This week officially marked the ten year anniversary of SISU’s ownership at Coventry City. To say the past decade has been miserable for the club would be a huge understatement. The club and its fans have suffered on and off the pitch. There have been numerous protests against the owners and the team now find themselves playing at the depth of the Football Leauge.
Coventry City: A Ten Year Nightmare Under SISU
Little Success Under SISU
Since taking over at Coventry City a decade ago, SISU have not stumbled upon any success. The only honour the club have claimed is the Football League Trophy last season, with a 2-1 over Oxford United. Other than that, the Sky Blues have had little to celebrate.
Additionally, an array of managers in the past few years has not served the club any favours. If there is one thing that has been lacking at the club, it would be stability. Even with current manager Mark Robins seemingly steadying results, one has to hope he lasts, as no manager seems safe at the Ricoh Arena.
Sixfields Exile
Cast your mind back to the summer of 2013; Coventry City were forced out of the Ricoh Arena. Furthermore, they were also hit a with a ten point deduction. However, the greater issue was not playing at home.
Less than eight years after moving to the Ricoh Arena, the Coventry were forbidden from playing home matches at the ground. Thus, they were then relocated to Northampton Town’s Sixfields stadium, 60 miles from the Ricoh.
Attendances for ‘home’ matches for the Sky Blues were grim to say the least. Fans would often congregate outside the stadium, to stage a protest and plea fans to not enter the ground.
After an entire year exiled from the Ricoh, the club returned home in September 2014. However, the wounds of this period cannot be forgotten by the fans.
Two Relegations in Five Years
At the end of the 2011/12 season, Coventry City’s stay in the Championship came to an end as they were relegated to League One.
In the following seasons, their fortunes did not turn. If anything, the club continued to suffer. In just their third season in League One, the Sky Blues battled relegation until the final day of the 2014/15 season.
Finally, last season the club’s bad fortune caught up with them once again, as they were relegated from the third tier and plunged into League Two.
Two relegations in five years has created perhaps the worst period for any club in English football.
Current Season
At this point in the season as the festive period approaches, Coventry sit 7th, occupying the final play-off position.
It has been a steady season so far for Mark Robins, however there is no doubt that they shall need to kick on, especially within this festive period ahead.
If the club do not achieve automatic promotion, then the play-offs would be a respectable finish for the club, as long as a return to League One is a possibility for the club. Another season in the third-tier would not be endearing for the Sky Blues prospects, in the long term.
Time For SISU To Sell-Up
It goes without saying that SISU need to sell the club and move on, as their prospects for the future at the club are not going to get any brighter.
In the past few months, an array of potential buyers have been rumored, including an Australian consortium. Nothing materialized, though.
What does the future hold for Coventry City? Essentially the future of the club shall become clearer upon the culmination of the current season.
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