Coventry City Banter - Join the debate with CCFC fans, staff writers and club legends

Coventry City a big club or a sleeping Giant ?

2013-05-17T11:01:55Z

AS we have just heard and read that the ongoing saga which is Coventry City Football Club will drag on like some tedious T.V. soap opera for a lot longer we are still asking the question when will all this get resolved ?

Will we be playing our home games next season at the Ricoh Arena or at some other venue seems such a simple question but as yet nobody can give us a straight yes or no ?

Usually the close season is a time for us fans to have a break from the Football but this one I guess for the majority of us will not be spent relaxing on a Beach but be a time of anxiety and worry fretting over the future of our club.

And if that's not bad enough we have now got the manager saying Coventry City aren't a big club anyway and haven't been for a very long time.Which is a contrast to what other managers and players usually say as they usually go on about how "massive" this club is.

Pressley backs his statement up by saying that the club has been in decline for at least Fifteen years and has massively underachieved in the process.Which even though hurts is spot on as you only have to look at where we are now to see how right he is.

Our long spell in the Premier League along with our F.A.Cup win put us in the top club bracket I guess but for a very long time we have done nothing to back it up have we ?

Having a Thirty two thousand seater stadium may look impressive but when you struggle to half fill it and play your Football in League One the big club label does look silly to say the least.

I'd rather us be known as a "Sleeping Giant" than a massive club because when rival fans and the Football world in general poke fun at us we can respond by saying one day we will get back in the top flight but until then we're just resting !

But until all this off the field stuff is sorted out we're not going to be able to call ourselves anything and if we end up playing at an alternative ground which struggles to squeeze in under Ten thousand people a "sleeping Giant" would sound bizarre !

A Half Century of following Coventry City

2013-05-07T11:14:33Z

I'VE just realised that the season just ended was my Fiftieth campaign as a Sky Blue supporter and I look back on it with a mixture of happiness and gloom.

There's been some good times especially under Jimmy Hill when we won two promotions and of course the great F.A.Cup Final win at Wembley which still brings great memories back and a case of you had to be there to understand what a day that was for our club.

But there have been some bad times too with relegation down from the Premier League and then the drop down to League One which as it's really the Third Division was when I first started going to watch my beloved City.

And fast forward to the present day where we are currently wondering where we will be playing our "home" games next season ?This great club is in a mess on and off the pitch but as a proud Coventrian I'm still going to support my club even though it hurts me to see the state it is in right now.

A lot of City supporters say they won't go and watch the team if we end up playing somewhere else but neither do I want that to happen but if everyone decided to stop going to games that would be a disaster too.

Obviously we want this resolved before next season kicks off and we continue to play at the Ricoh Arena as that is our home stadium but if the worse comes to the worse I bet when all the anger has died down you will get the die-hard fans going to wherever we play.

That is the mind set of a true Football fan they love their club no matter what anyone else says or thinks and they will go to support their team and that is a fact.

I admire the Telegraph with their campaign to stay at the Ricoh and I am behind it all the way but we have to be realistic here and look at what may happen as it has happened to other clubs hasn't it ?

What I'm trying to convey here is that Football fans want to follow their team and also to be seen doing that I know I'm like that in fact the tougher things get the true fan is there in the thick of it.

That is reality and not a myth and not some fairytale story because you just can't stop someone following their chosen club that's why Football has lasted for so long.

So Fifty years a Coventry City fan and what a Rollercoaster ride so far with more twists and turns no doubt to come but I want to be watching my club playing at the Ricoh but if not it'll have to be elsewhere.

I was devastated leaving Highfield Road but have accepted that is now in the past and on to the next chapter as they say because it's a journey and who knows the ending !

Is "Elvis" the Man for CCFC?

2013-05-02T13:45:43Z

IT is looking more and more likely that Elvis is not the man to take the Sky Blues forward. His lack of knowledge of the requirements in League 1 are not up to scratch and his lack of experience at this level will, on the evidence so far, probably cause concern for our hopes of promotion back into the championship.

Andy Thorn was a lovely man, but was found to be out of his depth at this level; Mark Robbins came in, got rid of the dead wood and bought in players capable of making a challenge for promotion. He left, along with any faint hope of reaching the play off's, and since Elvis arrived that hope was finally extinguished for good, but the worrying thing is, that Elvis seems to think that some of the players deemed not up to scratch by Robbins, are now good enough and have been given the nod for a first team place.

There has been a lot made of the fact the Elvis is getting all the players in, one by one, over the coming weeks, to let them know whether they are "part of his plans" going forward. But what are his plans? To allow Richard Wood, Stephen Elliot and, by the looks of it Gary McSheffrey, to leave is going to weaken the squad overall and make next seasons promotion push even less likely.

