Life's a Pitch...from the Ricoh to Paddyfields

A fine stat was reproduced by Jim Brown last week: the last Sky Blues' home game to be postponed was the Spurs '02 FA Cup tie at Highfield Road. The Ricoh Arena during its seven season tenure had 100% fixture completion and coped admirably with the Midlands weather - it was a state of the art stadia after all wasn't it Mr Richardson?

We've all seen the state of pitches when teams share their ground, in a normal world its with Rugby League/Union. Leeds, Wigan, Huddersfield, Watford and Reading's pitches are ready for a breather by May. We don't currently exist in a normal world at Coventry City. I'm in a position where I can't attend an evening 'home' game because I'd arrive at 8:30pm due to the extra distance involved driving from Bristol. The Ricoh saw an arrival right on kick-off as we never risked parking at Tesco like the away fans did and all this with the foot to the floor.

It would be nice to have a choice in the matter, at Ashton Gate last week it was great to be under a set of floodlights again, evening games were always my favourite at Highfield Road/The Ricoh, memories aplenty attacking the West Terrace. Who can forget the 6-1 v Sunderland in '83, the 5-4 League Cup tie v Forest, the 5-0 thumping of Sunderland with 'Livvo' scoring four, the 4-1 v Preston inspired by Bjarni Gudjonsson and the Brian Kilcline winner vs Luton as he smashed home past Les Sealey with seven minutes remaining. There are countless other examples of magical nights which began walking up King Richard Street with hot dogs and cigarette smoke filling the air.

Step forward the wettest January for 250 years. The postponement of Walsall could be followed by Bradford as 'Paddyfields' struggles to cope with two sides playing competitive fixtures in a dire climate. Lower league grounds are renowned for postponements, the facilities don't match their top flight/second tier compatriots. We will now find our passing game bogged down for the rest of the season, it will take a summer like last year to restore the grass. In the meantime the Ricoh sits patiently waiting for its turnstiles to click and the Bovril tap to flow. No Carling or Carlsberg for me with the drive home but many others partake as part of their matchday routine...which many of us don't have at this moment....and it hurts like hell.

There are two quotes from City supporters that summise where we're at in my view. 'Trampbeater''s line below is my away day to Brentford mid-March.


'Why is it no party will compromise or budge an inch, yet supporters are expected to bend, twist, and flex to accommodate this crazy situation?'


The Brentford journey comprises three trains then a pub on each corner of Griffin Park. The return journey is similar but with Guinness involved the connecting trains might prove an issue. I'll be meeting, amongst others, our very own 'Sky Blues Blog', Neil Allison, whose train journey comprises a similar number of stops from Coventry. Last year he wrote in one of his many fine musings a line which has remained with me to this day:


'SISU have stolen the season from us'


Let's hope these egos see sense and relocate us back home. From a business perspective we'll linger in League One with a rice terrace for a pitch, you won't generate income on these crowds and there's only so long you can sustain the losses. I know its been written time and time again, you never know Tim and Joy might browse through 'Newsnow' and take a peep at this.........yeah right.


Play up Sky Blues

'We'll be Back'......update 13 years on...

Its nearly 13 years since the picture synonymous with our relegation at Villa Park was first seen on Sky Sports News. Later that night Gary Lineker closed 'Match of The Day' with a 34-year summise of our top flight years and the last credits rolled with City fan John Mullaney holding up his hand made sign 'We'll be Back'. This piece of wallpaper hastily scrawled upon prior to leaving for Villa Park made national headlines in the weeks following our relegation and is still a reference point after all these years of that day at the Villa.









There will be many City supporters who can see themselves in the above picture, there's not one smile amongst them, a trait familiar with many since July 8th last year when our club was moved out of Coventry. One thing that continues to stand out is City supporters' sense of humour in adversity. John Mullaney went on to write up his exploits following City home and away in the season post-relegation - the excellent 'We'll be Back' - he subsequently emigrated to Brisbane, Australia. 'Trampbeater' ,via twitter, updated John's picture with his very own 'Trampstagram' and you can see below the 2014 version...





Today's opponents Bristol City were last in the top flight, old Division 1, in 1980. During their four seasons in the top tier we never beat them at Ashton Gate yet in 1982/83 they became the first English club to suffer three successive relegations. It was Dean Windass' goal for Hull which defeated them in the play-off final of 2008, its now 34 seasons since their last fixture in the top flight. After just four seasons in Division One their expectations of a return were maybe not as high as ours, what we both find now is the Premier League and its wealth a million miles away as we fight to get out of the third tier.


This season has brought many moments of jubilation for the travelling City fans, let's hope tonight is another as we travel, Leon less, to the West Country in need of three points. Away fixtures will prove key over the next month with Sixfields in such a state. Our free-flowing passing game may come unstuck on that gluepot of a non-league ground it looks like becoming next August so its imperative points are picked up away from home to leave us in the mix come Easter.




Play up Sky Blues