Coventry United F.C.
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| Full name | Coventry United Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Red and Greens, United | ||
| Founded | 1 July 2013 | ||
| Stadium | Butts Park Arena | ||
| Capacity | 4,000 (3,000 seats) | ||
| Chairman | Raymond Nowack | ||
| Manager | Ellis Alleyne | ||
| League | United Counties League Premier Division South | ||
| 2023–24 | United Counties League Premier Division South, 14th of 20 | ||
| Website | https://www.coventryunitedfootballclub.co.uk/ | ||
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Coventry United Football Club is an English association football club based in Coventry in the West Midlands, England, United Kingdom. The team competes in the United Counties League Premier Division South, the 9th tier of English football, and is managed by Ellis Alleyne.
The club was founded in 2013 by chairman Jason Kay along with three co-chairmen, Jason Timms, Marcus Green, Pete Schofield, and Club secretary Graham Wood, following a takeover of Coventry Spartans in reaction to Coventry City moving from the Ricoh Arena to Northampton to play at Sixfields Stadium.[1] Edwin Greaves had been in charge of the club since its foundation until the spring of 2016 when he was replaced by Terry Anderson.
On the 4th of July 2015, the club announced the takeover of Coventry City Ladies F.C, re-branding the ladies' side Coventry United Ladies F.C.;[2] But, this arrangement ended in June 2023 when the women's team was re-branded as Rugby Borough W.F.C.[3]
History
[edit]1978
Coventry United Football Club's kit (1978/79) was once dubbed "Worst Football Kit." It was made up of mostly chocolate-colored brown with four white stripes (two on each half of the front) curving down from the top. Although universally detested, the shirt has become a collector's item, also known as the "Holy Grail" of shirts.
2013
[edit]Coventry United Football Club was founded following the takeover of Coventry Spartans. The Spartans' manager, Edwin Greaves, stayed on as Coventry United's first manager, along with club secretary, Graham Wood. The club's debut league match took place at Kenilworth Town in the Midland Football League Division 3 on Saturday, 13 August 2013, with a 2-1 victory. Kenroy Dennisur and Brian Ndlovu scored the goals that day. United finished runners-up to Kenilworth, securing promotion. Coventry United also reached their first Cup final, The Challenge Vase, losing 3-1 to Enville Athletic FC. The club's first league title followed the next season. Coventry United dominated MFL Division 2, finishing 15 points ahead of its closest rivals. Their progression to Step 6 of the Non-League Pyramid followed. Season 3 saw Coventry United fighting for the Division 1 title with the likes of Bromsgrove Sporting, Lichfield, and Nuneaton Griff.
2016
[edit]In March 2016, Edwin Greaves left the club and was replaced on an interim basis by Terry Anderson, along with his assistant, Luke Morton. Under Terry's stewardship, United began a run to win their final 11 matches, conceding just 3 goals along the way. Consequently, they beat their competition to the title. Afterwards, Anderson and Morton's roles were secured on a permanent basis. Following a flurry of promotions, Coventry settled into the MFL Premier Division.
2017
[edit]Following stints at The Cage (Alan Higgs Centre) and Sphinx Drive, the summer of 2017 saw United move into their new home, the Butts Park Arena.
2020
[edit]The club was bought from the original owners by Coventry-based businessman Joe Haggarty.[4] After 5 seasons in the MFL Premier Division and finishing as Coventry's highest-ranked non-league club for 5 years in a row, the restructuring of the non-league pyramid saw Coventry United placed in the United Counties League Premier Division South. Following the departure of Terry Anderson in November 2021, the Red and Greens hired manager, Russell Dodds, and assistant manager, Darren Acton. They resigned from their roles for personal reasons several weeks later.
2022
[edit]In February 2022, Joe Haggarty resigned as chairman and manager of Coventry United Football Club, with Ivor Lawton taking charge of first-team responsibilities. Long-term club supporter Nigel Ward took over the club in March 2022.[4] Nigel's efforts to make up for lost time and money over the summer, along with the hard-working officials and volunteers, put the club in a much stronger position, both on and off the field, than during the closing months of the 2021/22 campaign. With his job to stabilize the club completed, Nigel stepped aside and was replaced as chairman by local businessman, Michael Kavanagh, with John Goodman appointed as Vice Chairman. In the summer of 2022, Carl Nolan took over as Team Manager.
Stadium
[edit]
Coventry United currently play their home games at The Butts Park Arena in Coventry.
Butts Park Arena is a multi-use sports stadium in Spon End, Coventry, England. Its main use is as a rugby stadium. It is the home ground for Coventry R.F.C.
It was also formerly the home ground of the Coventry Jets, an American football team. From the 2017–18 season, the stadium is also the home of Coventry United, a non-league football club.
The stadium was built in 2004 and currently has one stand, known for sponsorship reasons as the XL Motors stand, which has a capacity of 3,000 and includes several conference and banqueting facilities. The West Stand which was a temporary structure holding 1,000 was removed at the end of the 2005–06 season on grounds of health and safety. There is also standing space for up to 1,000 supporters around the pitch. The stadium now holds a capacity of 5,200.
In June 2019 the pitch was replaced with an artificial playing surface.
Colours
[edit]
Coventry United's home kit is made up of the city's civic colours, red and green.
The shirt is red and the shorts and socks are the same shade of dark green.
