"The community took a battering for 25 years. It’s a different world now in Coventry" – Former Sky Blues boss Gordon Strachan hails impact promotion has already had in Coventry

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Coventry are a top flight club again(Image credit: Getty Images)

Former Coventry City manager Gordon Strachan is delighted to see pride restored to the city after 25 years in the football wilderness.

Few sets of fans have suffered as much as Coventry fans in the 21st century.

The club's 34-year stay in the top flight came to end when Strachan was in charge in 2001, and things only went from bad to worse from there for year upon year.

“The eyes of the world are now on Coventry - and they're actually talking about football"

Coventry were ousted from their ground twice with fans protesting at temporary stadium, Sixfields in Northampton (Image credit: Getty Images)

The club failed to challenge for promotion back to the Premier League for 11 years before eventually sliding into League Two amid constant drama around the club's then-ownership.

Coventry fans quite rightly protested as the club dropped down the leagues, were twice exiled from the city due to wrangling over the stadium, and were given little hope of better days ahead.

2013 – Coventry fans persistently protested against the club's former owners (Image credit: Getty Images)

But Strachan says there is a very different feeling around Coventry after the club climbed their way back from those depths and finally won the Championship last season to put themselves back in the big time.

Strachan told FourFourTwo: “There are signs up, even on the road signs, saying ‘We’re back’.

"The community, football-wise, took a battering for 25 years. It’s a different world now in Coventry.

“The eyes of the world are now on Coventry, which is great, and they’re actually talking about football."

(Eyes don't talk, Gordon).

He went on: "For 20 years, it was ‘Who owns the stadium? Who’s got the shares in it? Where are we playing? Are we at Northampton or Birmingham? Who’s the owner?’”

Coventry City have restored pride to their name (Image credit: Getty Images)

Coventry will kick off their season with perhaps the toughest game they will face all season: an away trip to champions Arsenal on Friday, August 21.

The Coventry Building Society Arena will then host its first-ever Premier League game as fellow newly-promoted side Hull City come to visit on Saturday, August 29.

Strachan was speaking as an ambassador for Coventry Building Society. To find out more, visit thecoventry.co.uk

Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.

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