football club
Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team presently compete in the Championship, the moment tier of the English football league system. The cabaret shimmer at the 32,609 capacity Coventry Building Society Arena ( or CBS Arena ). The golf club is nicknamed the Sky Blues because of the tinge of their home strip. From 1899 to 2005, Coventry City played at Highfield Road. The 32,609-capacity Coventry Building Society Arena ( named the Ricoh Arena until 2021 ) was opened in August 2005 to replace Highfield Road. however, the golf club left the stadium on two occasions having ground-shared with Northampton Town between 2013 and 2014 and Birmingham City between 2019 and 2021.
Reading: Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City formed as Singers F.C. in 1883 following a general meeting of the Singer Factory Gentleman ‘s club. They adopted their current name in 1898 and joined the Southern League in 1908, before being elected into the Football League in 1919. Relegated in 1925, they returned to the Second Division as champions of the Third Division South and Third Division South Cup winners in 1935–36. Relegated in 1952, they won forwarding in the inaugural address Fourth Division season in 1958–59. banishment reached the First Division after winning the Third Division title in 1963–64 and the Second Division deed in 1966–67 under the management of Jimmy Hill. In the 1970–71 temper, the team competed in the european Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, reaching the second polish. Despite beating Bayern Munich 2–1 in the home leg, they had lost 6–1 in the first leg in Germany, and thus were eliminated. coventry ‘s only period in the top division to date lasted 34 straight years between 1967 and 2001, and they were inauguration members of the Premier League in 1992. They won the FA Cup in 1987, the baseball club ‘s only major trophy, when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–2. [ 2 ] They experienced far relegations in 2012 and 2017, though did wangle to besides win the EFL Trophy in 2017. coventry returned to Wembley in 2018, beating Exeter City in the League Two play-off final. Manager Mark Robins built on this achiever guiding the Sky Blues to 8th in League One the adjacent season and then led the baseball club to promotion back to the EFL Championship as League One champions in 2020. In their foremost season back in the Championship, Robins guided the Sky Blues to a 16th-placed complete, 12 points clear of relegation. This was the club ‘s highest league stopping point in 15 years .
history in brief [edit ]
Chart of historic table positions of Coventry City in the Football League .
Playing kit [edit ]
Colours [edit ]
Coventry ‘s home plate shirts are either wholly or predominately sky gloomy. however, in past seasons, unlike ‘home colours ‘ were worn. For case, in 1889, the then Singers FC wore pink and blue halved shirts ( mirroring the bodied color of Singers Motors ). Furthermore, in the 1890s, bootleg and loss were the golf club ‘s colors. In the early 1920s, the club wore crimson and green ( to reflect the discolor of the city crest ). Sky bluing was first used by Coventry in 1898 and the root was used until 1922. Variations of blue and white were then used until the 1960s and the begin of the ‘sky blue rotation ‘. The color made its revert in 1962 thanks to the then director, Jimmy Hill. To mark the 125th year of the cabaret, Coventry wore a special embrown shirt in the last home game of the 2008–09 temper against Watford, having inaugural worn a cocoa brown away kit in 1978. This kit has been cited by some as the worst in english football history, but besides has an iconic status with some fans. [ 22 ] In 2012, in the Third round FA Cup tie versus Southampton, the team wore a commemorative blasphemous and white strip kit out, marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the clubhouse winning the FA Cup in 1987. [ 23 ] The denude was worn again in January 2013 for Coventry ‘s 3rd round FA Cup regular with Tottenham Hotspur, whom they beat in the 1987 final. [ 24 ] In 2019, Coventry City announced a new third kit in black and white honouring the city ‘s connection with 2 tone Records on the fortieth anniversary of the record label. [ 25 ]
Since the 2019–20 season, the kit is made by Hummel. The home, away and third kit is sponsored by BoyleSports. The first official kit fabrication batch came in 1974 when Umbro signed a deal with the club. Coventry besides had the foremost kit out sponsorship deal in the football league, when Jimmy Hill, then Chairman of the club, negotiated a distribute with Talbot, who manufactured cars in the city .
