Koventri Siti tarixi - History of Coventry City F.C. - Wikipedia

Ushbu maqolada bir nechta muammolar mavjud. Iltimos yordam bering uni yaxshilang yoki ushbu masalalarni muhokama qiling munozara sahifasi. (Ushbu shablon xabarlarini qanday va qachon olib tashlashni bilib oling) Ushbu maqola bo'lishi kerak yangilangan. Iltimos, ushbu maqolani so'nggi voqealarni yoki yangi mavjud ma'lumotlarni aks ettirish uchun yangilang. (2017 yil yanvar) Bu maqola uchun qo'shimcha iqtiboslar kerak tekshirish. Iltimos yordam bering ushbu maqolani yaxshilang tomonidan ishonchli manbalarga iqtiboslarni qo'shish. Resurs manbasi bo'lmagan material shubha ostiga olinishi va olib tashlanishi mumkin. Manbalarni toping: "Koventri Siti FK tarixi".  – Yangiliklar  · gazetalar  · kitoblar  · olim  · JSTOR (2017 yil sentyabr) (Ushbu shablon xabarini qanday va qachon olib tashlashni bilib oling) (Ushbu shablon xabarini qanday va qachon olib tashlashni bilib oling)

"Koventri Siti" o'ynaydi Highfield Road Stadium 1982 yilda.

Koventri Siti bu ingliz futbol joylashgan klub Koventri ichida Midlands. Klub 1883 yilda "Singers F.C." nomi bilan tashkil etilgan. velosiped firmasi xodimi Villi Stenli tomonidan Singer Motors. 1898 yilda bu nom Koventri Siti deb o'zgartirildi. Klub avvaliga qo'shildi Futbol Ligasi keyin Birinchi jahon urushi va 1938 yilda klub birinchi ligaga ko'tarilishni bir ochkoga boy berib qo'ydi.

1960-yillardan beri menejer tomonidan kiritilgan to'plam rangiga ko'ra, klub "Sky Blues" laqabini oldi. Jimmi Xill. 1961 yilda kelgan Xill va klub raisi Derrik Robins 1967 yilda birinchi divizionga ko'tarilish bilan yakunlangan klub boyliklarini qayta tiklanishiga olib keldi. O'zlarining ko'tarilish mavsumi davomida klub 25 o'yinni mag'lubiyatsiz o'tkazdi va xabarlarga ko'ra 50 000 dan ziyod tomoshabinni uchrashuvga jalb qildi. bilan "Vulverxempton".

Shahar 30 yildan ortiq vaqt davomida ingliz futbolining yuqori pog'onasida qoldi va g'alaba qozondi 1987 yil Angliya kubogi ostida Jon Sillett va 1992 yilda ular tashkilotning asoschilariga aylanishdi Premer-liga. 2000–01 yilgi mavsum oxirida ular pastga tushib ketishdi FL chempionati. O'shandan beri, klub yana ikki marta tushib ketdi, mulk egasi o'zgarishini boshdan kechirdi va 2013-2014 yillarda vaqtincha asos qilib olishga majbur bo'ldi. Northempton shahri.^[1][2]

1883–1898: Xonandalar F.C.

Dastlab tashkil etilgan futbol klubi Koventri 1869 yilda xuddi shu nom bilan shahar atrofida tashkil etilgan Stok FK edi. Jamoa muntazam o'ynamadi va o'yinlar turli xil o'yinlar ostida o'tkazildi. futbol qoidalari, ba'zilari esa yaqinroq regbi ittifoqi dan Futbol assotsiatsiyasi. 1870-yillarning oxiriga kelib, regbi ushbu hududda dominant bo'lib qoldi va bu sportning mahalliy miqyosda ommalashishi bilan ta'minlandi davlat maktablari kabi Bablake va Regbi. Assotsiatsiya futboli qayta tiklandi velosiped sanoatining kelishi shaharda va ishchilar oqimi Birmingem va Qora mamlakat. 1880-yillarda fabrikalarning har biri futbol jamoasini tashkil qildi.^[3] Aynan mana shu fabrikalardan birida Singer velosiped kompaniyasi, bu Koventri Siti FK Tug'ilgan.^[4]

Klub 1883 yilda tashkil etilgan Uilyam Stenli, fabrika xodimi va dastlab Singers F.C.^[5] Stenli Xillfilddagi Lord Aylesford Innda yig'ilish o'tkazdi, shu qatorda "Kichik Garri" Benks, Jorj Bouers, Garri Xeteuey, "Xok" Xit, Frenk Mozli, Endryu Pul va "Shiner" Tyorner kabi Kenterberi ko'chasidagi fabrikadagi hamkasblar bilan.^[6][7] Klubning birinchi shtab-kvartirasi Gosford Grindagi "Oq sher" bo'lgan va ular Stouldagi "Dowells Field" nomli maydonda o'yinlarni o'ynashni boshlashgan.^[5][8] Singers Cycle Company asoschisi, Jorj Singer, klubning birinchi prezidenti bo'ldi.^[5] Xonandalar dastlabki to'rt yil ichida qirqta o'yin o'tkazdilar, ular tabiatan asosiy bo'lgan, oddiy o'yinchilarning etishmasligi va ba'zida darvoza to'ri kabi uskunalar etishmayotgan edi.^[4][9] Ular qo'shildi Birmingem okrugi futbol assotsiatsiyasi va Midland bo'ylab o'ynagan raqiblar, shu jumladan Xinkli, Langli Yashil va Kichik Xit.^[10][9] O'sha paytda o'yinlarga kirish bepul edi va futbolchilar o'z xarajatlarini qoplashdi.^[9]

1887 yilda xonandalar tayinlandi J.G. Morgan Klub kotibi sifatida u klubni jiddiy operatsiyaga aylanishini nazorat qildi.^[5] Morgan zamonaviyga o'xshash rol o'ynamagan va bajarmagan klubdagi birinchi amaldor edi menejer.^[10] Xonandalar Dowells Field-dagi asl maydonidan kelajakning janubida joylashgan Stoke Road deb nomlangan yopiq erga ko'chib ketishdi. Highfield Road Manzil.^[11] Erning "White Lion" va "Binley Oak" pablariga yaqin kichkina stend va kirish joylari bor edi, bu erda kirish uchun ikki pens miqdorida to'lov olinardi.^[5] Klub 1887–88 yilgi mavsumda ilk marotaba uyushgan o'yinlar ro'yxatini o'ynadi va yarim finalga qadar Birmingem o'smirlar kubogiga kirdi.^[12] Keyingi besh fasl klub tarixchilari tomonidan "oltin davr",^[13][4] chunki klubning ko'rsatkichlari va tashrifi, shuningdek, raqiblarining sifati barqaror ravishda yaxshilandi.^[10] Shahar ichidagi yangi futbolga bo'lgan qiziqishdan foydalangan holda, Rudge FK raqibiga qo'shildi Rudge velosiped kompaniyasi, o'zlarining muvaffaqiyatlariga erisha boshladilar. Xonandalar va Rudj ikkita velosiped ishlab chiqaruvchi kompaniya o'rtasidagi raqobatni kuchaytirib, qattiq raqobatni rivojlantirdilar.^[14] Ikki klub o'rtasidagi o'yinlar 1880-yillarning oxiriga kelib 4000 ga qadar olomonni jalb qildi.^[5]

Xonandalar 1890-91 yilgi mavsumni yangi markaziy hujumchi bilan boshlashdi, Frenk Mobli, klubning o'n to'qqizinchi asrning eng yaxshi futbolchilaridan biri sifatida qaraldi.^[15] Xonandalar mavsum yakunida birinchi kubokni yutib, g'oliblikni qo'lga kiritishdi Uillenxol Pikvik Birmingem o'smirlar kubogi finalida 1-0.^[5] Keyingi mavsumda ular yana to'rtta mag'lubiyat va o'ttiz to'rtta o'yinidan yigirma oltita g'alaba bilan yanada muvaffaqiyatli bo'lishdi,^[16] kubok trebli bilan bir qatorda: jamoa Lensberi va Volsoll kuboglarini ko'tarishdi, shuningdek Birmingem o'smirlar kubogini muvaffaqiyatli himoya qilishdi. Oxirgi finaldan Koventriga qaytgandan so'ng, Uillenxol ustidan yana bir g'alaba Perri Barr stadioni, ko'plab muxlislar ularni uyida kutib olish uchun chiqdi.^[9] Keyinchalik klub raisiga aylanadigan mahalliy tadbirkor Devid Kuk ushbu tadbirni nishonlash uchun "Uch kubok tamaki" ishlab chiqardi.^[9] Klub uchun kelajak porloq bo'lib tuyuldi, ammo velosiped fabrikasidagi moliyaviy muammolar bir qator eng yaxshi o'yinchilarni 1892 yilning yozida ketishga majbur qildi. Mobley o'tgan mavsumning qahramoni ham ketuvchilar orasida bo'lib, u erda Xit Xitga yo'l oldi. muvaffaqiyatli zavqlaning Birinchi divizion martaba.^[13]

Eng yaxshi o'yinchilarini yo'qotish natijasida shaklning pasayishiga qaramay, Xonandalar 1890-yillarga qadar ma'muriy jihatdan rivojlanishda davom etishdi. Klub 1892 yilda professional bo'ldi, ammo bu holat asosan ramziy ma'noga ega edi, chunki ko'plab futbolchilar havaskor bo'lib qolishdi va mutaxassislar faqat xarajatlar va o'yin uchun to'lovlarni olishdi. Bu hanuzgacha "do'kon klubi" edi, bu faqat Singers fabrikasi xodimlariga o'ynashga ruxsat berilishini anglatadi.^[17] Ular birinchi marta 1892 yilda Angliya kubogiga kirishdi va 1894 yildan boshlab to'liq liga o'yinlari ro'yxatini o'ynashni boshladi. Birmingem va okrug ligasi O'rnatilgan Midlend klublarining kuchli zaxira tomonlariga qarshi o'yinlar bilan Aston Villa va "Vest Bromvich".^[18][4] O'n yil davomida velosiped fabrikasi bilan bog'liq bo'lmagan Koventri aholisi tomonidan tobora ortib borayotgan qo'llab-quvvatlanishni hisobga olgan holda, klub nomini o'zgartirish to'g'risida ko'p yillik takliflar mavjud edi. Klub prezidenti Jorj Singer ham edi Koventri meri 1890-yillarning boshlarida klubni shahar nomi bilan chaqirishni ma'qul ko'rdi, ammo klub ma'muriyati tomonidan etarli qo'llab-quvvatlanmadi. Ushbu taklif 1898 yilda nihoyatda kerakli qo'llab-quvvatlandi, chunki fabrika omadining yana bir pasayishi futbol jamoasini kompaniyadan uzoqlashtirish maqsadga muvofiqligini ko'rsatdi. So'nggi daqiqadagi e'tiroziga qaramay Koventri regbi klubi, bu ism o'zlariga juda o'xshashligini sezgan, Koventri Siti futbol klubiga nom o'zgarishi tomonidan tasdiqlangan Futbol assotsiatsiyasi (FA) 1898 yil 12-avgustda.^[19][20]

1898–1919: "Koventri Siti" safida ligadan tashqari yillar

Koventri Siti sifatida klubning birinchi mavsumi unchalik muvaffaqiyatli bo'lmagan, ochilish o'yinida 5: 0 hisobida mag'lub bo'lgan Vellington shahri va oltita o'yinga qadar g'alaba qayd etilmagan.^[9][21] Bu Stoke Road-dagi so'nggi mavsum edi, chunki er Koventri aholisining ko'payib borishi uchun uy-joy qurish uchun mo'ljallangan edi.^[21] 1899 yil boshida Highfield Road-da qurilish ishlari boshlandi, ammo yangi stadionni qurish narxi klubni xavfli moliyaviy ahvolga keltirdi. Klub o'z futbolchilariga mavsumning so'nggi bir necha o'yinlari uchun ish haqi bermaslikka qaror qildi, bu esa ish tashlashga olib keldi. 1: 0 hisobidagi g'alabaga qaramay Shrysberi shahri ochilish o'yinida, Highfield Road-dagi birinchi mavsum halokatli o'tdi va klub Birmingem o'smirlar ligasida eng quyi o'rinni egalladi.^[22] Moliyaviy muammolar va o'yinchilar bilan tortishuvlar davom etdi va 1900-01 yilgi mavsum avvalgisidan ham yomonroq bo'lib chiqdi, 102 gol o'tkazib yuborildi va "Aston Villa" zaxirasidan 14: 0 hisobidagi mag'lubiyat klub tarixidagi eng yirik mag'lubiyatni namoyish etdi.^[21] Keyingi mavsum ham omadsiz o'tdi, shu qatorda Angliya Kubogi 10: 2 hisobida Voresterda mag'lub bo'ldi Bervik Reynjers.^[23] 1902-03 yillarda ettinchi o'rin bilan yakunlangan yaxshi mavsum,^[24] ammo bu qisqa muhlat edi va 1905 yilda klub besh yil ichida uchinchi marta Birmingem o'smirlar ligasiga a'zo bo'lish uchun qayta murojaat qilishi kerak edi.^[25]

Klub 1905 yil yozida uzoq muddatli yomon o'yinlarni bekor qilish maqsadida o'zini qayta tuzdi. Kengashni "sindikat" egalladi, unga rahbarlik qildi Frank Li, bilan Jou Beaman o'quv vazifalarini o'z zimmasiga olish.^[24] Darvozabon - sardor kabi yangi futbolchilar qo'shildi Garri Uaytxaus va Jimmi McIntyre, keyinchalik klub menejeriga aylanadigan chap-chap.^[25] Keyingi ikki mavsum ancha muvaffaqiyatli o'tdi.^[24] Rahbariyatning o'zgarishi umuman beg'ubor bo'lmagan, chunki klubning oldingi kengashi Angliyaga shikoyat bilan murojaat qilgan. Olingan tergov davomida klub boshqaruvidagi kamchiliklar aniqlandi va sindikat 10 funt jarimaga tortildi. FA tavsiyalari asosida ular klubni a sifatida ro'yxatdan o'tkazdilar cheklangan kompaniya 1907 yilda. Beshta shiling qiymatidagi aktsiyalar sotilib, kapitaldan 2000 funt sterling foyda keltirdi.^[26] Li esa yangi tashkilotning kotibi bo'ldi Tomas Ouen raisi etib tayinlandi.^[24]