The club's away strip is a full dark green strip.
Former ladies team
[edit]On 4 July 2015, Coventry City Ladies F.C. announced that they would merge with Coventry United and be rebranded as Coventry United Ladies F.C. from the beginning of the 2015–16 Women's Premier League season.[5]
In June 2023, following the team's relegation from the Women's Championship, the second tier of women's domestic football in England, Coventry United's association with the women's team was terminated and the team was renamed Rugby Borough W.F.C.[6]
Backroom staff and club officials
[edit]| Name | Position |
|---|---|
 Ellis Alleyne
|
Manager |
| Jamie Burclacki
|
Assistant Manager |
| Rob Hennedy
|
Goalkeeping Coach |
| Lucy Stead
|
Club Physio |
| Marian Davis
|
Club Secretary |
Seasons
[edit]| Year[7] | League | Level | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | Position | Leading league scorer(s) | Goals | FA Cup | FA Vase | Average attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–14 | Midland Combination Div. Two | 12 | 30 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 105 | 33 | +72 | 68 | 2nd of 16 Promoted as runners-up |
Daniel Stokes Brian Ndlovu Nathan Stoute |
26 17 8 |
not eligible | not eligible | not enough data |
| 2014–15 | Midland League Div. Two | 11 | 30 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 97 | 40 | +57 | 70 | 1st of 16 Promoted as champions |
Daniel Stokes Joshua Blake Sean Kavanagh |
24 17 10 |
not eligible | not eligible | 97 |
| 2015–16 | Midland League Div. One | 10 | 38 | 33 | 1 | 4 | 123 | 33 | +90 | 100 | 1st of 20 Promoted as champions |
Joshua O'Grady Matthew Brown Chris Cox |
29 15 15 |
DNP | not eligible | 98 |
| 2016–17 | Midland League Premier Div. | 9 | 42 | 18 | 8 | 16 | 63 | 57 | +6 | 62 | 8th of 22 | Kai Williams Chris Cox Joshua O'Grady |
14 12 11 |
QR1 | 1st Round | 100 |
| 2017–18 | Midland League Premier Div. | 9 | 42 | 18 | 7 | 17 | 80 | 77 | +3 | 61 | 8th of 22 | Shaq McDonald Craig Reid Mitchell Piggon Lewis Rankin |
13 10 9 9 |
EP1 | 3rd Round | 229 |
| 2018–19 | Midland League Premier Div. | 9 | 38 | 16 | 8 | 14 | 52 | 47 | +5 | 56 | 8th of 20 | Tyler Haddow Joseph Cairns Kyle Carey |
6 5 5 |
EP1 | 4th Round | not enough data |
| 2019–20 | Midland League Premier Div. | 9 | 29 | 19 | 5 | 5 | 60 | 31 | +29 | 62 | 1st of 20 (at time of cancellation) | Matthew Gardner Christopher Camwell Joseph Cairns |
16 12 8 |
EP1 | 4th Round | not enough data |
| 2020–21 | Midland League Premier Div. | 9 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 15 | +5 | 18 | 9th of 19 (at time of cancellation) | Riley-Cole O'Sullivan Joshua O'Grady Kyle Carey |
9 6 5 |
PR | 3rd Round | not enough data |
Records and honours
[edit]Club honours
[edit]- Midland Football League Division One
- Winners: 2015–16
- Midland Football League Division Two
- Winners: 2014–15
- Midland Football League Division Three
- Runners-Up: 2013–14
- Presidents Cup
- Winners: 2014–15
- Birmingham FA Challenge Vase
- Runners-Up: 2013–14
Team records
[edit]- Biggest league win: Coventry United 28–0 Polesworth (17 April 2014)
- Biggest league loss: Quorn 7-1 Coventry United (16 April 2018)
- Longest unbeaten run (all competitions): 25 matches (8 November 2014 – 4 May 2015)
- Longest unbeaten run (league only): 21 matches (4 October 2014 – 4 May 2015)
- Most clean sheets in a row (all competitions): 6 (19 April 2016 – 7 August 2016)
- Most clean sheets in a row (league only): 8 (19 April 2016 – 23 August 2016)
Player records
[edit]- Most club appearances (all competitions): 179 (Chris Cox)
- Most club appearances (league only): 146 (Chris Cox)
- Top club goalscorer (all competitions): 60 (Joshua O'Grady)
- Top club goalscorer (league only): 42 (Joshua O'Grady, Chris Cox, Daniel Stokes)
- First competitive goal for the club: Stefan McGrath (10 October 2013)
- Most goals scored in one game by a single player: 6 (Daniel Stokes (Coventry United 28–0 Polesworth; 17 April 2014))
References
[edit]- ^ "Coventry City to play home matches at Northampton's Sixfields Stadium".
- ^ "Coventry City Ladies Football Club : New Era as CULFC". Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ^ "BREAKING NEWS - Introducing the new Rugby Borough Women! - News | Rugby Borough Football Club". June 2023.
- ^ a b "FOOTBALL - Coventry United celebrate 10-year anniversary". Coventry Observer. 9 June 2023.
- ^ "Coventry City Ladies Football Club : New Era as CULFC". Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
- ^ "BREAKING NEWS - Introducing the new Rugby Borough Women! - News | Rugby Borough Football Club". June 2023.
- ^ "Midland Football League". full-time.thefa.com. 21 August 2016.