Coventry City FC (The Bantams, Sky Blues)

Tony lived at Balsall Common when he was at Cov. Spoke to Bev Hateley last week, she said he had some great stories, like he would have a fag and whisky at half time. Although he was past his best at Coventry, he loved the area.

Good luck to our forum member Dean : link

At the last count the e-petition has received around 17,240 signatures, resulting in this message being released... "As this e-petition has received more than 10 000 signatures, the relevant Government department have provided the following response: The government is aware of the challenging circumstances Coventry City FC fans and understand the frustration that supporters of Coventry must have about the temporary relocation. The Westminster Hall debate in October aired many of the concerns of supporters, MPs and the wider Coventry community. The Minister for Sport subsequently met with the Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP and Jeremy Wright MP, and has pursued their concerns with the Football League. The Football League take the matter of Coventry City returning to their home city very seriously, and have undertaken to keep the Minister informed of progress. The Club have committed to returning to Coventry within 3 years, with the FL holding a bond to this effect. We support all parties in their effort to develop and articulate that plan, to give confidence to the fans and wider community. More broadly, the football authorities have made significant moves over recent years to put clubs on a stronger financial footing within their communities. The Football Association Regulatory Authority (FARA) will ensure changes in club ownership are fully scrutinised. Financial Fair Play rules are now in force to encourage responsible spending. Both the Premier League and the Football Association are providing funding to supporter groups such as the Football Supporters Federation and Supporters Direct, and all Premier League and Football League clubs are now required to have a designated Supporter Liaison Officer. This is all welcome progress. This e-petition remains open to signatures and will be considered for debate by the Backbench Business Committee should it pass the 100 000 signature threshold. I appreciate we have still got a long way to go, but to anyone who is still thinking about signing - please do so now!

Hi all Coventry Telegraph I believe that we all pay a high price whenever we suffer a negotiating failure. It does not matter who or where, whether it is a football club, our mineworkers, international tensions or any situation where there is a lack of negotiating skills. In some of these instances, lack of essential negotiating skills means that the cards are played right into the oppositions hands, which is what I believe has happened with CCFC. The game of chess is won by the player who can see more of the possible moves ahead & the ramifications. CCFC, or whoever owns them, which was a question raised in parliament as no one seams to know who does, this week, have boxed themselves in kindergarten style, & have no more moves to make. On the chess board, I do not believe that they even moved off the second square & I believe that one individual had more to do with that, than any other. I might be wrong, as I wish that I was wrong on this very sad, originally based Coventry scenario.

This graph appeared in the Telegraph showing a projected finish for Coventry City at the end of this season. Indicating that we would finish on 61 points, and making the point that if we had not had the 10 points deducted we would have been in the playoffs. I'm ever optimistic, but I just don't see our finish being anywhere near the strength of our start.

Steven Pressley has indicated that we must hold on to players like Callum Wilson next season if we are to progress from what we have achieved this year. I have a feeling that this might be some sort of veiled threat by Pressley to SISU to not sell the player. On the other hand, if some big club comes along and turns his head then it's going to be difficult for Coventry to hold on to him. Maybe someone should point out to Callum Wilson before it's too late what's happened to Gael Bigirimana at Newcastle. His last game was in the Capitol One Cup, at Morecambe! What a waste of talent!

A High Court judge has thrown out a £290,000 claim against The Alan Edward Higgs Charity by Sky Blues owners SISU on the first day of an expected three day trial !! Over the next two days the judge will hear arguments for the £29,000 The Higgs Charity is claiming from SISU. Read the full report Here

Sadly there were no winners in the recent High Court case bought by the Higgs Charity against SISU for alleged costs incurred during SISU's failed Ricoh Arena negotiations. Thankfully the Judge threw out SISU's ridiculous claim for £290,000 (what sort of organisation puts in a counter-claim for this sort of figure against a charity?) and also, after a further two days of deliberation, the charities initial claim for £29,000 was also turned down I do wonder, however, if the counter clam by SISU was in fact a smoke-screen in order to simply get certain pieces of information revealed in court which they otherwise would not have been privy to prior to their "we want the Ricoh on the cheap" High Court case in June? I wonder indeed?

It appears that one of the sites thought to be a possible location for the new Coventry City stadium has been earmarked for housing. A Coventry Telegraph article says an application has been received by Nuneaton and Bedworth council to build 200 houses on the Hawkesbury Golf Course near Exhall. I'm not sure whether that's good or bad news!

For a bit of nostalgia an episode of Dalziel and Pascoe, some of it is was filmed at Highfield Road

Could that be the episode where Wetherton Wanderers Football Club's celebrations for topping the Premiership are short-lived when their bus crashes into a train? - first broadcast on 14th March 2006 I have no idea, I've never watched it!

Thank you for finding that on YouTube, Deano. The episode was on Drama last night, we were watching it and my other half said he thought it was Highfield Road as he recognized the gates from when he used to go with my dad. Not knowing much about football I thought Highfield Road had been pulled down long before that. I enjoyed the episode anyway.

It was one of its last days I believe, before the vandals got in and set it on fire.

An article titled What we now know about the Ricoh Arena row... and some things we don't has just appeared on the Coventry Telegraph web site. Makes extremely interesting reading!