Yana bir nechta yangi o'yinchilarni qo'shib olishidan so'ng, 1907-08 yilgi mavsum «Koventri» ning eng yaxshi natijasi bo'ldi, chunki ular birinchi marta Angliya kubogining birinchi bosqichiga chiqishdi.^[24][4] Ular kubok bahslarida oltita saralash o'yinlarida g'alaba qozonishdi, shu jumladan 7: 1 hisobidagi g'alaba Yepiskop Oklend.^[24] Birinchi davrada ular "Kristal Pelas" bilan o'ynashdi Janubiy Liga, 10000 tarafdorlari oldida 4-2 yutqazdi.^[27] Ligada Siti 97 gol urib, to'rtinchi o'rinni egalladi,^[24] 11: 2 hisobidagi g'alaba bilan "Vest Bromvich" eng muhim narsani saqlaydi.^[28] Yon tomonning yulduzlari edi Albert Lyuis kim tomonidan tasvirlangan Coventry Evening Telegraph klubning Birmingem Junior Ligasi davridagi eng yaxshi o'yinchisi sifatida va Billi Smit, qirq gol muallifi.^[24] Mavsum tugagandan so'ng, Koventri Janubiy Ligaga qo'shilish uchun ariza topshirdi, u o'sha paytdagi klublar bilan teng keladigan klublari bo'lgan mamlakatning eng yaxshi uchinchi divizioni deb tan olindi. Futbol Ligasining ikkinchi divizioni.^[28] Angliya kubogi o'yinida "Siti" ning o'yinlari va tarafdorlaridan hayratga tushgan "Kristal Pelas" ushbu arizani qo'llab-quvvatladi va u 1908 yil 27 mayda o'z vaqtida qabul qilindi.^[29]

"Koventri Siti" Janubiy Ligadagi birinchi mavsumida kurash olib bordi, qisman ularning saylanishi juda yangi futbol darajasiga munosib futbolchilarni sotib olishlari uchun kech tasdiqlangani va yulduz futbolchi Lyuis klubni tark etgani sababli.^[30][31] Ular ligada ikkinchi o'rinni egallashdi va yigirma yigirma ikkita jamoaga kengayganligi sababli faqatgina pasayishdan qutulishdi.^[30] Mavsum o'rtalarida klub birinchi marotaba o'z taxallusini qo'lga kiritdi va Janubiy Ligaga yangi kelgan sifatida engil vazndagi maqomiga ko'ra "Bantams" ga aylandi.^[31] Devid Kuk kengash tarkibiga 1909 yil o'rtalarida qo'shildi va "Siti" ga yangi o'yinchilar tarkibiga sarmoya kiritishi uchun mablag 'ajratdi. Mavsumni yana bir omadsiz startidan so'ng, ularning imzolanishi bilan ularning boyliklari o'zgardi Patsi Xendren, kriketchi sifatida tanilgan futbolchi, sport bilan shug'ullanishni davom ettirmoqda Angliya. Rojdestvoda Koventri Janubiy Ligada g'olib chiqish uchun kurash olib bordi va Angliya kubogining chorak finaliga yo'l oldi va eng yaxshi jamoalarni mag'lub etdi. Preston va Nottingem o'rmoni yutqazishdan oldin "Everton".^[32] Ular 1910–11 yillarda uchinchi raundgacha etib borishdi va shu bilan birga o'zlarining yagona unvoniga erishishdi Birmingem kattalar kubogi 1: 0 hisobidagi g'alaba bilan Sturbridj. 1911–12 yilgi mavsum nisbatan muvaffaqiyatli o'tdi va oltinchi o'rinni egalladi, ammo Angliya kubogida «Siti» og'ir mag'lubiyatga uchradi. "Manchester Yunayted", Highfield Road-da birinchi marta paydo bo'lishdi.^[33]

Keyin kirgan klub boylikning pasayishiga duch keldi. Ular 1912-13 yillarda o'n uchinchi o'rinni egallashdi va moliyaviy bosim 24 dan 18 gacha bo'lgan professional kadrlarni qisqartirishga olib keldi.^[33][34] Keyingi mavsumda ular chempionatni oxiriga etkazishdi va Janubiy Liganing ikkinchi bo'limiga tushib ketishdi. Jamoalarning sifati ancha past edi va 1914–15 yilgi mavsumda Koventri yirik g'alabalarga erishdi, ammo klub moliya yana bir bor katta xavf ostida qoldi. Klub Futbol Ligasining ikkinchi divizioniga qo'shilishga muvaffaq bo'lmadi va 1915 yilning yozida yo'q bo'lib ketishga yaqin keldi. Ularni qisman yaqinlashib kelayotgan Angliya Kubogi va Janubiy Liga mavsumlaridan voz kechish qarori saqlab qolishdi. Birinchi jahon urushi.^[35] Keyingi bir necha yil ichida hech qanday futbol o'ynamagan bo'lsa-da, "Siti" hali ham majburiyatlarga ega edi va 1917 yilda Devid Kuk tomonidan qutqarilishi kerak edi, u qarzlarini to'lab, klub tarkibini to'ldirishni boshladi. Urushdan so'ng Futbol Ligasiga qadam qo'yishni istagan klub 1918 yil davomida "Aston Villa" kabi mahalliy klublarga qarshi muntazam o'rtoqlik uchrashuvlari o'tkazgan va keyin o'zi uchun joy muzokaralari olib borgan. 1918–1919 yilgi Futbol Ligasi Midlend bo'limi, asosiy liga to'xtatilgan paytda ishlayotgan vaqtinchalik urush davri bo'limi. Qoidalarga ko'ra, mehmonlar futbolchilari va "Siti" urush paytida Koventrida joylashgan ikkita xalqaro futbolchidan foydalangan - Angliya Jessi Pennington va Shotlandiki Jorj Chaplin. Ko'pgina o'yinchilar yo'qligi sababli bo'linish biroz havaskor edi, ammo Koventri yuqori darajadagi o'yinlarda g'alaba qozonib, o'zini oqladi. Nottingem o'rmoni, Sheffild Uensdey va "Xaddersfild Taun".^[36] 1919 yil boshida ular liga maqomini olish uchun spekulyativ ariza berishdi va muvaffaqiyatli bo'lishdi, ovoz berishni to'ldirib, kirish huquqiga ega bo'lishdi ikkinchi bo'lim 1919-20 yillarda to'la vaqtli futbol qayta boshlanganda.^[37]

1919–1931: Dastlabki futbol ligasi

O'yin tarkibi va klub ma'muriyatini kuchaytirish zarurligini anglagan klub, liga futboliga tayyorgarlik ko'rish uchun bir qator sarmoyalarni kiritdi. Yangi imzolanishlar orasida Jorj Chaplin ham bor edi, u doimiy ravishda urush davridagi jamoada o'ynagan va oldinga hujum qilgan Alec Mercer ning Dafn qilmoq. Highfield Road modernizatsiya qilindi, uning yangi quvvati 40,000 edi. Ushbu yaxshilanishlarga qaramay, klubning Futbol Ligasidagi dastlabki o'n ikki yili asosan maydonda ham, tashqarida ham halokatli bo'lgan.^[38] 5: 0 hisobidagi mag'lubiyat bilan boshlang "Tottenxem",^[39] "Siti" 1919-20 yillarda dastlabki o'nta o'yinida mag'lub bo'lgan va Rojdestvo kuniga qadar g'alaba qozona olmagan.^[40] 1917 yildan beri menejer Uilyam Kleyton bir necha oydan beri iste'foga chiqdi. Klubning shakli yangi boshliq davrida biroz yaxshilandi Garri Pollitt ammo, bitta o'yin qolganida, Siti hali ham so'nggi ikki o'rinni egallash xavfi ostida qoldi va qayta saylanishga intilishi kerak edi. Mavsumning so'nggi o'yinida "Siti" ortda qoldi va o'sha paytdagi rekord darajadagi 22000 kishi oldida "Bury" ni 2: 1 hisobida mag'lub etdi. G'alaba klub xavfsizligini ta'minladi va nazarda tutilgan edi Linkoln Siti ligadagi o'rnini yo'qotdi. Bir necha yil o'tib, Koventri va Buri til biriktirganidan so'ng, o'yin shuhrat qozondi o'yinni buzish. Angliya Federatsiyasi 1923 yilda surishtiruv ishlarini olib bordi va "Komissiya Bury va Koventri o'rtasida kelishuv tuzilib, ikkinchisining g'alaba qozonishiga imkon berdi" degan xulosaga keldi.^[40] Ikkala klub ham og'ir jarimani qo'lga kiritdi, shuningdek, Devid Kuk va 1925 yilda Garri Pollit kabi bir nechta amaldorlar uchun futboldan hayotni taqiqlash bilan birga.^[40]

Pollitt 1920-yilgi mavsumda "Siti" ni tark etib, uning o'rnini egalladi Albert Evans.^[39] Evans kabi hayajonli yangi futbolchilar bilan shartnoma imzoladi Jerri Best va Jimmi Dugall ammo 1920-21 yillar oxirigacha o'xshash uslubga amal qilgan. Ular ko'p qismini so'nggi o'rinda o'tkazdilar va so'nggi to'qqizta o'yinda olti g'alaba va ikkita durang natijasi evaziga qutqardilar.^[41] 1921–22 yillarda ular mavsumning so'nggi qismida qizil-yashil yarmlar uchun an'anaviy ko'k va oq ranglarni ajratib turadigan yangi ko'rinishga ega to'plamga o'tishdi, ammo maydonda kambag'al bo'lib qolishdi va bir pog'ona pasayishdan qochishdi.^[42][43] O'n sakkizinchi va o'n to'qqizinchi o'rinlarni egallagan keyingi ikki mavsumda va 1924–25 yillarda ketma-ket oltinchi pasayish jangiga duch kelganda, Koventri oxir-oqibat taslim bo'ldi va birinchi ligaga tushib ketdi. Uchinchi bo'lim Shimoliy. Ular yana bir marta dramatik qochishni boshlaganlaridek, bir muncha vaqt turdilar, mart oyida tushib ketish zonasidan chiqib ketishdi,^[44] ammo forma qo'llab-quvvatlanmadi va ular orqaga qaytishdi.^[43] Evans 1924 yilning noyabrida va mavsum oxirida klubni tark etdi Jeyms Kerr uning o'rnini bosuvchi sifatida ko'rsatildi.^[44]

1925-26 yillarning boshlarida klub o'zining an'anaviy ko'k-oq ranglariga qaytdi, ammo bu davom etayotgan tanazzulga qaytishga ilhomlantirmadi.^[45] Koventri bir mavsumni "Uchinchi divizion" da o'tkazdi va ularning sust formalari tashrif buyuruvchilarning pasayishiga olib keldi, bu liga davridagi eng past ko'rsatkich edi.^[46] Ular o'n oltinchi o'rinni egallashdi va sharmandali mag'lubiyat bilan Angliya kubogidan chetlatildi Midland ligasi yon tomon Ustaxona.^[37][44] Stok Siti va Stokport okrugi O'sha mavsumda Shimoliy Uchinchi divizionga tushib ketishdi va Kventri, a Midlands jamoaga ko'chib o'tishni so'rashdi Uchinchi divizion janubiy raqamlarni bir tekis ushlab turish uchun.^[46] Ushbu o'zgarish bir necha yil o'tgach, ular Futbol Ligasining har bir bo'linmasida - Birinchi, Ikkinchi, Uchinchi, Uchinchi - Janubiy, Uchinchi - Shimoliy va To'rtinchi o'yinlarda maydonga tushadigan yagona klub bo'lish huquqini talab qilishlari mumkinligini anglatadi.^[37] Keyingi ikki mavsum davomida kurashni davom ettirishgani uchun ligalarning harakati ularning faoliyatiga unchalik ta'sir ko'rsatmadi. 1927-28 yillarda 9-1 va 7-0 og'ir mag'lubiyatlar, ga Millwall va Uotford mos ravishda, keyin Angliya kubogining birinchi davriga chiqish Bornmut Kerrning iste'foga chiqishiga sabab bo'ldi.^[47] Birinchi Jahon Urushidan buyon uzluksiz qashshoqlikdan afsuslanib, Kechki telegraf '"Nemo" taxallusi bilan yozgan sharhlovchi Derek Xenderson,^[48] "ketma-ket menejmentlar bizni uchinchi darajali jamoadan boshqa narsa bilan ta'minlashga intilish yoki imkoniyat etishmayapti" deb yozgan.^[49] Ba'zi muxlislar klubni tugatishga chaqira boshlashdi Feniks klubi o'rnida ko'tarilish. Koventri mavsumni liga oxiriga yaqin yakunladi va qayta saylanishni talab qilish xavfi tug'ildi. Ularning so'nggi o'yinida Nortxempton, ular shubhali golga yutqazishdi va muxlislar tartibsizlikni boshlashdi.^[49] Pirovardida ular yigirmanchi o'rinni egallashdi va qayta saylanishdan qochishdi, ammo ruhiy holat eng past darajada edi.^[46]

1920-yillarning so'nggi menejeri sobiq futbolchi Jimmi Makintayir edi, u 1928-29 mavsumi boshida boshqaruvni o'z qo'liga oldi. McIntyre bir nechta yangi transferlarni amalga oshirdi va "Siti" nihoyat maydonda katta muvaffaqiyatlarga erisha boshladi. Rojdestvoda ular chempionlik uchun kurash olib borishdi, garchi ular mavsumning ikkinchi yarmida bir xil shaklda harakat qila olmadilar va o'ninchi o'rinni egallashdi.^[49] Keyingi yil ular yana bahslashishdi, ammo qochib ketgan liga etakchilarini qayta tiklay olishmadi Plimut, Devon jamoasining Rojdestvo atrofida mavsumdagi birinchi mag'lubiyatini keltirganiga qaramay.^[50] Maydonda chiqishlari yaxshilandi, ammo parda ortida muammolar paydo bo'ldi. Valter Brandish 1928 yilda klub raisiga aylandi va raqib bilan kurashish uchun keskin kurashni boshladi V. Duradgor. McIntyre ham ularni boshqaruvga aralashishda ayblab, kengash bilan tushdi.^[51] Ayni paytda, 1920-yillarda muvaffaqiyatsizlik, ammo og'ir natijalar, McIntyrening yomon transfer qarorlari bilan bir qatorda, klubni katta qarzga botirgan edi.^[52] Buning ta'siri 1930-31 yillarda umidsiz liga mavsumi va kubokning erta chiqishi bilan sezilgan.^[50][53] McIntyre kengash bilan murosasiz farqlarni keltirib, iste'foga chiqdi va Garri Storer uning o'rniga o'rnatildi.^[50]

