Coventry City F.C.

Coventry City F.C.

Full name	Coventry City Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Sky Blues
Founded	13 August 1883; 138 years ago (1883-08-13) (as Singers F.C.)[1]
Ground	Coventry Building Society Arena
Capacity	32,609
Owner	Joy Seppala (Otium Entertainment Group)
Chairman	Tim Fisher
Manager	Mark Robins
League	EFL Championship
2020–21	EFL Championship, 16th of 24
Website	Club website
Away colours
Current season

Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club play at the 32,609 capacity Coventry Building Society Arena (or CBS Arena). The club is nicknamed the Sky Blues because of the colour 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 club left the arena on two occasions having ground-shared with Northampton Town between 2013 and 2014 and Birmingham City between 2019 and 2021.

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 promotion in the inaugural Fourth Division season in 1958–59. Coventry reached the First Division after winning the Third Division title in 1963–64 and the Second Division title in 1966–67 under the management of Jimmy Hill. In the 1970–71 season, the team competed in the European Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, reaching the second round. 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 consecutive years between 1967 and 2001, and they were inaugural members of the Premier League in 1992. They won the FA Cup in 1987, the club's only major trophy, when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–2.^[2] They experienced further relegations in 2012 and 2017, though did manage to also 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 success guiding the Sky Blues to 8th in League One the next season and then led the club to promotion back to the EFL Championship as League One champions in 2020. In their first season back in the Championship, Robins guided the Sky Blues to a 16th-placed finish, 12 points clear of relegation. This was the club's highest league finish in 15 years.

History in brief[]

• 1883 – The club is founded by employees of Singer, the cycle firm, with William Stanley one of the leading lights.
• 1898 – The club's name is changed from Singers F.C. to Coventry City.
• 1899 – The club move to Highfield Road following stints at Dowells Field and Stoke Road.
• 1901 – The club suffer their worst ever defeat with an 11–2 loss against Worcester-based Berwick Rangers in the qualifying round of the FA Cup.^[3]
• 1919 – The club are voted into the Football League, where they have remained ever since.
• 1928 – In February, and with Coventry struggling near the foot of Division Three South, the club's worst ever attendance is recorded. Only 2,059 turn up for the match against Crystal Palace.
• 1932 – Centre-forward Clarrie Bourton heads the Football League scoring lists with 49 goals. The following season he scored 40 goals.
• 1934 – City record their biggest ever victory - a 9–0 league drubbing of Bristol City.
• 1936 – Coventry City win the Third Division South championship after a nail-biting final day 2–1 victory over Torquay United and return to Division Two after eleven years in the lower division.
• 1958 – Goalkeeper Alf Wood becomes the oldest player to start a game for the club, which this year was a founding member of Division Four (now Football League Two). He played against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup aged 43 years and 207 days.
• 1959 - Coventry City finish 2nd to Win Promotion back to Division 3 at the first attempt under Manager Billy Frith.
• 1961 – Former Fulham player and PFA chairman Jimmy Hill is appointed manager following an embarrassing FA Cup defeat at home to non-league King's Lynn.
• 1964 – Jimmy Hill guides Coventry to promotion from Division Three as champions after a final day 1–0 victory over Colchester United.
• 1967 – Coventry City promoted as Second Division champions to the top flight for the first time in their history. This made manager Jimmy Hill, who would go on to enjoy a successful career as a TV presenter, a legend at the club. Coventry's record attendance was also set in this year – officially recorded as 51,455 (although many people who were at that game suggest the attendance was a lot higher, possibly much over 60,000), against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the team that finished a close second to Coventry at the top of the table.
• 1970 – Under Noel Cantwell, Coventry finish 6th in the First Division, their highest League placing. Coventry qualify for the European Fairs Cup but lost 7–3 on aggregate in the second round to Bayern Munich, despite winning the second leg 2–1 at Highfield Road.
• 1977 – Coventry City escaped relegation after a 2–2 draw with Bristol City, who also escaped relegation. The result of this game relegated Sunderland, which caused allegations of match fixing over the outcome of the match due to the result of the Sunderland game being relayed to Coventry City and Bristol City players on the stadium screen before their game had finished.^{[citation needed]}
• 1978 – The strike partnership of Ian Wallace and Mick Ferguson helped the Sky Blues finish in seventh position in the First Division, their second-highest ever final league placing, but fractionally missing out on a UEFA Cup place.

