Coventry City

[BillyStubbsTears]

I see they finished in 6th place in L2, above Lincoln by 1 goal.

That is the first time in 49 years they have finished in the top 6 in any division. And we think WE are hard done by on the entertainment front!

In fact, since they won the cup 31 years ago this is only the fourth time they’ve finished in the top 10.

Which raises the question: would you take one season of big success for 30 years of tedium?

[Superspy]

Personally, no. I like our roller-coaster, we've had a fair old mix of euphoria and disappointment in recent memory and it's one of the reasons I keep going.

[NickDRFC]

Agreed, I was sitting next to a Coventry fan at a wedding on Sunday and he told me that fact - I’d just said it’s been a bleak few years for them so hope they enjoy it, didn’t realise it had been quite so dull.

I don’t think many of our fans would settle for 30 years of tedium - we’ve had one and that seems like more than enough for plenty on here!

[sheffield exile1]

Football can be quite cyclic though. Although Coventry have been in mediocrity/decline I remember in 70's and 80's where they and Fulham made up numbers for years in the old first division. as it wasn't as cut throat as the money saturated premiership now is. Cue back to the early 50's and through that decade we played Liverpool, Everton, West Ham (who were disapointed at a 4,000 home crowd against us),L**ds, Newcastle, to name a few. Move on to successive relegations late 50's and until mid 60's two yoyo promotions/relegations until Billy came. Even with Elwiss, Kitch and Big Bren never set the world alight promotion. -wise. Wigan/Blackburn rise and fall, and now a promotion. Sure Rochdale are happy staying up as until recehtly their one success in living memory was the 1968-69 promotion with ourselves....depends on expectations I suppose?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Easy to forget how non-boring our recent seasons have been. In the bottom 3 divisions, only 19 out of 72 sides are promoted or relegated each year. So on average, you’ll go up or down once every 4 years.

In the past 15 years in the football league, we’ve had 4 promotions and 3 relegations. So we are about twice as interesting as most clubs.

[roversdude]

Still not forgiven for Robert Betts

[dickos1]

In that 49 years though, they spent 31 of them in the top flight.
Lots of clubs would be happy with that

[mrfrostsdad]

In that 49 years though, they spent 31 of them in the top flight.
Lots of clubs would be happy with that

Don't agree with you that often Dickos, but I would love to,see my team spend one season in the top flight let alone 31. Unfortunately it will never happen

[IDM]

Never?  Maybe not in the immediate future but you can never say never..

Look at the sides that were near the bottom of the 4th division with us 20 years ago.. Swansea, Hull, Brighton etc..  Look at Bournemouth too..

We were within a couple of points of Blackpool a month or so before the end of the season they got to he prem..

Not saying we would ever make it, but you can’t say never..

[idler]

The gap gets wider every year though IDM. I have mates who support Bradford City and although enjoying their two seasons in the top flight felt that they were never really welcomed there. They were tolerated as passing through but not as one of the boys. Like us in the Championship they rarely got the rub of the green from the referee when playing a big club. They then had the financial fall out on relegation.  Geoffrey Richmond had hocked the club. The players were more or less owned by German Banks so no transfer fees for the club. City didn't own their own turnstiles, carpets or bars. Their list of creditors was pathetic, including small amounts for the likes of St. John's Ambulance  and the likes of just about every pie supplier in Yorkshire. They even built the biggest club shop in Europe.
I would love to see us there one day but a setback like they had would probably kill the club. Had Ashley Ward not taken 10p in the pound of the £660,000 that he was owed then their rescue deal would have failed.
Like us, they were far nearer going out of business than Leicester, Leeds etc. that came out of administration good to go again.

[DRNaith]

I think I'm right in saying that the ITV Sport debacle had a major impact on Bradford City too.

[MachoMadness]

Which raises the question: would you take one season of big success for 30 years of tedium?

Dickos raised a good point. 30 years of tedium in the top flight is another matter, because the dynamic is different as promotion is no longer an option. Therefore, does the mindset of those fans who've been in the top flight for years but who never seem to win anything - the Evertons and Spurs of the world - change slightly? Does the chase for Europe give you the same buzz as a play-off chase? I genuinely don't know.