stadium [edit ]
Grounds [edit ]
The Coventry Building Society Arena
106 years at Highfield Road [edit ]
Coventry City played at Highfield Road between 1899 and 2005 Coventry City began playing at the Highfield Road stadium in 1899 within the Hillfields zone of the city, although the club did not buy the freehold to the site until 1937. The labor had an interesting history. In 1940 the main base which backed onto terraced houses in Mowbray Street was bombed by the Luftwaffe. Heavy turnstiles from the crunch and gas meters from houses in Mowbray Street were discovered in Gosford Park, some 500 metres away. The record crowd at the earth was on 29 April 1967 when 51,455 watched the Second Division title decider against Wolverhampton Wanderers. This was over 6,000 more than the previous record set against Aston Villa in 1938. many people who were at that game suggest the attendance was a lot higher, possibly over 60,000. Supporters climbed onto the roof of the stands and up the floodlights. [ citation needed ] In 1968, the main stand burnt toss off and its substitute was built within four months. In 1981, Highfield Road was converted into England ‘s first-ever all-seater stadium with a capacity of around 24,500, which many criticised as killing the atmosphere of the ground. Some seats were removed a few years subsequently. [ 30 ] It had been gradually upgrade since then, with the final examination phase of work being completed in the mid-1990s, including two in full envelop corners, providing some much-needed modernity. On 30 April 2005, the final examination game played at the stadium was against Midlands rivals Derby County ; Coventry won 6–2. [ 31 ] The stadium was subsequently demolished and replaced by a caparison development .
coventry Building Society Arena [edit ]
coventry Building Society Arena For the 2005–06 season, Coventry City moved to the newly 32,609-capacity Coventry Building Society Arena after 106 years at Highfield Road. [ 1 ] [ 32 ] In 1998, the cabaret had decided that it was time to relocate to a new stadium in the Rowleys Green area of the city, 3+1⁄2 miles ( 5.6 kilometer ) north of the city center and close to junction 3 of the M6 expressway. The original plan was for a state-of-the-art, 45,000-seater multipurpose stadium with obliterable pitch and retractable ceiling. It was ascribable to be ready for the 2001–02 temper and was touted to be one of the finest and most advance stadiums in Europe. however, the club ‘s subsequent delegating, fiscal problems, financier/contractor withdrawals, and England ‘s failure to secure the 2006 World Cup competition led to a radical redesign. The resulting stadium was built to a standard bowling ball plan with exorbitant stands in line with several other newly stadium built during that period. It has excellent acoustics and has been used to host several major rock concerts. Despite initiating the project and being the star attraction there, Coventry City ‘s fiscal situation means that it no longer owned the stadium and must pay rend to use it ; this appeared to raise concerns over the oversee of the cabaret ‘s finances by previous club officials, because in 2001 the clubhouse was the fourth-longest serve club in the top fledge of English football. The stadium naming rights were originally sold to Jaguar Cars, which has potent links with Coventry. Jaguar pulled out of the project on 16 December 2004 and a fresh major sponsor was needed. A £10 million deal, which included naming rights, was signed and electronics manufacturer Ricoh became the fresh headman presenter for the stadium. The project was funded largely by Coventry City Council and the ( Alan Edward ) Higgs Charity ( of which erstwhile CCFC and ACL director the late Sir Derek Higgs was a regent ), and includes patronize facilities, a casino, exhibition halls and a concert venue. At the beginning of the 2005–06 temper, construction delays at the grind forced Coventry City to play their first base three games of the season away and postpone their home games. On Saturday 20 August 2005, City hosted Queens Park Rangers in the first-ever game at the Ricoh Arena ; Coventry won the crippled 3–0. On 28 July 2011, a statue of Jimmy Hill was installed at the main entrance to the Ricoh Arena, with Hill appearing in person to unveil it. [ 33 ]
Sixfields [edit ]
rent disputes caused Coventry City to play the 2013–14 season at Sixfields Stadium in Northampton On 3 May 2013, Coventry City put a contingency plan in place to play elsewhere for the 2013–14 season. It was argued by the clubhouse that this was ascribable to ACL ( Arena Coventry Limited ), which managed the stadium, being unwilling to negotiate with the club to agree to a raw rent. however, that led to the local newspaper, the Coventry Telegraph, starting a petition to stop Coventry City from playing outside of Coventry. It was sent to all 72 clubs in the Football League and Football League chair Greg Clarke. In May 2013, managing film director Tim Fisher set a design of building a new stadium within the city over the future three years, and ground-sharing whilst the new ground was being built. [ 34 ] In June 2013, ACL made an put up that Coventry City F.C. could play at the Ricoh Arena rent free while the club was in administration. [ 35 ] It was believed that Coventry City might ground-share with Walsall at the Bescot Stadium or attack to stay at the Ricoh Arena, [ 36 ] following the appointment of new owners. [ 37 ] however, by July 2013, the Walsall rumours were denied and the cabaret ground-shared at Northampton Town ‘s Sixfields Stadium – a venue that had less than a quarter the capacity of the Ricoh Arena, and involved a round-trip of 70 miles ( 110 kilometer ). That arrangement was due to continue until at least 2016. [ 38 ] [ 39 ] Plans for the clubhouse to play its home matches outside of the city were met with hard confrontation, and led to protests by Coventry fans. [ 40 ] Member of fantan for Coventry South, Jim Cunningham, described the move as “ a dishonor ”. [ 41 ]