• 1981 – The club reaches the League Cup semi-final but are denied their first Wembley appearance by West Ham United, despite being 3–2 ahead after the first leg. Highfield Road becomes England's first all-seater stadium.
• 1987 – The Sky Blues won the FA Cup, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. It is their only major trophy to date. They were runners-up to Everton in August in the Charity Shield. Coventry also won the FA Youth Cup in this year.
• 1989 – Coventry were defeated by non-league Sutton United in the FA Cup Third Round,^[4] only 19 months after lifting the trophy. However, their impressive league form meant they equalled their second-highest ever end of season placing, finishing seventh once more.
• 1990 – Coventry reached the League Cup semi-final for the second time, but were narrowly defeated over two legs by eventual winners Nottingham Forest.
• 1998 – The club reached the FA Cup quarter-final but were denied a semi-final appearance as Sheffield United (a division below them) won the replay at Bramall Lane on penalties. They also attained their highest Premier League finish of 11th position. Dion Dublin earned the top scorer award, the only one for the club and the second of two players for clubs which never made the top three in the League.
• 2001 – Coventry relegated from the Premier League after 34 years in the first tier. At the time, only Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal could boast longer tenures in the top flight.
• 2004 – The club's football academy, based in southeast Coventry at The Alan Higgs Centre, owned by the Alan Higgs Centre Trust, was opened in September 2004.^[5]
• 2005 – Coventry relocated to the 32,609 seat Ricoh Arena after 106 years at Highfield Road. The club's last game at Highfield Road stadium results in a 6–2 win over Midlands rivals Derby County in front of a sell-out 22,777 crowd.
• 2007 – Coventry narrowly avoided administration when Ray Ranson and London-based hedge fund SISU Capital Limited, took over the club with twenty minutes to spare.
• 2008 – The club celebrated its 125th anniversary. It avoided relegation to League One despite having been beaten 4–1 at Charlton on the final day of the season.
• 2009 – The first ever complete sell-out of the Ricoh Arena was announced for the FA Cup quarter-final match against Chelsea on 7 March 2009, which Chelsea won 2–0 in front of a crowd of 31,407.
• 2012 – Coventry are relegated to League One, the third tier in English Football, for the first time in 48 years.
• 2013 – The club owners, SISU, place a non-operating subsidiary of the club, which owns no financial assets and has no employee on or off the pitch, into administration.^[6] The club moved all staff out of the Ricoh Arena and the administrator accepted a bid from the Otium Entertainment Group, a company registered by three ex-Sky Blues directors Ken Dulieu, Onye Igwe and Leonard Brody.^[7] The club agrees to play future home matches at Sixfields Stadium, Northampton, a 70-mile round-trip from the Ricoh. Following two adjournments a creditors meeting in August rejected a Company Voluntary Arrangement put forward by the administrator.^[8][9][10]
• 2014 – The club return to the Ricoh Arena^[11] and suffer a shock FA Cup First round defeat at the hands of Worcester City.^[12]
• 2016 – Protests from Coventry City supporters against owners SISU reach an all-time high, with demonstrations during matches against Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United receiving widespread press attention.^[13][14] A petition calling for SISU to sell up and leave was set up in September 2016 and has so far been signed by nearly 20,000 individuals, including several former Coventry City players and managers.^[15] FA chairman Greg Clarke described Coventry's situation as "a very sad case", a sentiment later echoed by caretaker manager Mark Venus's description of "a sorry football club".^[16][17]
• 2017 – Coventry reach Wembley for the first time in 30 years by defeating Wycombe Wanderers in the semi-final of the EFL Trophy.^[18] They go on to win the final against Oxford United to lift their first trophy since 1987's FA Cup victory.^[19] But that result is in obvious contrast with the club's season as a whole, with Coventry being relegated to EFL League Two, their first time in the fourth tier of English football since 1959.^[20]
• 2018 – The club achieve a top-six finish for the first time since 1969–70, and are promoted via the League Two play-offs to League One, their first promotion from any tier since 1967.
• 2019 – After failing to reach an agreement with Ricoh Arena owners Wasps RFC, the club commits to a groundsharing agreement with Birmingham City, playing their home fixtures at St Andrew's (a 38-mile round-trip from Coventry), again much to the chagrin of the supporters.
• 2020 – Coventry were crowned Champions of EFL League One after an Extraordinary General Meeting between all 23 League One clubs, which saw the season ended 9 games early, ruled that the final table would be calculated on a points per game (PPG) basis.^[21]
• 2021 – The club began life back in EFL Championship for the first time in 9 years. In March 2021, The club announced that they will return to the Coventry Building Society Arena in August 2021 on a 10-year deal after spending the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons playing home matches in Birmingham. On Saturday 8 May, Coventry beat Milwall 6–1 to secure a 16th-placed finish in the Championship, their best league finish in 15 years. On 7 August 2021, Coventry City played Nottingham Forest at the Coventry Building Society Arena in the club's first game back at the ground in 2 years and their first Championship game in Coventry since 2012 in front of an attendance of 20,843, City won the game 2-1 after a 96th-minute injury-time winner from Kyle McFadzean.

