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Revision as of 23:15, 29 June 2011

Coventry City
File:Coventry City F.C logo.jpg
Full nameCoventry City Football Club
Nickname(s)The Sky Blues
Founded13 August 1883
(as Singers F.C.)[1]
GroundRicoh Arena, Coventry
Capacity32,609
ChairmanKen Dulieu
ManagerAndy Thorn
LeagueThe Championship
2010–11The Championship, 18th
Current season

Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry. Coventry City were founding members of the Premier League in 1992.

They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second-highest tier of the English league system, having spent 34 consecutive seasons in the top flight First Division / Premier League between 1967 and 2001. Their only major trophy was won in 1987 when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–2 to win the FA Cup, listed by the FA as one of the 12 classic FA Cup Finals.[2] 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 early-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 construct a larger stadium and chose a site in the Rowley's Green area of the city. The 32,609 capacity Ricoh Arena was opened in August 2005.

History

See also: History of Coventry City F.C.

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.
  • 1919 – The club are voted into the Football League, where they have remained ever since.
  • 1928 – In the cold of 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.
  • 1961 – Former Fulham player and PFA chairman Jimmy Hill is appointed manager following an embarrassing FA Cup defeat at home to non-league Kings Lynn.
  • 1964 – Jimmy Hill guides Coventry to promotion from Division Three (now Football League One) 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, and BBC Sport presenter Jimmy Hill 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.
  • 1969-70 – Under Noel Cantwell, Coventry finish 6th in the First Division, their highest League placing.
  • 1970 – Coventry qualified for the European Fairs Cup (now the UEFA Europa League) but lost 7–3 on aggregate in the 2nd round to Bayern Munich, despite winning the second leg 2–1 at Highfield Road. In that year, Highfield Road became the first all-seater, floodlit stadium in the country.
  • 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. Highfield Road becomes the country'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 defeated by non-league Sutton United in the FA Cup.[3] However, their impressive league form meant they equalled their best ever end of season placing, finishing in the top seven once more.
  • 1990 – Coventry reached the League Cup semi-final for the second time, but were defeated 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 league below them) won the replay at Bramall Lane on penalties. They also attained their highest Premier League finish of 11th position.
  • 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 – Their football academy, based in southeast Coventry at The Alan Higgs Centre, owned by the Alan Higgs Centre Trust, was opened in September 2004.[4]
  • 2005 – Coventry relocated to the 32,609 seater Ricoh Arena after 106 years at Highfield Road. The club's last game at Highfield Road stadium results in a scintillating 6–2 win over Midlands rivals Derby County in front of a sell-out 23,000 crowd.
  • 2007 – Coventry narrowly avoided administration when Ray Ranson and hedge fund managers SISU took over the club with twenty minutes to spare.
  • 2008 – The club celebrated its 125th anniversary. They avoided relegation to League One despite being 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.
  • 2010 – The Ricoh Arena was selected to host matches of the London 2012 Olympics.

Playing kit

Coventry's home shirts are now always sky blue. However this hasn't always been the case. During the 1880s and 1890s, the club used black and red. Sky blue was first used by Coventry in 1898, the sky blue theme was then used until 1922, the colour made its return in 1962 thanks to the then manager, Jimmy Hill. In the 2008–09 season, Coventry used sky blue and white stripes, a design that was used three times that decade. This is a contrast to the late-1990s where sky blue and navy stripes were chosen three times. 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. The choice of a brown kit is owed to the infamous chocolate brown Admiral away kit that Coventry had worn in the mid-1970s, regularly cited as the worst kit in English football history.

Fans

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 enthusiastic volunteers, its aim was to bring former players of the club together and cherish their memories. To qualify for free membership players have to have made at least one first team competitive appearance for the club or been a manager. Members are entitled to a ticket for any home league game.

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 www.ccfpa.co.uk had been launched. The launch of 2007 was followed by subsequent Legends' Days in 2008 and 2009. 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 December 2010 the association had 176 members.

Sky Blue anthem

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 then Third Division team reached the quarter-finals 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
They will never lose
Proud Posh or Pompey
Oysters or anyone
They shan't defeat them
They'll fight 'til the game is won!
City! City! City!

