Sunday, March 2nd was a very different day for the followers of the Sky Bues. Whilst Manchester City were winning their 3rd trophy in the lat 2 years at a packed Wembley, a hardy bunch of passionate and loyal Coventry City fans were gathered on a rain drenched hill in Northampton, struggling to get a view of a dire 0-0 draw between Coventry and Shrewsbury. The difference between the two clubs couldn’t be greater. Man City the swaggering, diamond encrusted jewels of world football are enjoying a rise through English football that their fans could only dream of 5 years ago, whilst the fans of Coventry City endure the most torrid time in their clubs proud history. Exiled to play their ‘home’ games in Northampton, the fans of Coventry City have to be the most down-trodden of any in English football. You would think that they would be a desperate and divided family, however, the truth is very different, they display a spirit of unity and strength that has to be experienced to be believed. As the wind and the rain lashed across the desperate grey landscape of Northampton, this family of true football fans stood proud. Bought together by the ridiculous situation they find their club in, they have formed a wonderful bond of unity and brotherhood. Make no mistake, to have to travel 75 miles to stand on a barren hillside and look down on the desperate remains of a once proud football club is not something that would be high on most peoples priority list of things to do on filthy wet and windy Sunday afternoon. Steve Brown, Lifelong Coventry fan “Standing on the hill is far from ideal but we hope that it sends a message to all those who have the power to change things about just how ridiculous this whole situation is. We all love our team and despair at what has been allowed to happen to it. We feel for the thousands of fans left behind in Coventry who are being deprived of the opportunity to follow their team in their home City. We can see a surprising amount of the game from the hill and we have built up a good sense of camaraderie with the other “Hillers” but also with those who go into the ground. I guess it’s a case of you might as well laugh or else you would cry.” They are spirited and humorous bunch - having a sense of humour is essential for any body wishing to be a Coventry fan - a mixture of men, women, teenagers and children, all with a deep sense of community and a fighting spirit that is seemingly born into those with a CV postcode. They share jokes with a gallows humour and recall days when it was actually enjoyable to be a Cov fan, today, being a Coventry City fan is akin to being a prisoner on death row, except that these people are not criminals accused of heinous crimes, they are honest, loyal fans of the once beautiful game who have been unwittingly drawn into a horrific power struggle between the clubs owners, SISU Capital and Coventry City Council. Moz Baker, Lifelong Coventry fan Whilst the key players in this tragic pantomime continue to lay the blame at everybody’s door but their own, the one party that cannot be held responsible for any of this ongoing nonsense is the fans. Ironically though they are the ones that have suffered more than most.Supporters young and old have had to deal with the Sixfields situation in their own way. A pitifully low number have decided to travel to Northampton and actually entered the stadium whilst a hardy band endure all weathers on the hill just to be there when their team are playing rather than being at their rightful place at the Ricoh. The majority stay away all together, many sadly now finding other things to do when they would normally be watching their team. This season has been a painful experience for Coventry City supporters. For them to see their team kick off a second season at Sixfields would not only be a tragedy it would be a disgrace. If it happens then all parties,the fans apart, will have failed our football club and that includes the Football League who appear to have happily turned a blind eye throughout this whole sorry saga . So, as the Manchester City fans stroll back down Wembley Way with another trophy to wave at those across the road in Salford, spare a thought for the fans of the other Sky Blues, those hardly souls of “Jimmy’s Hill” who can only dream that one day their fortunes will lead them back onto the road to greatness. From the infamous hilltop, in the wind, rain and cold, it seems like an impossible dream…
Posted on: Thu, 06 Mar 2014 11:51:57 +0000
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