NOTHING BUT PROUD: HOW COVENTRY CITY TURNED THE NATION SKY BLUE - OPINION

In a week where the FA and the Premier League revealed a deal to change the FA Cup as we know it, Mark Robins’ Coventry City were on hand to prove that the magic of the cup is still well and truly in the air in the world’s best club competition. 

Backed by over 36,000 Sky Blues fans, Coventry City came within touching distance of delivering one of the greatest moments in FA Cup history, doing themselves, the Championship and the EFL proud in the process.

After 70 minutes, Manchester United found themselves comfortably in the driving seat despite an honourable performance from Coventry. Within a minute, a darting run from Milan Van Ewijk set up Ellis Simms who continued his red-hot form to convert first-time to reduce the deficit.

Things improved within eight minutes when playmaker Callum O’Hare’s effort took a wicked deflection and looped into the far corner and suddenly, the Championship side had the momentum and passion from their supporters to go in search of a leveller.

This arrived in the dying moments of added time when Coventry were awarded a penalty after Aaron Wan-Bissaka was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area. With pressure like no other, United States international and club record signing Haji Wright stepped up to covert from 12 yards, sending the 36,000 Sky Blues fans and hundreds of thousands of watchers at home into complete and utter joy.

Heartbreakingly, Coventry were denied a very controversial winner in extra time after Victor Torp thought he’d completed one of the best comebacks in FA Cup history but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be as Manchester United clinched their place in the final against the run of play on penalties.

From a decade of despair to seven years of joy

Since the day I was born, Coventry City have found themselves on a downhill spiral, falling from the Premier League to League Two within 16 years, facing multiple points deductions, transfer embargoes and stadium ground shares but things all came to a fortune end in 2017 when one man made his return.

Former manager Mark Robins returned to the Ricoh Arena with his side all but relegated into League Two for the first time since the early 1960s. Within the first few games of his arrival, Coventry City clinched the EFL Trophy at Wembley Stadium, 30 years on from their FA Cup success and since that day, the club have gone from strength to strength.

In the following campaign (2017/18), Coventry City secured their first top-six finish in over 50 years before clinching promotion via the play-offs as they beat Exeter City in front of over 40,000 Sky Blues fans.

This has been followed up by a League One title win (achieved whilst playing at Birmingham City) as well as establishing themselves as Championship play-off contenders, reaching the play-off final once again, breaking more club records and being taken over by local businessman Doug King.

Resilience

It hasn’t all been party days for Mark Robins since returning to the club in 2017, but each negative has been turned into motivation for several additional positives. From spending two years at Birmingham City to a transfer embargo and limited funding for players, Robins has been forced to work miracles alongside his staff to turn Coventry into one of England’s greatest success stories over the last few seasons.

Despite having difficult times in the transfer window, Coventry have now managed to adopt the methods of Brighton and Brentford and have developed a strong reputation for taking care of and developing several talented individuals. The likes of Gustavo Hamer (Sheffield United), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP), Leo Ostigard (Napoli) and Ian Maatsen (Borussia Dortmund) have all excelled during their time with the club and are now representing their new sides on some of the biggest stages in Europe.

As a Coventry fan, What does this mean?

Coventry City have had their fair share of difficulties but one thing that never changed was the passion and belief within the fanbase that the sinking ship could not only be saved but also be turned around and go further than anyone could have anticipated.

After defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers in eye-catching circumstances in the quarter-finals and going toe to toe with one of the biggest clubs on the planet and controversially losing, it’s fair to admit that many supporters like myself are left feeling extremely speechless, emotional and with an overwhelming sense of pride.

Seeing 36,000 supporters singing ‘We’ll live and die in these towns’, jumping for complete and utter joy and continuing to push their side to within an inch of a place in the FA Cup final when a decade ago the club were almost relegated to League Two if it wasn’t for a late goal from a certain James Maddison is difficult to put into words.

Coventry City may have lost on penalties at Wembley for the second year on the bounce, but their efforts, passion and belief will live on within the competition and club for many years to come. Fanbases across the country can take a huge amount of inspiration from Coventry’s rise to better themselves in years to come and with the management of Mark Robins as well as star players such as Ben Sheaf, Ellis Simms and Haji Wright in their ranks, the rise of the Sky Blues doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The post Nothing But Proud: How Coventry City Turned The Nation Sky Blue – Opinion first appeared on The Deck.

2024-04-23T08:30:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd