Category: coventry city

The brilliant way former Coventry City boss Gordon Strachan reacted to the play-off triumph

2:06pm 20 June

Former Coventry City boss Gordon Strachan was jumping up and down celebrating the club’s promotion success last month.

The 61-year-old was in a Spanish bar with a large group of his family watching the Sky Blues at Wembley in play-off final.

Strachan, who still lives in the area and has his football foundation at Rugby, now hopes that City kick on, and that the success breeds further achievements for the club he managed for five years in the Premier League.

The former Scotland, Celtic, Southampton and Middlesbrough boss also believes the time is right for a local businessman to come in and capitalise on the feel good factor generated by the 3-1 victory over Exeter City last month.

“To see Coventry get promoted is so good,” he said, speaking to CoventryLive.

Former Sky Blues boss Gordon Strachan at Stoneleigh Deer Park golf club at the recent Former Players’ Association golf day

“I walk about the area and the people are full of it.

“There’s no doubt about it, football is huge for a community and people outside of football don’t always understand it.

“When a football team is doing well there’s something that happens and makes everyone happy. They bounce along.

Coventry coming to the fore again

“It’s great to see the name of Coventry coming to the fore again, getting to the play-offs and things like that. It makes a huge difference to people’s lives.”

Strachan continues to have a strong connection to the club and the area, not least because his children and grandchildren still live locally.

“My grandson is running around with Marc McNulty ’s name on his back, and Jodi Jones is another,” he said.

Marc McNulty

“This is Craig’s boy, Owen, who is seven years old and loves his football.

“He went to all the home games this year, went to the semi-final of the play-offs against Notts County.

“He missed the final because he was on a family holiday. He wanted to fly back and we looked at the flights and with the price there was no chance,

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'Incredible talent and humility' Former Coventry City favourite Robbie Keane in the words of his managers

1:57pm 20 June

Robbie Keane joined the Sky Blues as the club’s record signing, City paying Wolves £6m for the then 19-year-old – also a British record for a teenager.

He played his first game against Derby County, taking the game by the scruff of the neck in one of the most impressive debuts witnessed at Highfield Road, showing himself to be a genuine precocious talent who scored twice on the day in a 2-0 victory.

He had a superb season, flourishing in a team with the likes of Gary McAllister and Moroccans Moustapha Hadji and Youssef Chippo, and City’s stylish brand of football.

He scored 12 goals in 34 games but, sadly, his time was all too short-lived as as the club doubled their money by cashing in on him at the end of the season, selling to Inter Milan for a whopping £13million.

Here’s what some of his managers have had to say about him:

Colin Lee

Lee was the Wolves boss in 1999 as Keane started to attract interest from other clubs

“Robbie’s a very good player, he will always score goals and that will never change. I have to be realistic.

“If the right offer comes in, I will sit down and consider it then. Until then, Robbie remains a Wolves player.”

Gordon Strachan

Keane became the most expensive teenager in British football when Strachan signed him for Coventry for £6 million in 1999

“It was a wonderful thing for the club. More so for the players who played with Robbie, because he’s got an incredible talent and humility about him.

“Robbie’s kept the enthusiasm as a teenager all the way through his career, but still understanding that the team comes first.

“It was fantastic working with him – I mean fantastic. His ability and enthusiasm were always going to take him to the top.

“He loves the game. He’s not changed, honestly. He’s got more intelligence but in his actual game he’s still thinking quickly.”

David O’Leary

O’Leary took Keane to Leeds United in the 2001-02 campaign

“We are

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Bumper Maddison deal broken down, Bosma background – all the Coventry City news

4:30am 20 June

Away days

Coventry City fans have some tasty away trips to look forward to in League One next season.

The fixtures for the 2018/19 campaign are out at 9am on Thursday when supporters will learn when they’ll be travelling the length and breadth of the country.

Sunderland is the biggest club to have come down from the Championship, but there are several other well-established teams in the division.

Here’s what we think are the pick of the bunch.

Read More Transfer info

The highlight of the season for many football fans is here.

You can expect to see one of the busiest windows in recent memory.

It’s set to be an exciting few days for fans as clubs up and down the country look to add the finishing touches to their teams.

It’s a period for shifting unwanted and unsettled players, and it’s a frantic time for managers.

With a number of clubs lacking strength in a bunch of areas and the title and relegation places still very much up for grabs, top clubs will be inclined to spend money to give themselves the best chance of silverware at the end of the season.

But what do we know about the closing of the transfer window?

Read More Read More Coventry City latest news Flying the flag Do they have a future? Cup draw Captain fantastic Keep giving

Coventry City are set to get more financial rewards from the sale of James Maddison to Midland neighbours Leicester City.

The Sky Blues will benefit from a sell-on clause in their original deal when they sold the playmaker to then Premier League Norwich City in January 2016.

The Canaries have agreed to sell the 21-year-old for £22million, rising to £24m depending on various add-ons.

Maddison has passed his medical and an announcement is expected to confirm the move.

Andy Turner breaks down the deal.

Read More Bosma lowdown

Coventry City’s recruitment department have further strengthened the club’s development

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Coventry City's big away day trips to look forward to in League One

6:04pm 19 June

Coventry City fans have some tasty away trips to look forward to in League One next season.

The fixtures for the 2018/19 campaign are out at 9am on Thursday when supporters will learn when they’ll be travelling the length and breadth of the country following Mark Robins ‘s men.

The Sky Blue Army never fail to travel in high numbers and the club’s return to the third tier should see an even greater support as City compete against a number of bigger clubs with grounds that hold larger allocations for away fans.

Sunderland is the biggest club to have come down from the Championship, but there are several other well-established teams in the division.

Here’s what we think are the pick of the bunch:

Blackpool

With the stadium located just a mile away from Blackpool beach, fans are sure to be in the holiday mood. Having to compete with all Blackpool has to offer – the football may even have to fight to be the main attraction as many supporters will make a weekend of it.

It may seem longer, given all that’s happened, but Blackpool were in the Premier League less than a decade ago.

Bloomfield Road holds 17,000 but as the Seasiders enjoyed their top-flight return, fans generated the noise that many felt sounded like twice their capacity crowd.

Coventry City’s fans celebrate at Blackpool

However, since then the club have struggled off the pitch, with fans protesting against owner Karl Oyston – and this was been reflected on the pitch as the club fell to the fourth tier in 2016.

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Blackpool seem to have now found stability under manager Gary Bowyer, and though the supporters’ relationship with Oyston are still frayed, Coventry fans will be marking the date on their fixture lists.

Bradford City

A club with a proud history, Bradford have moved between Leagues One and Two for the past decade, after being the first club to suffer freefall following their Premier League relegation in 2001.

However, with a grand, traditional stadium in Valley Parade, the club still holds a distinct

Read More

Coventry City's big away day trips to look forward to in League One

6:04pm 19 June

Coventry City fans have some tasty away trips to look forward to in League One next season.

The fixtures for the 2018/19 campaign are out at 9am on Thursday when supporters will learn when they’ll be travelling the length and breadth of the country following Mark Robins ‘s men.

The Sky Blue Army never fail to travel in high numbers and the club’s return to the third tier should see an even greater support as City compete against a number of bigger clubs with grounds that hold larger allocations for away fans.

Sunderland is the biggest club to have come down from the Championship, but there are several other well-established teams in the division.

Here’s what we think are the pick of the bunch:

Blackpool

With the stadium located just a mile away from Blackpool beach, fans are sure to be in the holiday mood. Having to compete with all Blackpool has to offer – the football may even have to fight to be the main attraction as many supporters will make a weekend of it.

It may seem longer, given all that’s happened, but Blackpool were in the Premier League less than a decade ago.

Bloomfield Road holds 17,000 but as the Seasiders enjoyed their top-flight return, fans generated the noise that many felt sounded like twice their capacity crowd.

Coventry City’s fans celebrate at Blackpool

However, since then the club have struggled off the pitch, with fans protesting against owner Karl Oyston – and this was been reflected on the pitch as the club fell to the fourth tier in 2016.

Read More

Blackpool seem to have now found stability under manager Gary Bowyer, and though the supporters’ relationship with Oyston are still frayed, Coventry fans will be marking the date on their fixture lists.

Bradford City

A club with a proud history, Bradford have moved between Leagues One and Two for the past decade, after being the first club to suffer freefall following their Premier League relegation in 2001.

However, with a grand, traditional stadium in Valley Parade, the club still holds a distinct

Read More

When are Coventry City's 2018-19 League One fixtures announced?

11:08am 19 June

Football League fans will be able to find out the fixtures for the 2018-19 League One season on June 21, 2017.

You can learn who your team will be playing via the CoventryLive website.

The new campaign is set to kick off over the weekend of the 4/5 August, though this is subject to change – Sky Sports have been known in the past to pick a match for the Friday previous (in this case, the 3rd).

The Carabao Cup, as it’s known, tends to marry the beginning of the domestic season.

It is set to begin the week commencing 13th August.

Ricoh Arena

The draw for the first round tends to take place in the middle of June – it was June 16 last season – though at this point a date hasn’t been set in stone.

The fixtures are not drawn at random.

It is instead a process that takes months, scheduling all matches across the four divisions.

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The season is broken down into five sets.

In any five matches there should be a split of three home and two away matches or the other way round.

No team will ever have more than two home or away games in a row.

A team will also never start or finish the season with two home or two away games.

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