Current:

Lets 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! City! City!

Stadium

Main articles: Highfield Road and Ricoh Arena

Grounds

Ricoh Arena, Coventry's stadium since 2005

106 years at Highfield Road

Coventry City began playing at the Highfield Road stadium in 1899, although the club did not buy the freehold to the site until 1937. 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 more than 6,000 more than the previous record set against Aston Villa in 1938. Although many people who where at that game suggest the attendance was a lot higher, possibly much over 60,000. Supporters climbed onto the roofs of the stands and up the floodlights. The ground has 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 yards away. 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.[1] It had been gradually upgraded since then, with the final phase of work being completed in the mid-1990s, including two fully enclosed corners. The final game played at the great stadium was against Derby County on 30 April 2005, with Coventry hammering Derby County, winning the game 6–2. Many great players graced the turf of Highfield Road, on an emotional day, the final goal at Highfield Road was fittingly scored by a homegrown youngster Andrew Whing. Other goals came from Stern John, Dele Adebola and Coventry-born player Gary McSheffrey, who scored two of the goals. One of these was from a penalty given away by the ex-City captain Mo Konjić. The land on which the stadium once stood is now a housing estate.

Relocating to Ricoh Arena

For the 2005–06 season, Coventry City moved to the new 32,609 capacity Ricoh Arena[5] after 106 years at Highfield Road. In 1998, the club had decided that it was time to relocate to a new stadium in the Rowleys Green area of the city, three-and-a-half miles 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 and somewhat uninspiring bowl design with steep stands, in line with several other new stadia builds during this period, though it is said to generate 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 they no longer own the stadium and must pay rent to use it, this could appear to raise concerns over the managing of the clubs financies by previous club officials, as, as of the year 2001 the club were 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 & 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, the first goal at the Ricoh Arena being scored by the Faroe Islands international Claus Bech Jørgensen, with an 11th-minute diving header. Dele Adebola then added two more for the Sky Blues.

A campaign is currently nearing its completion which will see a statue of Jimmy Hill installed at the main entrance to the Ricoh Arena.

Current players

First team squad

As of 22 June 2011.

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 Canada CAN Justin Beiber
2 DF Ireland EIR Richard Keogh
4 MF Northern Ireland NIR Sammy Clingan (captain)
6 DF Scotland SCO James McPake
7 MF Ireland EIR David Bell
10 FW Wales WAL Freddy Eastwood
11 FW England ENG Lukas Jutkiewicz
12 MF Ireland EIR Gary Deegan
14 DF England ENG Chris Hussey
15 DF England ENG Martin Cranie
17 MF Iceland ISL Aron Gunnarsson
18 MF England ENG Carl Baker
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF England ENG Gary McSheffrey
20 DF England ENG Ben Turner
22 FW England ENG Clive Platt
23 GK Australia AUS Danny Ireland
24 DF England ENG Richard Wood
26 DF England ENG Jordan Clarke
29 FW Ireland EIR Roy O'Donovan
30 DF England ENG Nathan Cameron
31 FW England ENG Shaun Jeffers
32 FW England ENG Callum Wilson
— GK England ENG Chris Dunn

Academy squad

As of 8 May 2011.

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 England ENG Lee Burge
— DF England ENG Joe Henderson
— DF England ENG Aaron Phillips
— DF England ENG Cyrus Christie
— DF England ENG Jordan Willis
— DF England ENG Alex Donald
— DF England ENG Joe Pegg
— DF England ENG Ricky Fletcher
— MF Burundi BDI Gael Bigirimana
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF England ENG Josh Ruffels
— MF England ENG Conor Thomas
— MF Wales WAL Will Roberts
— MF England ENG Lewis Rankin
— MF England ENG Jemal Wiseman
— MF England ENG Louis Garner
— FW England ENG Billy Daniels
— FW England ENG Jonson Clarke-Harris
— FW Jamaica JAM Courtney Richards