Playing kit[]

Colours[]

Coventry's home shirts are either completely or predominately sky blue. However, in past seasons, different 'home colours' were worn. For example, in 1889, the then Singers FC wore pink and blue halved shirts (mirroring the corporate colours of Singers Motors). Furthermore, in the 1890s, black and red were the club's colours. In the early 1920s, the club wore red and green (to reflect the colours of the city crest). Sky blue was first used by Coventry in 1898 and the theme was used until 1922. Variations of blue and white were then used until the 1960s and the beginning of the 'sky blue revolution'. The colour made its return in 1962 thanks to the then manager, Jimmy Hill. To mark the 125th year of the club, Coventry wore a special brown shirt in the last home game of the 2008–09 season against Watford, having first worn a chocolate brown away kit in 1978. This kit has been cited by some as the worst in English football history, but also has an iconic status with some fans.^[22]

In 2012, in the Third round FA Cup tie versus Southampton, the team wore a commemorative blue and white striped kit, marking the 25th anniversary of the club winning the FA Cup in 1987.^[23] The strip was worn again in January 2013 for Coventry's 3rd round FA Cup fixture 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 40th anniversary of the record label.^[25]

Kit maker and sponsorship[]

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 manufacture deal came in 1974 when Umbro signed a deal with the club. Coventry also had the first kit sponsorship deal in the football league, when Jimmy Hill, then Chairman of the club, negotiated a deal with Talbot, who manufactured cars in the city.

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor	Shorts sponsor
1974–75	Umbro	None	None or N/A
1975–80	Admiral Sportswear
1980–81		Talbot
1981–83
1983–84	Umbro	Tallon
1984–85		Glazepta
1985–86		Elliots
1986–87	Triple S Sport
1987–88	Hummel
1988–89		None
1989–92	Asics	Peugeot
1992–94	Ribero
1994–96	Pony International
1996–97	Le Coq Sportif
1997–99		Subaru isuzu
1999–2004	In House Manufacturer (CCFC Leisure)
2004–05	Kit@
2005–06		Cassidy Group
2006–10	Puma
2010–13		City Link
2013–14		Grace Medical Fund (charity partner)
2014–15		Allsopp & Allsopp
2015–18	Nike
2018–19		Midrepro
2019–20	Hummel International	Allsopp & Allsopp	The Exams Office[26]
2020–21		BoyleSports (front), Jingltree[27] (back)	G&R Scaffolding[28] (home), SIMIAN Aspects Training[29] (away)
2021-		BoyleSports (front), XL Motors (back)

Stadium[]

Grounds[]

• Dowells Field: 1883–1887
• Stoke Road: 1887–1899
• Highfield Road: 1899–2005
• Coventry Building Society Arena: 2005–2013, 2014–2019, 2021– (Originally known as the Ricoh Arena until 2021)
• Sixfields Stadium: 2013–2014 (ground-share with Northampton Town)
• St Andrew's: 2019–2021 (ground-share with Birmingham City)

106 years at Highfield Road[]

Coventry City began playing at the Highfield Road stadium in 1899 within the Hillfields district of the city, although the club did not buy the freehold to the site until 1937. The ground had an interesting history. In 1940 the main stand which backed onto terraced houses in Mowbray Street was bombed by the Luftwaffe. Heavy turnstiles from the ground and gas meters from houses in Mowbray Street were discovered in Gosford Park, some 500 metres away.

The record crowd at the ground 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 roofs of the stands and up the floodlights.^{[citation needed]}

In 1968, the main stand burnt down and its replacement 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 later.^[30] It had been gradually upgraded since then, with the final phase of work being completed in the mid-1990s, including two fully enclosed corners, providing some much-needed modernity. On 30 April 2005, the final 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 housing development.

Coventry Building Society Arena[]

For the 2005–06 season, Coventry City moved to the new 32,609-capacity Coventry Building Society Arena after 106 years at Highfield Road.^[1][32] In 1998, the club 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 km) north of the city centre and close to junction 3 of 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 and was touted to be one of the finest and most advanced stadiums in Europe. However, the club's subsequent relegation, financial 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 bowl design with steep stands in line with several other new stadia 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 principal attraction there, Coventry City's financial situation means that it no longer owned the stadium and must pay rent to use it; this appeared to raise concerns over the managing of the club's finances by previous club officials, because in 2001 the club was the fourth-longest serving club in the top flight of English football. The stadium naming rights were originally sold to Jaguar Cars, which has strong links with Coventry. Jaguar pulled out of the project on 16 December 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 and the (Alan Edward) Higgs Charity (of which former CCFC and ACL director the late Sir Derek Higgs was a trustee), and includes shopping facilities, a casino, exhibition halls and a concert venue.