Playing with only one striker at home is not going to get the crowds rushing back and the results (2 draws & 3 Defeats in April) under him have been not far short of pathetic. There is a malaise about the place at the end of the season, with a seeming lack of a game plan, lack of any decent football by the team and a lack of any real ambition to go out and compete against mediocre teams. The football being served up under Pressley was pretty depressing and the results had started to turn against us, and what looked like a team geared to a late promotion push, ended up looking nothing other than "average" at best and "cannon fodder" at worst.

No one seems to know where we the club will be playing home games next season, with the talk being: Northampton Saints "Franklins Gardens" Stadium or Walsall's Bescott Stadium, up the M6. An Hour's drive to watch a home game will certainly not make it very appealing to "Home Fans"!

Had it not been for Mark Robbins stint as manager and the results we had under his stewardship, it is likely we would have been fighting a relegation battle last season, without the 10 point deduction.

Pressley's has shown no signs of bringing the good times back, the performances have been dire and the lack of a goal scorer will probably come back to haunt him next season. This is a difficult league and not one we are likely to get out of with kids from the Academy (if we had one)!

It is a worrying time to be a Sky Blues fan,

Another disappointing season for Coventry City F.C.

2013-04-15T11:07:14Z

WITH just a couple more games to go before this season comes to a close it doesn't need a genius to work out that this has been yet another miserable ending to a campaign which has now become the norm for us Sky Blue fans.

But we had hopes of maybe sneaking into the play offs not that long ago but alas we never envisaged the dreaded ten point deduction and all the negativity and baggage with it.

So here we are yet again not sure of our future and with morale amongst players and us fans as low as a Snakes belly you do worry as to where it's all leading to ?

The manager is now experiencing bad vibes from many City supporters who just don't rate him as the man for the job and already want a change and who would be shocked to see yet another new face managing us next season ?

Myself I feel he needs more time before we can pass judgement on him as he has taken charge of a club in a right mess on and off the pitch and let's be honest who in their right mind would want to manage us right now anyway ?

With uncertainty over the stadium and players wanting to move on and a transfer embargo as well it isn't the most appealing job going.

And will the American with wads of cash come in and rescue us as he has said he wants too or will that fizzle out and come to nothing ?So many ifs and buts and maybe's but nothing really of substance which is so frustrating as usual.

So the Orient game on Saturday is our final home match and I wonder what sort of crowd will turn up ?I'll be there as usual as will all the other hardcore City fans I imagine but will a lot stay on afterwards for the usual parade from the players ?

I feel uncomfortable when that happens because I like to applaud them but on the other hand you feel as if you've been short changed as well so it's an awkward one !

Another disappointing season for Coventry City F.C.

2013-04-15T11:07:14Z

But we had hopes of maybe sneaking into the play offs not that long ago but alas we never envisaged the dreaded ten point deduction and all the negativity and baggage with it.

So here we are yet again not sure of our future and with morale amongst players and us fans as low as a Snakes belly you do worry as to where it's all leading to ?

With uncertainty over the stadium and players wanting to move on and a transfer embargo as well it isn't the most appealing job going.

I feel uncomfortable when that happens because I like to applaud them but on the other hand you feel as if you've been short changed as well so it's an awkward one !

A Sorry State of Affairs!

2013-04-09T09:21:57Z

It is a sorry state of affairs as the escalating division between the football club and everyone else just seems to rumble on, the Academy has now been thrown out of their home at the Higgs Trust, which was originally set up for them as a base and a place to hone young talent. But with SISU seemingly at odds with everyone involved with the Football Club, it looks like there is no end in sight to the current stand-off.

The Sky Blues Supporters Trust are at least seemingly making headway in their efforts to keep a dialogue alive with SISU, but they seem to be hiding behind the Administrator now, and are not making any comments worthy of note.

Preston Haskell IV has been spotted at the Ricoh, and seems ready to pick up the Baton, but SISU are not going to play ball with him, or anyone else for that matter, until they get what they want? The biggest worry is that no one seems to know what it is they really want to do?

Do they want to sell the club?

Do they want to build a new Stadium?

Do they want to stay at the Ricoh if an agreement over the rent can be reached?

Do they have "ANY" plans for the future?

Have we lost 10 Points or not?

Are they really interested in Coventry City FC?

There are no sure answers at present, we don't even know whether the "Golden Share" is in the part of the business that has gone into administration, and all we do know is that there is no end in sight and no sign of any talks to resolve the issues raging about the survival of our football club.............................