1931–1946: "Eski beshlik" davri

1920-yillardagi to'xtovsiz kurashlardan farqli o'laroq, 1930-yillar Koventrining eng muvaffaqiyatli o'n yilliklaridan biriga aylandi.^[54] Shaharning o'zi, aksincha, iqtisodiy jihatdan o'sib borardi Katta depressiya boshqa joylarda sodir bo'lmoqda.^[55] Maydonda muvaffaqiyatga yangi menejer Garri Storer sabab bo'ldi,^[55][56] u o'zining birinchi klubini Angliyada ikkita xalqaro o'yinda maydonga tushgan va o'ynagan muhim futbolchilik martabasidan keyin boshqargan birinchi darajali kriket.^[54] 1931-32 yilgi mavsum boshlanishidan oldin u imzolagan Klarri Bourton va Jok Lauderdeyl, ikkalasi ham klub bilan birga martabaga ega bo'lishgan.^[55] Ayniqsa, "Bourton" bir zumda muvaffaqiyatga erishdi va boshqa klublar uni bir necha oydan buyon mavsumga qo'shib olishga qiziqish bildirishdi. Klub qarzini to'lashga yordam berish uchun yulduz futbolchilarni sotishning oldingi tendentsiyasini bekor qilib, kengash uni sotish vasvasasiga qarshi turdi va u klub bilan qoldi.^[54] 1931–32 yillar kelajak yulduzi bo'lgan mavsum edi Jorj Meyson debyutini klub uchun o'tkazdi, chunki Storer klubni yangi bosqichga ko'taradigan tomonni qurishni boshladi.^[57] Koventri o'sha mavsumda jami 108 ta gol urgan va ko'plab o'yinlarda beshta yoki undan ko'p gol urgan, bu o'sha davr jamoasi uchun "Eski beshlik" laqabini olib kelgan. Bourtonning 49 ta gol urishi yakka o'zi 1931–32 yillardagi Futbol Ligasi rekordidir.^[58] va uning umumiy soni 50 kishi klub rekordini saqlab qoldi.^[59] Klub ko'tarilish uchun yana bir necha mavsumni kutishi kerak edi, ammo yangitdan optimizm paydo bo'ldi.^[60]

1932-33 yillar yana bir omadli mavsum bo'ldi, Koventri oltinchi o'rinni egalladi va Bourton ligada 40 ta gol urdi.^[54] 1933–34 yillarda, klub uchinchi darajaga tushib ketganidan beri birinchi ko'tarilish imkoniyatiga ega bo'ldi.^[61] Ular ikkinchi o'rinni egallashdi va ketma-ket uchinchi mavsumda 100 dan ortiq gol urib, yangi rekord o'rnatdilar. Shuningdek, Koventri 1934 yil aprel oyida 9: 0 hisobidagi eng yirik g'alabani qayd etdi Bristol Siti.^[62] Ushbu hisob raqamga to'rtta gol kiritilgan Klarri Bourton.^[63] 1934–35 yillarda "Siti" to'rtta o'yinda g'alaba qozondi va Rojdestvo bayramigacha turnir jadvalida birinchi o'rinda turdi. Mavsum unchalik yaxshi tugamadi, ettita o'yin, shu jumladan bitta g'alabani o'z ichiga olgan, chunki "Siti" uchinchi o'rinni egalladi, ammo uzoq muddatli ta'sir o'tkazadigan ko'plab futbolchilar qo'shildi. Bunga kiritilgan Lesli Jons, uning jamoaga tezkor ta'siri uni Tottenxemning yozgi nishoniga aylantirdi. Koventri yozda unga 6000 funt sterling taklifini rad etdi.^[62]

1935–36 yillarda klub bir necha mavsumni o'tkazib yuborilgandan so'ng, ikkinchi divizionga ko'tarildi.^[57] yana 100 ta gol urgan mavsumda Uchinchi divizionning Janubiy chempionatida g'olib chiqdi.^[64] Uch o'yin qolganida ko'tarilish uchun kurash Koventri va "Luton Taun", ikkala jamoa bir-birlarini uy va mehmonda o'ynashlari kerak. Ikkala o'yin ham durang natija bilan yakunlandi, "Xayfild Roud" uchrashuvi 42.975 kishilik darvoza oldida bo'lib o'tdi.^[65] Qarshi final o'yini Torquay Yunayted yana bir triller edi Jorj MakNestri Ikkinchi bo'lim penaltisi saqlanib qoldi va jamoa o'yin tugashiga o'n besh daqiqa qolganida orqada qoldi.^[66] "Luton" o'zining so'nggi o'yinida durang o'ynaganida, targ'ibot yana bir bor o'tkazib yuborilganday tuyuldi.^[65] Vaziyat qutqarib olindi, chunki Koventri boshqa penalti bilan hisobni tenglashtirdi, bu safar u amalga oshirdi Erni Kurtis va ular Klarri Bourtonning goli evaziga g'alaba qozonish uchun 3 daqiqa vaqt qoldi. So'nggi hushtakdan so'ng bayramga 10 000 muxlis bostirib kirdi.^[67]

Klub ikkinchi divizionda hayotni mustahkam boshladi va 1936–37 yillarda sakkizinchi o'rinni egalladi. Bu mahalliy avtosanoat tadbirkorining 20 ming funt sterling kredit mablag'lari evaziga yangi asosiy stendni qurish va Highfield Road-ga er uchastkasini sotib olish kabi maydon tashqarisidagi yaxshilanishlar bilan birga bo'ldi. Jon Siddeli.^[65] Mavsum birinchi marta "Koventri" liga futbolida mahalliy raqib "Aston Villa" bilan uchrashdi va muxlislar g'alaba va durang bilan mukofotlandilar hamda Birmingem klubiga qaraganda yuqori o'rinni egallashdi.^[64] 1937-38 yillarda ular yanada yaxshi natijalarga erishdilar, dastlabki o'n beshta o'yinda mag'lubiyatsiz va to'rtinchi o'rinni egallab oldilar, bir ochko ortda qolishdi. "Manchester Yunayted". Ular 1938–39 yillarda yana to'rtinchi o'rinni egallashdi. Ammo qiyinchiliklar paydo bo'la boshladi, ayniqsa hujumda, divizionning uch davridagi erkin to'purarlikni takrorlay olmadi.^[65] "Siti" qarzlarini to'lash va kitoblarni muvozanatlashtirmoqchi bo'lganligi sababli, "Bourton" bilan bir qatorda, eng yaxshi futbolchilar sotildi, bu esa muxlislarning noroziligiga sabab bo'ldi.^[68]

1939 yil yozida Evropada siyosiy vaziyat yomonlashgani sababli transferlar juda kam bo'lgan va 1939-40 yillardagi liga mavsumi bir necha o'yinlardan so'ng bekor qilingan edi. Ikkinchi jahon urushi.^[69] O'sha paytdagi ko'plab muxlislar urush jamoani birinchi divizionga chiqish ehtimoli o'g'irlangan deb o'ylashdi, garchi jamoa 1939 yilga kelib pasayishni boshlaganiga oid ba'zi dalillar mavjud edi.^[68] Koventri bir qator o'rtoqlik o'yinlarini 1940 yil noyabrgacha davom ettirdi Koventri Blits stadionga zarar etkazdi va shahardagi barcha futbollarni to'xtatdi. O'rtoqlik uchrashuvlari 1942 yilda yana tiklandi, chunki Highfield Road-ning bir qismi qayta tiklandi va jamoa Midland mintaqaviy ligasiga qo'shildi.^[69] Urush paytida o'ldirilgan klub bilan bog'liq bo'lgan yagona o'yinchi edi Artur Bekon, "Siti" tarkibida 1935 yilgacha o'ynagan, ammo 1930-yillarning muvaffaqiyatli jamoasi baribir islohot o'tkazmaydi. Garri Storer boshqarish uchun ketdi Birmingem Siti kabi futbolchilar esa 1945 yilda Uilyam Morgan, Jek Astli va Jorj Teylor o'yindan nafaqaga chiqqan.^[69]

1946–1958: Urushdan keyingi tanazzul

Ikkinchi Jahon urushi tugagandan so'ng, 1946 yilda futbol yana tiklandi. Garri Storer o'rniga menejer tayinlandi Dik Bayliss uning yordamchisi bo'lgan,^[70] kabi ba'zi urushgacha bo'lgan o'yinchilar Jorj Meyson va Garri Barratt va darvozabon Alf Wood, klubda qoldi. Yana bir qaytib kelgan Jorj Louri, 1939 yilda imzolangan va klubning etakchi markaziy hujumchisiga aylanishi mumkin.^[71] 1946–47 yillarda Siti sakkizinchi o'rinni egalladi va engish qiyinligi uchun obro'ga ega bo'ldi.^[72] Shotlandiyaga skautlik missiyasidan qaytayotgan Bayliss Yorkshirda qor bo'roniga tushib qolganda, ular katta muvaffaqiyatsizlikka duch kelishdi. U og'ir kasal bo'lib, 1947 yil aprel oyida vafot etdi.^[71] Uning o'rnini egalladi Billi Frit, 1947-48 yillarda klubni yana bir o'rtamiyona marraga olib borgan. Keyingi mavsum juda xavfli boshlandi, "Siti" o'n oltita o'yinning o'ntasida mag'lubiyatga uchradi va Frit 1948 yil noyabrda ishdan bo'shatildi.^[73] Storer Birmingemni tark etib, Koventriga qaytishga ishontirildi va jamoaning ikkinchi sehrining dastlabki beshta o'yinida g'alaba qozonishi va pastga tushishdan qutulishi bilan bir zumda ta'sir ko'rsatdi.^[74] Ushbu muvaffaqiyat uning klub bilan ilgari erishgan muvaffaqiyatidan so'ng, uning klub tarafdorlari orasida mashhurligini oshirdi.^[71]

1949-50 yilgi mavsum Koventri uchun juda yomon boshlandi, dastlabki o'n ikkita o'yinda bitta g'alaba va ko'plab gollar o'tkazib yuborildi. Himoyachining imzosi Martin McDonnell vaqtincha yaxshilanishga olib keldi, ammo yangi yilda yana bir omadsiz yugurish klubni quyi ligaga tushib ketishiga olib keldi.^[75] Klub yana bir bor dang'adan chiqib ketishi kerak edi; imzosi Bryn Allen va Ken Chisholm so'nggi sakkizta o'yinni muvaffaqiyatli o'tkazdi va jadvalning o'rtasini yakunladi.^[74] Aksincha, keyingi mavsum juda yaxshi boshlandi va klub Rojdestvoda Ikkinchi divizion jadvalida birinchi o'rinda edi.^[76] Ular bir nechta qimmatbaho imzolarni amalga oshirdilar, shu jumladan, qanot himoyachisi Terri Springthorp va hujumchi Tommi Briggs, ammo bu futbolchilar klubga hech qanday ta'sir ko'rsatmadilar va yangi yilda juda past ko'rsatkichlar ularning ko'tarilish umidlarini tugatdi. 1951-52 yilgi mavsumni oqilona boshlashiga qaramay, bu yomon shakl sentyabr oyidan boshlab qarigan Siti jamoasi sifatida tiklandi - o'rtacha 31 yosh edi - fevralga qadar deyarli tushib ketishga duch keldi.^[77] Bir necha marta imzolanganiga qaramay, klub so'nggi uch kunlik mag'lubiyat bilan Janubiy Uchinchi divizionga tushib ketdi "Lids Yunayted".^[78]

Uchinchi darajali futbolga qaytish Highfield Road-da ishtirokchilarning keskin pasayishiga olib keldi, o'rtacha darvozalar 22000 dan 13000 gacha tushib ketdi.^[79] Bu klub moliyaviy holatiga ziyon keltirdi va vingerni sotishga majbur bo'lishdi Norman Lokxart Aston Villa-ga 15,500 funt evaziga.^[76] Ular diviziondagi birinchi mavsumida oqilona oltinchi o'rinni egallashdi, ammo 1953-54 yilgi kampaniyada yomon formaga qaytdi.^[79] Klub jadvalning pastki qismida yotar ekan, menejer Garri Storer noyabr oyining boshlarida jo'nab ketdi. Klub ma'lumotlariga ko'ra u iste'foga chiqqan, ammo Storerning o'zi uning ketishini ishdan bo'shatish deb ta'riflagan.^[76] Jamoani ikki oy davomida boshqaruv kengashi boshqargan, shundan so'ng Jek Fairbrother menejer sifatida ish boshladi.^[79] 1954 yil aprel oyida tortishuvlardan so'ng yangi kengash saylandi yillik umumiy yig'ilish. Yangi kengash rahbarlik qildi Erle Shanks va shuningdek, taniqli Derrick Robins, keyinchalik u klubda juda nufuzli shaxsga aylanadi. Yakunlangan mavsumda Feyrbrother bir nechta yangi futbolchilar bilan shartnoma imzoladi va 1954-55 yillar mavsumi ettita o'yinda oltita g'alaba bilan yorqin boshlandi, ammo keyinchalik keyingi beshtasida g'alaba qozona olishmadi.^[80] Keyin Fairbrother sog'lig'i sababli rasmiy ravishda 27 oktyabr kuni klubni tark etdi - uning rafiqasi yil boshida baxtsiz hodisa natijasida halok bo'lgan va u juda katta stressga duch kelgan.^[81] Ammo o'sha paytdagi gazeta xabarlariga ko'ra, u klubning yaqinda shaklidagi pasayishi natijasida kengash tomonidan haydalgan bo'lishi mumkin.^[80]

1955 yil yanvar oyida klub buni e'lon qildi Jessi Karver yangi menejer bo'lishi kerak edi, bu vazifani o'sha yilning iyun oyida boshlagan Jorj Reynor uning yordamchisi sifatida.^[82] Karver Italiyaning bir nechta klublari bilan muvaffaqiyatga erishgan, shu jumladan "Yuventus", Torino va "Roma" va "Koventri" da hayotni klubni Birinchi divizionga olib chiqish maqsadi bilan boshladi. Yozni qo'llab-quvvatlovchilar orasida katta kutish va nekbinlik bor edi va qarshi o'yinning ochilish o'yiniga deyarli 25000 kishi tashrif buyurdi Bournemourth.^[83] Mavsumning birinchi qismi har xil bo'lib o'tdi, uydagi yaxshi natijalar mehmonlarning yomon natijalari bilan bartaraf etildi. Carver oldinga imzo chekdi Ken McPherson va ketma-ket beshta g'alabadan so'ng, klub yil oxiriga qadar ko'tarilishni qiyinlashtirdi.^[84] Ammo 30 dekabrda boshqaruv kengashi Karverni klubni tark etishi haqida shok e'lon qildi. Ular uning ketishiga sog'liq sabablarini keltirdilar va rais Shanks matbuot anjumanida u chet elda imkoniyatlarni qidirib ketish uchun ketmasligini ta'kidladi. Ammo, bir necha kun ichida Karver yangi bo'lishini e'lon qildi "Latsio" menejeri va keyinchalik u Midlendda baxtsiz bo'lganligi va sentyabrdan buyon Italiyaga qaytishni istayotgani ma'lum bo'ldi. Raynor mavsum oxirigacha menejer sifatida ish boshladi.^[85]