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 in the first-ever game at the Ricoh Arena; Coventry won the game 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[]

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 club that this was due to ACL (Arena Coventry Limited), which managed the stadium, being unwilling to negotiate with the club to agree to a new lease. 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 chairman Greg Clarke. In May 2013, managing director Tim Fisher set a plan of building a new stadium within the city over the next three years, and ground-sharing whilst the new ground was being built.^[34] In June 2013, ACL made an offer 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 attempt 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 club 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 km). That arrangement was due to continue until at least 2016.^[38][39] Plans for the club to play its home matches outside of the city were met with strong opposition, and led to protests by Coventry fans.^[40] Member of parliament for Coventry South, Jim Cunningham, described the move as "a disgrace".^[41]

Return to the Coventry Building Society Arena[]

On 21 August 2014 it was announced that an agreement had been reached allowing the club to return to the Ricoh Arena for the next two years with the option of another two years.^[42] Coventry City's first home game back 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 first match back at the Ricoh Arena 1–0 with Frank Nouble scoring the only goal of the match in front of 27,306 supporters.

The return followed a social media campaign entitled #bringCityhome by the Coventry Telegraph^[43] and a protest march by the Sky Blue Trust supporters' group.^[44] The campaign drew praise from national media and figures within the football world. It was short-listed at the 2014 British Press Awards in the "Campaign of the Year" category.^[45]

Because the tenancy agreement with Wasps was to expire in August 2018, it was reported in November 2015 that there would be a relocation to another site within the city.^[46] However it was later confirmed that Coventry City would remain at the Ricoh Arena for another year.^[47]

In May 2016 the Coventry Telegraph broke the news that the club had drawn up plans with Coventry Rugby Club for a ground-share arrangement at a redeveloped Butts Park Arena.^[48] That was eventually denied by Rugby Club chairman Jon Sharp, who said there could be no deal with the football club while it was still owned by SISU.^[49]

St Andrew's[]

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 ground.^[50]

The club had the option to spend a further two seasons away from Coventry^[51] and remained at St Andrew's for the 2020–21 season.^[52] The 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 second return to Coventry[]

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 start of the 2021–22 season. The deal, described by the club's owners as "the best the club has had in terms of commercial revenue" during their time at the stadium, would not affect the longer-term goal of constructing a new stadium.^[54] The new deal also includes a seven-year break clause 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 change will come into effect in July 2021 as a part of a 10-year naming rights deal with the building society.^[56][57]

On 8 August 2021, Coventry City played Nottingham Forest at the Coventry Building Society Arena in the club's first game back at the ground in 2 years and their first 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 club remained "firmly committed" to a new stadium, planned for a site owned by the University of Warwick.^[58]

Supporters[]

Former Players' Association[]

In February 2007 a Former Players' Association was launched. Set up by club historian and statistician Jim Brown, former 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 manager.

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 first newsletter was published in autumn 2007 and a website 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 former captain Terry Yorath inducted as the 200th member at the 2012 Legends' Day.^{[citation needed]}

Legends’ Day has become an almost permanent fixture amongst Coventry supporters. Legends’ Day has been held almost every year since the Inaugural Event. The only exceptions being in 2014 when the club were exiled playing home 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[]

The Sky Blue Trust is a supporters' trust for Coventry City F.C.; it was founded in 2003 as part of a national initiative 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 club's Youth Academy which was threatened with closure.^{[citation needed]} By 2009/2010, however, the trust had become moribund.^[59] Given the ongoing financial uncertainty 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 TV pundit John McCririck.^{[citation needed]} The key aim of the Sky Blue Trust is to obtain a financial stake in Coventry City F.C. and have at least one democratically elected trust member on the club's board, meaning that supporters have a direct say in the running of the club.^[61][62][63]

'SISU Out' protesters[]

In August 2011, after Coventry City fans became tired 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 limited numbers turned out. However, after these games, the number of protesters grew and so did the number of banners. After protesting near the rear entrance, the fans moved into the lobby and start chanting "SISU OUT" at which point a large number of "security response guards" moved in to remove the protesters.^[64]

Another protest was staged on 15 October 2016 as Coventry and Charlton Athletic fans threw hundreds of plastic toy pigs onto the pitch during a 3–0 loss for Coventry. Play was stopped for around 5 minutes. This protest was a joint effort 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 loudly and chanting anti-SISU protests in the stands throughout the entire 90 minutes.^[14]

There were protests when Coventry played Northampton Town away on 28 January 2017, when flares were thrown onto the pitch as well as pitch invasions. The play was stopped several times and the players were removed from the field of play twice.^[65]

There were further 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[]

The words to the 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 game with Colchester on 22 December 1962 (a match abandoned at half-time because of fog) with the words printed in the programme.^[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]

Rivalries[]

Leicester City are considered Coventry City's main rival 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 other 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 relegation from the Premier League in 2001.

Local rivalries also exist with Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion and Walsall but these are much less fierce than the ones with Leicester and Villa.