Anxious times for Coventry City Football Club

2013-03-25T10:54:20Z

ON the eve of the court hearing when we will hopefully finally know what is going to happen in terms of administration,points deduction,and where we will be playing our final home games,it is without doubt a very worrying time for our club.

As a Sky Blue fan I hope for a positive result and all those involved behind the scenes can sit down and get this mess sorted out once and for all and let us supporters get on and do what we want to do and that is to just follow our club and get behind them home and away.

But will this soap opera carry on and on until us fans go completely insane with it all ?
As it is turning out to be a farce and should be turned into a play but it is no laughing matter for us City fans more like a Horror movie.

On the radio on Saturday on Five Lives phone in programme Robbie Savage talked with his co presenter about our club and they both said how sad and shocked they were at our fall from grace. They were talking about how big a club we are or once were etc,and how we could be in such a mess ?

Robbie said something though that I had never heard about before when he said when Brian Clough made an offer to buy Trevor Francis and make him the first One Million Pound signing only one other club matched his offer and that was Coventry City.

That just shows how big we once were and how big our aspirations were back then but as we know Francis chose Forest and the rest is history as he won trophies galore with them.

It really saddens me though to see my beloved club in the state it is currently in and make no bones about it we are in a right mess and I am fearful for our future on and off the pitch.

But us Football fans especially Coventry City fans are a hard bitten lot and are made of stern stuff and will fight on come what may and even if we end up playing on a local park pitch you can rest assured we will turn up.

Obviously we don't want that to happen and common sense will prevail and everything will come good in the end but any City fan who isn't a little bit anxious right now has better nerves than I have !

So fingers crossed for a decent result tomorrow but I just wish all we had to think about was a final push for a play off place and not what will happen in a court of law.

It's Now or Never!

2013-03-14T10:01:02Z

How apt that a song from one Mr Pressley sums up the latest escalation in the ongoing rent row to the other Mr Pressley, who is now running team affairs. If the latter ever thought things would run smoothly in his tenure at Coventry City, he may now have some idea of what he has let himself in for.

It would appear that the "Posturing" is over, the time for "he said" - "she said" and "My dad's bigger than your dad" has come to an end and there will be a result very soon that could well lay out the future for Coventry City Football Club.

From the recent rhetoric, it would appear that only one side in the argument have the best interest of the football club at their heart, that only one side are prepared to look to the future and place the club on a sustainable footing to allow it to grow and exist in the long term. That only one side in this whole affair is blameless and is working for the betterment of CCFC? But can we be sure which side that is?

CCFC have, this week, been spoken about in Parliament, no less, and we will soon be the star attraction in the High Court in London, with all the press exposure that will bring, with a possibility of an end to the long running soap opera that we have, for too long, been viewed as.

There are reports of new owners, waiting in the wings, who are just waiting for the right time to come in and take us to the next level, with the promise of funds to make a challenge for the Premier League and big crowds etc etc. - Sound Familiar?

As for me, I would like us to be a club that made headlines for the right reasons, back to the days when we were a decent football club, with decent players and decent fans and, more importantly "Decent Owners".

As the song (almost) goes:

"Tomorrow will be too late,
it's now or never
My club won't wait."

Coventry City must win at home-It's Now or Never !

2013-03-11T11:51:45Z

I COULDN'T resist getting in an Elvis track in the headline but I'll leave them alone now because we are at the serious end of the season and if we are going to challenge for a play off place we have to get focused on winning matches.

With a record being set of Eleven away wins on the road it proves that the City can battle and put in the effort when required but they have to do the same at the Ricoh and we have two home matches this week to get back within reach of the top six.

The next three games are against teams fighting to stay in this division in Colchester United,Hartlepool,and Portsmouth,so I imagine a lot of fans will see these matches as an easy nine points ?

But we know that teams who are fighting for survival are like a wounded animal and can still have a bite or a sting in their tail so over confidence or complacency can be wrong.

But Pressley as a new manager wouldn't want that to happen for sure as he liked what he saw at Scunthorpe and will want that to carry on at home starting tomorrow night. But as fans we know how fickle the city are when they can turn in winning performances away then look well below average on their home ground.

I can't see a big crowd for the Tuesday night match with just the hardcore turning up as usual but all that matters is securing the three points but hopefully we will get a decent turn out for the Hartlepool match on Saturday.

As a supporter for a very long time I do get up and down at times but that's what happens when you devote your time and passion for the club and I even said to a fellow fan the other day that knowing the Sky Blues they'll start winning at home but balance it out by losing away !