1956 yilning yanvarida Koventri to'rt karra Argentina chempioniga qarshi bahsli o'yin o'tkazdi San-Lorenso-de-Almagro. San-Lorenzo Evropani, shu qatorda Ispaniyadagi, Frantsiyadagi va Italiyadagi o'yinlarni, shuningdek, Buyuk Britaniyani aylanib chiqayotgan edi, ammo o'sha paytda qishki sharoit va mavsum davomida ingliz maydonlarining muntazam yomonlashishiga odatlanmagan edi. Ular hozirgi kunga qadar Buyuk Britaniyadagi barcha o'yinlarini yutqazib, Koventriga etib kelishdi Brentford, Rangers, Sheffild Uensdey va "Vulverxempton" (Bo'rilar), hakam bilan so'nggi janjallar. Highfield Road-da muammo yana avj oldi, chunki tanaffusga qadar Koventri bahsli penalti bilan jazolandi. San-Lorenzoning Xose Sanfilippo, bo'lajak argentinalik futbolchi, hakamni tepib yuborganiga munosabat bildirdi, Artur Ellis, so'ngra maydondan haydalganda maydonni tark etishni rad etish. Keyin Ellis o'yinni chaqirdi.^[86] Keyinchalik mavsumda darvozabon sifatida Koventri uchun yaxshi yangiliklar bo'lgan Reg Metyus Angliya terma jamoasiga chaqirildi va Jorj Kurtis "Koventri" ning afsonasiga aylanib, futbolchi va menejer sifatida maydonga tushadigan 17 yoshida debyut qildi. Mavsum tugagandan so'ng "Siti" tayinlandi Garri Uorren Carver uchun doimiy menejer o'rnini egallagan, bu klub so'nggi besh yilda oltinchi.^[84]

Uorrenning birinchi mavsumni boshqarishi muvaffaqiyatli bo'lmadi, chunki yana bir bor umidvor boshlanish tanazzulga uchradi.^[84] Uorren avvalgisidan foydalanilgan qit'a tizimiga emas, balki ko'proq jismoniy o'yin uslubiga ustunlik berdi. Unga doimiy ravishda rahbarlik lavozimini berish kerakligini o'ylagan Raynor 1956 yil noyabr oyida klubni tark etdi va keyinchalik ular sotib olgan yulduz darvozabon Reg Metyusni yo'qotib qo'yishdi. "Chelsi" 22000 funt evaziga, o'sha paytdagi darvozabon uchun rekord narx. Kambag'al forma va jarohat klubni 16-o'rinni egallashini anglatar edi, mavsum boshida darvozalar soni 20000 dan, oxiriga qadar atigi 5000ga tushdi. 1957–58 yillar yanada yomonlashdi: Uorren sentyabr oyida sust boshlanganidan so'ng ishdan bo'shatildi, uning o'rniga Billi Frit o'rnini egallab oldi va ikkinchi sehrgarga qaytdi,^[87] ammo formasi yaxshilanmadi va "Siti" 19-o'rinni egalladi. Liga mavsum oxirida qayta tashkil etilishi kerak edi, bu g'oyani dastlab Koventri o'zlari taklif qilishdi, ikkita mintaqaviy uchinchi divizion o'rniga butun mamlakat bo'ylab uchdan biri va yangi to'rtinchisi bo'linish. "Siti" ikkinchi ligaga qo'shilishganidan so'ng, ularni Futbol Ligasiga qo'shilgandan beri eng past darajadagi futbol darajasiga tushirishdi.^[84]

1958-1967: tepaga ko'tariling

Koventri uch o'yindan so'ng eng past ligadagi 91-o'rinni egallaganini ko'rgan mavsum boshidagi xatolarga qaramay, klub to'rtinchi divizionda qolish faqat bir mavsum bilan cheklandi.^[88] Moliya juda qiyin edi, ammo Frit arzon narxlarda, shu jumladan Irlandiyalik xalqaro futbolchini sotib oldi Reg Rayan, Alan Deyli, va Accringtonniki Jorj Styuart.^[89] Qachonki klub darvozaboni, Jim Sanders, sentyabr oyida Frith 44 yoshli ayolni ko'ndirdi Alf Wood, birinchi o'yinini 1938 yilda o'tkazgan va klubga murabbiy sifatida qaytgan, o'rnini egallash uchun. Vud o'nta o'yin o'tkazdi, shundan jamoa faqatgina bittasida mag'lubiyatga uchradi, uning o'rniga imzolash bilan almashtirildi Artur Lightening.^[88] Fritning taktikasi o'z samarasini berdi va "Siti" "Port Vale" dan keyin ikkinchi o'ringa ko'tarildi.^[90] Koventrining yaxshi formasi 1959-60 yilgi mavsumda ham davom etdi va ular Pasxaga qadar ketma-ket ikkinchi darajaga ko'tarilish uchun davogar bo'lishdi.^[90] Ammo so'nggi uchrashuvlarda uchta mag'lubiyat seriyasi ular o'tkazib yuborilganligini anglatardi. Yana bir marta xavfli moliyaviy vaziyatga tushib qolgan Koventri 1960–61 yillarni juda yomon boshladi, dastlabki o'n oltita o'yinda atigi to'rtta g'alaba. Ular mavsumning o'rtalarida to'planishdi, ammo yana bir yomon yurish ularni yomon yakunlashga majbur qildi.^[89] Mavsumning eng muhim tomoni shundaki, Uolter Brandishning o'rniga Derrik Robins klub raisi etib tayinlandi; it was under Robins' chairmanship that the club's fortunes were transformed.^[91]

The 1961–62 season marked the beginning of what would later be called the "Sky Blue revolution", as Jimmi Xill replaced Frith as manager in December.^[92] The first months of the season were amongst the worst in the club's history, as the club lacked a consistent oldinga. The nadir came with a second-round FA Cup defeat to Qirol Lin, an amateur side from the Southern League; Frith and his team were dismissed four days later,^[93] although it later transpired that Robins' decision to appoint Hill had been made before the King's Lynn game.^[94] Hill immediately began changing things within the club, introducing Monday training to allow for more rest at the end of the week before Saturday matches, training in the afternoon, and allowing players to speak to the media.^[95] Despite initial optimism over Hill's arrival, performances on the field remained poor through the rest of the season and City finished in 14th place.^[96] For the supporters it seemed like yet another false dawn under a new manager, and attendances dropped to just 6,000.^[97] But Hill, with strong support from Robins, was already planning for the following season.^[96]

Coventry began 1962–63 with a raft of changes instigated by Hill. This included a change of Ip, to a sky-blue colour, with City becoming the first club in England to wear shirts and shorts with a matching colour.^[98] The change of colour came with an associated nickname change, the "Bantams" moniker being dropped in favour of the "Sky Blues",^[99] and Hill wrote the "Sky Blue Song", sung to the melody of the "Eton qayiqda qo'shiq ", which was still being sung at matches by Coventry supporters fifty years later.^[100] They made a number of new signings such as Peterborough's Terri Bli va Jon Sillett from Chelsea, made possible by a £30,000 injection of funds by Robins. The club did not achieve promotion that season, with a fourth-place finish, but had their most successful run in the FA Cup for many years, beating Bournemouth, Millwall, Lincoln, Portsmouth, and Sunderland en route to a quarter-final defeat by Manchester United.^[101] The fifth round match again Sunderland was one of the most-attended games ever at Highfield Road; the official figure was just over 40,000 but, with many fans entering the stadium through three gates which were broken down, it is likely to have been closer to 50,000.^[102] In April, Hill bought a new striker, Jorj Xadson, as a direct replacement for Terry Bly.^[103] The decision was highly controversial with supporters and the press, as Bly had already scored twenty-seven goals in his debut season and was already a crowd favourite at Highfield Road. But Hill believed Hudson to be a better long-term fit for the team he wished to build, playing up front alongside Ken Xeyl and Bly was effectively frozen out. Hudson was an instant success, scoring a hat-trick on his debut, while Bly was sold to Notts County later in the year and the remainder of his career was largely unsuccessful.^[104]

The next season, 1963–64, Coventry finally achieved promotion back to Division Two. The star of the team was Hudson, who scored twenty-one goals before Christmas, and City were nine points clear at the top of the table by January. They then suffered a reversal of fortune, going eleven games without victory, and by February the lead was down to just one point.^[105] Hill made some changes, including the emergency signing of Jorj Kirbi as a controversial replacement for the temporarily-out-of-form Hudson. City appeared to have missed out on promotion when they lost 2–0 at Peterboro in April, but they were saved by some poor results for their rivals and a winner by the returning Hudson in a final-day victory over Colchester, giving them the championship.^[106] The club's first two seasons back in the second tier resembled the pre-war seasons of 1936–37 and 1937–38: in 1964–65 they started very well, briefly going top of the table after five games, but eventually finishing with a solid mid-table finish. Then, in 1964–65, followed a genuine promotion challenge as Coventry missed out by a point.^[107] Hill courted controversy once more by selling George Hudson during the season to Nortxempton for £29,000. New signings during this time included goalkeeper Bill Glazier va hujumchi Yan Gibson, while local player and future manager, Bobbi Gould, began to appear regularly in the side.^[108]

Having narrowly missed out the previous season, Coventry were promoted to Division One in 1966–67.^[107] After a solid start, they suffered a loss of form and were in tenth place in November. Hill angered supporters yet again by dropping their favourite striker, in this case Ian Gibson. After a defeat at Carlisle, Gibson and Hill had an altercation in the dressing room and Gibson was dropped and transfer-listed on his own request. As the club continued to slide, Hill and Gibson eventually made up and the forward was returned to the side for a 3–2 win over Kardiff, unda u ikki marta gol urdi.^[109] The team then achieved a run of twenty-five straight games without defeat, with Gibson playing a vital role in the revival.^[110] Promotion was confirmed in April when rivals Blackburn drew at home to Bolton, but Division Two title was still at stake as Coventry played their penultimate game of the season against Wolves, who were also already promoted. The match, played on 29 April 1967, attracted the largest crowd in Highfield Road's history with an official gate of 51,455 and probably many thousands more who were not counted.^[111] Dubbed the "Midlands Match of the Century" by Hill,^[112] the game was dominated by Wolves for the first hour, and the visitors led 1–0 at half time. It was Coventry's day, however, as Ian Gibson created two goals and scored one to record a 3–1 victory. This was followed up with a City win and a Wolves defeat on the final day, giving Coventry the championship.^[113]

1967–1975: Early top-flight years and European football

Excitement grew amongst the supporters through the summer of 1967, ahead of the team's first-ever season in the top flight.^[114] But two days before the first game, the board made announced that Jimmy Hill was resigning from the club to work for London hafta oxiri televideniesi.^[115] He had been planning the move for most of the summer, but the news was a complete surprise to the public, and Hill had continued to talk of his plans for the First Division in interviews. The Evening Telegraph's Derek Henderson ("Nemo"), who broke the story, ascribed Hill's departure to his constant desire to pursue new challenges. In his 1968 book about the club's history, Henderson wrote "like a mountaineer who climbs his mountain just because it is there, [Hill] has to go on and seek another mountain to conquer".^[116] Hill remained in charge for the first few games of the 1967–68 season, standing down on 12 October when the club appointed Noel Kantvell uning vorisi sifatida.^[114] Hill went on to have a successful career in broadcasting, which included the hosting of the BBC's Kunning o'yini programme from 1973 to 1989.^[117]

Coventry struggled in their first season in Division One, hindered by a broken leg to George Curtis in the second game, and by January they were at the bottom of the table, with just 16 points from 25 games. They began to recover from February with league wins over West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea, and Sheffield Wednesday, although they were eliminated from the FA Cup by Tranmere.^[114] On 6 March 1968 a large fire broke out in the main stand, destroying half the seats as well as melting the Second Division championship trophy. Despite this, the home game against "Manchester Yunayted" went ahead ten days later, with more than 47,000 supporters present as Coventry beat the previous season's champions and soon-to-be-crowned European cup winners 2–0.^[118][119] Coventry entered the last game of the season knowing that they would be safe from relegation if they matched the result of "Sheffild Yunayted". They drew 0–0 with Southampton while United were defeated against Chelsea, securing the first of ten last-day escapes in their top-flight years.^[120] The 1968–69 season proceeded almost identically to the previous, with the club managing only fourteen points in twenty-five games by February. They fought back again, and finished their games outside the relegation zone, but cup-finalists "Lester" had five games remaining and would send Coventry down if they achieved seven points. They only managed five, and City were safe again.^[119]

Despite the media and bookmakers predicting another season of struggle,^[121] Coventry recorded their most successful league season ever in 1969–70, securing a sixth-place finish.^[122] The Sky Blues took eight points from a possible ten in the first five games,^[121] and recorded a record total of ten away wins in the campaign,^[122] including a 3–1 win at second-placed Derbi,^[123] qaysi Brayan Klof described as "brilliant".^[121] The top-six finish earned Coventry a place in the European Fairs Cup for the 1970–71 season, and supporters optimistically thought the club had a genuine chance of winning the competition.^[124] The European campaign started well, with an easy win over two legs against Trakiya Plovdiv,^[122] but a 6–1 defeat in Germany against "Bavariya" effectively ended the campaign after two rounds. City salvaged some pride in the second leg, as 26,000 supporters watched them beat the Germans 2–1 at Highfield Road.^[125] Their league form also slumped, as they finished in tenth place with just 37 goals scored, and they were beaten in the FA Cup by Third Division club Rochdale.^[122][126] One bright spot on the season was the home game against reigning-champions Everton, which Coventry won 3–1. The game featured a "donkey kick" goal, in which Villi Karr flicked a free-kick backwards with both feet to Erni Xant, kim gol urdi. The goal won the BBC mavsumining maqsadi award, but the technique was outlawed at the end of the season.^[127] City's form dipped further in 1971–72, as they finished 18th and were beaten in the FA Cup in a home game against Xall Siti.^[122] Noel Cantwell was sacked in March 1972, following a run of eleven winless games.^[128] He had achieved some success with the club but lamented "the ghost of Jimmy Hill", which he said followed him on the job.^[129]

