Those of you who have followed City for many years will be aware that life with the Sky Blues is never dull and the close season just gone was no exception.
Until Peter Reid got back from his drunken stint with the BBC in Portugal, life was pretty dull, off went the popular Mo Konjic and Youseff Safri, both of whom we wish well as did the less popular Julian “Son of a Madam” Joachim who spent more time “injured” than playing in his three seasons at Highfield Road and whilst an attempt to bring back Dion Dublin was made to a mixed reaction judging by the various City message boards.
Not surprisingly, season ticket sales were sluggish and a poll on the Covsupport website showed that 58% of City supporters who responded, felt that the lack of being active in the transfer market was the main reason. Even less surprisingly was the announcement by the club who were either struggling to pay the printer or the printer was having difficulty producing the season ticket books depending on which version you choose to believe on the day after the Covsupport poll was announced, that season tickets sales had reached 7,000 and up on last year according to them. Now, if that were true, why was the “Early Bird” season ticket prices which should have finished on July 3rd,still available until after the pre-season tour had started?
Surely, the club would have been snapping up the extra revenue (either by cash/cheque or a switch or solo debit card, sorry no credit cards as that costs the club money!) from those who had missed the closing date or only decided to get a season ticket once Reid had got his act together and acquired Tim Sherwood, Stephen Hughes, Neil Wood, Louis Carey and Bjarni Gudjonsson. Mysterious indeed.
Pre-season itself gave us very little clues apart from Herr Bernd Killat who organised the tour of Germany does not like talking about his links with Bryan Richardson and that City are capable of stuffing cannon fodder, so it was with some great relief that two late goals gave us victory over Sunderland and for a few hours saw Coventry City the first team ever to be top of the Coca-Cola Championship. (something we were on the day the Premiership was first unleashed on us after a 3-0 win at Arsenal).
Although every time this season,we visit Highfield Road knowing that in 12 months time,we'll be up the road in Foleshill. It was great to be back in the ground for a league game. For the second game running,the scoreboard wasn't working and Strikers was shut after the game. Can the club really afford to turn down the extra income both generate? Twist n Shout fanzine wasn't out either unusually but I'm informed that it will be back later this season.
More ramblings next month.