Middle row (l-r); Darren Robinson (Fitness Coach), Patrick Suffo, Graham Barrett, Eric Deloumeaux, Scott Shearer, Richard Brush, Andy Morrell, Neil Wood, Richard Shaw, Seamus McDonagh (Goalkeeping Coach)
Front row (l-r); Adrian Heath (Assistant Manager), Gary McSheffrey, Bjarni Gudjonsson, Tim Sherwood, Peter Reid (Manager), Steve Staunton, Craig Pead, Michael Doyle, Michael McBride (Physiotherapist)
The thrilling high-scoring Derby County game which saw City bid an emotional farewell to Highfield Road put a false gloss on the final season at the grand old stadium. The 2004-05 season has to go down as disastrous one. Most fans would argue that never has there been such a dearth of quality home games as last season. Manager Micky Adams got it right when he said after the Derby spectacular that it was not good enough for Coventry City to be celebrating victories to keep us in the league.
The club finished the season in nineteenth position with 52 points, only two points more than relegated Gillingham and nineteen points from the play-offs, where Messrs Reid and McGinnity optimistically hoped we would finish at the start of the season. After a reasonable start (three wins in the first six games) City were down to 18th by the end of September and were never higher than 16th for the rest of the campaign.
The playing staff again went through more massive changes with 36 players being used in league and cup games, 19 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 four campaigns since 2001 the Sky Blues have used a total of 102 different players! By comparison Jimmy Hill during his five-year stint as manager used only 45 players. To expect consistency with that backdrop is asking for miracles.
In addition to the 36 players used, four more, goalkeepers Andy Marriott and Kevin Pressman and youngsters Craig Pead and Craig Reid all sat on the bench as substitutes but were not used.
Goals:
The goals scored total of 61 was six less than last season’s 67, which was the highest total since 1977-78. However it should be borne in mind that it was from 46 games. In the goals conceded column City’s total of 73 was not only the second worst in the division (only Crewe conceded more) but was the second worst in the last 45 years by a Coventry team.
Wins:
The Sky Blues won 13 league games well down on last years 17 and the impressive 20 in 2001-02. The team won only eight home games out of 23 and suffered a dreadful run of five successive home defeats from Christmas to February, just one short of the club’s all-time record.
Biggest win:
The biggest victory was the 6-2 win over Derby in the final home game. It was the first time City have scored six in a home league game since 1982 when Dave Sexton’s young side beat Sunderland 6-1. The biggest away win was 4-1 at Nottingham Forest in August, a portent of things to come for Forest.
Biggest defeat:
City lost by three clear goals on four occasions. 4-1 defeats were endured at Wigan and QPR, whilst 3-0 setbacks were suffered at Leicester and Middlesbrough in the League Cup.
Leading scorers:
For the second season runningGary McSheffrey topped City’s goalscoring charts. He netted 14 goals (12 League, 2 FA Cup) from 34 starts but six were from the penalty spot. After a shaky start Stern John ended the season with 12 goals (11 and 1) including two penalties. Andy Morrell was third top scorer with seven goals but six of these came in a golden spell at the start of the season.
Doubles:
City did the double over three teams – Forest, Reading and Watford. Five clubs, Wigan, Ipswich, Crewe, QPR and Leeds achieved the feat against City. The Double over Watford were the first wins over the Hornets in eight meetings since relegation in 2001.
Appearances:
No Coventry player was an ever present, Michael Doyle made the most league appearances with 43 starts and one substitute appearance, followed by Stephen Hughes with 39 starts and one sub. One player made just one league appearance, Christian Negouai (on loan from Manchester City), his 45-minute spell against Burnley being one of the shortest City league careers of all-time. Richard Shaw became only the 14th player in the club’s history to reach 300 appearances. By the end of the season he had reached 334 and is in joint 10th position in the all-time appearance table.
Substitutes:
Patrick Suffo set two records. By scoring two goals after coming on as a substitute against Torquay in the League Cup he became only the third City player to achieve the feat, emulating Bobby Gould and Jay Bothroyd. A record he may not be so proud of is making more substitute appearances in a season that any other City player. He came off the bench in 19 league games, 2 League Cup and 1 FA Cup game and only started three games.