Three months after Cantwell's departure, Djo Merser va Gordon Milne were appointed as joint managers of the club. City had offered the job to Brian Clough, who said that he had been very tempted to take it, but he instead opted to remain at Derby.^[130] They started out the 1972–73 season with the existing squad, seeking to play in what Mercer called "the attractive way". But after failing to win any of the first six games, they began a series of transfers to reshape the team.^[128] Notable incoming players included Kolin Shteyn va Tommi Xetchison, both of whom would go on to become highly popular with the supporters,^[122][131] esa Jeff Blockley ga sotilgan "Arsenal" for a club-record £200,000.^[130] The changes worked, as City went eight games unbeaten, including a 2–0 win at Arsenal featuring a much-lauded Hutchison goal. They also progressed to the FA Cup quarter final for the third time, but a poor performance at Wolverhampton Wanderers ended that run.^[132] League form also suffered and the club finished 19th.^[133] The following season started brightly, and wins at home to Liverpool, Manchester City and Derby put City in the top five after ten games.^[134] They progressed to the quarter-final of Liga kubogi and the fifth round of Angliya kubogi, but suffered narrow defeats in both. The league ended disappointingly again with a 16th-place finish.^[135] The club were plunged into financial difficulties in 1974. They purchased Larri Lloyd dan "Tottenxem" for £240,000, with Mik Makgayr va Jimmi Xolms due to be sold in the other direction for £200,000, but the latter deal fell through after the former was already completed and Coventry faced a huge deficit.^[135] Derrick Robins left the club in April 1975 due a relocation to South Africa, ending a fifteen-year career at the helm which had transformed the club's history.^[136] Joe Mercer left his management position to become a club director at the same time, leaving Milne in sole charge of the team.^[137] On the field it was an indifferent season, with patchy league form and an early exit from both cups.^[138]

1975–1983: Return of Jimmy Hill

Robins' replacement as chairman was Sir Jack Scamp, a local industrial relations expert who had previously chaired Ragbi Taun.^[139] Scamp remained in the role for two years before being replaced by Phil Mead.^[140] More significant, however, was the return of Jimmy Hill to the club as managing director, which was announced at the end of the 1974–75 season.^[139] It was not initially clear what Hill's role would be, and his Coventry City duties were combined the job with his ongoing television and consultancy work,^[136] but his arrival was greeted with less optimism than when he had first joined the club in 1961.^[141] The 1975–76 season saw a similar pattern to the previous, but supporters were shocked when star midfielder Dennis Mortimer,^[136] who had been with the club since the age of fifteen,^[142] was sold to arch-rivals Aston Villa for £175,000. The fans, who had assumed Mortimer would be the player around whom the team was built, were outraged at the apparent lack of ambition at Coventry, and the sale proved to be poor value as Mortimer went on to have a stellar career and captaincy at Villa, culminating in victory in the 1982 yil Evropa kubogi finali.^[136]

After a few seasons without serious danger of relegation,^[133] and despite the arrival of influential players Terri Yorat va Yan Uolles, City struggled in 1976–77. A run of poor form after the new year left them in serious trouble, and they were in the bottom three going into the final game at home to Bristol Siti.^[143] Sanderlend, Bristol and Coventry were level on points, and all battling to avoid one relegation spot, but with Coventry on the lowest gollar farqi. With five minutes left in the game at Highfield Road the score was 2–2, which would leave Bristol City certain of safety but Coventry facing the drop if Sunderland avoided defeat. At that point, however, news came through that Sunderland had lost their game at "Everton", which meant that a draw would be sufficient for both Coventry and Bristol to avoid the drop. Both teams' managers informed the players of the situation, and they played out the final minutes without any attempt to score further goals. Sunderland lodged a complaint and the Football League conducted an enquiry into the situation, but Coventry were eventually exonerated.^[144]

The 1977–78 season was a complete contrast, with a change in tactics by Gordon Milne, switching to an attacking 4-2-4 shakllanishi. The tactic meant City conceded more goals than previously, but with Yorath and Barri Pauell as anchors in midfield, Hutchison and new signing Rey Graydon on the wings, and Wallace and Mik Fergyuson as strikers, the attack were more than able to compensate. Coventry finished seventh, narrowly missing out on qualifying for Europe for a second time.^[145] A run of injuries led to a less successful campaign the following season, with a tenth-place finish. The club acquired new players Gari Gillespi va Stiv Xant for relatively low prices, both of whom would go on to enjoy success at the club. Despite their recent financial problems, Coventry attempted to make the first-ever £1 million pound signing, of Trevor Frensis, but the Birmingham striker elected to move to Nottingham Forest instead. A bid for Ipsvich himoyachi Kevin Beattie fell through over concerns about the player's fitness.^[146] The club's form suffered further in the 1979–80 season as they fell to fifteenth place in the league table, and exited the FA Cup in the fourth round to Third Division Blackburn. Phil Mead retired at the end of the season and Jimmy Hill, who had also acquired significant shareholdings in the club, was elevated to the chairmanship.^[147]

During the close-season Coventry sold Ian Wallace to Nottingham Forest for a fee of £1.25 million, using the proceeds to fund a new sports centre at the club training ground in Riton-on-Dansmor. They also negotiated a sponsorhip deal with Talbot, and attempted to rename the club to "Coventry Talbot". This proposal was rejected by the FA.^[147] The highlight of the 1980–81 season was a League Cup run which started with a win over Manchester United in the opening round, City winning both legs 1–0. By February the club had reached the semi-final of the competition, and were also enjoying league and FA Cup success, but the final months of the season were a disaster. Ular mag'lub bo'lishdi "Vest Xem Yunayted" in the League Cup, through a late goal, to Tottenham in the FA Cup fifth round four days later, and then league form deserted them as they lost seven out of the next eight games. Only a late-season rally prevented City being sucked into the relegation fight. The poor form led Coventry to relieve Milne of his managerial duties, although he remained at the club in the role of general manager. Deyv Sexton, who had previously managed Chelsea, Manchester United and Qirolicha parkidagi Reynjers was appointed as Milne's replacement.^[148]

In the summer of 1981 Highfield Road was converted into an all-seat stadium,^[149] the second in the United Kingdom after Aberdeen's Pittodri stadioni.^[150] Explaining the development, Hill cited the rise of bezorilik, saying "you can't be a hooligan sitting down".^[151] The capacity was reduced to just 20,500, a figure well below average attendances in the late 1960s. In the second game after the development visiting Lids supporters ripped up seats to use as weapons against the police.^[149] The club also introduced an unusual kit for the new season, featuring a large "T" representing sponsors Talbot. Meanwhile, the club were selling key players including fan-favourite Tommy Hutchison, who departed for Manchester City, while failing to invest in replacements.^[152] The 1981–82 season started dismally, causing attendances to drop below 10,000. A late-season run of thirteen games with only one defeat and progress to the FA Cup quarter finals, inspired by former England captain Gerri Frensis, left supporters feeling more optimistic by the end of the season.^[153] But this was short-lived, as further players were sold the following season including Garri Tompson, who was sold to West Bromwich for just £225,000. The squad was left with just fourteen players in early 1983 and, with morale low, the club slipped from fifth place into another yet relegation fight. They escaped by one point but the relationship between Hill and the supporters was beyond repair and he left the club in May 1983.^[154] Dave Sexton was also dismissed and the terrace on the Kop re-introduced, ending Hill's all-seat experiment.^[155]

1983–1987: Rebuilding the team and FA Cup win

At the end of the 1982–83 season almost half of the squad were out of contract and, given the gloomy atmosphere at the club, most did not want to sign new contracts.^[156] Mark Xateli, Denni Tomas va Gari Gillespi were among the high-profile names to leave.^[157] The new manager was Bobbi Gould, who summed up the bleak situation at the club by saying "I have been thrown into the lions' den". A native of Coventry as well as a former player, Gould was very knowledgeable about the league's lower divisions, from which he began rebuilding the team by recruiting inexpensive players. The new recruits included members of the future cup-winning side, Deyv Bennet, Michael Gynn va Trevor Pik, shu qatorda; shu bilan birga Mikki Adams, Sem Ellardays va Styuart Pirs, the last of whom joined from non-league Wealdstone a few months into the season. Brian "Harry" Roberts, one of the few players from the previous season to remain with the club, became captain.^[158] The inexperience of the side and the poor finances at the club, which were made worse by the withdrawal of Talbot's sponsorship deal, meant that once more the bookmakers had Coventry amongst the favourites for relegation. Despite supporter and pundit expectations, Coventry performed quite well in the first half of 1983–84, rising to fourth in the table by December through a run which included a 4–0 win over champions Liverpool. But once again their form deserted them after the new year, and after a run even worse than the previous season's were saved only through a last-day win against Norvich, Birmingham being relegated instead as they failed to beat Southampton.^[159]

Bobby Gould made several more signings in the summer and autumn of 1985, with the nucleus of the future cup-winning side beginning to take shape.^[160] Stiv Ogrizovich, who would go on to break the club's appearance record,^[161] dan qo'shildi Shrewsbury, Brian Kilcline dan ko'chib o'tdi Notts okrugi, and England-international Kirill Regis switched from West Bromwich Albion. But the season started poorly, developing into another relegation fight, and Gould was sacked after two lacklustre defeats at Christmas, being replaced by his assistant Don Makkay. Their form improved, but they remained in deep relegation trouble. After a number of game cancellations in April due to a bout of flu, Coventry had three games to play after most other teams had completed their fixtures. Relegation rivals Norwich were eight points ahead, which left City requiring wins in all three games. In the first, they narrowly beat already-relegated Stok, surviving when a late penalty hit the bar, and in the second they beat Luton with a winner six minutes before the end.^[160] The final game was at Highfield Road against "Everton", who were already guaranteed the league championship. Coventry put on one of their best performances of the season, winning 4–1 to complete an unlikely escape and send Norwich down.^[162] In 1985–86 they faced their third successive relegation battle which went down to the final game.^[120] Home form was particularly poor, as City did not win any games at Highfield Road between 6 October and 22 February. Don Mackay resigned or was sacked in April, after a run of eight games without a win, replaced by George Curtis and the youth-team coach Jon Sillett so'nggi uchta o'yin uchun. Coventry won two of them and escaped relegation again.^[163]

In 1986–87 Coventry won the only major trophy in their history as they beat "Tottenxem" at Wembley to win the FA Cup.^[164] The season began with low expectations, following the previous season's relegation battle, and they lost the opening game 1–0 at "Vest Xem".^[165] But this was followed up with a win over "Arsenal" and they didn't lose another game until 4 October.^[166] They remained in the top half of the table for the remainder of the year, with Cyrille Regis and Dave Bennett showing improved from in attack and the defence conceding few goals. They scored a notable victory against top-of-the-table Nottingham Forest in November. and on 27 December they played a thrilling game against Tottenham which finished 4–3, Regis scoring the winner in the final minute.^[165] The FA Cup run began with a third-round tie against Third Division side Bolton Uanderers, managed at the time by future Coventry manager Fil Nil. City won 3–0 in frozen conditions,^[167] Greg Downs, Regis and Bennett the scorers. Coventry's fourth round match was against "Manchester Yunayted" da Old Trafford. Returning from the team's brief trip to Spain to escape the cold George Curtis told the press "Our name is on the cup", but United were the firm favourites.^[165] The game was once again played on a frozen pitch and Coventry won the game 1–0 through a Keyt Xusen maqsad. Recently appointed United manager Aleks Fergyuson cited City's better play for his team's defeat, saying "their players were prepared to risk life and limb – ours weren't".^[168]

Another away match followed in the fifth round on 21 February, this time Second Division at Stok Siti, who had suffered only one defeat since November.^[169] The home side played better in the first half but Coventry withstood the pressure and once again took the game 1–0, Michael Gynn scoring on the rebound after Devid Fillips had failed to convert a Nik Pikering cross in the 72nd minute. The quarter-final was at Hillsboro against Sheffield Wednesday and scores were level after a first-half Regis goal was cancelled out by a 67th-minute equaliser by Gari Megson. But Coventry scored twice in the final stages to progress to their first ever semi-final, against "Lids Yunayted".^[170] The semi-final was also played at Hillsborough, this time as a neutral venue, and 27,000 Coventry supporters travelled to Sheffield for the game. Leeds were in the Second Division at the time and City started as favourites,^[171] but the Yorkshire side started better, forcing goalkeeper Stiv Ogrizovich to make two early saves and taking the lead after fourteen minutes.^[170] Coventry played better after going behind, with Regis going close to scoring on three occasions,^[171] and eventually equalised after 69 minutes through a Gynn goal. Houchen's goal ten minutes later gave them a 2–1 lead but Leeds equalised with seven minutes remaining.^[170] Dave Bennett scored nine minutes into extra time and City held on for the win.^[171] The club's league form suffered somewhat during the cup run^[170] – despite challenging for a top-six finish at the turn of the year,^[172] they eventually finished tenth.^[171]

In the FA Cup final, they beat an impressive side 3–2 in the final after extra time, the score having been 2–2 after 90 minutes. It is generally considered as one of finest finals of all time in terms of footballing technique, fair play and sheer excitement. This also finally made archaic the famous Monty Python 'World Forum' sketch, in which Coventry City's last FA Cup win is a trick question asked in a game show, as they hadn't won the Cup to that point. Coventry City's youth team also won the FA yoshlar kubogi in 1987 (beating Charlton Athletic 2–1) to secure a remarkable 'double'. Aside from Coventry, only Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton have ever won both the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup in the same season. Key players in Coventry City's FA Cup winning team included goalkeeper Stiv Ogrizovich, defender and captain Brian Kilcline, yarim himoyachilar Deyv Bennet va Lloyd McGrath, and strikers Kirill Regis va Keyt Xusen, who scored the famous diving header. Their manager at the time was Jon Sillett.