Backroom staff and club officials

Name Position
England Andy Thorn Manager
England Steve Harrison Assistant Manager
Northern Ireland Andy O'Boyle Fitness Coach
England Steve Ogrizovic Goalkeeping Coach
England Gregor Rioch Academy Manager
England Richard Stevens Assistant Academy Manager
Scotland Michael McBride Physiotherapist
England Dave Hart Assistant Physiotherapist
England Donald Barron Performance Analyst
England Paul Travis Assistant Performance Analyst
Name Position
England Ken Dulieu Chairman
England John Clarke Vice Chairman
England Paul Clouting Chief Executive Officer
Nigeria Onye Igwe Director
Canada Leonard Brody Director
England Joe Elliott Life President
England Mike McGinnity Life President
England Pam Hindson Club Secretary
England Jim Brown Club Historian and Statistician

Seasons, awards and honours

Season Review & Statistics Player of the Year Top Goalscorer Most Appearances Other
1967–1968 season England Ernie Machin Wales Ronnie Rees 9 England Ernie Machin 44 FA Youth Cup Runners-up
1968–1969 season England Bill Glazier England Ernie Hunt 13 England Bill Glazier 49
1969–1970 season England Neil Martin England Neil Martin 15 England Mick Coop 44 FA Youth Cup Runners-up
1970–1971 season Scotland Willie Carr England Ernie Hunt 12 England Jeff Blockley 48
1971–1972 season England Ernie Hunt England Ernie Hunt 12 Scotland Willie Carr 45
1972–1973 season Scotland Tommy Hutchison Scotland Brian Alderson 17 England Mick Coop 48
1973–1974 season England Bill Glazier Scotland Brian Alderson 15 Republic of Ireland Jimmy Holmes 53
1974–1975 season Scotland Tommy Hutchison England David Cross 8 Scotland Tommy Hutchison 46
1975–1976 season Scotland Tommy Hutchison England David Cross 16 England Mick Coop 47
1976–1977 season England Mick Ferguson England Mick Ferguson 15 England John Beck 45
1977–1978 season Scotland Ian Wallace Scotland Ian Wallace 23 Scotland Bobby McDonald 47
1978–1979 season Scotland Bobby McDonald Scotland Ian Wallace 15 Scotland Tommy Hutchison 45
1979–1980 season Scotland Ian Wallace Scotland Ian Wallace 13 Scotland Tommy Hutchison 45
1980–1981 season Scotland Gary Gillespie England Garry Thompson 15 England Paul Dyson 54
1981–1982 season England Danny Thomas England Mark Hateley 18 Scotland Gary Gillespie 46
1982–1983 season Scotland Gary Gillespie England Steve Whitton 14 Scotland Gary Gillespie 48
1983–1984 season England Nick Platnauer England Terry Gibson 19 England Trevor Peake 40
1984–1985 season England Terry Gibson England Terry Gibson 19 England Steve Ogrizovic 46
1985–1986 season England Trevor Peake England Terry Gibson 13 England Steve Ogrizovic 47
1986–1987 season England Steve Ogrizovic England Cyrille Regis 16 England Steve Ogrizovic 53 FA Cup Winners: FA Cup Final 1987; FA Youth Cup Winners
1987–1988 season Scotland David Speedie England Cyrille Regis 12 England Brian Borrows 45
1988–1989 season Scotland David Speedie Scotland David Speedie 15 England Brian Borrows 42
1989–1990 season England Brian Borrows Scotland David Speedie 9 England David Smith 46
1990–1991 season Scotland Kevin Gallacher Scotland Kevin Gallacher 16 England Brian Borrows 47 PFA Merit Award: Scotland Tommy Hutchison
1991–1992 season England Stewart Robson Scotland Kevin Gallacher 10 England Lloyd McGrath 44
1992–1993 season England Peter Atherton England Micky Quinn 17 England Peter Atherton 42
1993–1994 season Republic of Ireland Phil Babb Zimbabwe Peter Ndlovu 11 Republic of Ireland Phil Babb 44
1994–1995 season England Brian Borrows England Dion Dublin 16 England Steve Ogrizovic 40 PFA Merit Award: Scotland Gordon Strachan
1995–1996 season England Paul Williams England Dion Dublin 16 England John Salako 40
1996–1997 season England Dion Dublin England Dion Dublin 13 England Steve Ogrizovic 46
1997–1998 season England Dion Dublin England Dion Dublin 23 England Dion Dublin 43 PFA Merit Award: England Steve Ogrizovic
1998–1999 season England Richard Shaw England Noel Whelan 13 Sweden Magnus Hedman 42 FA Youth Cup Runners-up
1999–2000 season Scotland Gary McAllister Scotland Gary McAllister 13 Scotland Gary McAllister 43 FA Youth Cup Runners-up
2000–2001 season Republic of Ireland Gary Breen Wales Craig Bellamy 8 Wales Craig Bellamy 38 PFA Merit Award: England Jimmy Hill
2001–2002 season Scotland Gary McAllister England Lee Hughes 15 England David Thompson 45
2002–2003 season Bosnia and Herzegovina Muhamed Konjić England Jay Bothroyd 11 Bosnia and Herzegovina Muhamed Konjić 48
2003–2004 season England Stephen Warnock England Gary McSheffrey 12 England Stephen Warnock 46
2004–2005 season Republic of Ireland Michael Doyle England Gary McSheffrey 14 Republic of Ireland Michael Doyle 48
2005–2006 season England Gary McSheffrey England Gary McSheffrey 17 Republic of Ireland Michael Doyle 49
2006–2007 season England Andy Marshall Nigeria Dele Adebola 9 England Andy Marshall 42 Birmingham Senior Cup Winners
2007–2008 season Republic of Ireland Jay Tabb Malta Michael Mifsud 17 Republic of Ireland Jay Tabb 49
2008–2009 season Iceland Aron Gunnarsson Republic of Ireland Clinton Morrison 12 Republic of Ireland Keiren Westwood 49 PFA Team of the Year: England Danny Fox, Republic of Ireland Keiren Westwood
2009–2010 season Republic of Ireland Keiren Westwood Republic of Ireland Clinton Morrison 11 Republic of Ireland Keiren Westwood 46
2010–2011 season Jamaica Marlon King Jamaica Marlon King 13 Republic of Ireland Richard Keogh 48