A local rivalry also exists with Birmingham City, however the ground 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 club has an unusual long-distance rivalry 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 relegation 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 chairman at the time, delayed the kick-off of the match by 15 minutes due 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 effectively played out a 2–2 draw, sparing them both from relegation and sending Sunderland down instead. Hill was charged with misconduct by The FA, but the result was allowed to stand and Sunderland were controversially relegated. No love has been lost between the two clubs since and the rivalry re-intensified as the two clubs competed for promotion 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[]

First team squad[]

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ENG Simon Moore 3 DF  ENG Jake Clarke-Salter (on loan from Chelsea) 4 DF  SCO Michael Rose 5 DF  ENG Kyle McFadzean 6 MF  SCO Liam Kelly (captain) 7 MF  ENG Jodi Jones 8 MF  ENG Jamie Allen 9 FW  ENG Martyn Waghorn 10 MF  ENG Callum O'Hare 13 GK  ENG Ben Wilson 14 MF  ENG Ben Sheaf 15 DF  SCO Dominic Hyam 16 DF  ENG Josh Pask

No. Pos. Nation Player 17 FW  SWE Viktor Gyökeres 18 DF  NED Ian Maatsen (on loan from Chelsea) 19 FW  ENG Tyler Walker 20 DF  ENG Todd Kane 22 DF  SCO Josh Reid 23 DF  ENG Fankaty Dabo 24 FW  ENG Matt Godden 26 MF  IRL Jordan Shipley 28 MF  ENG Josh Eccles 29 DF  FRA Julien Dacosta 38 MF  NED Gustavo Hamer — MF  GER Marcel Hilßner — MF  MTQ Wesley Jobello

Out on loan[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 31 GK  ENG Tom Billson (on loan at Scunthorpe United until 30 June 2022) 32 MF  SCO Jack Burroughs (on loan at Ross County until 30 June 2022) 41 FW  ENG Will Bapaga (on loan at Grimsby Town until 30 June 2022) — FW  ENG Danny Cashman (on loan at Rochdale until 30 June 2022)

Under-23 squad[]

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player 30 FW  POR Fábio Tavares 34 MF  IRL Ricardo Dinanga 35 DF  ENG Declan Drysdale 36 MF  WAL Ryan Howley 40 FW  ENG Jonny Ngandu 42 DF  SCO George Burroughs 43 MF  ROU Marco Rus

No. Pos. Nation Player 44 GK  WAL Cian Tyler 45 MF  ENG Aidan Finnegan 46 DF  ENG Blaine Rowe 47 FW  ENG Harrison Nee 49 MF  WAL Aaron Evans-Harriott 50 DF  IRL Jay McGrath

Under-18 squad[]

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ENG Luke Bell — GK  ENG Charlie Callaghan — DF  ENG Rio Grant — DF  IRL Fionn O'Brien — DF  ENG Malakai Reeve — DF  ENG Talon Shephard — DF  ENG Joe Wynne — DF  ENG Shay Young — MF  ENG Oliver Berry

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ENG Craig Hewitt — MF  ENG Charlie Manners — MF  ENG Reece Massey — MF  ENG Lewys McCafferty — FW  AUT Evan Eghosa — FW  ENG Justin Obikwu — FW  ENG Samuel Rodber — FW  ENG Bradley Stretton

Backroom staff and club officials[]

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 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[]

