The 2003-04 season has to go down as a comparatively successful one after the trials and tribulations of the previous season. The club finished the season in twelfth position with 65 points, only eight points away from the play-offs, but one less point than in 2001-02 when the side looked like strong play-off candidates but blew it in the final run-in and finished tenth. City operated most of the 2003-04 season in a narrow band; from mid-October they were never lower than 17th position but never higher than 10th.
The playing staff went through more massive changes with 35 players being used in league and cup games, 21 of whom had never appeared before the season started. Twelve of those players were either on loan or on short-term contracts, a fact which illustrates the transient nature of the professional game these days. In the three Nationwide campaigns since 2001 the Sky Blues have used a total of 83 players! To expect consistency with that backdrop is asking for miracles.
The raft of home-grown youngsters blooded in the previous season rarely got a look-in as first McAllister and later Black opted for experienced players. Therefore the likes of Mackey, Noon, Cooney, Bates, Osbourne, Pipe and Jephcott did not play a single league game between them. Noon, Pipe and Bates have already left the club and there must be questionmarks about the others as the next tranche of youth players push through. Only one City youngster, Coventry-born Stuart Giddings, who if we believe Steve Ogrizovic, is destined for a successful career, got a chance as the dribble of loanees became a flood after Black’s accession. Two of the more experienced home-grown players Callum Davenport and Gary McSheffrey however started to fulfil their early promise and by the end of the season looked finally to be fixtures in the team.
In addition to the 35 players used, two more, Richard Brush and Andrew Hall, each sat on the bench as substitutes but were not used.Â
Goals:
The goals scored total of 67 was the highest total since the 1977-78 seaon when the goalscoring exploits of Ian Wallace and Mick Ferguson inspired the club to score 75 goals. Michael Doyle did at least end one unwanted record by scoring at Ipswich on the second Saturday of the season. His 31st minute goal at Portman Road ended a league goal drought that had lasted 617 minutes. This was the worst run since the club’s first season in the Football league in 1919-20. 33 of the goals came away from Highfield Road, including six at Walsall and five at Gillingham, and was the club’s highest away total since 1963-64 when the club scored 36 on their way to winning the old Third Division title. The goal difference of plus 13 equalled the 1977-78 figure and was the best since the plus 31 in 1966-67, the Second Division Championship season.
Total wins:
The Sky Blues won 17 league games, the second highest total in the last seventeen years, topped only by the twenty wins two seasons ago. City’s poor end to last season carried over into this season and with no wins in the first four games the team had gone sixteen games without a win – breaking an 80-year old club record. The first win of the season against Stoke ended that miserable win and was the first home win in twelve since the previous Boxing Day. The team won eight away games, the highest number since Noel Cantwell’s team won ten in 1969-70.
Biggest win:
The biggest victory was the 6-1 win at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium. The biggest league win was 4-0 achieved against both Burnley and Millwall in a sparkling period of home form after Black became manager.
Biggest defeat:
West Brom were the only side to beat City by more than two goals, recording a 3-0 win in March.
Leading scorers:
Gary McSheffrey topped City’s goalscoring charts with 12 goals (11 League, 1 FA Cup), an impressive haul from only eighteen starts. Julian Joachim finally showed City fans his best form and rattled in 11 goals (8 League, 3 FA Cup) with Andy Morrell netting nine goals including five in successive league games in September.
Doubles:
City did the double over three teams – Wimbledon, Derby and Burnley. Only one club, Sheffield United achieved the feat against City. The club’s recent poor form against Millwall and Burnley was reversed with comprehensive results. Watford however continued to be a thorn in City’s side; the two draws means that City have still failed to beat the Hornets in six meetings since relegation in 2001.
Appearances:
No Coventry player was an ever present, Stephen Warnock made the most league appearances with 42 starts and two substitute appearances. Three players made just one league appearance, Courtney Pitt (on loan from Portsmouth), Stuart Giddings (one substitute appearance) and Keith O’Neill, whose eight-minute appearance as a substitute against Nottingham Forest ended with a pulled hamstring and the conclusion to his injury-ridden career.
Average attendance:
Home 14,632 (2002-03 14,810). Away 14,942 (2002-0314,924). The home average fell by just 1.1 % but was the lowest home average since 1993-94 (13,352).