Other club honours (before 1968)

Notable players

See also: Category:Coventry City F.C. players, List of Coventry City F.C. players, and List of Coventry City F.C. international footballers

Official Hall of Fame

Player[6] Apps Goals
England Dave Bennett 187 33
England Brian Borrows 474 13
England Clarrie Bourton 241 181
Scotland Willie Carr 280 36
England Mick Coop 485 22
England George Curtis 534 13
Scotland Jimmy Dougall 237 14
England Dion Dublin 168 72
Player[6] Apps Goals
England Ron Farmer 311 52
England Mick Ferguson 141 57
Scotland Ian Gibson 101 14
England Bill Glazier 402 0
England Frank Herbert 200 89
England George Hudson 129 75
England Ernie Hunt 166 51
Scotland Tommy Hutchison 353 30
Player[6] Apps Goals
England Mick Kearns 382 15
Wales Leslie Jones 144 74
England Jock Lauderdale 182 63
Wales George Lowrie 85 59
England Ernie Machin 284 39
England George Mason 350 8
England Reg Matthews 116 0
England Steve Ogrizovic 601 1
Player[6] Apps Goals
England Trevor Peake 330 7
Wales Ronnie Rees 262 52
England Cyrille Regis 274 62
England Richard Shaw 338 1
England Danny Thomas 123 6
Scotland Ian Wallace 138 60
England Alf Wood 246 0

Player records

Managers

See also Category:Coventry City F.C. managers

Rivalries

Coventry City's rival clubs are:

  • Aston Villa (historically Coventry's main rivals)
  • Leicester City – 'M69 Derby' (named the 26th fiercest rivalry in English football in an in-depth report by the Football Pools in 2008[7])

Other information

References

  1. ^ City face Aldershot on 125th anniversary Coventry City FC, 12 August 2008
  2. ^ "Classic Cup Finals". The Football Association. Retrieved 8 August 2008.
  3. ^ "Frozen in time: 7 January 1989 – Sutton upset Coventry in the FA cup". The Guardian. UK. 8 January 2006.
  4. ^ "The Alan Higgs Centre". RHWL architects. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
  5. ^ Ricoh Arena
  6. ^ a b c d Hall of Fame Coventry City FC, 29 May 2007
  7. ^ Football Rivalries Report 2008 The New Football Pools

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