, which was promptly banned for televised games.
FA Cup glory & 1987-1990
In 1987 they won the FA Cup, deservedly beating an impressive Tottenham Hotspur side 3-2 in the final after extra time, the score having been 2-2 after 90 minutes. It is generally considered as one of finest finals of all time in terms of footballing technique, fair play and sheer excitement. This also finally made archaic the famous Monty Python 'World Forum' sketch, in which Coventry City's last FA Cup win is a trick question asked in a game show, as they hadn't won the Cup to that point. They were denied their chance to play in the European Cup Winners' Cup because of the ban on English teams following the 1985 Heysel Disaster.
Coventry City's youth team also won the FA Youth Cup in 1987 (beating Charlton Athletic 2-1) to secure a remarkable 'double'. Aside from Coventry, only Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton have ever won both the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup in the same season.
Key players in Coventry City's FA Cup winning team included goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic, defender and captain Brian Kilcline, midfielders Dave Bennett and Lloyd McGrath, and strikers Cyrille Regis and Keith Houchen, who scored the famous flying header. Their manager at the time was John Sillett.
The following season's opening game, the Charity Shield against Everton, saw Sillett introduce his new signing David Speedie with the quote "For too long this club has shopped at Woolworth's, from now on we'll be shopping at Harrods." In 1988-89, he guided Coventry to the club's second best ever league finish of seventh place in the First Division - ahead of bigger and higher-spending clubs like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. However, the season also saw Coventry lose in the third round of the FA Cup to Sutton United at Gander Green Lane - the last time a non-league team has knocked-out a team from the top flight of English football in the FA Cup. City lost 2-1 in a close game on a terrible playing surface, though Coventry fans were understandably incensed by the humiliation of the result and some of their players' post-match excuses.
The 1989-90 season saw Coventry reach another League Cup semi-final, narrowly (and many still believe unfairly) losing to the eventual winners Nottingham Forest.
Near misses
By 1990-91, Coventry's problems with league form returned and in November 1990 Sillett was sacked after five years in charge. He was replaced by Terry Butcher, the former England defender who was released from his contract with Rangers in a £350,000 deal. Butcher, aged 32, became player-manager and at the time was the youngest manager employed in English league football. However, he was sacked in January 1992 after just over one year in charge. Don Howe took over as interim manager until the end of the season. His replacement was West Bromwich Albion's Bobby Gould, who in 1988 had led Wimbledon to a famous FA Cup final triumph over Liverpool.
Coventry narrowly avoided relegation at the end of the 1991-92 season and the club took its place in the inaugural FA Premier League.
Life in the Premiership
Coventry seemed set for at least a top-10 finish as they entered 1993 following the arrival of high-scoring striker Micky Quinn, who ended the season as one of the Premiership's leading scorers with 17 goals. A phase in late winter which saw six games pass without a goal, and they slipped to 15th in the final table. Despite being more than slightly overweight, Quinn was an idol for thousands of football fans, giving rise to the chant, "He's fat, he's round, he scores in every ground, Micky Quinn."
Quinn scored a hat-trick for Coventry in their opening game of 1993-94 away to Arsenal, a 3-0 win, but was unable to build on his good start.
Coventry had a decent start to the 1993-94 season but Gould resigned in October and his successor Phil Neal secured an 11th place finish. In February 1995, with Coventry battling relegation for the first time in three years, Neal was sacked. Neal's demise at the club will always be linked to his appearance in the infamous "Cutting Edge" television documentary "The Impossible Job" (popularly known as "Do I Not Like That?"), which followed the England team's failure to qualify for the USA '94 World Cup. Neal was an assistant to Graham Taylor, the then England manager, and the astonishingly frank and darkly comic documentary cast Taylor, Neal and fellow assistant Lawrie McMenemy in an unattractive light.