Highest home attendance:
22,195 v Crystal Palace, May 9. This was City’s biggest home crowd since August 2001 when the visit of Wolves for City’s first home game in the Nationwide League attracted 22,406.
Lowest home attendance:
10,872 v Wimbledon, October 15. This was the lowest crowd since November 1994 when 10,729 watched City lose 1-4 to Crystal Palace.
Highest away attendance:
27,890 v West Ham, April 17.
Lowest away attendance:
5,524 v Rotherham, December 2. (amazingly not Wimbledon)
Won from behind:
(1) Reading (a). For the second year running City came from a goal down to win at the Majedski Stadium.
Lost from in front:
(1) Cardiff (h).
Player of the year:
Stephen Warnock.
Hat-tricks:
(0) Gary McSheffrey came close at Walsall but missed a penalty that would have been his third goal. Bjarni Gudjonsson also missed a penalty that would have given him a hat-trick in the home game with Preston.
Opposing hat-tricks:
(1) Rowan Vine (Colchester FAC a), February 3. Vine’s hat trick was the first by an opposing player in an FA Cup tie since Wyn Davies scored three in Newcastle’s 4-3 win at Highfield Road in 1967.Â
Own goals: For City:
(3) Weller (Burnley a), Roper (Walsall a), Chorley (Wimbledon a).
Own goals: By City:
(1) Adebola (Colchester FA Cup h)
Penalties: For City:
(6) Steve Staunton (2) (Preston a, Millwall a), Gary McAllister (Sunderland h), Gary McSheffrey (3) (Cardiff a, Burnley h, Millwall h). There were five missed penalties: Gary McAllister (Walsall h), Steve Staunton (Bradford a), Bjarni Gudjonsson (Preston h) and Gary McSheffrey (2) (Walsall h, Rotherham h). Eleven penalties is the most penalties City have been awarded in one season. McAllister’s miss on the opening day was his first miss in sixteen attempts in a Sky Blue shirt.
Penalties: Against City:
(5) Michael Brown (Sheff United a), Robbie Earnshaw (Cardiff h), Jack Lester (Sheff United h), Dean Ashton (Crewe a), David Connolly (West Ham a). Graham Kavanagh (Cardiff a) was the only opponent to miss a penalty.
Fastest Goal:
Gudjonsson 2 minutes v Preston (h).
Most unlikely goal:
Richard Shaw finally scored for the Sky Blues. In his 297th first team appearance at Gillingham he came off the bench to score a spectacular final goal in the 5-2 win.
Man of the match awards:
5 Warnock, Gudjonsson, Joachim, 4 Staunton, Davenport, 3 McSheffrey, Morrell, McAllister, Adebola, 2 Konjic, Doyle, Safri, Ward, Suffo, 1 Shearer, Deloumeaux, Mansouri, Jackson, Jorgensen.
Red cards: Coventry:
(5) Safri (Walsall h), Suffo and Doyle (Preston a), Davenport (Colchester a) and Clarke (Cardiff a). Clarke’s dismissal, for a foul after less than 30 seconds was the fastest City red card ever.
Red cards: Opponents:
(13) Kennedy (Wigan h), Cahill (Millwall h), Holloway (Wimbledon h), Mackay (Norwich a), Gnohere (Burnley a), Burton (Peterborough FAC h), Oakes (Walsall a), Lewington (Wimbledon a), Manel (Derby h), Margetson (Cardiff a), Cresswell (Preston h), Sidwell (Reading h) and Hessenthaler (Gillingham a). This smashed the record, set last season when five opponents were dismissed.
Cup form:
The club’s poor Cup form continued with exits at the second hurdle in the FA Cup at the hands of Second Division Colchester, after a replay and at the same stage in the Carling League Cup to Premiership Tottenham after comfortable wins over Peterborough United in both competitions.
By Jim Brown
After Gary McAllister had cleared the decks at the end of the previous season he went on a spree, signing eight players (all on free transfers or small fees) and two, Stephen Warnock of Liverpool and Yazid Mansouri from French club Le Havre, on season’s long loans. Scott Shearer a goalkeeper arrived from Albion Rovers and Michael Doyle, a Celtic reserve, followed him from Scotland. Four new strikers arrived, Graham Barrett, an Arsenal reserve who could also play in midfield, Patrick Suffo, a Olympic Gold medallist for Cameroon in 2000, Andy Morrell, a prolific scorer with Wrexham and Dele Adebola, from Crystal Palace. Experience came in the form of defender Steve Staunton on a free transfer from Aston Villa and Claus Jorgensen, a winger cum midfield player from Bradford City.
