Awayday Guide: Coventry
So, as hard as it is at the moment following our beloved Stoke City, the show must go on as they say. On Saturday we take a break from the Premier League as we travel to Coventry City for our FA Cup fixture.
At present we have sold over 3000 away tickets which are priced at a reasonable £22 for adults and a fiver for kids. We will be located in the South Stand which is behind the goal. So far, the Coventry supporters have sold just 9500 home tickets suggesting that this fixture has not really caught the imagination of the locals!
The Bet 365 is a grand total of 63 miles to Coventry City FC according to google maps, a short drIve down the M6 that should take around 1 hr and 20 mins. If you are travelling by train, the best route would be to travel from Stoke on Trent to Birmingham New Street and then get a connecting train to Coventry Arena Station.
I understand however, that this connecting train may have limited space – with two and one carriage services holding just 150 and 75 passengers respectively. I suspect that this could cause a few issues! On arrival you will find yourself just 0.3 miles from the ground, approximately a 5 minute walk away.
The ground itself is an impressive 32,609 all seater stadium – we can expect a few empty seats ! Coventry City are an example of what can go disastrously wrong at a football club with mismanagement and poor decisions off the pitch. It is not long since this famous club were in the top flight of English football and of course they won the FA Cup back in 1987.
I am sure those of you who are old enough can certainly remember Keith Houchen scoring a diving header in the final. An iconic FA Cup moment if ever there was one. However despite this history, they presently languish in League 2 but are currently having a good season. Coventry are third in the table and have won 4 of their last 5 fixtures.
If you fancy a pre match beverage, the Grosvenor Casino on one corner of the stadium shows televised sport and welcomes both home and away supporters. It does however have a strict “ over 18’s “ policy. For families there is the Hilton Double Tree Hotel which is also located at the Stadium and has a bar inside called “ The Mill “. Again, away supporters are welcome although we are reliably informed that it is a little bit pricey. There are more watering holes a short walk away from the stadium to also enjoy.
Whatever happens tomorrow our beleaguered Manager is on a hiding to nothing. Lose the game and surely his position will be untenable even with our very patient Board. Some of our supporters are actually hoping we lose the game in the hope it ensures Mark Hughes gets the sack. For me however, I could never wish for a defeat regardless of the circumstances.
Let’s make plenty of noise and enjoy the day out. Safe travelling to all.
James Lockett
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