1987–1995: Post-cup-win years and launch of the Premier League

The city of Coventry enjoyed the glory of the Cup win during the summer of 1987, with supporters fixing sky-blue ribbons to their cars and extensive merchandise sales. Spending some of the profits made from their success, John Sillett bought Devid Speedi for £780,000, a club-record at the time, announcing that the club would "no longer be shopping at Vulvort 's, from now on we're shopping at Harrods".^[173][174] The club were unable to participate in the European Cup Winners' Cup as English clubs were still banned from European competition following the 1985 Heysel stadionidagi falokat.^[175] The 1987–88 season began with another trip to Wembley, as Coventry played league-champions Everton in the FA Charity Shield. 40,000 Coventry supporters attended the game, which City lost 1–0.^[173] The first league game was a repeat of the FA Cup final, as Coventry played Tottenham, Speedie scoring in a 2–1 win.^[176][177] The season was a disappointment, however, with their defence of the FA Cup ending in a fourth-round home defeat to Uotford and another tenth-place league finish.^[178] The following season City suffered one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history, as they lost 2–1 to non-league Satton Yunayted uchinchi turda.^[179] They fared better in the league and were third in the table following a win over league-leaders Arsenal in late February.^[180][181] They eventually finished seventh, which was their highest finish since 1978, but the side was ageing by this time and many supporters felt that the club were not achieving their potential.^[178]

Coventry replaced a number of players during the 1989 close-season, buying defender Piter Billing and acquiring Liverpool's Kevin Makdonald on a free transfer, with Devid Fillips va Steve Sedgley klubni tark etish. John Sillett felt that there was a qabariq in the transfer market at the time and declined to spend large amounts of money on players despite having funds available. Despite a strong start, which saw the side top of the table after four games, City struggled to score goals and finished twelfth in the table. They suffered another embarrassing FA Cup defeat, this time to Third Division Nortxempton, but fared better in Liga kubogi, reaching the semi-final with a 5–0 win over Sunderland before losing to eventual winners Nottingem o'rmoni yarim finalda.^[182] Despite the poor finish to the previous season, Sillett believed the club could challenge for the league title in 1990–91, despite not making any major signings. The season started badly, however, and Sillett left the club in November - it was unclear if he was sacked or merely brought forward an already planned end-of-season departure. Uning o'rnini egalladi Terri Butcher kim kelgan Rangers as player-manager, for a £400,000 fee. Without prior experience in management Butcher struggled, and the club finished a disappointing 16th with a 5–4 fourth round League Cup defeat of holders Nottingham Forest the only significant success.^[183]

In the early 1990s, clubs in the First Division made the decision to set up the breakaway Premer-liga, with the goal of increasing revenue from television broadcasts and removing the ability of lower-league clubs to contribute to decisions affecting the top flight.^[184] The 1991–92 season was thus the last in the old First Division before the launch of the Premer-liga, and it was another disappointing one for Coventry. Their first few games included home defeats to Manchester City and Wimbledon but also a surprise away win at "Arsenal", with newly signed Zimbabwean Piter Ndlovu klubdagi birinchi golini urdi.^[185] They were in fourth place after nine games, but a slump followed and by Christmas City were descending towards the bottom of the table.^[186] Butcher, whose retirement as a player had led to a contract dispute, was dismissed in January after an FA Cup defeat to Kembrij. Don Xou took over but the club continued to play poorly and were pulled into a relegation fight. On the final day of the season City lost 2–0 at Aston Villa, ex-City-hero Cyrille Regis scoring the opener, but they were saved from relegation as rivals Luton were also defeated.^[185]

The Premier League was launched in summer 1992 as the First Division clubs, including Coventry City following their last-day relegation escape, resigned en masse from the Football League.^[187] The club decided in summer 1992 to bring back Bobby Gould, who had enjoyed some success at Wimbledon and West Bromwich since his dismissal by Coventry, for a second stint as manager.^[188] The intention was for him to work jointly with Don Howe but the latter decided to step down due to a combination of ill health, a difficult commute and a lack of popularity with supporters. City therefore appointed Fil Nil as Gould's assistant.^[189] Coventry made a bright start to the season, occupying second place in the table after six of the first eight games were won. This was followed by a run of disappointing draws,^[188] which was halted with the arrival of Mikki Kvinn from Newcastle. Scoring ten goals in six games, Quinn inspired City to a 5–1 win over Liverpool in December, followed by a 3–0 result against Aston Villa.^[190] The fans warmed to Quinn instantly, using the chant "He's fat, he's round, he scores at every ground" in reference to his alleged overweight status.^[191] The season finished disappointingly with just one win from the last eleven games, slumping from a possible European place to finish 15th but the club were never in relegation danger.^[188]

Bryan Richardson took over as chairman of the club in summer 1993 and the club made another strong start to 1993–94, opening with a Quinn hat-trick in a 3–0 win at Arsenal and being unbeaten after eight games. Trouble followed however, as a 5–1 defeat at Queen's Park Rangers was followed by Gould's resignation, the manager claiming that Richardson was forcing him into selling star striker Peter Ndlovu. Phil Neal took over and was initially allowed to strengthen the team rather than sell. The club played some positive football and possessed two top-class players in Ndlovu and Fil Babb, but remained unable to play consistently through a whole season and finished 11th.^[192] A strong end to the season meant that 1994–95 began with optimism, enhanced by Neal's purchase of Dion Dublin and American winger Cobi Jons. December injuries to Dublin and Devid Busst led to a poor run of results, culminating in FA Cup defeat to Norwich and supporters quickly turned against Phil Neal.^[193] Neal's reputation had also fallen with the release of "The Impossible Job ", a documentary about former England manager Grem Teylor and Neal, his assistant, which portrayed the latter as a "yes man" with no independent opinions.^[194] He was sacked and replaced by Ron Atkinson, bilan Gordon Strachan named assistant manager.^[193]

1995–2001: Final years in the top flight

The arrival of Atkinson and Strachan, and Richardson's promise of considerable sums of money to spend on players, brought a sense of optimism to Highfield Road in the summer of 1995.^[195] Atkinson made several big-name signings in summer 1995 and during the season, including Brazilian Ishayo, Jon Salako, Nii Lempti va Noel Uilan, who arrived for a then-club-record £2 million.^[196] They also rejected offers of several million pounds each for Dublin and Ndlovu. After making a reasonable start, the team suffered their worst run in the top flight, playing fourteen league games without a win and by early December City were bottom of the table.^[195][197] They revived somewhat after Whelan's signing in December, but more poor results followed and by Easter, City appeared certain to be relegated.^[198] They avoided the drop by winning three of their final six games and benefiting on the final day as "Manchester Siti" played out a 2–2 draw without attempting to win, under the false belief that this would keep them up.^[120] Coventry continued to spend money on players during the summer of 1996, breaking their transfer record again with the purchase of Gari Makallister from Leeds for £3 million. They suffered a poor start to the campaign though, and with Atkinson failing to bring success he was moved to the Futbol direktori role, handing over to his designated-successor, Strachan. They had a brief revival but as the season drew to a close they were fighting another relegation battle. For the third season in a row Strachan appeared for the team himself, despite being officially retired and inspired the team to a crucial win over Chelsea.^[199] They played Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the final game knowing that only a win and favourable results elsewhere would save them. In a match delayed by 15 minutes due to traffic, they held on for a 2–1 win and were safe again,^[200] their tenth and final last-day escape of the top-flight era.^[120]

The 1997–98 season, Strachan's first full campaign in charge, was much more successful. A solid 11th-place finish in the league was accompanied by the club's best FA Cup run since 1987, ending only with a quarter-final replay defeat on penalties at "Sheffild Yunayted".^[201] Notable wins during the season included a 3–2 win against champions Manchester United, featuring a Darren Xekerbi goal that won goal of the month,^[202] an FA Cup win at "Liverpul" and the club's first ever win away to Aston Villa in the FA Cup fifth round.^[201] Dion Dublin's 18 league goals earned him a share of the Premer-ligada "Oltin butsa" for the season and he played for England during the season but failed to make the squad for the 1998 yil FIFA Jahon chempionati.^[203][201] Off the pitch, Bryan Richardson revealed ambitious plans for the club's future including "Arena 2000", the initial proposals for the Ricoh Arena. The plans at that time envisaged a 40,000-seat stadium, to be opened in 2001, which was also designated as one of the host venues in the unsuccessful Angliya 2006 FIFA Jahon chempionati uchun ariza.^[204][205] The next season proved a disappointment after the optimism of the previous campaign. City achieved an opening-day victory over a "Chelsi" team of international stars, but this was followed by four defeats in the next five games. A run of six games with only one defeat in the spring took the club clear of the relegation fight, but a poor run-in saw them finish in 15th.^[206][207] Another cup run seemed on the cards after a 7–0 win over Makklesfild and a 3–0 defeat at local rivals Leicester in the third and fourth rounds, but it was ended by a poor performance in a 2–1 fifth round defeat at Everton.^[206][208] Adding to supporters' frustration, several top players left during the season and the subsequent summer. This included Dublin, who was sold to Aston Villa for £5.75 million in an acrimonious deal, as well as Huckerby and Jorj Boateng.^[209]

The 1999–2000 campaign was one of contrasts. Boosted by the arrival of Robbi Kin for £6 million, as well as Moroccans Moustapha Hadji va Youssef Chippo, Coventry achieved 12 wins from their 19 home games.^[210] This included a 3–2 Boks kuni defeat of Arsenal, described by the Koventri Telegraf as one of the "most memorable wins of the Premier League era".^[211] But away from home, City failed to win a single game all season, losing the last five, which meant ultimately they could only finish 14th.^[210][207] McAllister, labelled by club historian Jim Brown as "the fulcrum of all the team's moves" during the season, left the club in the summer. Keane also departed to "Inter" for £13 million and, with neither player adequately replaced, the team struggled throughout the 2000–01 season.^[212] They won two of their first three games, ending the run of winless away games in the process,^[213] but they then won only two further games before Christmas.^[214] Strachan tried numerous different team structures, but the poor run continued.^[212] Veteran striker Jon Xartson arrived on loan in February,^[215] and his leadership and goals caused some improvement in results.^[212] But it was not enough, and City's 34-year tenure in the top flight ended on 5 May 2001 with a 3–2 defeat to arch-rivals Aston Villa.^[216]

2001–2006: Life outside the Premiership

Five games into the 2001–02 season manager Gordon Strachan was sacked, shortly after an embarrassing 1–0 defeat at home to Grimsbi shahri. He was replaced by 38-year-old team regular Roland Nilsson, who took on the role of player-manager. Nilsson was dismissed at the end of the season after failing to get Coventry into the play-offs. This was particularly disappointing for Coventry fans, as the club had been one of the favourites to win the title at the start of the season. He was replaced by 37-year-old Gari Makallister, also a player-manager, who had been on the club's books from 1996 to 2000 before being transferred to Liverpool.

Midway through the 2002–03 season, McAllister's men still stood a good chance of making the Division One play-offs. But they won only one league game after the turn of 2003 and finished 20th in the final table – just two places above the relegation zone. 2003–04 yillarda ularning shakli biroz yaxshiroq edi, ammo Makallister mavsumning yarmida og'ir kasal rafiqasi Denis bilan vaqt o'tkazish uchun ketdi. Menejer yordamchisi Erik Blek o'z zimmasiga oldi va klubni pasayish zonasidan uzoqlashtirdi va ajoyib natijalarga erishdi. Mavsumning so'nggi uchrashuvidan oldin uning o'rnini "Sanderlend" ning sobiq menejeri egalladi Piter Rid. Ushbu qaror klub muxlislarining ko'pchiligiga juda yoqmagan qarorni isbotladi, chunki Blek (u mashhur bo'lgan va nisbatan cheklangan resurslar bilan yaxshi ish olib borgan) boshqaruv uslubi bo'lgan "katta nom" uchun chetlatilgan. "eski maktab" sifatida qabul qilinadi va zamonaviy o'yinlarga mos kelmaydi. Qarorni qo'llab-quvvatlashga qarshi qaror va norozilik sifatida minglab muxlislar mavsumning so'nggi o'yiniga qarshi kelishib oldilar Kristal saroy qora kiyimda. Portugaliyada ishlaganida Rid yanada g'azablantirdi BBC 2004 yil yozida, ko'pchilik u skaut bo'lib, cho'zilgan o'yin tarkibini yaxshilashga harakat qilishi kerak deb o'ylaganda.

2005 yil 13 yanvarda klub an'anaviy nishonning yangilangan, zamonaviy versiyasi bilan almashtirilishini e'lon qilganida, klub qarama-qarshiliklarga duch keldi.^[1] Muxlislarning reaktsiyasi tez va salbiy bo'lib, tarafdorlari guruhi bosimi ostida klub tepalikni o'zgartirish rejalarini bekor qildi.^[2]

Piter Rid atigi sakkiz oy davom etdi, chunki klubning yomon ligasi uning ketishiga olib keldi va 2005 yil yanvarida u Liga Onega tushib qolish xavfi borligidan klubni tark etdi. Klub kengashi Ridni sobiq bilan almashtirdi "Lester Siti" menejer Mikki Adams. Adams "Sky Blues" ning "Highfield Road" dagi so'nggi mavsumida chempionatning pasayish zonasidan xalos bo'lishiga yordam berib, Foleshilldagi 32600 o'rinli yangi stadionga ko'chib o'tdi (keyinroq " Ricoh Arena homiylik shartnomasining bir qismi sifatida). 1983-1987 yillarda "Koventri" ning sobiq futbolchisi sifatida Adams muxlislar orasida taniqli tanlov edi, chunki u klubga chin dildan mehr qo'yar edi va o'ynashga avvalgisidan ko'ra ko'proq texnik va kontinental yondashishni afzal ko'rardi. 2005–06 yilgi mavsumda «Koventri Siti» chempionatda obro'li 8-o'rinni egalladi (Premer-ligadagi pley-off o'yinlarini faqat ikkita ligaga yutqazib qo'ydi), bu o'tgan mavsumning tushib ketishdan ozgina qochishida yaxshi yutuqlarni namoyish etdi. Mikki Adams 2006–07 yilgi mavsumda pley-off uchun kurash olib borishi kutilgandi, ammo 2007 yil yanvar oyida bir nechta yomon natijalar va Angliya kubogining quyi ligasi «Bristol Siti» dan chiqib, sharmanda bo'lganligi sababli vazifasidan ozod qilindi. uning ikki yillik hukmronligi tugadi.