Ron Atkinson, who had achieved managerial success with West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United, Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa, was appointed as the new Coventry City manager in February 1995. He brought in Leeds United midfielder Gordon Strachan as his assistant and long-term replacement, as well as drafting in Aston Villa midfielder Kevin Richardson as club captain. Soon after Atkinson's arrival City's Zimbabwean international Peter Ndlovu became the first visiting player in 33 years to score a hat-trick at Anfield. Atkinson steered Coventry to Premiership survival in 1995 and 1996 before he became Director of Football in November 1996 and Strachan took over as manager.
After losing their penultimate game of the 1996-97 Premiership campaign, it looked as though Coventry's long spell in the top flight was at an end; but thanks to a win away at Tottenham on the final day of the season, and with both Middlesbrough and Sunderland failing to win, the Sky Blues managed to survive relegation yet again. Their defeat in the penultimate game of the season would have relegated them had it not been for a 3-point deduction imposed on Middlesbrough for postponing a December fixture against Blackburn Rovers less than 24 hours before kick-off. The 1997-98 season saw Coventry reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, surprisingly losing away to Sheffield United (a division below them) in a replay.
Strachan guided Coventry to 11th, 15th and 14th place finishes in the Premiership over the next three seasons. Their luck finally ran out on 5 May 2001 when a 3-2 defeat, ironically at the hands of arch-rivals Aston Villa, ended their impressive 34-year tenure in the top flight (a game they were winning 2-0 at half-time, away at Villa Park).
Life outside the Premiership
Five games into the 2001-02 season manager Gordon Strachan was sacked, shortly after an embarrassing 1-0 defeat at home to Grimsby Town. He was replaced by 38-year-old team regular Roland Nilsson, who took on the role of player-manager. Nilsson was dismissed at the end of the season after failing to get Coventry into the play-offs. This was particularly disappointing for Coventry fans, as the club had been one of the favourites to win the title at the start of the season. He was replaced by 37-year-old Gary McAllister, also a player-manager, who had been on the club's books from 1996 to 2000 before being transferred to Liverpool.
Midway through the 2002-03 season, McAllister's men still stood a good chance of making the Division One play-offs. But they won only one league game after the turn of 2003 and finished 20th in the final table - just two places above the relegation zone. Their form in 2003-04 was slightly better but McAllister left halfway through the season to spend time with his seriously ill wife, Denise. Assistant manager Eric Black took charge and kept the club well clear of the drop zone and facilitated some excellent results. Before the final match of the season, he was replaced by former Sunderland manager Peter Reid. This decision proved a very unpopular one with the majority of the club's fans, as Black (who was popular and had been doing a good job with relatively limited resources) had been seen to have been ousted for a 'big name' whose management style was perceived as 'old school' and not fitting with the modern game. As a protest against the decision and gesture of support for Black, thousands of fans arranged to turn up to the final game of the season against Crystal Palace in black clothing. Reid caused further anger when he worked in Portugal for the BBC during the summer of 2004, when many felt he should have been scouting and trying to improve the stretched playing squad.
On January 13 2005, the club touched off a controversy when it announced that the traditional badge would be replaced with an updated, more modern version.[1] Fan reaction was swift and negative, and under pressure from supporters' groups the club cancelled plans to change the crest.[2]
Peter Reid lasted just eight months before the club's dismal league form led to his departure and in January 2005 he left the club looking in real danger of relegation to League One. The club's board replaced Reid with former Leicester City manager Micky Adams. Adams helped the Sky Blues stay clear of the Championship drop zone in their final season at Highfield Road before relocating to a new 32,600-seat stadium at Foleshill (later named the Ricoh Arena as part of a sponsorship deal). As an ex-Coventry player from 1983 to 1987, Adams was a popular choice with fans as he had a genuine fondness for the club and preferred a more technical and Continental approach to playing than his predecessor. In the 2005-06 season, Coventry City finished a respectable 8th in the Championship (missing out on the Premiership play-offs by only two league places), which represented good progress from the previous season's narrow escape from relegation. Micky Adams was expected to challenge for a play-off position in the 2006-07 season but was relieved of his duties in January 2007 after a string of poor results and an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of lower league Bristol City, bringing to an end his two year reign.
