Sky Blues On The Road - Blackburn Rovers

Last updated : 22 February 2009 By Covsupport News Service
BLACKBURN ROVERS V COVENTRY CITY
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14TH AT 3PM
AT EWOOD PARK,BLACKURN, BB2 4JF
FA CUP FIVE
__________________________________________________________________
MATCH DETAILS
Kick off is at 3pm. Live commentary on Sky Blue World and BBC Coventry & Warwickshire if you are in radio reception range.

Highlights ITV1 10.15pm. Delayed broadcast on Fox in the USA. The draw is at 6.30pm on Sunday evening live on ITV1 and Setanta Sports.

The winning side will pick up £200,000. If a replay is required, it will be at the Ricoh Arena on Tuesday February 24th at 7.45pm.
_______________________________________________________
TICKETS
Adults £15, concessions £5. Close to 5,000 City supporters already have a ticket for the game.
________________________________________________________
WEATHER
Sleet is forecast with only a high of two degrees, so wrap up warm.
_______________________________________________________
THE LAST TIME
This is the 35th meeting of the two sides with Coventry having won 16 of those games. There has been five draws. City have scored 52 goals compared to Blackburn's 43.

City have travelled to Blackburn for an FA Cup tie on three previous occasions and won the last two. Last season, Jay Tabb set up all four goals in a 4-1 win whilst on Feb 15th 1997, City won 2-1. In January, 1980 top flight City lost to Division 3 Blackburn Rovers 1-0.

Head to Head http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/footydb/loadhed.asp
__________________________________________________
THE MATCH OFFICIALS
The currently scheduled referee for this FA Cup tie is Steve Tanner.

Hailing from Somerset, Steve Tanner was in charge of City's 0-0 draw at Swansea City on Boxing Day. He has had 21 matches this season, issuing 62 yellow cards (including four in City's game) and six red cards.

He was in charge of Blackburn's 2-1 win at Newcastle United earlier in the season.

The Assistants are A.S.Watts & A.I.Haliday. The fourth official is S.W.Mathieson
__________________________________________________________________
TRAVEL

Club Coach
Coventry City will also be running a discounted coach travel scheme for this match, supporters can buy a travel ticket for just £10 per person. Coaches will depart from Car Park C at the Ricoh Arena at 11.00am.

By Car: From the North: Leave the M6 at Junction 29 and join the M61, at the first exit join the M65 and head East to Blackburn. Ewood Park is well signposted on the M65, leave at junction 4, join the A666 and head towards Blackburn Ewood Park is about a mile away on your right.

From the South: Leave the M6 at Junction 29 and join the M65 and head East to Blackburn. Ewood Park is well signposted on the M65, leave at junction 4, join the A666 and head towards Blackburn. Ewood Park is about a mile away on your right.

From the West: From the M6/M62 or M60, join the M61, leave the M61 for the M65 and head East to Blackburn. Ewood Park is well signposted on the M65, leave at junction 4, join the A666 and head towards Blackburn. Ewood Park is about a mile away on your right.

From the East: Travelling from Yorkshire, either on the B6234, the A56 Haslingden by-pass or the Skipton Road, join the M65 and head West. Leave the M65 at junction 4 and head towards Blackburn on the A666, Ewood Park is about a mile from the motorway on the right hand side.

From the M62 leave at Junction 18 for the M66 Bury, travel to the end of the Motorway which becomes the A56, join the M65 at Junction 8 and head Westbound towards Blackburn. Leave the M65 at junction 4 and head towards Blackburn on the A666, Ewood Park is about a mile from the motorway on the right hand side.

Street parking close to Ewood Park is restricted, please use the car parks provided.

By Train: Blackburn station is approximately a mile and a half from Ewood Park. Mill Hill station is approximately one mile away from the ground. There are direct trains from Manchester Victoria, Salford Crescent and Preston. See the "http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/" Nationalrail website for train times.

By Bus: The buses serving Ewood Park are: No. 1 (Darwen Cemetery - Darwen - Blackburn - Accrington), No. 5a / 5c (Blackburn Outer Circle Anticlockwise & Clockwise), No. 19 (Sunnybower - Blackburn - Feniscowles), No. 225 (Bolton - Blackburn - Clitheroe), No. 237 (Edgworth - Darwen - Blackburn)

Service 1 departs from stand M at Blackburn Boulevard, Services 19 &a 225 depart from stand N at Blackburn Boulevard, Service 237 departs from stand P at Blackburn Boulevard. The frequency of buses serving Ewood Park is every 10 minutes. For more information use the Traveline website or telephone number: http://www.traveline.org.uk/ or call 0871 200 22 33.
___________________________________________________________
BETTING ODDS
The Sky Blues are to 9/2 win with Blackburn 8/13 . You can get 11/4 on a draw.
______________________________________________________
TEAM NEWS
Stephen Wright is suspended and David Bell is cup-tied. Aron Gunnarsson is available after suspension. Leon Best and Robbie Simpson are expected to be amongst the seven substitutes.

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is expected to make wholesale changes to the side which lost 2-0 to Aston Villa and is also expected to have his big guns on the bench if needs be.
_________________________________________________________
ON THE GAME
Chris Coleman told the CT: "I can't say it will be an impossible task for us but we can certainly cause an upset - absolutely. "It will be tough of course, and they will be fancied but we are not going for a day out, we are going for a result."

Then speaking to BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, Coleman said: "We're missing certain bodies, but we know we can get a result. "We must make sure our 4,500 fans aren't disappointed after making the long journey. "I don't think Blackburn will want a replay. I'll take a replay now if that's how we get through. "They can't afford to be relegated. A replay is a bigger headache for Sam than us."

Former City loanee Stephen Warnock told Buzzle,com: "It may sound disrespectful but the FA Cup is nothing to us this season. "For the club, the Premier League is all that matters. If we win the FA Cup and go down it won't mean a thing. "The manager has already said that people's livelihoods are at stake. Jobs are on the line and that falls to the players."
____________________________________________________
SATURDAY FIXTURES

FA Academy League Reading V Coventry City U18's

FA Cup
Sheffield United V Hull City, Swansea V Fulham (12.40), Watford V Chelsea (5.30pm), West Ham V Middlesbrough.

Championship
Birmingham v Nottingham Forest, Bristol City v Southampton, Burnley v Wolves, Charlton V Plymouth, Derby v Reading, Doncaster v Sheffield Wed, Ipswich v Blackpool, Preston V Norwich.

FA Vase
Whitley Bay V Stratford Town

Southern League Prem
Rugby Town V Yate Town

Southern League Midland
Bedworth United V Woodford, Leamington v Sutton Coldfield, Malvern V Atherstone, Nuneaton v Stourport

Midland Alliance
Coventry Sphinx V Barwell, Friar Lane & Epworth V Racing Club Warwick

Midland Combination
Coventry Copsewood V Massey Ferguson, Brocton V Southam, Pershore V Nuneaton Griff,

Midland Comb Three
Coventry Amateurs V Kenilworth Town KH

Coventry Charity Cup QF
Stockingford v Hawkesmill