But that's the cynical side of me and I will get rid of the negativity and say we will go on a run now and get into the play offs because without hope and faith what have we got ?

Me and my Suspicious Mind. sorry I couldn't resist an Elvis quip to end on !

Sky Blues hopes of the play offs look over now

2013-03-04T12:28:18Z

SO the crucial seven days I wrote about have come and gone and it leaves us with an away win but two home defeats so it will take a miracle now to get into a play off position.And to be honest you have to say after watching our performance against Swindon Town that we would look out of place there anyway.

Swindon were far better than us all over the field especially in the second half when it was wave after wave of attacking and it was amazing that it took them so long to secure all three points.

Why we are so poor at home is a bit of a mystery but how on earth can some fans still say we can still get promotion when teams just turn up at our place and go away with the win ?

Yes we are excellent on the road and it's reached the point where we expect to win away from the Ricoh but when we are such a soft touch at home all that good work amounts to nothing.

It was a warm sunny Spring day on Saturday and it made you really look forward to the match and with them bringing a good following it created a decent atmosphere in the stadium.

But the City let us down again on the pitch with a lot of players looking out of sorts for some reason when you'd think they'd be firing on all cylinders with so much to play for.
Swindon looked a good outfit but Carsley only said a few days ago that Coventry had the best players in this division but looking at the game you have to say are you sure ?

That must have been said to try and boost the ego of a few of the squad but alas it hasn't worked so now we have to look at the next three games where we will be playing teams looking for points to help with their fight for survival.

So expect more ups and downs between now and the end of the month but we had a great chance to close the gap up at the top but it's now looking like mid table mediocrity for our club which is so disappointing when things were seemingly on the way up.

Uncle Joe to the Rescue?

2013-02-28T16:30:57Z

IT looks very much like we are heading for a case of: "Who Blinks First" in the negotiations over the Ricoh Arena rent row, with neither side willing to back down and a possible stalemate looking more and more likely. The negotiations have broken down, with no sign of an agreement being reached, so it looks like this one is headed for the courts, rather than arbitration, which will just end up costing both sides money that could be better spent elsewhere.

What does that mean for Sky Blues fans?

Well, it is all a bit worrying in my opinion; the owners of the Stadium are limited in what action they can take, without winding up the football club completely, as they cannot force SISU to pay them without threatening the very existence of Coventry City Football Club!

Mr Fisher and his gang are well aware of this and are, seemingly, not prepared to back down either, so where does that leave us, the true custodians of Coventry City, "The Fans"?

If there was a magic wand that could be waved, or if we had the ability to knock a few heads together, it might make a difference, but it would appear that too much bad blood exists and neither party is prepared to give an inch. I am sure no-one would have wanted to get to this predicament, but this is where we are, so where to now?

Talks have broken down, with no more discussions planned, the Football Club have had their Bank Accounts frozen, so it is only a matter of time before they run out of money, probably meaning that the Players & Staff will not get paid, and , potentially de-railing any lingering hopes of a Play-Off place too!

So please, for all our sake's, get back round the table and get this thing sorted out sooner, rather than later. Why not get someone like Joe Elliot to mediate, he knows both parties, loves the football club, understands the political posturing and he may be just the man to get this ridiculous Stalemate sorted to everyone's Satisfaction.

Will the next seven days make or break the Sky Blues season ?

2013-02-22T12:59:34Z

WE'VE said this so many times over the years but it has to be repeated yet again that the week ahead is a massive seven days for our club.As tomorrow we entertain at the Ricoh our new nemesis Crewe followed on Tuesday evening with a tough away trip to high flying Bournemouth at Dean Court then it's back to the Ricoh when we play the other top side in League One Swindon Town.

So at the end of this week the City could be settled in the top six or languishing outside with any realistic dreams of a play off place fading away.I feel two wins from these three tough fixtures would be a great return seeing we are now entering the time of the season when teams will drop points and shocks will happen.

But three defeats would be a disaster and as we all know Football is a strange game with twists and turns and that could happen but hopefully it won't and the march to the Arch is still on.

No loyalty shown by the departing Mark Robins

2013-02-13T11:22:18Z

SO Mark Robins is leaving Coventry City after only five months in charge to take over at Huddersfield Town and GT asks the question what would you do ?Well for a start I wouldn't say a few days ago that I was happy at Coventry and then in the next instance say I'm off to talk to another club.

But I'm from the old school when if you said something you'd honour it but managers are no better than players these days where contracts are ripped up in the blink of an eye and the offer of more money is grabbed greedily with no thought or consideration to the fans or club left behind.

