Post by walburghian on Feb 23, 2022 23:54:09 GMT
COVENTRY CITY vs PRESTON NORTH END
History: Sadly, Lady Godiva will not be leading out the Teams. The earliest surviving source for the legend is the Chronical of Roger of Wendover for the year 1057. He wrote that Godiva pleaded with her husband to relieve the heavy burden of taxes he had imposed on the citizens of Coventry. Weary of her persistence, Leofric said he would grant her request if she would ride naked through the town. She ordered the people to remain indoors with their windows and doors barred. Loosening her long hair to cover her as a cloak, she mounted her waiting horse. Then she rode through the silent streets unseen by the people, who had obeyed her command because of their respect for her. Only one man, called Tom, was unable to resist the temptation to peep at the Countess (hence the term 'Peeping Tom'). He unbarred his window, but before he could satisfy his gaze he was struck blind. Her ordeal completed, Godiva returned to her husband, who fulfilled his promise to abolish the heavy taxes.
Coventry City FC: When originally founded in 1883 by the employees of a cycle manufacturer, the club was known by the name of that company, Singers (a local firm). Ten years later, the club turned professional after a very successful season (1891-92) in which three separate cups were won (The Birmingham Cup, The Wednesbury Cup and The Walsall Cup). Local businessman David Cooke (later to become an infamous chairman) produced a 'Three Cups Tobacco' to celebrate the event. In 1898, the club was renamed Coventry City just prior to a move to new playing fields on the site of Highfield Road in the Hillfields district of the city, the stadium they called home for the next 106 years. The club became a registered Limited Company in 1907 recording a capital of £2,000 in 5-shilling shares Coventry City were originally known as 'the Bantams' (a nickname shared with Bradford City before adopting their sky blue identity in the early 1960s. Coventry were first called the Bantams in December 1908 after the local newspaper noted that they were one of the few clubs who did not have a nickname. Being the lightweights of the Southern League, the Bantams was suggested and stuck with the press and supporters. (They remained as the 'Bantams' until the summer of 1962 when Jimmy Hill re-christened them the 'Sky Blues' and the club switched to an all sky blue kit.)
The introduction of a new continental-style all sky blue kit (making Coventry the first team to play in matching shorts and shirts) and the new nickname the 'Sky Blues' in 1962 was the start of a revolution at Coventry City, aided by investment by chairman Derrick Robins. They had won promotion from the Fourth Division in 1959 and, basking in the success of England's legendary win the 1966 World Cup, finished the 1966-67 season as Division Two Champions, under the management of Jimmy Hill. City went unbeaten in 25 games as they were promoted to the promised land - Division 1. During this period, attendances rapidly increased and on 29 April 1967 an old League Division 2 fixture with local rivals Wolves attracted a record 51,455 crowd at the Highfield Road stadium, which has stood to this day.
Hill's revolutionary touch saw him introduce special sky blue trains to away matches, pre-game and half-time entertainment (pre-dating Sky Television by almost 30 years),supplied young fans with soft drinks and snacks, and even penned the club's signature anthem "The Sky Blue Song" (sung to the tune of the Eton Boating Song). Controversially, Jimmy Hill resigned from the club on the eve of the team's First Division debut to move into a career in television.
Jimmy Hill returned as Managing Director in 1974 and continued to reform the game. In 1975 Derrick Robins retired as chairman, emigrating to South Africa, to be replaced by Jimmy Hill. In 1981 he transformed Highfield Road into the country's first all-seater stadium under the slogan "You can't be a hooligan sitting down.". However, the idea backfired when Leeds United fans tore the seats out to use them as missiles when they lost their League Cup quarter-final to Coventry. The terraces were reinstated and Hill left the club in 1983.
FA Cup glory & 1987-1990
In 1987 they won the FA Cup, beating an impressive Tottenham Hotspur side 3-2 in the final after extra time, the score having been2-2 after 90 minutes. It is generally considered as one of finest finals of all time in terms of footballing technique, fair play and sheer excitement. This also finally made archaic the famous Monty Python 'World Forum' sketch, in which Coventry City's last FA Cup win is a trick question asked in a game show, as they hadn't won the Cup to that point. They were denied their chance to play in the European Cup Winners' Cup because of the ban on English teams following the 1985 Heysel Disaster. Coventry City's youth team also won the FA Youth Cup in 1987 (beating Charlton Athletic 2-1) to secure a remarkable 'double'.Aside from Coventry, only Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton have ever won both the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup in the same season.
Recent History: In May 2001 Coventry were relegated from the Premier League after 34 years in the top flight and despite moving to the Ricoh Arena the Club continued its decline being relegated to Division 1 in the 2011/12 Season. However, in 2020 the Club were crowned Division 1 Champions using the Points per game methodology after the Corona virus emerged. Last Season they were 16th but are having a good Season currently and believe that they are in with a shout for the Play-offs, currently sitting in 9th position with 50pts from 32 Matches .Current Odds are Coventry 21/20, Draw 37/15, PNE 10/3. Make of that what you wish, it depends upon which PNE Team turns up. If they play like they did vs Florest, then they could match anyone but a Reading performance will see them lose. I'm no Mystic Meg and my predictions are rubbish, so I'll go for a Draw and they might Win.