'Operation Premiership'
During the 2005/06 campaign, as fans grew increasingly discontent at the lack of progress in the club, the club's senior management were replaced. The incoming management team Paul Fletcher Managing Director, Ken Sharp, Marketing Director and Mal Brannigan Finance Director, have contributed to the new sense of enthusiasm felt at the club. They have launched 'Operation Premiership', a 3-year plan to get Coventry back in the top league. To help achieve that they have brought in new investment and created initiatives such as 'True Sky Blue' (aka Private Seat Licence), which gives fans the chance to buy a seat for life. In turn, more money has been invested in the squad, allowing Adams to invest in 11 players before the start of the 2006-07 season.
The 2006/07 season started with the most optimism for years, with genuine belief the club could mount a serious challenge to get back to the Premiership based on the turn in fortunes of the club with the new stadium, innovative board, good manager and squad, as well as the previous season's improved form. This, however, lessened after only 4 points and 2 goals from the first 4 games and the sale of star player, Gary McSheffrey to local rivals Birmingham City for a maximum of £4million, with £2.3 million upfront and the rest based on Birmingham and international appearances. The season went further downhill when they were embarrassingly knocked out of the League Cup in the first round 3-1 by Football League Two side, Hereford United. This was the first time Coventry had been knocked out of the cup in the first round since the 1960s.
They were then drawn against Bristol City in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, 20 years after their majestic triumph in the competition. A large following of just under 3,000 Sky Blues fans travelled to the Ashton Gate stadium in the hope of some respite from their appalling league form. Many sections of the media pinpointed this as a 'must-win' fixture for Adams. His future looked bleak as Coventry were 3-1 down in the first half only to claw back one goal before half-time and then stage a stirring comeback to draw 3-3 with Stern John grabbing the equaliser. In the build-up to the replay however Coventry produced arguably their worst defensive performance for years and succumbed to a 4-2 home defeat against a distinctly average Crystal Palace side on the 13 January. Coventry went on to lose the replay 2-0 in spite of a spirited 2nd-half comeback. This was the first home defeat to Bristol City in many years. With fans calling for the head of under-pressure manager Micky Adams, his position became untenable and he was dismissed the next day.[3]
Assistant Manager Adrian Heath was named caretaker manager and threw his hat into the ring for the full-time position despite a demoralising 3-2 defeat away at Plymouth Argyle in his first game in charge. Heath has since made way for new manager Iain Dowie who has signed a three-year contract and has declared his ambition to guide Coventry back into the Premiership. He led Coventry to a 4-1 demolition of Barnsley and secured 17th place (lower mid-table) in the Championship after a 2-1 away win over Burnley in the season's final game. Whilst still distinctly 'work in progress', Dowie's team selections looked defensively better-organised than his predecessor's, with more attention paid to solid midfield possession, a more fluid counter-attacking strategy and some shrewd new signings. They began the 2007-2008 season with impressive away wins at Barnsley and Cardiff, and reached the third round of the League Cup without conceding a goal, meeting Manchester United in that round.
Following a highly successful start to the season, Dowie was named "Manager of the Month" for August 2007.
Former Players Association
In February 2007 a Former Players Association was launched. Set up by club historian Jim Brown, former 1980s player Kirk Stephens and a committee of enthusiastic volunteers, its aim was to bring former players of the club together and cherish their memories. Around 50 former stars of the club attended the launch including Coventry City legends George Hudson, Cyrille Regis, Charlie Timmins, Ernie Hunt and Bill Glazier.
The Sky Blue Song
The club song was written in 1962 by manager Jimmy Hill and director John Camkin. It was launched at the home game with Colchester on 22 December 1962 (a match abandoned at half-time because of fog)with the words printed in the programme. It quickly became popular with supporters during the epic FA Cup run in 1963 when the Third Division team reached the Sixth Round of the FA Cup before losing to eventual winners Manchester United. To the tune of the Eton Boating Song:
Original:
- Let's all sing together
- Play up, Sky Blues
- While we sing together
- We will never lose
- Proud Posh or Cobblers
- Oysters* or anyone
- They shan't defeat us
- We'll fight 'til the game is won!
