“There was a huge backlash – huge,” says
Turner. “The supporters stayed away. It was
awful. They had a proper team at that time,
with Callum Wilson banging in goals, and
fans couldn’t see it except at away games.”
“It was surreal,” says Eyles. “Fans couldn’t
quite believe what was happening. We were
in League One, nearing League Two, with
a fire sale of players. You wondered how far
the yo-yo string would go down before we
fell out of the Football League altogether.”
Cov returned to the Ricoh for 2014-15, but
their exile – and the news that rugby outfit
Wasps had purchased the stadium for their
relocation from Wycombe – really knocked
the stuffing out of the club and its fans. A 2-1
FA Cup loss at home to non-league Worcester
barely raised a shrug. Although the arrivals
of Tony Mowbray and Joe Cole brought hope,
Coventry blew a play-off push in the spring
of 2016. “I felt a little bit sorry for Mowbray,”
says Eyles. “but there wasn’t a Plan B. Robins
has identified that you need different ways
of winning matches.”
When Coventry won none of 2016-17’s first
10 league fixtures, Mowbray apologetically
resigned. Amid a barrage of protests against
SISU, a three-month search for Mowbray’s
successor inexplicably threw up Russell Slade,
who won just once in 13 league games and
shuffled off again. With the Football League
Trophy final coming up, City hit their personal
Batsignal and rehired Robins.2019
Coventry City were nomads
again. Locked out of the Ricoh,
they decamped to St Andrew’s
for the 2019-20 campaign.
“Birmingham City showed a lot of class in
helping us out,” says Robins. “And it’s a really
good surface to play on.” They remain there
this season. Eyles continues, “It’s the second
time this has happened now, so the fans are
used to it. You do feel like you have to be able
to understand an accounts sheet. Some are
more passionate about who’s to blame, while
others say, ‘Forget the off-field stuff and just
back the team’.”
Yet Coventry’s ‘home’ form was excellent.
“I likened it to moving house,” says Robins.
“It’s strange for a few days, but as human
beings we adapt quickly.” And how: across
all competitions, they lost one of 24 fixtures
at St Andrew’s in an extraordinarycampaign.
“We lost just three League Onegamesall
season,” enthuses Eyles. “WhenCOVID-19
came and the league had to besett
scenario had us promoted.” Robins’
five points clear with a game inhan
the season prematurely ended.
Bizarrely, Coventry had facedBirm
in the FA Cup, drawing 0-0 ‘athome
2-2 ‘away’, conceding a last-gasple
in both normal time and extratime
“They lost 4-1 on penalties in theen
says Turner, “but coming so closeto
beating Birmingham was massivef
the players’ confidence going forwa
because it showed they could comp
with a Championship side.”
Back in the league, Robins takesu
story. “We won 4-1 at Wycombe,ththesameatTranmerethreedayslater.Matt
Goddenscoredback-to-backhat-tricks.We
didn’tscoremany,butwewerecapableof
it.”TheDecember 29 victoryoverWycombe
was,incredibly,Coventry’sfirstleagueaway
winthatseason.
Theytookonpromotionrivalsineachof
theirfinalthreefixturesbeforelockdownand
showedgrit,drawing1-1withRotherham
beforedefeatingSunderlandandIpswich
(again,aftera second-roundFACuptriumph)
1-0apiece.Theseasonconcluded.Coventry
wereconfirmedaschampions,withLeague
One’ssecond-youngestteam.
“Idon’tcarewhoyouare– youdon’tsay,
‘We’regettingpromotedthisyear’,”Robins
T. “Sowhenlockdowncame,I thought
s theendofit.Cancellingtheseason
havebeendevastatingforeveryone.
e thebestteaminthedivision– we
toproveit.I hadn’tbeennervousall
butI wasnervouswhenthevote
n.WhenI heardwewerepromoted,
s moreemotionalthanI thought.”
anwhile,a mootedpartnershipwith
wickUniversitycouldhelpCoventry
d a newground,asSISU– whomEyles
s “havechangedtheirspotsa bit”–
heirownstadium.Fewexpectedthis
itmentfromthem.
y aretheystillrunninga loss-making
puzzlesMaguire.“I’mnofanofSISU,buttheclublost£64moverthepastdecade
andthey’vefundedthoselosses.”AsTurner
says,“Itgotsotoxicthatthere’ssurprisethey
stayed.Whenyoulosemillionsofpoundson
something,doyoucutandrunortrytoturn
it around?I guessthey’vedonethelatter.”
Coventryconceded 19 secondsintotheir
Championshipreturn,buthaverallied.Yet,
despitetwopromotionsanda cupsuccess,
Robins’biggestachievementis thatCoventry
supportersfeelconnectedtotheclubagain.
“Thefanswerestarvedofgloryforsolong,
andit’ssosadthattheyhaven’tbeenableto
enjoyit inlargenumberssince,”saysTurner.
“Butwhiletheycan’tdoanythingaboutthe
stufflurkinginthebackground,they’regoing
toenjoythefootballasmuchaspossible–
there’sa lotofpositivityaroundtheplace.”
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“Why
club?”Above Sky Blues
fans salute Robins’
troops after their
2018 play-off win
Below Mowbray
brought hope but
he had no Plan BFourFourTwo November 2020 65