Average attendance:
Home 16,131 (2003-04 14,632). Away 17,025 (2003-0414,942). The home average increased by over 10% owing to steep jump in crowds for the last five home games and was just six short of the highest average since the club left the Premiership. The away average was boosted by the arrival in the division by Wolves, Leeds and Leicester.
Highest home attendance:
22,777 v Derby County, April 30. This was City’s biggest home crowd since April 2001 when the visit of Liverpool for City’s penultimate home game in the Premiership attracted 23,063.
Lowest home attendance:
11,966 v Gillingham, September 15. The crowd of 7,628 for the FA Cup game with Crewe in January was the lowest in the competition at Highfield Road for 95 years.
Highest away attendance:
29,484 v Sunderland, March 15.
Lowest away attendance:
5,742 v Rotherham, January 1.
Won from behind:
(4) West Ham (home), Rotherham (away),Reading (home and away). For the third year running City came from a goal down to win at the Majedski Stadium. The West Ham effort was the first time the feat had been achieved in two years.
Lost from in front:
(5) Sheffield United (h), Cardiff (a), Ipswich (a), Preston (a), Crewe (a).
Firsts:
The win at Rotherham was the first league win there since 1965. The defeat at home to Crewe was the first ever to the Cheshire club. The defeat at Gillingham was the first league defeat at Priesfield since 1958. The win at Watford was the first there since 1988.
Hat-tricks:
(0) Gary McSheffrey and Stern John came closest in the Derby game but both ended with a brace.
Opposing hat-tricks:
(1) Jamie Cureton of QPR scored three in the 4-1 defeat at Loftus Road – it was the first league hat-trick conceded by the Sky Blues since they were relegated from the Premiership in 2001.
Own goals: For City:
(1) Leicester’s Chris Makin in the home game with Leicester.
Own goals: By City:
(2) Matthew Mills (Ipswich h) and Richard Shaw (West Ham a)
Penalties: For City:
(10) Gary McSheffrey (6) (Ipswich a, Wigan h, Brighton h, Forest h, Wolves h, Derby h), Stern John (2) (Gillingham h & Reading h) and Patrick Suffo (Sunderland h & Preston h). McSheffrey’s included four in successive home games, equalling Dion Dublin’s record set in 1998. There were three missed penalties: Stern John (2) (Ipswich h & Sheffield U h) and Gary McSheffrey (1) (Stoke h). The total of 13, is most penalties City have ever been awarded in one season. By scoring against Gillingham, Stern John became the first player in the club’s history to score a penalty on his debut.
Penalties: Against City:
(5) Robbie Blake (Burnley a), Dean Ashton (Crewe h), Graham Alexander (Preston a), Jody Morris (Millwall a) Teddy Sheringham (West Ham a). Jason Roberts (Wigan a) was the only opponent to miss a penalty.
Fastest Goal:
Hughes 9 minutes v Plymouth (h).
Most unlikely goal:
Andrew Whing against Derby, he came off the bench to score a spectacular final goal with his first touch in the 6-2 win.
Man of the match awards:
8 McSheffrey, 7 Hughes, 6 Doyle, 4 Steele, 3 Johnson, 2 Jorgensen, Page, Williams, Staunton, Morrell, Davenport, 1 Whing, Duffy, Adebola, Shaw, Sherwood, Mills, Leacock, Giddings, Ricketts, Barrett, Suffo.
Red cards: Coventry:
(3) Carey (Leeds a), Staunton (Wigan a), Bennett (Stoke h). Bennett was the first City goalkeeper sent off in a league game and Stephen Hughes was the first City outfield player to don the keeper’s jersey since David Speedie at Millwall in 1989.
Red cards: Opponents:
(4) Taylor (Forest a), Whelan (Sheff Wed h LC), Lomas (West Ham h), Carlisle (Leeds h).
Cup form:
The club’s poor Cup form continued with exits at the second hurdle in the FA Cup at the hands of Newcastle, and at the third hurdle League Cup to Premiership Middlesbrough. Since relegation from the Premiership in 2001 City have lost all five encounters with Premiership clubs and have not reached the fifth round of the FA Cup since 1999.
