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Welcome back to the EPL Coventry City! And, for all your efforts you will be traveling to Emirates Stadium to take on defending champions Arsenal on Friday, August 21, 2p CST.
The Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard has had plenty of experience and success heading to Arsenal, but that was as a player for Chelsea. Coventry City had a great season dominating in The Championship last year but this will be another level for them to adjust to.
1883
2025/26 Finish - 1st Place
Won The Championship - Promoted
34 - Over/Under projected points
Coventry City is a medium-small regional sized club about 20 miles SW of Birmingham in the Midlands of the UK. Started in 1883, the club had many ups and downs on and off the pitch for much of their first 85 years, but in 1967 they broke into the first division for the first time and stayed there for 34 straight years. In 2001, the Sky Blues were relegated out of the EPL and that led to another run outside the first division that saw them relegated all the way down to level 4 in 2017. In 2020, CCFC made it back to The Championship (level 2) and had some great seasons, including a thrilling loss on penalties to Man United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. After several tries, CCFC are back in the EPL by winning the Championship.
The Sky Blues are led by Frank Lampard, considered one of the best midfielders in the history of English Soccer and a great for Chelsea. Lampard has brought a clear identity to the club, one that played exciting, attractive, structured soccer on their way to dominating the league - securing the title early, 11 points ahead of second place Ipswich Town, and finishing with a goal difference of +52, 19 better than Ipswich.
For CCFC to avoid relegation this season they will need to evolve their style of play, strengthen talent across the board and rely on a core set of players that helped them cruise to promotion. It will be a very big challenge.
The Club
Located in Coventry, West Midlands
Coventry Building Society Arena, 32,000 capacity
Rough estimates
$60M Annual Revenue
$25M Player Payroll
History on the Pitch
0 Titles
1 FA Cups 1987
0 Europe Cups
Ownership
Singers FC, Bicycles & Gentleman’s Club.
The Coventry area was well known for its bicycle makers, and the Singer Cycle Company was a prominent one. In 1883 at the Singer’s Gentleman’s Club, Singer FC was founded. Just as they Cycle company changed with the times and became the Singer Motor Company, so did the football club, changing their name to Coventry City FC.
Fast forward to 2007 when the Hedge Fund Sisu Capital purchased the team, much to the dislike of the fans. Long story short, financial struggles, issues finding a “home stadium”, and what felt like a lack of commitment from “non-British” ownership led to the “Sisu Out” campaign.
Enter British businessman Doug King, who purchased the club in 2023. His stated goal, get the club back to the EPL in 3 years. Mission accomplished.
In 2025 King completed the purchase of the CBS Arena, reuniting the club with its stadium after years of “landlord issues”
Sponsorship
Home Kit
Away kit
Biggest Rival - Aston Villa - Kind Of
Fans are split on all the “Midlands” clubs as rivals, but Villa seem to be the biggest with Leicester City a close second.
However, they have not played Villa since 2001, so the rivalry has faded.
LCFC is just 24 miles from Coventry yet the sides hadn’t met for 11 years until recently when the M69 Derby was picked back up.
In 2020 a fan survey listed their rivals in the following order. Aston Villa, LCFC, Wolves, Birmingham City, West Brom.
Might say if you don’t have a clear top, then you don’t have a Biggest Rival.
The Culture
85 years of NON-top-level soccer, 34 years of ONLY-top-level soccer, and then a drop the last 25 years that included a fall to level 4 and you could say the fan experience for CCFC has been very different depending on the generation you grew up in. Yet, there are consistencies across the generations. Unlike most English clubs, Coventry did not have a stadium they called home for extended periods, and that vagabond feel seems to have endured their local and regional fanbase to the club. The club is very local and regional representing a strong connection between the city and team. Supporters pride themselves on sticking with the club, regardless of the situation. Chant’s like “We’ll live and die in these towns” have become anthemic.
There is a renewed sense of optimism now that may have been missing over the last 25 years, but the core remains the same - passionate, loyal and defiantly Sky Blue. New British ownership, a stadium the club now owns, an iconic player as manager who has endured himself to the club, and promotion back to the EPL. The Sky Blues are hoping for another generational run.
Word Association
Recently Promoted after 25 years, Sky Blues, Frank Lampard, FA Cup 1987 winners, Homeless, Doug King, F1, Ayao Komatsu, Motor City, Jaguar, Land Rover.
Sky Blue Army & Exile
“Going Up The City” - aka going to watch a Coventry City Match. The official supporters club, The Sky Blue Army, saw significant drop off during the SISU ownership and the exit from the Ricoh Arena. The club was exiled to the Northampton Town’s Sixfield Stadium and saw average attendance drop even more.
Supporters You May Recognize
Lots of F1 connection
Christian Horner - Red Bull F1 CEO
Ayao Komatsu - Haas F1
Eddie Jordan - F1 Mogul
Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the middle)
Ayao, Haas F1, Malcolm
Song
Written in 1962 by team manager Jimmy Hill, the song is set to the tune “Eton Boating Song”.
The words have been updated to change the team they will never lose to…
Let’s all sing together
Play up, Sky Blues
While we sing together
We will never lose
Tottenham or Chelsea
United or anyone
They shan’t defeat us
We’ll fight till the game is won!
City! City! City!
Game Day Pub Guide
The Longford Engine
The Coach & Horses
The Badge
The Team
The Gaffer
Frank Lampard, England, 48yo
429 appearances at Chelsea, 147 goals, Midfielder.
106 appearances with England National Team, 29 goals.
Managed Chelsea, Everton and back to Chelsea before taking over at Coventry City in 2024.
Frank Lampard
ODDS
To Win League +200,000
Top 4 +15,000
To Be Relegated -167
Roster Notes
Full Roster click link
Americans on the team
Jack Rudoni
Haji Wright
Roster
Milan van Ewijk
Brandon Thomas-Asante
Ephron Mason-Clark
Bobby Thomas
Victor Torp
Liam Kitching
Loum Tchaouna
Ellies Simms
Aurele Amenda
Frank Onyeka
Goalkeeper
Simon Moore
Coventry Building Society Arena - Home of CCFC
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