How Coventry City can make emotional Premier League return this weekend

Everyone loves a feel-good story.

From riches to rags and back to riches again, Coventry City could secure promotion to the Premier League this weekend.

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The Midlands club last graced the top flight in 2001 at a time where there was no Facebook, X or Instagram and no sign of the horrors that were to follow.

There was also little sign that Frank Lampard, who was playing his final year at West Ham before sealing a move to Chelsea, was going to forge the legendary playing career he had.

Fast forward 25 years and ‘Super Frank’ is certainly living up to his name. 

Lampard’s impact was immediately felt after taking over the Sky Blues in November 2024.

Coventry were sat in 17th and in danger of a relegation scrap but 16 wins in 31 games changed the complexion entirely and his side secured an unlikely play-off spot. 

They agonisingly missed out on promotion having lost to Sunderland in the play-off semi-final but there was a sense that with a little more patience, something bigger was brewing.

And barely 18 months after taking over as Coventry boss, Lampard is on the precipice of achieving what most fans would have viewed as the unthinkable just five years ago.

The West Midlands has long been a footballing hotbed awash with sleeping giants, however there appears to be an awakening and Coventry have now risen from their long period of bedrotting.

Promotion permutations

Lampard and co can secure promotion on Saturday if they win at home to already relegated Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall and Middlesbrough both fail to win against West Brom and Portsmouth respectively.

Coventry can also secure top-flight football with a draw if Millwall and Middlesbrough both lose.

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Should Coventry fail to clinch promotion this weekend then it is only delaying the inevitable with the Sky Blues holding a healthy 12-point lead at the top of the table, with five games left to play.

When promotion is confirmed, there will undoubtedly be a period of reflection from those that have been on the wild ride the club have taken over the past two decades.

A tale of catastrophic proportions

Coventry’s plans to own a new state-of-art arena started off as a dream which quickly turned into a nightmare.

Plans to move away from their spiritual home at Highfield Road began in 1997 when the then chairman Bryan Richardson communicated his vision of a multipurpose arena that would help generate revenue for the club outside of match days.

But plans turned sour after the club sold Highfield Road in 1999 leading to a 25-year period with no home.

The Sky Blues leased the ground back from the construction company while waiting for the new stadium to be built but relegation from the Premier League created a disastrous situation.

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The club moved into the new Ricoh Arena in 2005 but their financial situation only worsened.

The collapse of ITV Digital further hampered their financial circumstances and the club could no longer afford the stadium.

Bailed out but no end to their woes

Sisu capital came to Coventry’s rescue in 2007 when they acquired the club moments before entering administration.

However, a steep decline ensued with relegation to League One in 2012 before a bitter dispute followed between the stadium company and Sisu over the annual rent the club was paying.

This led to the club playing their games at Northampton’s Sixfields Stadium.

Coventry returned to the CBS Arena in 2014 however things again turned sour when rugby club Wasps secured a deal to buy the stadium.

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Sisu contested the sale in court but it proved unsuccessful. That saw Coventry spend two seasons playing their home games at Birmingham’s St Andrew’s stadium.

After hitting rock bottom by slipping into slipping to League Two in the 2016/17 season, the appointment of Mark Robins as boss appeared to spark the start of new beginnings.

Robins steered the club to the Football League Trophy and built a momentum that saw the Sky Blues return to the Championship as League One champions in 2020.

Coventry made their grand return to the CBS Arena in 2021 when cash-strapped Wasps collapsed which saw Mike Ashley’s Fraser’s Group secure the stadium for £17m.

Robins almost reached the promise land of the Premier League in 2023 when they lost the play-off final to Luton.

He also go them to within touching distance of the FA Cup final, losing on penalties at Wembley in the semi-final to Manchester United.

However, a poor start to the 2024/25 season saw him replaced by Lampard who has impressed in the role..

And with Coventry now stable under the gaze of chairman Doug King, the horrors of the past are well behind them.

This weekend could be the crowning glory for all Coventry supporters including high-profile names among their fan base such as former Red Bull principal Christian Horner, musician Tom Grennan and broadcaster Richard Keys.

It would also provide hope to fans of clubs in similar disarray that brighter days are ahead.