Coventry City – a potted history

The club was founded in August 1883 by employees of Singers, the cycle firm, and was known as Singers until 1898 when the name was changed to Coventry City.
Having been members of the Birmingham League since 1894 the club progressed to the Southern League in 1908 before being elected to Football League Division Two immediately after the First World War.
Throughout the twenties the club struggled and it was not until the arrival of manager Harry Storer in 1931 that fortunes improved. The thirties were a golden period for the Bantams, as the club was then nicknamed. Despite the club being substantially in debt Storer developed a side that scored 100 goals in four seasons out of five and in 1936 won promotion to Division Two with average crowds of almost 20,000.

The three seasons prior to the Second World War saw City come close to promotion to Division One and many observers believed that but for the war City would have achieved that target.
The post war years were troubled times, Storer left in 1945 and returned in 1951 but the ageing side were relegated the following year and the fifties saw a slide which culminated in relegation to Division Four in 1958.
The sixties saw a boom time in Coventry with the car factories keeping pace with the consumer revolution. The arrival of Jimmy Hill as manager in 1961 sparked start of the Sky Blue revolution. A new all sky blue kit was unveiled, the nickname was changed, trains were laid on for fans to travel to away games and pre-match entertainment became commonplace.

On the pitch the team delivered. After a feverish Cup run City lost out in the quarter final to Manchester United but the following season were champions of Division Three with average crowds of 26,000. Hill, greatly supported by chairman Derrick Robbins, was the Pied Piper and after three exciting years in Division Two steered the club to Division One in 1967. That season reached an exhilarating finale in the Midlands match of the century when nearest rivals Wolves were beaten 3-1 in front of a record 51,455 Highfield Road crowd.
Hill resigned on the eve of the clubs debut in the top flight to enter television. His successor, Noel Cantwell was left with the task of avoiding relegation with an average team. He did so and in his third season finished sixth, still their highest ever finish, to qualify for European football in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup. Cantwell was sacked in 1972 and followed by the Joe Mercer/Gordon Milne double act which produced some exciting football but lacked consistency.

Hill returned as Managing Director in 1974 but failed to produce his magic a second time. Finances were poor and the club’s best players were sold to balance the books, although the team of 1977/78 scored 75 goals and played arguably the best football of the First Division era. Dave Sexton replaced Milne in 1981. At the same time the ground was made all seater – a disastrous mistake which, combined with lack lustre performances on the pitch, saw average crowds drop to 10,000.
In 1983 Hill resigned as Chairman and Sexton was replaced by Bobby Gould. On the field the team struggled – relegation being avoided on the last day of the season three years running. In 1986 Gould’s successor Don Mackay was replaced by the duo of George Curtis and John Sillett who, supported by Coventry born chairman John Poynton, took the club to their finest hour twelve months later. A team without stars won their way to Wembley through outstanding teamwork, a gritty determination and above all a sense of fun. They defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 after extra time in one of the finest post war FA Cup Finals.

After taking sole command after the Cup victory Sillett kept the club in mid table respectability for three seasons. But the fans wanted more and after two Cup banana skins at Sutton and Northampton, Sillett was sacrificed in 1990 and replaced by the former England captain Terry Butcher. Butcher lasted 14 months. His successor, Don Howe, made way for the return of Bobby Gould, who resigned after 16 months.
Gould’s assistant Phil Neal lasted the same period and was replaced in February 1995 by the former Manchester United, West Brom and Aston Villa manager Ron Atkinson. Ron generated much interest and increased gates by 5,000 but despite having substantial funds at his disposal City always struggled under him. In November 1996, with another relegation battle looming, he was moved upstairs with his assistant Gordon Strachan taking over as manager.

Strachan kept the team in the Premiership and supported by substantial transfer funds had three successful seasons playing an attractive brand of football. In 2001 however City’s 34-year reign in the top flight came to an end and for the last seven years the club has been struggling to keep the lid on massive debts and have never made a serious challenge for promotion back to the Premiership. Chris Coleman is the eighth manager in those seven seasons and looks to be the first to be given substantial transfer funds to mount such a challenge. The new owners, SISU, are investing substantial funds in the club and a new chapter in the ever-changing history of Coventry City has begun.