[IDM]

The gap gets wider every year though IDM. I have mates who support Bradford City and although enjoying their two seasons in the top flight felt that they were never really welcomed there. They were tolerated as passing through but not as one of the boys. Like us in the Championship they rarely got the rub of the green from the referee when playing a big club. They then had the financial fall out on relegation.  Geoffrey Richmond had hocked the club. The players were more or less owned by German Banks so no transfer fees for the club. City didn't own their own turnstiles, carpets or bars. Their list of creditors was pathetic, including small amounts for the likes of St. John's Ambulance  and the likes of just about every pie supplier in Yorkshire. They even built the biggest club shop in Europe.
I would love to see us there one day but a setback like they had would probably kill the club. Had Ashley Ward not taken 10p in the pound of the £660,000 that he was owed then their rescue deal would have failed.
Like us, they were far nearer going out of business than Leicester, Leeds etc. that came out of administration good to go again.

Our current owners are nothing if not prudent, and you would assume they would observe and learn from the other clubs’ experiences..?

[GlennKirkwoodFanClub]

I used to work with a Halifax Town supporter and when they took our place in the football league I was told that that was the first time in their history that they had ever been promoted. They were formed in 1911.

Since they have become AFC Halifax ten years ago they have had four promotions although obviously they are down a few levels.

[silent majority]

Didn't we stop them finishing in the top 6 in 2015/16 season? They'd won 4 out of their last 5 games losing only the once, to DRFC 2-0.

[idler]

I used to work with a Halifax Town supporter and when they took our place in the football league I was told that that was the first time in their history that they had ever been promoted. They were formed in 1911.

Since they have become AFC Halifax ten years ago they have had four promotions although obviously they are down a few levels.

He was obviously too young to Remember them being runners up to us in 1968/69. Alan Ball senior was their manager and jealous to death of us.

[scawsby steve]

I used to work with a Halifax Town supporter and when they took our place in the football league I was told that that was the first time in their history that they had ever been promoted. They were formed in 1911.

Since they have become AFC Halifax ten years ago they have had four promotions although obviously they are down a few levels.

I can't see that being right, Glen; I'm sure they've played in the 3rd tier, and possibly in the 2nd. We need Dutch Uncle to adjudicate on this one.

[Drover]

I used to work with a Halifax Town supporter and when they took our place in the football league I was told that that was the first time in their history that they had ever been promoted. They were formed in 1911.

Since they have become AFC Halifax ten years ago they have had four promotions although obviously they are down a few levels.

I can't see that being right, Glen; I'm sure they've played in the 3rd tier, and possibly in the 2nd. We need Dutch Uncle to adjudicate on this one.

I think thats true,it looks like they was founder members the old third div north in 1921 until restructuring in 1958,their highest finish was 2nd in 1934/35 season,can you guess who behind?Yep Rovers,only 1 team promoted-us.From 1958 to 1993 they stayed in division three,highest position 3rd,1 place of promotion in 1971,relegated to conference in 1993,hence when they replaced us,it seems it was their first ever promotion.They did play at third tier after that first promotion.

[idler]

I used to work with a Halifax Town supporter and when they took our place in the football league I was told that that was the first time in their history that they had ever been promoted. They were formed in 1911.

Since they have become AFC Halifax ten years ago they have had four promotions although obviously they are down a few levels.

I can't see that being right, Glen; I'm sure they've played in the 3rd tier, and possibly in the 2nd. We need Dutch Uncle to adjudicate on this one.

I think thats true,it looks like they was founder members the old third div north in 1921 until restructuring in 1958,their highest finish was 2nd in 1934/35 season,can you guess who behind?Yep Rovers,only 1 team promoted-us.From 1958 to 1993 they stayed in division three,highest position 3rd,1 place of promotion in 1971,relegated to conference in 1993,hence when they replaced us,it seems it was their first ever promotion.They did play at third tier after that first promotion.

They were promoted from the old Div 4 at the end of the 68/69 season about two points behind the champions. One Doncaster Rovers.
That might have been their first ever promotion.

[Drover]

I used to work with a Halifax Town supporter and when they took our place in the football league I was told that that was the first time in their history that they had ever been promoted. They were formed in 1911.