2006–2011: Operation Premiership va Ranson / SISU davri

2005/06 yilgi kampaniya davomida, muxlislar klubda rivojlanmaganidan noroziligi tobora ko'payib borar ekan, klubning yuqori rahbariyati almashtirildi. Kiruvchi boshqaruv jamoasi: Pol Fletcher, Boshqaruvchi direktor; Ken Sharp, Marketing bo'yicha direktor va Mal Brannigan, Moliya bo'yicha direktor; klubda paydo bo'lgan yangi g'ayrat tuyg'usiga hissa qo'shgan edi. Koventrini yuqori ligaga qaytarish uchun 3 yillik rejasi bo'lgan "Operation Premiership" ni boshlashdi. Bunga erishish uchun ular yangi sarmoyalar kiritdilar va "True Sky Blue" (aka Private Seat License) kabi tashabbuslarni yaratdilar, bu muxlislarga umr bo'yi joy sotib olish imkoniyatini beradi. O'z navbatida, tarkibga ko'proq mablag 'kiritildi, bu 2006-2007 yilgi mavsum boshlangunga qadar Adamsga 11 futbolchiga sarmoya kiritishga imkon berdi.

2006/07 yilgi mavsum yillar davomida eng nekbinlik bilan boshlandi, chunki chinakam ishonch bilan klub yangi stadion, innovatsion kengash, yaxshi menejer va tarkib bilan klubning boyliklariga qarab, Premer-ligaga qaytish uchun jiddiy muammo tug'dirishi mumkin edi. , shuningdek oldingi mavsumning takomillashtirilgan shakli. Biroq, bu dastlabki 4 o'yindan atigi 4 ochko va 2 gol va yulduz futbolchining sotilishidan so'ng kamaydi, Gari MakSheffri mahalliy raqiblarga Birmingem Siti maksimal 4 million funt evaziga, 2,3 million funt sterling oldinga, qolganlari Birmingemga va xalqaro o'yinlarga asoslangan. Mavsum yanada pastga tushdi, ular uyatdan chiqib ketishdi Liga kubogi birinchi davrada 3-1 tomonidan Ikkinchi futbol ligasi yon, Hereford Yunayted.

Keyin ularga qarshi kurash olib borildi Bristol Siti Angliya kubogining 3-bosqichida, musobaqadagi ulug'vor g'alabasidan 20 yil o'tib. 3000-dan kam Sky Blues-dan katta tomoshabinlar sayohat qilishdi Eshton darvozasi dahshatli liga formasiga biroz dam olish umidida stadion. Ommaviy axborot vositalarining ko'plab bo'limlari buni Adams uchun "g'alaba qozonish kerak" deb ta'kidladilar. Uning kelajagi noaniq bo'lib tuyuldi, chunki birinchi bo'limda Koventri 3: 1 hisobida pastga tushib, faqat taym vaqtidan oldin bitta golni qaytarib oldi va keyin 3: 3 hisobida durang o'ynab qaytishni boshladi. Stern Jon ekvalayzerni ushlab olish. Ammo takroriy tayyorgarlikni davom ettirish jarayonida, Koventri munozarali ravishda o'zining eng yomon himoyaviy o'yinini namoyish qildi va 13 yanvar kuni «Kristal Pelas» ning o'rtacha o'rtacha ko'rsatkichidan 4: 2 hisobida mag'lubiyatga uchradi. Koventri 2-bo'limning ruhiy kayfiyatiga qaramay takroriy o'yinni 2: 0 hisobida boy berdi. Muxlislar bosim ostida menejeri Mikki Adamsning boshlig'ini chaqirishganida, uning mavqei o'zgarib ketdi va ertasi kuni u ishdan bo'shatildi.^[3]

Boshqaruvchi yordamchisi Adrian Xit vaqtincha menejer deb nomlangan va mehmonda ruhiy tushkunlikka uchragan 3: 2 hisobidagi mag'lubiyatga qaramay, shlyapasini doimiy ravishda ringga tashlagan. Plimut Argil uning birinchi o'yinida. Xit yangi menejerga yo'l ochdi Iain Dowie u uch yillik shartnomani imzoladi va Koventrini yana Premer-ligaga olib borish niyatida ekanligini e'lon qildi. U Koventrini Barslini 4: 1 hisobida buzib tashlashga olib keldi va mavsumning so'nggi o'yinida "Byornli" ustidan 2: 1 hisobida g'alaba qozonganidan keyin chempionatda 17-o'rinni (jadvalning quyi qismida) ta'minladi. Hali ham aniq "ish olib borilayotgan" bo'lsa-da, Dovining jamoadagi selektsiyalari oldingisiga qaraganda mudofaa jihatidan ancha uyushgan ko'rinardi, kuchli yarim himoyaga egalik qilish, kontraktga nisbatan yumshoqroq strategiya va ba'zi yangi o'yinchilar. Ular 2007-2008 yilgi mavsumni "Barnsli" va "Kardiff" dagi ajoyib g'alabalar bilan boshlashdi va uchinchi bosqichga chiqishdi. Liga kubogi gol o'tkazmasdan, uchrashuv "Manchester Yunayted" o'sha turda hukmronni mag'lubiyatga uchratib shokka sabab bo'ldi Premer-liga chempionlar 2-0 da Old Trafford 4-bosqichga o'tish. Ikkala golni ham Malta xalqaro hujumchisi urdi Maykl Mifsud (u xet-trikni rad etish uchun u yog'och buyumlarni ham urgan) 74000 kishilik olomon oldida, shu jumladan Sky Sky-ning 11000 ga yaqin tarafdorlari. Oxir oqibat ular ushbu musobaqada Premer-ligaga 2: 1 hisobida yutqazgandan so'ng taslim bo'lishdi "Vest Xem Yunayted" o'yinda "Sky Blues" to'liq ustunlik qildi ("Vest Xem" ning gollari shafqatsiz og'ish va jarohatlar vaqtida juda omadli goldan kelib chiqdi), shu tariqa chorak finalda daromadli joyni qo'ldan boy berdi.

Rejalashtirilgan tepalikni yangilash

Mavsumni juda muvaffaqiyatli boshlaganidan so'ng Dowi 2007 yilning avgust oyi uchun "Oyning menejeri" deb topildi va birinchi to'rtta liga o'yinlari va ketma-ket ikkita Liga kubogi g'olibligidan so'ng yuqori o'rinni egalladi. Biroq, 2008 yil fevral oyiga kelib jamoa musobaqa jadvalidagi eng past 19-o'ringa tushib qoldi.

2007 yil 6-oktabrda Pol Fletcher iste'foga chiqishni taklif qildi, chunki bu juda ko'p miqdordagi takliflarni bozordan tashqariga chiqarib tashladi, bu ham Premer-liga operatsiyasini, ham klubning uzoq muddatli moliyaviy kelajagini havoda qoldirdi. So'ngra, 2007 yil 10 oktyabrda Geoffri Robinson o'z vaqtini parlamentdagi faoliyatini davom ettirishga bag'ishlamoqchi ekanligini aytib, Koventri Siti futbol klubi raisi lavozimidan ketdi. Jou Elliott zudlik bilan shu kuni rais lavozimini egallab oldi va klub ma'murlar tomonidan chaqirilishga yaqin bo'lganligi haqida mish-mishlar tarqaldi, shu bilan birga 38 million funt sterling miqdoridagi qarzdorlik yukini ko'tarishdi, klub muzokaralarga javoban ikkita konsortsium, sobiq rais boshchiligidagi Jefri Robinson ikkinchisi esa sobiq futbolchi boshchiligida Rey Ranson, klubni sotib olish takliflarini taklif qilgan edi. Shunga qaramay, klub ma'muriyatni sotib olish shartnomasini yopish orqali ma'muriyatdan qochish uchun 2007 yil 14 dekabrda muddat bilan murojaat qildi.

2007 yil 14 dekabrda Ray Ranson va SISU guruhi ma'muriyatga kelguniga qadar yarim soat vaqtni sarflab, futbol klubini egallab olishni muvaffaqiyatli yakunladilar. Ular to'liq nazoratni o'z zimmalariga olish uchun yanvar oyida sotib olingan 90% aktsiyalarni talab qilishdi. 2008 yil 11-fevral holatiga ko'ra Yan Dovi, Tim Gullar va Bob Dovi tezda ishdan bo'shatildi, chempionatdagi so'nggi 6 uchrashuvda bitta g'alaba ("Barnsli" ga qarshi 4: 0) - ularni chempionatda 19-o'rinda qoldirgan va 4 ochkoga tushib ketganidan keyin 4 ochko to'plagan. Jon Harbin va Frenki Bunn qo'shma vazifani bajaruvchi sifatida birinchi jamoa ishlari vaqtincha mas'ul etib tayinlangan. "Vest Brom" ning 5-0 xo'rliklaridan so'ng, ular 2008 yil 19 fevralda, avvalgilariga almashtirildi "Fulxem" va Real Sosedad menejer Kris Koulman. Koventri chempionati maqomi mavsumning so'nggi o'yinigacha ta'minlanmadi, garchi mehmonda 4: 1 hisobida yutqazgan bo'lsa ham "Charlton Athletic" Koventri tufayli 21-o'rinni egalladi "Lester Siti" mag'lub bo'lmaslik Stok Siti.

2011–2017: stadion qatori va ikkita quyi ligalar

2011–12 yillarda, jadvalning so'nggi sakkiztasida ketma-ket besh mavsumdan so'ng, Koventri nihoyat 1964 yildan beri birinchi marta uchinchi darajaga tushib, chempionatdan tushib ketishga majbur bo'ldi.^[217] Katta yo'qotishlarga duch kelgan SISU bunga javoban klubning ko'plab yulduzlarini sotdi Denni Foks va Skott Dann, shu jumladan shartnomadan tashqari futbolchilar bilan yangi shartlarni kelisha olmaganda Marlon King va darvozabon Keyren Uestvud.^[218] Ularning o'rnini bosa olmaganlik, shuningdek, jamoaning so'nggi daqiqalarda gol o'tkazib yuborishi va quyi ligaga tushib ketadigan boshqa jamoalarga juda katta yo'qotishlarni keltirib chiqarishi, oxir-oqibat ularning so'nggi uchlikka kirishiga olib keldi. Yordamchi boshchiligidagi konsortsium Gari Xofman klubni sotib olishga urinib ko'rdi, ammo klub yo'qotishlarga va SISU tarafdorlariga yoqmasligiga qaramay, kelajakda stadionga egalik qilishni umid qilgani uchun sotishdan bosh tortdi.^[219] 2012 yil aprel oyida SISU klub va stadion egalari o'rtasida ko'p yillik kurashni yo'lga qo'yib, ACL uchun ijara haqini to'lamadi.^[220][221] Klubning ta'kidlashicha, yillik ijarasi 1,2 million funt sterling ular uchun juda yuqori va yaqin orada Liga Onega tushib ketishi tufayli barqaror bo'lmaydi.^[220]

2012-13 mavsum Koventri uchun notinch mavsum bo'ldi. Birinchi Ligadagi dastlabki uchta o'yinni o'tkazgandan so'ng,^[222] Har birida etakchilikni qo'lga kiritgan klub avgust oyining oxirida Tornni ishdan bo'shatdi va Shou va Karslini vaqtinchalik menejerlar etib tayinladi.^[223] Besh mag'lubiyatdan so'ng,^[222] sentyabr oyining oxirida klubni pastdan ikkinchi o'rinda qoldirdi.^[224] Mark Robins yangi doimiy menejer etib tayinlandi va natijalar yaxshilana boshladi;^[225][222] noyabr oyining o'rtalaridan yil oxirigacha "Siti" liga sakkizta o'yinining oltitasida g'alaba qozondi, qolgan ikkitasida durang o'ynadi. Shu tariqa Robins dekabr oyi uchun eng yaxshi menejer mukofotiga sazovor bo'ldi va pley-offga o'tish imkoni bor edi.^[226] Ammo fevral oyida Robins Chempionatga qo'shilish uchun uch yillik shartnomasidan atigi besh oy o'tgach, klubni tark etganida, muxlislar hafsalasi pir bo'lgan edi. "Xaddersfild Taun".^[227] Sobiq futbolchi Stiven Pressli uning o'rnini egallagan, mavsumning uchinchi murabbiyi sifatida tan olindi.^[228] Maydon tashqarisida "Koventri Siti" va "OChL" o'rtasidagi ijara qarama-qarshiligi kuchayib ketdi va mart oyida klubning xolding kompaniyasi boshqaruvga o'tdi. Buning natijasida futbol ligasi o'n ochkoni olib qo'ydi va natijada ularning pley-offdagi umidlari tugadi.^[229] Oxir-oqibat ular 15-o'rinni egallashdi.^[230]

Stadion qarama-qarshiliklari hal etilmagach, klub o'z uy o'yinlarini 2013-14 yillarda o'tkazishini ma'lum qildi Sixfields stadioni Koventridan 34 mil uzoqlikda joylashgan Northemptonda, Koventri hududida yangi stadion qurishni rejalashtirmoqda.^[231][232] Ushbu qarordan keyin ko'plab tarafdorlar uy o'yinlarini boykot qilishni boshladilar, ba'zilari o'yinlar paytida "Jimmi tepaligi" deb nom olgan joyda klub egalariga qarshi norozilik bildirish uchun Northemptonga yo'l olishdi.^[233] Klub mavsumni hali ma'muriyatda boshladi, chunki ACL bilan kelishuvga erishilmadi kompaniyaning ixtiyoriy kelishuvi. Bu yana 10 ochkolik chegirmani keltirib chiqardi, ammo Futbol Ligasi klubga o'z transferini amalga oshirishga rozi bo'lib o'ynashni davom ettirishga imkon berdi oltin ulush administratorning afzal ko'rgan ishtirokchisi, Otium Entertainment Group,^[234] SISUga tegishli bo'lgan aksariyat kompaniya.^[235] 2013 yil avgust oyida SISU a sud nazorati ichiga Koventri shahar kengashi OChLga 14 million funt sterling kredit;^[236] bu 2014 yil iyun oyida bitim noqonuniy deb hisoblanmagan degan qaror bilan yakunlandi davlat yordami. SISU apellyatsiya berishga va'da berdi.^[237] Maydonda klub oqilona mavsumni o'tkazdi - mart oyi oxirida klub o'rtamiyona edi, ammo o'n ochkolik penalti uchun ular o'sha paytda pley-off uchun kurash olib borishgan bo'lardi.^[238] Ularning formasi mavsum oxirida sho'ng'idi va oxir-oqibat faqat so'nggi pog'onadagi o'yinda tushib ketishdan qochdi.^[239] Kallum Uilson uning o'rtoq futbolchilari tomonidan mavsumning eng yaxshi o'yinchisi deb tan olindi va mavsum davomida 41 o'yinda 22 ta gol urganligini tan oldi.^[240] U ketayotib, bu klub uchun uning so'nggi o'yinidir Bornmut 2014 yil iyul oyida.^[241]

