IN FOCUS: COVENTRY CITY

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Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-06-30T08:00:00.000Z

IN FOCUS: COVENTRY CITY

Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-06-30T08:00:00.000Z

Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

Coventry City Football Club adopted its current name in 1898, having been founded as Singers FC by a local gentleman’s club 15 years prior.

They were elected to the Football League ahead of the 1919/20 season, the first after World War I, but found consistency hard to come by as they moved up and down between the divisions.

Coventry’s first top-flight season wasn’t until 1967/68 under the stewardship of Noel Cantwell but they were able to establish themselves from that point, staying in what eventually became the Premier League until 2001.

In that time they won the FA Cup in 1987, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 after extra time in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

Since then the Sky Blues have found life to be a bit more tumultuous, dropping all the way down to League Two in 2017/18.

Their on-field decline was linked to off-field issues, with the Club going into administration in 2013 and subsequently moving to Northampton and later Birmingham to play their games.

After returning to what is now known as the CBS Arena in 2021, fortunes picked up and 2024/25 will be a fifth straight campaign at Championship level for the Midlanders.

Mark Robins has been the manager since 2017 and guided the team to the Championship play-offs in 2022/23. Additionally, they reached the semi-finals of last season’s FA Cup where they narrowly lost out to Manchester United.

Stadium: Coventry Building Society Arena (32,609) - Phoenix Way, Rowleys Green, Coventry, CV6 6GE

Nickname(s): The Sky Blues

Manager: Mark Robins

2023/24 Finishing Position: 9th in Sky Bet Championship

2023/24 Top Scorer (All Competitions): Ellis Simms, Haji Wright (19)

Played for both:

Jack Cork – Born in London, Cork came through the Academy system at Chelsea. The central midfielder had eight different loan spells whilst on their books, with two at AFC Bournemouth followed by a spell with Scunthorpe United. After spending the first half of the 2009/10 season in the Championship with Coventry City, Cork then switched to Premier League Burnley at the start of February 2010 and scored his first goal with a diving header against Tottenham Hotspur three months later. He re-joined the Clarets for ahead of 2010/11, making 40 Championship appearances as the team reached the play-offs. Then came permanent moves to Southampton and later Swansea City before Cork returned to Lancashire in 2017, signing an initial four-year deal. Cork went on to establish himself in the team, making more than 250 appearances before departing this summer.

Danny Fox – The four-cap Scotland international started his career at Everton before moving to Walsall in 2005. There he played just short of a ton of league games before moving to Coventry City as part of a double deal including Scott Dann in January 2008. Fox enjoyed a successful 18 months with the Sky Blues and was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Season in 2008/09, form that earned him a move to Celtic. He lasted just six months north of the border, though, with Burnley signing him the following January. His time in Lancashire saw him play in both the Premier League and Championship, providing a goal and assist on debut against West Ham United. After departing for Southampton in August 2011, Fox went on to establish himself in the football league and would later move to Nottingham Forest and Wigan Athletic before finishing in India with East Bengal Club.

Chris McCann – Although born in Dublin, McCann came through our Academy and made his senior debut against Coventry in August 2005. His first professional contract followed in January 2006 and the midfielder won the Club’s Young Player of the Season award that term too. After overcoming knee injuries he was named club captain for 2011/12 and continued to impress with his performances. He eventually left upon the expiry of his contract in summer 2013 after scoring 27 goals in 238 league appearances. After three years with Wigan Athletic he moved stateside to Atlanta United, and it was here that he spent time on loan at Coventry ahead of the start of the 2017 MLS season. After returning to England and also playing in Ireland, McCann played for nob-league side Northwich last year.