How Coventry earned Premier League return after 25 years

Sahadan kritik gelişmeler geliyor. How Coventry earned Premier League return after 25 years Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Frank Lampard was appointed Coventry manager in November 2024 By Nick Mashiter Football reporter Published 21 minutes ago 20 Comments After 25 years, Coventry are back in the Premier League. It has been 9,113 days since they were relegated - by a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa on 5 May 2001 - with the Sky Blues then tumbling to the brink. After spending 11 years in the Championship, they were relegated to League One and fell into administration in 2013 .

A return to the top was a distant dream amid the dramas of two groundshares with Northampton and Birmingham, a detested ownership in Sisu, multiple protests and parliamentary mentions . Sky Blues fans organised marches while there were also pitch invasions against an ownership who sold to Doug King in 2023 after 13 years, during which the club dropped to the fourth tier for the first time in 59 years . Their resurrection comes under Frank Lampard and, after sealing their promotion on Friday with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn , the Sky Blues can celebrate again.

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Lampard's Sky Blue impact Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Coventry secured promotion at Blackburn on Friday night Coventry have surprised themselves. Sources acknowledge there was cautious optimism at the start of the season but they did not expect such success so quickly. The foundations were laid during pre-season, with Lampard's calming influence crucial in his first summer with the group, having replaced fan favourite Mark Robins in November 2024.

Goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, who joined on loan from Brighton, has made the biggest impact but the team is largely the same from last term despite the mid-season loan additions of Romain Esse and Frank Onyeka. Insiders have been impressed with how Lampard has taken the squad on after last season's disappointment. Within the group, the goal of automatic promotion changed to winning the title after they cemented themselves in the top two.

Lampard got the job ahead of former player John Eustace, with owner King a huge admirer. King has an office at the training ground, where he is a regular presence, chatting with staff, knowing them all by name. He will often be seen in the canteen making coffee and talking to the chef.

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There is no separate area for the first team, and that has encouraged an inclusive atmosphere at Sky Blue Lodge. For the players, the training ground has become a place to build team spirit - an upgraded, expanded gym allows them all to train at the same time. To use the old gym, they used to take turns in groups.

Even the drive into the training ground has been upgraded in recent years - a sleek, professional, well-lit set-up replacing the old unkempt grassy banks. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Frank Lampard faced Coventry with West Ham and Chelsea as a player Lampard has the aura of a player who has won the lot in club football.

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