- the name changed to that days opponents.
Present:
- Let's all sing together
- Play up, Sky Blues
- While we sing together
- We will never lose
- Tottenham or Chelsea
- United or anyone
- They shan't defeat us
- We'll fight 'til the game is won!
- City
Stadium
106 years at Highfield Road
Coventry City began playing at the Highfield Road stadium in 1899, although the club didn't buy the freehold to the site until 1937. The record crowd at the ground was on 29 April 1967 when 51,452 watched the Second Division title decider against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This was more than 6,000 more than the previous record set against Aston Villa in 1938. The ground has an interesting history. In 1940 it was bombed by Luftwaffe planes. In 1968, the main stand burnt down and new stand to replace it built within four months. In 1981, Highfield Road was converted into England's first ever all-seater stadium with a capacity of just under 21,000. It had been gradually upgraded since then, with the final phase of work being completed in the mid-1990s, including a fully-enclosed corner which gave the stadium a more modern feel. The final game played at the stadium was against Derby County F.C. on April 30 2005, with Coventry winning the game with a scintillating 6-2 scoreline. On an emotional day, the final goal at Highfield Road was fittingly scored by a homegrown youngster Andrew Whing. Other goals came from Trinidad and Tobago international Stern John, Dele Adebola, and Coventry-born player Gary McSheffrey. [4], who scored two of the goals. One of these was from a penalty given away by the ex-City captain Mo Konjic. This marked what was most certainly an end of an era for the club.
Relocation
For the 2005-06 season, Coventry City moved to the new 32,000 capacity (source: ricoharena.com) Ricoh Arena after 106 years at Highfield Road. In 1998, the club had decided that it was time to relocate to a new stadium in the Foleshill area of the city, three miles north of the city centre and close to the M6 motorway. The original plan was for a state-of-the-art 45,000-seater, multipurpose stadium with removable pitch and retractable roof. It was due to be ready for the 2001-02 season. However, relegation, financial problems, financier/contractor withdrawals and England's failure to secure the 2006 World Cup competition led to a radical redesign. Despite initiating the project and being the principal attraction there, Coventry City's financial situation means that they no longer own the stadium and must pay rent to use it.
Sponsorship
The stadium naming rights were originally sold to Jaguar Cars which has strong links with Coventry. Jaguar Cars pulled out of the project on December 16 2004 and a new major sponsor was needed. A £10 million deal, which included naming rights, was signed and electronics manufacturer Ricoh became the new chief sponsor for the stadium. The project was funded largely by Coventry City council & the (Alan Edward) Higgs Charity (of which CCFC and ACL director Sir Derek Higgs is a trustee), and includes shopping facilities, a casino, exhibition halls and a concert venue.
Opening game
At the beginning of the 2005-06 season, construction delays at the ground forced Coventry City to play their first three games of the season away and postpone their home games. On Saturday 20 August 2005, City hosted Queens Park Rangers F.C. in the first-ever game at the Ricoh Arena. Coventry won the game 3-0, the very first goal at the Ricoh Arena being scored by Claus Jorgensen, with an 11th-minute diving header. Dele Adebola then added two more for the Sky Blues to cap an impressive victory.
The new stadium's records
The Ricoh Arena's highest attendance is 30,919, which was for the U21 European Championship play-off between England and Germany on 6 October 2006, which England won 1-0, with a strike from Leighton Baines. The record attendance for a Coventry City match is 28,120 for the FA Cup game against Middlesbrough on 28 January 2006 which ended in a 1-1 draw, Stern John scoring for Coventry to cancel out Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's opener for the visitors. The highest league attendance is 27,216 for the game against Birmingham City on October 31 2006 in the Coca-Cola Championship which was lost 1-0 . The highest score at the Ricoh Arena was 6-1 against Derby County on 21 January 2006.
End of the new stadium's first term
The final game of the season was against Cardiff City. Despite a good first half from the Bluebirds the 3-1 result capped a relatively successful season at the new Ricoh Arena. Over the season Coventry won twelve, drew seven and lost only four games at their new stadium, a feat which has not been replicated in 06/07. However, there has been a set-back for the Ricoh Arena with a request to build a 'supercasino' being rejected. A smaller casino will still be built, to be located underneath the exhibition halls.