Season Review & Statistics	Level	Pos.	Player of the Year	Club Captain	Top Goalscorer	Most Appearances	Other
	4	2nd (24)	not awarded	George Curtis	Ray Straw 30	48	Football League Fourth Division Runners-up
	3	5th (24)		George Curtis	Ray Straw 21	Arthur Lightening 48	Southern Professional Floodlit Cup Winners
	3	15th (24)		George Curtis	Ray Straw 20	George Curtis 51
	3	14th (24)		George Curtis	Mike Dixon 12	George Curtis 49
	3	4th (24)		George Curtis	Terry Bly 29	George Curtis 56
	3	1st (24)		George Curtis	George Hudson 28	George Curtis 50 Ronnie Rees 50	Football League Third Division Champions
	2	10th (22)		George Curtis	George Hudson 24	George Curtis 46 Ronnie Rees 46
	2	3rd (22)		George Curtis	George Hudson 17	George Curtis 50
	2	1st (22)		George Curtis	Bobby Gould 25	George Curtis 46	Football League Second Division Champions
	1	20th (22)	Ernie Machin	George Curtis	Ronnie Rees 9	Ernie Machin 44	FA Youth Cup Runners-up
	1	20th (22)	Bill Glazier	George Curtis	Ernie Hunt 13	Bill Glazier 49
	1	6th (22)	Neil Martin	Roy Barry	Neil Martin 15	Mick Coop 44	FA Youth Cup Runners-up
	1	10th (22)	Willie Carr	Neil Martin	Ernie Hunt 13 Neil Martin 13	Jeff Blockley 52	Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Second round; BBC Goal of the Season: Ernie Hunt
	1	18th (22)	Ernie Hunt	Roy Barry	Ernie Hunt 12	Willie Carr 45 Wilf Smith 45	Texaco Cup Second round
	1	19th (22)	Willie Carr	Roy Barry	Brian Alderson 17	Mick Coop 48	Texaco Cup First round
	1	16th (22)	Bill Glazier	John Craven	Brian Alderson 15	Jimmy Holmes 53 Tommy Hutchison 53	Texaco Cup First round
	1	14th (22)	Graham Oakey	John Craven	Brian Alderson 8 David Cross 8	Tommy Hutchison 46
	1	14th (22)	Tommy Hutchison	John Craven	David Cross 16	Mick Coop 47 Tommy Hutchison 47
	1	19th (22)	Jim Blyth	Terry Yorath	Mick Ferguson 15	John Beck 45
	1	7th (22)	Ian Wallace	Terry Yorath	Ian Wallace 23	Bobby McDonald 47 Barry Powell 47
	1	10th (22)	Bobby McDonald	Terry Yorath	Ian Wallace 15	Tommy Hutchison 45 Bobby McDonald 45
	1	15th (22)	Gary Gillespie	Tommy Hutchison	Ian Wallace 13	Tommy Hutchison 45
	1	16th (22)	Danny Thomas	Mick Coop	Garry Thompson 15	Paul Dyson 54 Harry Roberts 54	Football League Cup Semi-finalists
	1	14th (22)	Danny Thomas	Gerry Daly	Mark Hateley 18	Gary Gillespie 46	PFA Merit Award: Joe Mercer
	1	19th (22)	Gary Gillespie	Gerry Francis	Steve Whitton 14	Gary Gillespie 48	PFA Team OTY: Danny Thomas
	1	19th (22)	Nick Platnauer	Harry Roberts	Terry Gibson 19	Terry Gibson 41 Nick Platnauer 41
	1	18th (22)	Terry Gibson	Trevor Peake	Terry Gibson 19	Steve Ogrizovic 46
	1	17th (22)	Trevor Peake	Brian Kilcline	Terry Gibson 13	Steve Ogrizovic 47
1986–1987 season	1	10th (22)	Steve Ogrizovic	Brian Kilcline	Cyrille Regis 16	Steve Ogrizovic 53	FA Cup Winners: 1987 FA Cup Final; FA Youth Cup Winners: 1987 FA Youth Cup Final; BBC Goal of the Season: Keith Houchen
	1	10th (21)	David Speedie	Brian Kilcline	Cyrille Regis 12	Steve Ogrizovic 46	FA Charity Shield Runners-up: 1987 FA Charity Shield; Full Members Cup Semi-finalists
	1	7th (20)	David Speedie	Brian Kilcline	David Speedie 15	Brian Borrows 42 Steve Ogrizovic 42
	1	12th (20)	Brian Borrows	Brian Kilcline	David Speedie 9	Brian Borrows 46 David Smith 46	Football League Cup Semi-finalists
1990–1991 season	1	16th (20)	Kevin Gallacher	Brian Kilcline	Kevin Gallacher 16	Brian Borrows 47	PFA Merit Award: Tommy Hutchison
1991–1992 season	1	19th (22)	Stewart Robson	Stewart Robson	Kevin Gallacher 10	Lloyd McGrath 46
1992–1993 season	1	15th (22)	Peter Atherton	Brian Borrows	Micky Quinn 17	John Williams 44
1993–1994 season	1	11th (22)	Phil Babb	Brian Borrows	Peter Ndlovu 11	Phil Babb 44 Steve Morgan 44
1994–1995 season	1	16th (22)	Brian Borrows	Brian Borrows	Dion Dublin 16	Brian Borrows 40 Paul Cook 40 Steve Ogrizovic 40	PFA Merit Award: Gordon Strachan