return to the Coventry Building Society Arena [edit ]
On 21 August 2014 it was announced that an agreement had been reached allowing the clubhouse to return to the Ricoh Arena for the adjacent two years with the option of another two years. [ 42 ] Coventry City ‘s first gear home plate game bet on at the Ricoh Arena was played against Gillingham on 5 September 2014. Steve Waggott, who led the negotiations for the club, said : “ We are delighted to get this deal done and I am sure every supporter of Coventry City will be thrilled with the news. ” [ 11 ] City won their inaugural match back at the Ricoh Arena 1–0 with Frank Nouble scoring the only goal of the catch in front of 27,306 supporters. The return followed a social media crusade entitled # bringCityhome by the Coventry Telegraph [ 43 ] and a protest marching music by the Sky Blue Trust supporters ‘ group. [ 44 ] The campaign drew praise from national media and figures within the football earth. It was short-listed at the 2014 british Press Awards in the “ Campaign of the year ” category. [ 45 ] Because the occupancy agreement with Wasps was to expire in August 2018, it was reported in November 2015 that there would be a resettlement to another locate within the city. [ 46 ] however it was late confirmed that Coventry City would remain at the Ricoh Arena for another year. [ 47 ] In May 2016 the Coventry Telegraph broke the news program that the club had drawn up plans with Coventry Rugby Club for a ground-share musical arrangement at a redevelop Butts Park Arena. [ 48 ] That was finally denied by Rugby Club president Jon Sharp, who said there could be no distribute with the football club while it was hush owned by SISU. [ 49 ]
St Andrew ‘s [edit ]
On 7 June 2019 it was reported that talks between SISU and Wasps had again broken down meaning that Coventry would have to play their 2019–20 home matches at Birmingham City ‘s St Andrew ‘s footing. [ 50 ] The baseball club had the choice to spend a further two seasons aside from Coventry [ 51 ] and remained at St Andrew ‘s for the 2020–21 season. [ 52 ] The baseball club returned to the Ricoh Arena in August 2021, ending the ground-share agreement between Coventry and Birmingham .
New Stadium at the University of Warwick and moment return to Coventry [edit ]
In July 2020, the club confirmed that they had commenced a partnership with the University of Warwick which would see land provided for a new stadium. [ 53 ] In March 2021, the club announced that they had secured a ten-year agreement to return to the Ricoh Arena from the starting signal of the 2021–22 season. The deal, described by the baseball club ‘s owners as “ the best the club has had in terms of commercial tax income ” during their time at the stadium, would not affect the longer-term goal of constructing a new stadium. [ 54 ] The new batch besides includes a seven-year open frame article should the club require it. [ 55 ] On 5 May 2021, it was announced that the Ricoh Arena would be renamed for the first time, when it will become the Coventry Building Society Arena. The name variety will come into effect in July 2021 as a part of a 10-year mention rights deal with the build up society. [ 56 ] [ 57 ] On 8 August 2021, Coventry City played Nottingham Forest at the Coventry Building Society Arena in the club ‘s first plot back at the ground in 2 years and their beginning Championship game in Coventry since 2012. They won the match 2-1. On 16 September 2021, Coventry City owner Joy Seppala told the BBC the baseball club remained “ securely committed ” to a raw stadium, planned for a web site owned by the University of Warwick. [ 58 ]
Supporters [edit ]
early Players ‘ Association [edit ]
In February 2007 a Former Players ‘ Association was launched. Set up by club historian and statistician Jim Brown, early 1980s player Kirk Stephens and a committee of volunteers, its aim was to bring former players of the club together and cherish their memories. To qualify for membership players have to have made at least one first-team competitive appearance for the club or been a coach. Around 50 former stars of the club attended the launch including Coventry City legends George Hudson, Cyrille Regis, Charlie Timmins and Bill Glazier. The association ‘s beginning newsletter was published in fall 2007 and a web site launched. The launch of 2007 was followed by subsequent Legends ‘ Days. The 2009 event, held at the home game against Doncaster Rovers was attended by 43 former players including the first visit to Coventry for many years of Roy Barry and Dave Clements. In March 2012 the membership had increased past the 200 mark with erstwhile captain Terry Yorath inducted as the two-hundredth member at the 2012 Legends ‘ Day. [ citation needed ] Legends ’ Day has become an about permanent wave regular amongst Coventry supporters. Legends ’ Day has been held about every year since the Inaugural Event. The only exceptions being in 2014 when the club were exiled playing family games in Northampton and in 2020 and 2021 after fans were shut out of stadiums as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic .
Sky Blue Trust [edit ]
The Sky Blue Trust is a supporters ‘ trust for Coventry City F.C. ; it was founded in 2003 as character of a national inaugural under the auspices of the umbrella group, Supporters Direct. The Sky Blue Trust, like trusts at other clubs, is a legally based, independent, democratic supporters ‘ group with membership open to all. One of the Sky Blue Trust ‘s greatest achievements was raising funds to save the football clubhouse ‘s Youth Academy which was threatened with closure. [ citation needed ] By 2009/2010, however, the trust had become stagnant. [ 59 ] Given the ongoing fiscal doubt at Coventry City, the trust was re-launched in the summer of 2012. [ 59 ] [ 60 ] A new board for the trust was elected and from having less than 20 members, the trust grew to over 700 within three months, including television initiate John McCririck. [ citation needed ] The key drive of the Sky Blue Trust is to obtain a fiscal post in Coventry City F.C. and have at least one democratically elected trust member on the club ‘s dining table, meaning that supporters have a steer say in the run of the club. [ 61 ] [ 62 ] [ 63 ]
‘SISU Out ‘ protesters [edit ]
In August 2011, after Coventry City fans became bore of cost-cutting by SISU, Coventry fans started to protest for the removal of SISU. Protests took place at the Jimmy Hill Statue at the Ricoh Arena before games but limit numbers turned out. however, after these games, the number of protesters grew and sol did the number of banners. After protesting near the rear capture, the fans moved into the lobby and start chanting “ SISU OUT ” at which point a large phone number of “ security system reply guards ” moved in to remove the protesters. [ 64 ]
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Another protest was staged on 15 October 2016 as Coventry and Charlton Athletic fans threw hundreds of fictile plaything pigs onto the pitch during a 3–0 loss for Coventry. Play was stopped for around 5 minutes. This protest was a joint campaign between Coventry and Charlton fans against their respective owners. [ 13 ] On 15 December 2016, the televised match between Coventry and Sheffield United was temporarily halted after 86 minutes due to on-field protests, once again against owners SISU. The atmosphere of the match was dominated by Coventry supporters whistling obstreperously and chanting anti-SISU protests in the stands throughout the entire 90 minutes. [ 14 ] There were protests when Coventry played Northampton Town aside on 28 January 2017, when flares were thrown onto the pitch ampere well as pitch invasions. The play was stopped respective times and the players were removed from the field of bid twice. [ 65 ] There were far protests against Millwall, as many tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch to halt play, on 4 February 2017 at the Ricoh Arena .
Sky Blue anthem [edit ]
The words to the baseball club ‘s song were written in 1962 by Team Manager Jimmy Hill and Director John Camkin ; The words being set to the tune of the Eton Boating Song. [ 66 ] It was launched at the home plate game with Colchester on 22 December 1962 ( a match abandoned at half-time because of fog ) with the words printed in the broadcast. [ 66 ] It quickly became popular with supporters during the epic FA Cup run in 1963 when the then Third Division team reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup before losing to eventual winners Manchester United : [ 67 ]
Original Words:
Let ‘s all sing together
Play up, Sky Blues
While we sing in concert
We will never lose
Proud, Posh or Cobblers
Oysters or anyone
They sha n’t defeat us
We ‘ll fight ’til the game is won !