"Siti" "Sixfilds" stadionida 2014-15 yillarda uy o'yinlarini o'ynashni yana bir bor boshladi, ammo avgust oyining o'rtalarida ular ACL bilan kelasi ikki mavsumda "Ricoh Arena" ga qaytish to'g'risida kelishuvga erishganliklarini, keyin esa o'sha erda o'ynashni davom ettirish huquqini berishlarini e'lon qilishdi. yana ikkitasi.^[242] 27000 dan ortiq tarafdorlar o'zlarining birinchi o'yinlariga tashrif buyurishdi, 1: 0 hisobidagi g'alaba Gillingem.^[243] Ular yana qarshi g'alaba qozonishdi Yovil keyingi hafta ularni jadvaldagi beshinchi o'ringa ko'tarib,^[244] ammo keyin oltita mag'lubiyatga uchraganidan va keyingi etti o'yinning bittasida durang o'ynab, deyarli pasayish zonasiga tushib ketdi.^[245] Koventrida o'ynash muhimligini tan olgan holda, Pressli Riko maydonining ahvolidan xafa bo'lib, "futbol nuqtai nazaridan bu falokat edi" dedi.^[246] Stadionga tomoshabinlar tusha boshladi, natijada Koventridagi uy o'yinlari uchun so'nggi 50 yildagi eng past darajaga yetdi.^[247] Pressli 2015 yil fevral oyida, «Sheffild Yunayted» da bo'lib o'tgan durangdan so'ng, klubni quyi ligaga tushib ketganidan so'ng ishdan bo'shatilgan va uning o'rnini egallagan. Toni Movbray.^[248] Final o'yinida qarshi Krouli, "Siti" omon qolish uchun faqat durangga muhtoj bo'lsa-da, ikkala tomon ham tushib ketish xavfi ostida edi. Ikkinchi bo'limda orqada qolgandan so'ng, ular yakunda Liga One maqomini ta'minlash uchun g'alaba qozonishdi.^[249] Mavsum davomida yana bir muhim voqea Ricoh Arena tomonidan sotib olingan Wasps RFC, ilgari joylashgan Premiership regbi uyushma klubi Yuqori Uikom.^[250] Wasps shahar kengashi va Xiggs xayriya tashkilotlarini har birini 2,77 million funt evaziga sotib oldi. So'nggi sotib olish munozarali bo'lib chiqdi, chunki Xiggs "Kventri Siti" ning klubiga ega bo'lishiga qaramay, raqibining 2,8 million funt sterlingni rad etdi. birinchi rad etish huquqi Higgs ulushini sotib olish uchun.^[251]

2015–16 yillar qarama-qarshiliklar mavsumi bo'ldi. Siti kampaniyaning dastlabki to'rt oyini juda yaxshi o'tkazdi,^[252] va noyabr oyi oxirlarida divizionning oldingi peshqadamlariga nisbatan 4: 1 natijalaridan keyin birinchi o'rinni egalladi Gillingem.^[253] Ammo ularning shakli Rojdestvodan keyin sho'ng'idi va yanvar oyining o'rtalaridan mart oyining o'rtalariga qadar bo'lgan to'qqizta o'yinda etti mag'lubiyatning ko'pi pley-off o'yinlarini beshta ochkoga o'tkazib yuborganligini anglatadi.^[254][252] Yulduzli yarim himoyachining ketishi muhim transferlar qatoriga qo'shildi Jeyms Meddison ga Norvich va sobiq Angliya terma jamoasining kelishi Djo Koul dastlab "Aston Villa" dan ijaraga, keyin esa to'liq kunlik shartnoma asosida,^[252] garchi u Amerika klubiga ketgan bo'lsa ham Tampa Bay Rowdies mavsum oxirida.^[255] Koventri 2016–17 yilgi mavsumni yomon boshladi, avgust yoki sentyabr oylarida biron bir ligada g'alaba qozona olmadi,^[256] va Mowbrayning menejerlik lavozimidan ketishiga sabab bo'ldi.^[257] Mark Venera vazifasini bajaruvchi sifatida qabul qildi,^[257] va jamoa muvaffaqiyatli sehrdan zavqlanib, Veneraning dastlabki olti o'yinidan to'rttasida g'alaba qozondi. Biroq, ularning formasi ularni tark etdi va ular ushbu mavsumda o'n ikki mag'lubiyatga uchragan va ikkita durang o'ynagan holda 2016 yil 1 noyabr va 2017 yil 18 fevral kunlari bitta ligada g'alaba qozona olishmadi.^[256][258] Rassel Sleyd shu vaqt ichida doimiy menejer etib tayinlandi, ammo u tanazzulni o'zgartira olmadi va ligadagi dastlabki to'qqiz o'yinida g'alaba qozona olmaganligi Kantvellning 1967-68 yillarda o'rnatgan rekordiga teng keldi.^[258] Mart oyining boshida "Siti" jadvalning pastki qismida va xavfsizlikdan 13 ochko pastroq bo'lganida, Sleyd ishdan bo'shatildi va uning o'rniga Robinlar ikkinchi sehrga qaytish uchun qaytdi.^[259] Sakkizta o'yinda ularning shakli biroz yaxshilandi, to'rtta g'alaba va bitta durang,^[256] ammo bu etarli emas edi va Koventri 1959 yildan beri birinchi marta to'rtinchi darajaga tushib ketdi.^[258] Koventri g'alaba qozonganligi sababli, aprel oyida tarafdorlari uchun bir oz taskin bor edi 2017 yilgi EFL kubogi finali "Uembli" da 2: 1 hisobida g'alaba qozondi Oksford, 1987 yilgi Angliya kubogidan keyingi birinchi yirik sovrinni qo'lga kiritdi.^[260]

Ushbu davr mobaynida SISU "Ricoh Arena" da kengashning ishtiroki bilan bog'liq huquqiy kurashlarda qatnashgan.^[236] Ular 2014 yil sud-nazorat qarori ustidan shikoyat qilish uchun ruxsat olish uchun murojaat qilishdi, bu jarayon oxir-oqibat tugadi Oliy sud 2016 yil oxirida to'liq apellyatsiya berishni taqiqlovchi qaror bilan.^[261] Keyin ular sudni qayta ko'rib chiqish uchun ariza berishdi, bu safar ACL tomonidan stadionni Waspsga sotishda kengashning roli haqida. SISU ushbu kelishuv stadionni 30 million funtga past baholagan deb da'vo qilmoqda.^[262] Ushbu dastur rad etildi Oliy sud 2017 yil iyul oyida,^[263] SISU ushbu qaror ustidan shikoyat qilish uchun yana bir bor ruxsat so'radi Apellyatsiya sudi. Ushbu apellyatsiya shikoyatiga ruxsat berildi va 2018 yil iyun oyida bo'lib o'tdi, ammo sud oxir-oqibat o'sha yilning oxirida ularga qarshi sud qarorini chiqardi va ikkinchi sud tekshiruvidan bosh tortish to'g'risida qaror qabul qildi. Ular oliy suddan aralashishni so'rashdi, ammo bu 2019 yil aprel oyida rad etildi.^[236]

2018 yil - hozirgi kun: Chetga yana surgun qilingan va yana chempionatga ko'tarilgan

Koventri birinchi ikki o'yinni 2017 yilning avgust oyi o'rtalarida qisqa vaqt ichida jadvalning yuqori pog'onasiga ko'tarilib, yana liga pastki divizionida g'alaba qozondi.^[264] Kuzda ularning shakli biroz notekis edi, ammo ular jadvalning yuqori qismida qolishdi va Rojdestvo atrofida bo'lib o'tgan oltita o'yinda to'rtta g'alabani qo'lga kiritish ularni uchinchi o'ringa olib chiqdi.^[265][266] Fevral oyining o'rtalarida ularni pley-off zonasidan tashqarida qoldirib, yana bir yomon formada yurish boshlandi,^[267][268] ammo so'nggi 14 o'yinda 3 mag'lubiyat bilan ular oltinchi o'rinni va pley-off yo'llanmasini qo'lga kiritishdi.^[269] Mag'lub bo'lgandan keyin Notts okrugi Ikkala oyoq ustidagi agregatda 5-2,^[270] Siti duch keldi Exeter City yilda pley-off finali "Uembli" da. Ikkinchi bo'limning gollari bilan Koventri 3: 0 hisobida oldinga chiqib oldi Jordan Uillis, Jordan Shipley va Jek Grimmer, yakunda 3: 1 hisobida g'alaba qozondi. Natijada, 1967 yilda Xill birinchi divizionga rahbarlik qilganidan beri 51 yil davomida ularning birinchi lavozimiga ko'tarildi.^[271] Ular sakkizinchi o'rinni egallab, 2018-19 yillar davomida Birinchi Ligada yaxshi mavsumni o'tkazishdi.^[272] Oktyabr oyida ketma-ket beshta g'alaba qozonib, ularni qisqacha pley-off holatida ko'rishdi,^[273] ammo bu g'alabasiz ettita o'yin bilan davom etdi, ulardan beshtasi yutqazildi va oxir-oqibat ular sakkiz ochko bilan kuchli oltilikni o'tkazib yuborishdi.^[272]

Ricoh Arena-ni Wasps-ga sotish bo'yicha sud tekshiruvini o'tkazish uchun barcha ichki yo'llarni tugatgandan so'ng, SISU 2019 yil may oyida ushbu masala bo'yicha shikoyat yuborishga qaror qildi. Evropa komissiyasi (EC). Ushbu ariza shartnomani buzgan deb da'vo qildi Evropa Ittifoqining davlat yordami qonunlar, Koventri shahar kengashi o'z ulushini sotganda stadionni past baholagan degan asosda.^[274] Shu bilan birga, klubning 2015 yilda Wasps bilan stadionda uy o'yinlarini o'tkazish to'g'risidagi shartnomasi o'z nihoyasiga yetayotgan edi va regbi klubi bilan yangi bitim tuzmoqchi edi. Wasps ilgari ular va SISU ni jalb qilgan sud ishlari olib borilayotganda kelishuvga rozi bo'lmasliklarini aytgan edi.^[236] SISU 2019 yil aprel oyida bu haqda shartnoma imzoladi va EC shikoyati yuridik ekspertlar tomonidan texnik qonuniy choralar sifatida ko'rib chiqilmadi,^[274] ammo bu baribir muzokaralarni izdan chiqardi. Iyun oyining boshida, muzokaralar hal etilmagani va 2018-19 yillar uchun tasdiqlangan uyi yo'qligi sababli ligadan chiqarib yuborilish xavfi bilan duch kelgan klub, yana bir bor Koventridan asosiy ulushni boshlash uchun tark etishini e'lon qildi. Birmingem Siti ularning Sent-Endryu stadion.^[275] EFL "Siti" ga bu harakatni amalga oshirishga ruxsat berdi, ammo "klubni birinchi imkoniyatda Koventrida o'ynatishi uchun echim topish borasida yutuqlarga erishilishini ta'minlashi" ni talab qildi.^[236]

Koventri 2019-2020 yilgi mavsumni yorqin boshladi, Sent-Endryusdagi dastlabki beshta o'yinda g'alaba qozondi va to'rtta o'yinda durang o'ynab, sentyabr oyi o'rtalarida Liga 1-da birinchi o'rinni egalladi.^[276][277] Keyinchalik ular formadagi sho'ng'inni boshdan kechirdilar va keyingi o'n bitta liga o'yinlaridan atigi ikkita g'alaba qozonishdi,^[276] mavsumdagi uchinchi mag'lubiyati bilan yakunlandi Shrewsbury, bu ularni pley-off zonasidan chiqarib yubordi.^[278] Ushbu mag'lubiyat mavsumdagi so'nggi o'yinini isbotladi, chunki ular keyingi o'n to'rtta o'yinning o'n birida g'alaba qozonib, boshqalarga durang o'ynashdi.^[276] "Siti" fevral oyining o'rtalarida g'alaba qozonib ikkinchi o'ringa qaytdi Sauthend.^[279] Rahbarlar bilan durang Rotherham Ikki o'yindan keyin va Koventri mag'lub bo'lganida Sanderlend 2020 yil 1 martda ular tepaga ko'tarilishdi.^[280] Fevral oyining o'rtalarida 2019-20 yilgi Liga birinchi mavsumi tufayli to'xtatib qo'yilgan COVID-19 pandemiyasining ta'siri.^[281] 9 iyun kuni Birinchi Liga va Ikkinchi Liga klublari mavsumning qolgan qismini bekor qilish uchun ovoz berishdi, faqatgina pley-off o'yinlari yakunlandi. Mavsum uchun yakuniy liga pozitsiyalari har bir o'yin uchun ochko tizimidan foydalangan holda aniqlandi.^[282] 34 o'yindan 67 ochko to'plagan va har bir o'yin uchun ochko nisbati 1,97 bo'lgan Koventri "Rotem" ning har bir o'yinda 1,77 ochkosidan oldinda, Birinchi Liga chempioni sifatida chempionlikka ko'tarildi.^[283][282]

Izohlar

Adabiyotlar

• Brassington, Devid (1989). Sky Blues-ga qo'shiqchilar: Koventri Siti futbol klubi haqida hikoya (2 nashr). Bukingem: Sporting and Leisure Press Limited. ISBN  9780860234524.CS1 maint: ref = harv (havola)
• Brown, Jim (1998). Koventri Siti: Elita davri: to'liq rekord. Westcliff-on-Sea: Desert Island Kitoblar. ISBN  9781874287032.CS1 maint: ref = harv (havola)
• Brown, Jim (2000). Koventri Siti: tasvirlangan tarix. Westcliff-on-Sea: Desert Island Kitoblar. ISBN  9781874287360.CS1 maint: ref = harv (havola)
• Brown, Jim (2006). Koventri Siti Highfield Road-da 1899-2005: Yo'qolgan stadion ruhlari. Westcliff-on-Sea: Desert Island Kitoblar. ISBN  9781905328116.CS1 maint: ref = harv (havola)
• Dekan, Rod (1991). Koventri Siti: to'liq rekord, 1883-1991 yy. Derbi: Breedon kitoblari. ISBN  9780907969884.CS1 maint: ref = harv (havola)
• Xenderson, Derek (1968). Sky Skylar: Koventri Siti haqida hikoya. London: Stenli Pol. ISBN  9780090874804.CS1 maint: ref = harv (havola)
• Uord, Endryu; Uilyams, Jon (2010). Futbol millati: Oltmish yil chiroyli o'yin. A & C qora.CS1 maint: ref = harv (havola)

Tashqi havolalar

• Klubning rasmiy sayti
• Sky Blue Trust rasmiy sayti
• Norasmiy rasmiy muxlislar sayti