1995–1996 season	1	16th (20)	Paul Williams	Dion Dublin	Dion Dublin 16	John Salako 43
1996–1997 season	1	17th (20)	Dion Dublin	Gary McAllister	Dion Dublin 13	Gary McAllister 46 Steve Ogrizovic 46
1997–1998 season	1	11th (20)	Dion Dublin	Gary McAllister	Dion Dublin 23	Dion Dublin 43	Premier League Golden Boot: Dion Dublin; PFA Merit Award: Steve Ogrizovic
1998–1999 season	1	15th (20)	Richard Shaw	Gary McAllister	Noel Whelan 13	Magnus Hedman 42 Richard Shaw 42	FA Youth Cup Runners-up
1999–2000 season	1	14th (20)	Gary McAllister	Gary McAllister	Gary McAllister 13	Gary McAllister 43	FA Youth Cup Runners-up; FAI Young Int'l Player OTY: Robbie Keane
2000–2001 season	1	19th (20)	Gary Breen	Mustapha Hadji	Craig Bellamy 8	Craig Bellamy 39	PFA Merit Award: Jimmy Hill Welsh Footballer OTY: John Hartson
2001–2002 season	2	11th (24)	David Thompson	John Eustace	Lee Hughes 14	Muhamed Konjić 41
2002–2003 season	2	20th (24)	Muhamed Konjić	Muhamed Konjić	Jay Bothroyd 11	Muhamed Konjić 48
2003–2004 season	2	12th (24)	Stephen Warnock	Muhamed Konjić	Gary McSheffrey 12	Stephen Warnock 49	FWA Tribute Award: Jimmy Hill
2004–2005 season	2	19th (24)	Michael Doyle	Stephen Hughes	Gary McSheffrey 14	Michael Doyle 49	First CONCACAF 50-goal scorer: Stern John Last goal at Highfield Road: Andy Whing
2005–2006 season	2	8th (24)	Gary McSheffrey	Michael Doyle	Gary McSheffrey 17	Gary McSheffrey 50	First goal at Ricoh Arena: Claus Bech Jørgensen
2006–2007 season	2	17th (24)	Andy Marshall	Rob Page	Dele Adebola 9	Dele Adebola 42 Michael Doyle 42 Marcus Hall 42 Andy Marshall 42	Birmingham Senior Cup Winners
2007–2008 season	2	21st (24)	Jay Tabb	Stephen Hughes	Michael Mifsud 17	Michael Doyle 49 Isaac Osbourne 49 Jay Tabb 49
2008–2009 season	2	17th (24)	Aron Gunnarsson	Scott Dann	Clinton Morrison 12	Keiren Westwood 49	PFA Team OTY: Danny Fox, Keiren Westwood
2009–2010 season	2	19th (24)	Keiren Westwood	Stephen Wright	Clinton Morrison 11	Keiren Westwood 46
2010–2011 season	2	18th (24)	Marlon King	Lee Carsley	Marlon King 13	Richard Keogh 48	FL Fan OTY: Kevin Monks
2011–2012 season	2	23rd (24)	Richard Keogh	Sammy Clingan	Lukas Jutkiewicz 9 Gary McSheffrey 9	Richard Keogh 47 Joe Murphy 47	Championship Apprentice Award: Gaël Bigirimana
2012–2013 season	3	15th (24) †	Carl Baker	Carl Baker	David McGoldrick 18	Joe Murphy 56	FLT Northern area finalists; PFA Team OTY: Leon Clarke; FL Fan OTY: Pat Raybould
2013–2014 season	3	18th (24) ††	Callum Wilson	Carl Baker	Callum Wilson 22	Joe Murphy 53	FL Goal OTY: Franck Moussa; PFA Team OTY: Callum Wilson
2014–2015 season	3	17th (24)	Jim O'Brien	Réda Johnson	Frank Nouble 7	John Fleck 47 Jim O'Brien 47
2015–2016 season	3	8th (24)	John Fleck	Sam Ricketts	Adam Armstrong 20	Sam Ricketts 46 Romain Vincelot 46	PFA Team OTY: Adam Armstrong
2016–2017 season	3	23rd (24)	George Thomas	Jordan Willis	George Thomas 9	Jordan Turnbull 46 Jordan Willis 46	EFL Trophy Winners: 2017 EFL Trophy Final
2017–2018 season	4	6th (24)	Marc McNulty	Michael Doyle	Marc McNulty 28	Jack Grimmer 53	EFL League Two play-offs Winners: 2018 play-off Final; EFL Team OTY: Lee Burge, Jordan Willis; PFA Team OTY: Jack Grimmer; PFA Fans' Player OTY: Marc McNulty
2018–2019 season	3	8th (24)	Dominic Hyam	Liam Kelly	Jordy Hiwula 13	Luke Thomas 44
2019–2020 season	3	1st (23) †††	Fankaty Dabo	Liam Kelly	Matt Godden 15	Jordan Shipley 42	EFL League One Champions; LMA Awards Manager OTY: Mark Robins; PFA Team OTY: Marko Maroši, Fankaty Dabo, Liam Walsh, Matt Godden
2020–2021 season	2	16th (24)	Callum O'Hare	Liam Kelly	Tyler Walker 8	Callum O'Hare 48
2021–2022 season	2	4th (24) *		Kyle McFadzean	Viktor Gyökeres 9 *	Viktor Gyökeres 18 Kyle McFadzean 18 Simon Moore 18 Callum O'Hare 18 *