City ! City ! City !
Current Words:
Let ‘s all sing in concert
Play up, Sky Blues
While we sing together
We will never lose
Tottenham or Chelsea
United or anyone
They sha n’t defeat us
We ‘ll fight ’til the crippled is won !
City ! City ! City !
Rivalries [edit ]
Leicester City are considered Coventry City ‘s main equal and the two clubs compete the M69 Derby. however, largely due to the clubs ‘ differing fortunes meetings between the two have been rare in recent years ; the two clubs have not played each early since 2012. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s and to the turn of the millennium, Aston Villa were considered Coventry ‘s main rivals as they continually competed against each other in the First Division and then the Premier League. The two clubs however have not met since Coventry ‘s delegating from the Premier League in 2001. local rivalries besides exist with Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion and Walsall but these are much less boisterous than the ones with Leicester and Villa. A local competition besides exists with Birmingham City, however the grind share agreement at St Andrew ‘s between 2019 and 2021 – which effectively spared Coventry from being expelled from the EFL – has led to friendlier relations between the two clubs. The baseball club has an unusual long-distance competition with North-East side Sunderland, which stems back to the end of the 1976–77 season, when Coventry, Sunderland and Bristol City were all battling against delegating from Division One on the final day of the season. With Coventry and Bristol City facing each other at Highfield Road, Jimmy Hill, Coventry ‘s chair at the time, delayed the kick-off of the match by 15 minutes ascribable to ‘ crowd congestion ’. Sunderland, who were playing away to Everton at the same time, lost 2-0, and with 15 minutes left to play, Coventry and Bristol City efficaciously played out a 2–2 draw, sparing them both from relegation and sending Sunderland down alternatively. Hill was charged with mismanage by The FA, but the resultant role was allowed to stand and Sunderland were controversially relegated. No love has been lost between the two clubs since and the competition re-intensified as the two clubs competed for forwarding from League One together in 2018–19 and 2019–20. In 2018–19 crowd trouble marred the meetings between the two at The Ricoh Arena and The Stadium of Light leading to numerous arrests among both sets of fans .
current players [edit ]
First team squad [edit ]
- As of 31 August 2021[68]
note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
Out on loan [edit ]
notice : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
Under-23 police squad [edit ]
- As of 28 July 2021[69]
note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
Under-18 squad [edit ]
- As of 21 May 2021[70][71]
note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
Backroom staff and club officials [edit ]
Name
Position
Mark Robins
Manager
Adrian Viveash
Assistant Manager
Dennis Lawrence
First Team Coach
Aled Williams
Goalkeeping Coach
Luke Tisdale
Under 23s Head Coach
John Dempster
Under 18s Coach
Daniel Bolas
Academy Manager
Karl Hooper
Personal Development
Plan (PDP) Coach
Paul Godfrey
Head of Medical
Dr Prithish Narayan
Club Doctor
Liam Stanley
Assistant Physiotherapist
Marcus Drake
Soft Tissue Therapist
Adam Hearn
Head of Sports Science
Andy Young
Senior Fitness Coach
Paul Travis
Performance Analyst
Mike Reid
Head of Football Operations
Ben Kilby
Football Operations
Chris Badlan[72]
Head of Recruitment
Ray Gooding
Scout (Midlands Region)
Chris Marsh
Kitman
Name
Position
Joy Seppala
Owner (SISU)
Tim Fisher
Chairman
David Boddy
Chief Executive
John Sillett
Life President
David Busst
Head of Sky Blues
in the Community
Tynan Scope
Commercial Manager
Jim Brown
Club Historian
Seasons, awards and honours [edit ]
† Coventry City deducted 10 points by the Football League for going into presidency. [ 73 ]
†† Coventry City deducted 10 points by the Football League. [ 74 ]
††† Bury were expelled from the EFL on 27 August 2019 ascribable to fiscal issues at the club. [ 75 ] The season was postponed on 13 March 2020 and later concluded prematurely ascribable to the COVID-19 pandemic, with league positions and promotions decided on a points-per-game footing. [ 76 ]
* Season in build up .
Club honor [edit ]
noteworthy players [edit ]
Official Hall of Fame [edit ]
celebrated Academy graduates [edit ]
musician records [edit ]
Managers [edit ]
Chairmen [edit ]
References [edit ]
Read more: Swansea City A.F.C.