All but Jorgensen, made their league debuts in the first game, a 0-0 draw against Walsall. The early results did little to convince the club’s supporters that much had changed and triallists, including Fabrizio Ravanelli were still shuttling in and out of Ryton. On 13 September City finally won a home game – their first in twelve games since Boxing Day – beating Stoke 4-2 but the form through the autumn was very inconsistent. Away wins at Reading and Derby were the highlights but the team were well beaten by Forest and Cardiff at home and any hopes of a League Cup run were extinguished by an emphatic 3-0 home defeat to Spurs.
Matters on the pitch were some what overshadowed by the activity involving the new stadium. In September it transpired that the Arena company had failed to obtain the £21 million funding required to commence the construction from banks and the project was at risk. Coventry City council came to the rescue by agreeing to fund the shortfall but only after several weeks of nail-biting and a seven-hour council meeting.
After contracts were signed with Laing O’Rourke the opening date was put back to a more realistic August 2005. The club meanwhile, it transpired, had sold their 50% stake in Arena Coventry Limited, a deal which raised £6.5 million (reducing Derek Higgs’ indebtedness), but in the medium term would be a move which, it later became clear, would deprive them of substantial income streams at the new Arena. The debts were reported to be down to £20 million of which £12 million did not need to be repaid until 2008.
The team rarely gelled and soon the loanees and short term contracts were arriving again. Goalkeepers Pegguy Arphexad and Gavin Ward replaced the under-performing Shearer and Johnny Jackson, on loan from Tottenham, looked a useful midfield player. McAllister however had domestic issues with his sick wife Denise and took some compassionate leave in October. In early December with the club in 17th place with only five wins, Gary announced he was taking time out from football to be with his wife, who was being treated for cancer. His assistant Eric Black took the reins and a month later was appointed full-time manager after McAllister resigned. One has to speculate whether McAllister would have lasted until then but for the board, and the chairman especially, having their minds on the new stadium and the club’s financial situation but whatever else was said about the men running the club they were compassionate.
Black’s appointment had a startling effect on the club’s fortunes, the FA Cup replay defeat at Colchester apart. They lost only three of thirteen home games and with the previously exiled McSheffrey, who had scored nine goals on loan at Luton, and Joachim back in favour the goals flowed. The team also won four away games in a row, including a 6-1 thrashing of Walsall. Summer signings Morrell, Adebola, Suffo and Barrett were largely sidelined and two new signings plus more loanees made the difference. French midfielder Eric Deloumeaux played the holding role and Icelander Bjarni Gudjonsson arrived from Germany to play a roving role whilst tough defenders Martin Grainger and Peter Clarke came on loan. At one stage a play-off place, something barely believable in December, became a possibility and the side got within two points of sixth-place. The highlight of a scintillating run was the home game with Preston when City took a four goal lead inside half an hour. The Icelander scored two goals but his late penalty was saved to deny him a hat-trick and City had to be content with a 4-1 win. Although defeats to the top clubs on the run-in meant a final position of twelfth Black had restored some pride to the club and had the team playing some exciting, attacking football.
In true Coventry City fashion however there was a banana skin lying in wait. The day after a 5-2 away win at Gillingham in the penultimate game, Black was unceremoniously sacked. The fans were up in arms with the unexpected decision and protests at the final game with Crystal Palace including the wearing of black by large numbers of supporters, signifying a wake and the outgoing manager’s name. By this time new manager Peter Reid, who McGinnity believed to be the ‘high-profile’ figure the club needed, was in place with a clear remit from McGinnity – ‘instant success’. Reid’s reception was muted and despite the team beating Premiership-bound Palace there was a feeling of anger that would prove to be the beginning of the end for McGinnity. Ironically Derrick Robins, the greatest chairman in the club’s history, had died just days before the game and a one-minute’s silence was preceded by a unique outburst of spontaneous applause.
The full house crowd of over 22,000 for the Palace game, boosted by 4,000 visiting supporters, ensured a final average crowd of 14,632, only a couple of hundred down from the previous season.