History: Sadly, Lady Godiva will not be leading out the Teams. The earliest surviving source for the legend is the Chronical of Roger of Wendover for the year 1057. He wrote that Godiva pleaded with her husband to relieve the heavy burden of taxes he had imposed on the citizens of Coventry. Weary of her persistence, Leofric said he would grant her request if she would ride naked through the town. She ordered the people to remain indoors with their windows and doors barred. Loosening her long hair to cover her as a cloak, she mounted her waiting horse. Then she rode through the silent streets unseen by the people, who had obeyed her command because of their respect for her. Only one man, called Tom, was unable to resist the temptation to peep at the Countess (hence the term 'Peeping Tom'). He unbarred his window, but before he could satisfy his gaze he was struck blind. Her ordeal completed, Godiva returned to her husband, who fulfilled his promise to abolish the heavy taxes.
Coventry City FC: When originally founded in 1883 by the employees of a cycle manufacturer, the club was known by the name of that company, Singers (a local firm). Ten years later, the club turned professional after a very successful season (1891-92) in which three separate cups were won (The Birmingham Cup, The Wednesbury Cup and The Walsall Cup). Local businessman David Cooke (later to become an infamous chairman) produced a 'Three Cups Tobacco' to celebrate the event. In 1898, the club was renamed Coventry City just prior to a move to new playing fields on the site of Highfield Road in the Hillfields district of the city, the stadium they called home for the next 106 years. The club became a registered Limited Company in 1907 recording a capital of £2,000 in 5-shilling shares Coventry City were originally known as 'the Bantams' (a nickname shared with Bradford City before adopting their sky blue identity in the early 1960s. Coventry were first called the Bantams in December 1908 after the local newspaper noted that they were one of the few clubs who did not have a nickname. Being the lightweights of the Southern League, the Bantams was suggested and stuck with the press and supporters. (They remained as the 'Bantams' until the summer of 1962 when Jimmy Hill re-christened them the 'Sky Blues' and the club switched to an all sky blue kit.)
The introduction of a new continental-style all sky blue kit (making Coventry the first team to play in matching shorts and shirts) and the new nickname the 'Sky Blues' in 1962 was the start of a revolution at Coventry City, aided by investment by chairman Derrick Robins. They had won promotion from the Fourth Division in 1959 and, basking in the success of England's legendary win the 1966 World Cup, finished the 1966-67 season as Division Two Champions, under the management of Jimmy Hill. City went unbeaten in 25 games as they were promoted to the promised land - Division 1. During this period, attendances rapidly increased and on 29 April 1967 an old League Division 2 fixture with local rivals Wolves attracted a record 51,455 crowd at the Highfield Road stadium, which has stood to this day.
Hill's revolutionary touch saw him introduce special sky blue trains to away matches, pre-game and half-time entertainment (pre-dating Sky Television by almost 30 years),supplied young fans with soft drinks and snacks, and even penned the club's signature anthem "The Sky Blue Song" (sung to the tune of the Eton Boating Song). Controversially, Jimmy Hill resigned from the club on the eve of the team's First Division debut to move into a career in television.
Jimmy Hill returned as Managing Director in 1974 and continued to reform the game. In 1975 Derrick Robins retired as chairman, emigrating to South Africa, to be replaced by Jimmy Hill. In 1981 he transformed Highfield Road into the country's first all-seater stadium under the slogan "You can't be a hooligan sitting down.". However, the idea backfired when Leeds United fans tore the seats out to use them as missiles when they lost their League Cup quarter-final to Coventry. The terraces were reinstated and Hill left the club in 1983.
FA Cup glory & 1987-1990
In 1987 they won the FA Cup, beating an impressive Tottenham Hotspur side 3-2 in the final after extra time, the score having been2-2 after 90 minutes. It is generally considered as one of finest finals of all time in terms of footballing technique, fair play and sheer excitement. This also finally made archaic the famous Monty Python 'World Forum' sketch, in which Coventry City's last FA Cup win is a trick question asked in a game show, as they hadn't won the Cup to that point. They were denied their chance to play in the European Cup Winners' Cup because of the ban on English teams following the 1985 Heysel Disaster. Coventry City's youth team also won the FA Youth Cup in 1987 (beating Charlton Athletic 2-1) to secure a remarkable 'double'.Aside from Coventry, only Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton have ever won both the FA Cup and FA Youth Cup in the same season.
Recent History: In May 2001 Coventry were relegated from the Premier League after 34 years in the top flight and despite moving to the Ricoh Arena the Club continued its decline being relegated to Division 1 in the 2011/12 Season. However, in 2020 the Club were crowned Division 1 Champions using the Points per game methodology after the Corona virus emerged. Last Season they were 16th but are having a good Season currently and believe that they are in with a shout for the Play-offs, currently sitting in 9th position with 50pts from 32 Matches .Current Odds are Coventry 21/20, Draw 37/15, PNE 10/3. Make of that what you wish, it depends upon which PNE Team turns up. If they play like they did vs Florest, then they could match anyone but a Reading performance will see them lose. I'm no Mystic Meg and my predictions are rubbish, so I'll go for a Draw and they might Win.