International use
The Ricoh Arena was used for an England U21 match against Germany U21s in a European U21 Championship qualifying play-off on 6 October 2006, a match which also set the stadium's record attendance. The match resulted in a 1-0 win for the England team thanks to a wonder strike from Leighton Baines.
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club honours
- FA Cup
- Winners: 1986-87
- FA Youth Cup
- Winners: 1986-87
- Second Division (now Football League Championship)
- Champions: 1966-67
- Third Division (now Football League One)
- Champions: 1963-64
- Third Division (South)
- Champions: 1935-36
- Fourth Division (now Football League Two)
- Runners-up: 1958-59
- Birmingham Senior Cup
- Winners: 1911, 1923, 2007
- Third Division South Cup
- Winners: 1935-36
- Southern Professional Floodlit Cup
- Winners: 1959-60
Competition best-placings
- UEFA Cup (European Fairs Cup) : 2nd round (1970-1971) lost 7-3 on aggregate to Bayern Munich
- League Cup : Semi-finalists (1980-81 & 1989-1990)
- Charity Shield : Runners-up (1987)
Players who have represented their country
Current club in brackets. **Indicates capped whilst with club.
Other notable players
See also List of Coventry City F.C. players
Micky Adams - Former manager- David Busst - Victim of compound fracture against Manchester United
Mustapha Hadji - Moroccan international, 1998 African Footballer of the Year- Keith Houchen - 1987 FA Cup Winner - goal scorer
- Stephen Hughes - former club captain
- David Icke - Author and former presenter of BBC Grandstand
Cobi Jones - Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, U.S. international and symbol of U.S. soccer
Gary McAllister - Former Liverpool F.C - Scotland international & Captain- Lloyd McGrath - 1987 FA Cup Winner
- Gary McSheffrey - Birmingham City - Striker
- Steve Ogrizovic - 1987 FA Cup Winner
- Micky Quinn
- Richard Shaw
Steve Staunton - Republic of Ireland manager.- Gordon Strachan - Celtic F.C. manager
- Charlie Timmins - former club captain (1947-1958)
- Andrew Whing - Scorer of last-ever goal at Highfield Road.
- Dennis Wise - Leeds United manager and four times FA Cup finalist.
Managers
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Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (August 2007) |
- On October 30, 1937 the Division 2 derby between Aston Villa and Coventry City attracted a crowd of 68,029 to Villa Park which is still a record for the 2nd tier of English football.
- Highfield Road stadium's conversion to the first English all seater stadium caused attendances to drop by 8,000.
- In the Monty Python's Flying Circus sketch "Communist Quiz" (part of the "Spam" episode in 1970), the question "When did Coventry City last win the FA Cup?" is asked. The answer being that it was a trick question; they had never won it. They subsequently won the FA Cup in 1987.
- The Ashes winning cricketer Ian Bell played for the Coventry City Academy
- Current Coventry City player Leon McKenzie is the cousin of Ashley McKenzie (The X Factor 2006 Finalist) and nephew of Duke McKenzie former World Boxing champion.
Local Rivals
Coventry's rival clubs include:
- Aston Villa
- Birmingham City
- West Bromwich Albion
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Leicester City (The M69 Derby)
References
- ^ Announcement of the club's new badge from icCoventry.co.uk
- ^ Fan reaction to the proposed new badge (icCoventry.co.uk)
- ^ Micky Adams leaves the club (Sky Sports)
External links
- Official club website
- The West Terrace - Paper Fanzine and online forums
- CovCityFC.com - Latest news and views on Coventry City
- CCFC Fans Online Forum
- Sky Blue Trust
- Club history & news
- CovSupport Club News
- Blues in the News - A Coventry City Website
- Club statistics
- GMK Online
- LAST!
- Coventry Fans Forum!
- Midlands Football Forum
- Demolition of Highfield Road Photo Gallery