Since they have become AFC Halifax ten years ago they have had four promotions although obviously they are down a few levels.

I can't see that being right, Glen; I'm sure they've played in the 3rd tier, and possibly in the 2nd. We need Dutch Uncle to adjudicate on this one.

I think thats true,it looks like they was founder members the old third div north in 1921 until restructuring in 1958,their highest finish was 2nd in 1934/35 season,can you guess who behind?Yep Rovers,only 1 team promoted-us.From 1958 to 1993 they stayed in division three,highest position 3rd,1 place of promotion in 1971,relegated to conference in 1993,hence when they replaced us,it seems it was their first ever promotion.They did play at third tier after that first promotion.

They were promoted from the old Div 4 at the end of the 68/69 season about two points behind the champions. One Doncaster Rovers.
That might have been their first ever promotion.

Oh Yeah! You know what,daft as it seems,I remember that,I should have known not to trust wiki.

[RoversAlias]

I used to work with a Halifax Town supporter and when they took our place in the football league I was told that that was the first time in their history that they had ever been promoted. They were formed in 1911.

Since they have become AFC Halifax ten years ago they have had four promotions although obviously they are down a few levels.

I can't see that being right, Glen; I'm sure they've played in the 3rd tier, and possibly in the 2nd. We need Dutch Uncle to adjudicate on this one.

I think thats true,it looks like they was founder members the old third div north in 1921 until restructuring in 1958,their highest finish was 2nd in 1934/35 season,can you guess who behind?Yep Rovers,only 1 team promoted-us.From 1958 to 1993 they stayed in division three,highest position 3rd,1 place of promotion in 1971,relegated to conference in 1993,hence when they replaced us,it seems it was their first ever promotion.They did play at third tier after that first promotion.

They were promoted from the old Div 4 at the end of the 68/69 season about two points behind the champions. One Doncaster Rovers.
That might have been their first ever promotion.

Oh Yeah! You know what,daft as it seems,I remember that,I should have known not to trust wiki.

In defence of Wikipedia, which is far more reliable than it used to be a few years ago due to how much more stringent their checks and balances are, the Halifax wiki doesn't explicitly state that they weren't ever promoted before then, it just that the "History" section you've used for reference isn't very detailed. Clearly a Halifax fan needs to get on the page and fill in the many blanks!

[The Red Baron]

Halifax must have been promoted at some time as I can remember playing them in the old Division Three in the early 70s.

In fact they were promoted from Division Four alongside Rovers in 1968-69.

[GlennKirkwoodFanClub]

Sorry for giving out duff information. The conversation was about 20 years ago, so I apologise, maybe he'd said that they had never won a league.

The point I was trying to make is that there are a number of clubs that have never had the rollercoaster ride that we have had. Rochdale have been promoted three times in 100 years, Oldham have just been relegated after 21 years in League One. Can you imagine how tedious that is. Give me a rollercoaster club anytime although it makes seasons like this one seem boring compared to what we've had.

Oldham have released Paul Green btw. Worth a punt?

[RedJ]

God no, what would he offer? we have a weird obsession with trying to re-sign ex players.

[MachoMadness]

If he's half the Greeny of 10 years ago he'd do a job for us. However I'm not sure he will be. Could be wrong but I'd pass on him.

[roversdude]

Think he is stopping at Crewe read somewhere they wanted to sign him

[glosterred]

God no, what would he offer? we have a weird obsession with trying to re-sign ex players.

Especially ones well past the sell by date


COYR

[Campsall rover]

Never?  Maybe not in the immediate future but you can never say never..

Look at the sides that were near the bottom of the 4th division with us 20 years ago.. Swansea, Hull, Brighton etc..  Look at Bournemouth too..

We were within a couple of points of Blackpool a month or so before the end of the season they got to he prem..

Not saying we would ever make it, but you can’t say never..

Exactly no such thing as never. Might take another 50 years or maybe only 5
You just never know. Who in their widest dreams would have thought Bournemouth would become an established Premiership club let alone even 1 season in the promised land only 7/8 years ago.
They have just completed 3 consequtive seasons in the Premier league. Quite remarkable.