By Jim Brown
Preparation for Coventry City’s final season at Highfield Road got under way with Mike McGinnity’s pledge that promotion was going to happen ringing in Peter Reid’s ears. There was no money to strengthen the squad but he managed, with some wheeling and dealing, to ‘freshen’ up the playing staff.
Out of the door went the popular Moroccan Youssef Safri who joined Norwich for around £750,000, the popular but high earners Mo Konjic and Joachim moved on, to Derby and Leeds respectively, whilst Stephen Warnock returned to Liverpool after his loan ended. Two weeks into the season Calum Davenport, a popular home-grown central defender who had always looked destined for bigger things was sold to Tottenham in a deal worth £1.1 million, rising to potentially £3 million.
Reid’s high profile in the game meant City were linked with numerous ‘names’ including Teddy Sheringham, Dion Dublin, Tin Sherwood and Dwight Yorke. All but Sherwood rejected Reid’s overtures and his arrival on a free transfer with a rumoured large signing on fee and two-year contract was to prove a disaster. His dodgy ankle somehow got through the club’s medical, he broke down in training within days and started only ten games with rumours linking him to dressing room disruption. Another former Premiership midfielder Stephen Hughes arrived with a injury-hit past and was given a pay-as-you play contract. Other signings included full-back Louis Carey from Bristol City and two Manchester United youngsters Neil Wood and Eddie Johnson, none of whom would create a big impression. The 23-man squad at the start of the season was the smallest for many a year.
Although Reid was permitted to spend around £250,000 of the Davenport proceeds on Birmingham’s Trinidad striker Stern John he was largely restricted to using the loan market. The quality of the Premiership loanees was poor, goalkeeper Luke Steele apart. Dean Leacock, Matthew Mills, Rohan Ricketts and Florent Laville did little to improve the team’s disappointing autumn form and were quickly jettisoned.
The fixture computer through up a dream opening game at home to Reid’s former club Sunderland and City pulled off a good victory and two further wins in August saw City in fifth place as September began but that was as good as it got. Nine league games without a win left them close to the bottom three.
Things came to a head after two home defeats over the Christmas holiday which left City in 20th place. In the second against Leeds, with the ‘Reid out’ chants deafening, the whole ground seemed to be urging Reid to go. The following day McGinnity, his master plan for instant success in tatters, flew in from his holiday home in Majorca hoping to pour oil on troubled waters and within hours Reid had left the club. The club announced that he had resigned but in truth no-one had tried to persuade Reid to continue. Reliable sources say that Reid agreed to forego a pay-off to help the financially hampered club and save himself a torrent of abuse if he had insisted his contract was honoured. McGinnity was left with egg on his face.
In an unprecedented move McGinnity, not renowned for consulting the supporters, asked the fans via the media who they wanted as manager. Micky Adams, who had recently resigned from Leicester and had the experience of leading three clubs to promotion, was the unanimous choice.
Adams arrived but like Reid had no money to spend and trod the loanee path. Fortunately his choices were a little more astute and Richard Duffy, Ian Bennett, Shaun Goater and Trevor Benjamin all played their part in arresting the slump, which alarmingly continued with four defeats at the start of the new regime. Robert Page and Marcus Hall arrived on free transfers and immediately shored up the dodgy defence and a rejuvenated Dele Adebola struck up a good partnership with John. However on the 23 March City were in the bottom three and there was a distinct possibility of the new stadium hosting third tier football then, two home wins in four days eased the pressure. Fellow strugglers Brighton were beaten 2-1, the first home win since December and then the Sky Blues virtually relegated former Midland giants Nottingham Forest in front of a 22,000 crowd. Only three points from five games were needed for the 50-point safety mark but on the morning of the final home game, against Derby County, they were still one point short of safety.
In March Coventry City fans suddenly realised that the curtain was beginning to come down on Highfield Road. Gates, which had been struggling around the 13,000 mark, began to increase as fans realised time was running out for the old ground and they had to pay their final respects.
The thrilling 6-2 win over Derby brought the curtain down at Highfield Road and ensured Championship football for the 2005-06 campaign at the new stadium.
