Sky Sports' Johnny Phillips: Homeless Coventry pull together in tough times
Walking up Garrison Lane on Tuesday night, as the relentless sleet swept down on to the pavements surrounding a bleak Birmingham industrial estate, the only people going anywhere appeared to be those in cars leaving their work through the arteries to the south of the city.
Few were stopping off at the nearby football ground, despite the floodlights indicating a match would be taking place.
A handful of souls were enjoying a drink in the Royal George Hotel. And here was the second clue that a game was on offer that evening. ‘Home supporters’ only read the sign at the window. Although, of course, they were not home fans were they? Supporters of Coventry City are getting used to this nomadic existence.
In 2014, owners Sisu placed a non-operating subsidiary of the club into administration and began a chain of events that left Coventry homeless.
The club left the Ricoh Arena, and their city, for a ground share with Northampton Town requiring a 68-mile round trip for supporters to attend home games.
Five years later, with Wasps rugby union club now owning the stadium and Sisu still in charge, they became tenants at St Andrew’s, home of Birmingham City.
The landlords only bother opening two sides of the ground and it is not an inviting place on a dark wintry evening.
Yet even in a rented venue, more than 20 miles from home, there were reminders of the good old days.
Steve Ogrizovic and Micky Gynn, both FA Cup winners with the Sky Blues in 1987, chatted with the local journalists in the press room prior to kick-off.
Oggy’s 16-year stay from 1984 lasted right up until the turn of the century as the club amassed 34 consecutive seasons of top-flight football, before eventually dropping out of the Premier League in 2001.
Since then it has been a difficult slog, with the move from the much-loved Highfield Road sparking the path of discontent that fans have had to walk.
Now there is the first scent of revival in the air.
Huge credit must go to manager Mark Robins, who took over as the team was heading into League Two back in March 2017.
Since then he has pulled the club back up to League One, where they sit on level points with Rotherham United at the top of the table.
In an industry stuffed full of egos puffing out their chests, the understated manner of Robins’ approach is refreshing.
His side have lost just three league games all season.
The ‘home’ form has been brilliant throughout, with some observers suggesting the passing game Robins has developed has had more chance of succeeding on a pitch not shared with a rugby team. And since moving to a three-man central defence during the Christmas period, the away returns have been impressive – with six wins and a draw from the last seven games on the road.
Special mention must also go to the two Liams – Walsh and Kelly – who marshal the battle grounds in the middle of the pitch with real authority.
Rotherham arrived for the duel at the top looking for a third successive away win, but despite starting strongly and taking a fortuitous lead, after Coventry keeper Marko Marosi dropped the ball at the feet of a gleeful Freddie Ladapo, they had to settle for a draw.
Matty Godden’s deft flick of the head to Fankaty Dabo’s inviting cross ensured Coventry got the point their performance merited.
Despite just two sides of the ground being open, the atmosphere was worthy of the fixture.
The attendance was just 10 shy of 9,000. Rotherham’s fans took delight in pointing out the empty areas – perhaps forgetting the occasions their own crowds dwindled to around 2,500 and fewer when they relocated to Sheffield’s Don Valley not so long ago.
It is not always pleasant to attend home matches in another team’s city.
“It’s been a tough old time for them and they keep coming,” said Mark Robins, as he stood pitchside after the fans had filed away. “On a Tuesday night when it’s freezing cold they’ve come and there were 9,000 of them, which is outstanding – it’s the biggest crowd we’ve had for a Tuesday night.
“We’ll keep getting them following us and we’ve got more of these matches at the top to come – it’s remarkable that we are up there at all.”
Perhaps in adversity, the players, management and fans have come together to create something special.
“We need each other,” the manager continued. “They need us to keep passing the ball and once these players realise how good they can be then the sky is the limit for us.”
There may be more decorated managers lifting titles and trophies at the end of the season, but none are operating in such trying circumstances as Robins.
He knows there are plenty more obstacles to overcome.
An immediate return to the Ricoh Arena next season still looks unlikely.
The club barely generates enough revenue to keep itself afloat.
Anyone good enough to play higher up is quickly moved on.
The sales of players like Callum Wilson and James Maddison have been crucial in balancing the books in recent seasons.
It is hard to build a team for the future when the reality is that the best players always have to be sold.
But despite all this, there is a sense that something special is taking place here.
After the full-time whistle the announcer played Primal Scream’s Movin’ On Up.
On the pitch, at least, that appears a fitting anthem.