^† Coventry City deducted 10 points by the Football League for going into administration.^[73]
†† Coventry City deducted 10 points by the Football League.^{[74]
†††} Bury were expelled from the EFL on 27 August 2019 due to financial issues at the club.^[75] The season was postponed on 13 March 2020 and later concluded prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with league positions and promotions decided on a points-per-game basis.^[76]
* Season in progress.

Club honours[]

Notable players[]

Official Hall of Fame[]

Player[78] Apps Goals Dave Bennett 201 33 Brian Borrows 477 13 Clarrie Bourton 241 182 Willie Carr 280 36 Mick Coop 492 22 George Curtis 538 13 Jimmy Dougall 236 14 Dion Dublin 170 72

Player[78] Apps Goals Ron Farmer 311 52 Mick Ferguson 141 57 Ian Gibson 101 14 Bill Glazier 395 0 199 85 George Hudson 129 75 Ernie Hunt 166 51 Tommy Hutchison 355 30

Player[78] Apps Goals Mick Kearns 382 16 Leslie Jones 145 73 182 63 George Lowrie 85 59 Ernie Machin 289 39 George Mason 350 9 Reg Matthews 116 0 Steve Ogrizovic 601 1

Player[78] Apps Goals Trevor Peake 336 7 Ronnie Rees 262 52 Cyrille Regis 283 62 Richard Shaw 362 1 Danny Thomas 123 6 Ian Wallace 138 60 Alf Wood 246 0

Notable Academy graduates[]

Player	Achievements
Tom Bayliss	2017–18 EFL League Two play-off winner
Gaël Bigirimana	2017 EFL Trophy Final winner, 2012 Championship Apprentice Award winner
Lee Burge	2017–18 EFL League Two play-off winner, 2017 EFL Trophy Final winner, over 150 appearances for the first team
Cyrus Christie	24 international caps and 2 goals for Republic of Ireland, over 100 appearances for the first team
Jordan Clarke	Over 100 appearances for the first team
Jonson Clarke-Harris	2017–18 EFL League Two play-off winner, youngest player to play in a first-team match
John Eustace	Club captain
Marcus Hall	England U21 captain, over 300 appearances for the first team
Ryan Haynes	2017–18 EFL League Two play-off winner, 2017 EFL Trophy Final winner
Chris Kirkland	1 international cap for England, 2004–05 UEFA Champions League winner
James Maddison	1 international cap for England, January 2018 EFL Young Player of the Month
Gary McSheffrey	Over 250 appearances for the first team, two-time Football League Championship runner-up
Isaac Osbourne	Over 100 appearances for the first team
Jordan Ponticelli	2017–18 EFL League Two play-off winner
Jordan Shipley	2019–20 EFL League One winner, 2017–18 EFL League Two play-off winner, over 100 appearances for the first team
Ben Stevenson	2017 EFL Trophy Final winner
Daniel Sturridge	26 international caps and 8 goals for England, 2011–12 UEFA Champions League winner, 2009–10 Premier League winner
Conor Thomas	Over 100 appearances for the first team
George Thomas	2017 EFL Trophy Final winner
Ben Turner	2012–13 Football League Championship winner
Andy Whing	Over 100 appearances for the first team
Jordan Willis	2017–18 EFL League Two play-off winner, 2017 EFL Trophy Final winner, club captain, over 200 appearances for the first team
Callum Wilson	4 international caps and 1 goal for England, two Premier League hat-tricks, 2014–15 Football League Championship winner

Player records[]

Record	Details
Highest transfer fee paid	Craig Bellamy, £6,500,000 in 2000 (Norwich City)
Highest transfer fee received	Robbie Keane, £13,000,000 in 2000 (Internazionale)
Most appearances (all competitions)	Steve Ogrizovic, 601 (1984–2000)
Most appearances (league)	Steve Ogrizovic, 504 (1984–2000)
All-time top scorer (all competitions)	Clarrie Bourton, 182 goals (1931–1937)
All-time top scorer (league)	Clarrie Bourton, 173 goals (1931–1937)
Top-flight era top scorer (all competitions)	Dion Dublin, 72 goals (1994–1998)
Top-flight era top scorer (league)	Dion Dublin, 60 goals (1994–1998)
Most goals by one player in a game	Arthur Bacon, 5 (vs Gillingham, 1933) Clarrie Bourton, 5 (vs Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, 1931) Cyrille Regis, 5 (vs Chester City, 1985)
Most goals by one player in a season	Clarrie Bourton, 50 (1931–1932, 49 league, 1 FA Cup)
Most goals by one player in a season in top-flight	Dion Dublin, 23 (1997–1998) Ian Wallace, 23 (1977–1978)
Oldest player to play in a first-team match	Alf Wood, 43 years 207 days (vs Plymouth Argyle, 1958)
Youngest player to play in a first-team match	Jonson Clarke-Harris, 16 years 21 days (substitute vs Morecambe, 2010)
Youngest player to start a first-team match	Brian Hill, 16 years 273 days (vs Gillingham, 1958)

Managers[]

Chairmen[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coventry City F.C..

• Official club website
• Coventry City F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
• Soccerbase – Results | Squad Stats | Transfers
• Sky Sports Coventry City
• Coventry City Former Players Association