But talk is cheap these days and football is no different than listening to Bankers or Politicians talking as they say one thing but mean another in other words it's all Bull !

Then we wonder why fans are deserting the club in their thousands as they see players leave who score goals but just go to other clubs and now we have to watch as a promising manager just walks out the door leaving us scratching our heads and asking the question what's the point ?

Why did Robins sign a three year contract or whatever it was just to sneakily think to himself as soon as a better offer comes along I'm off ?he keeps going on about how impressed he is with the support especially away from home and what a massive club we are when as soon as some other club shows an interest he suddenly thinks he's some sort of Sir Alex Ferguson or on a par with the Special One ?

I use the word loyalty a lot but it shows how naive I am as loyalty is as about as popular a word as Horsemeat is now ! So we had King yapping away saying how grateful he was to Coventry when we offered a helping hand followed by McGoldrick who said the same when he was doing nothing now we've got Mark Robins jumping ship.

So a word of warning fellow Sky Blue fans when the next player or manager says words like Grateful,Thankful,or Massive Club,take it with a pinch of salt as they are about as truthful as a politician on a motoring charge !

Thank You Robbo!

2013-02-13T08:43:40Z

So, another promising young manager jumps ship, taking with him the Key to a possible play-off place and probably, any last chance of promotion. The question you need to ask yourself is: What would you do?

Robbins was building a new team for Sky Blues fans, with quality in all positions and the dead wood being left to drift away, so he should be applauded for that, but he has been hamstrung in his attempts to get a Decent Striker into the club.

David McGoldrick was just that striker, but he was allowed to leave the club and any chance of promotion went with him. It wasn't Robbins fault that he left, and I am pretty sure he would have done everything within his power to prevent him going, but go he did.

Leon Clarke is not going to score the goals to get us into the play-off places, so Robbins could probably see the "writing on the wall". He has built his stock as a manager, and had some fantastic results here, and he leaves Coventry City in a far better place than when he arrived. Over 30,000 fans last week is a huge success for our club, so the fans are still out there, they just needed a shove and something to cheer for!

We had momentum, but that has slowed recently, we have lost the league's top scorer and bought in a journeyman who blows hot & cold and is not likely to score the goals to keep up a sustained promotion push, so I ask you again: what would you do?
If we are looking for scapegoats, we need look no further than the money-men (and women) who are running the football club. Robbins must have asked for them to back him for the final push, but did they?

Thank you Mark, for turning us from relegation fodder into promotion hopefuls and good luck wherever you end up!

Coventry City deserted

2013-02-12T21:06:23Z

IT CERTAINLY makes a change; a manager leaving Coventry City after being courted by a rival club. Managerial departures of late have tended to be the result of acrimonious sackings or bitter resignations; often polarising public opinion but generally leaving the Sky Blue Army relishing a fresh start.

That is not the case here, with many claiming that Robins' departure means a top half finish is out of the question. While that is clearly a claim riddled with haste and incredulity, even the most optimistic of City fans must fear that this revelation could derail our push for a playoff spot.

Although the details of Robins' exit remain fairly unclear, it's hard not to agree with those who have filled Sky Blue message boards with disheartened polemics.

The sequence of events that has culminated in Robins' move is intriguing to say the least, with reports surfacing late this morning that a formal approach from Huddersfield Town had been rejected.

This was soon followed by details of a six-figure release clause in Robins' contract, fuelling speculation that Huddersfield would return with a technically unrefusable offer after being rebuffed just hours before.

Meanwhile, if reports are to be believed, it appears that Robins was busy clearing his Ryton office, while his backroom staff are said to have bid a fond farewell to the playing staff. This could easily be interpreted as an attempt to engineer a move away from the club, in a similar vein to Peter Odemwingie's deadline day exploits.

If it did in fact occur, this manipulative display is extremely displeasing and surprisingly out of character. Given that I have eulogised about Robins' honesty and professionalism on a number of occasions, for him to behave in this manner is massively surprising.

Even after the Coventry Telegraph reported this incident, nothing was set in stone regarding Robins' departure. As the evening rolled on, posts from William Edjenguele and Carl Baker on Twitter and Facebook respectively suggested that the players had heard nothing to suggest the gaffer was on his way out.

Even now, nothing is official, but with BBC Sport reporting that Robins and his advisors have been in talks with Huddersfield throughout the evening, confirmation of his departure appears imminent.

So, with chants of "There's only one Mark Robins" still ringing in his ears, Coventry's manager makes his way to Yorkshire, topping off what has been an unbelievably painful week for the club.