On This Day ten years ago Coventry City played their first game at the Ricoh Arena.
We look back at the day City christened the stadium with a 3-0 win over Queens Park Rangers with Kev Monks' match report
COVENTRY CITY 3-0 QUEENS PARK RANGERS
Coventry City christened The Ricoh Arena with a three-nil win over Queens Park Rangers.
It was a case of in with the new as Coventry City took up their tenancy at the still not finished Ricoh Arena, thankfully frantic scenes over the last forty eight hours ensured that the game could go ahead.
Micky Adams has said at the weekly press conference that it had felt like an away game and he was right. I had the same feeling. To me, it was like City were borrowing the stadium just to play Queens Park Rangers and it took a while for the fact that I'd be spending the rest of my life watching home games here to sink in.
This was a day of getting to know you and many supporters in a 23,000 sell-out crowd were spotted looking round familiarising themselves with the new surroundings.
It was a new ground syndrome for the players as well and thanks to Stephen Hughes contratonde with an assistant referee at Burnley and Stern John who was jet lagged from international duty ,Micky Adams named a side which saw loanee Wilo Flood given his debut.
The repercussions from Ibiza were evident as Danny Shittu who had had a row with City supporters during the Copa Ibiza Final had to be restrained by the referee Mr Leake.
The game started at a frantic pace. City had Matt Heath booked for a foul and then much to the delight of the noisy City support,James Scowcroft got down the left and Claus Jorgensen dived to head in to the net from twelve yards.
Tackles were flying in with Dele Adebola cautioned for a body charge on Shittu.
This error was soon forgotten as the ball was cleared up to Dele Adebola who got to the right byline,cut back inside and sent a low drive into the net in the 23rd minute.
A booking followed shortly after, with Marcus Hall rightly carded for a late lunge on Gareth Ainsworth.
The niggly tactics employed by Ian Holloway saw Richard Duffy spoken to and comments from the City supporters that this was not the best game Mr Leake had ever had
Two minutes before the break, City went three goals ahead when a Rangers defender deflected a cross on to his own post and Dele Adebola lashed in the loose ball into the net.
On the stroke of half-time,Mr Leake produced his fifth card of the game when he carded debutant Wilo Flood.
The failings of the referee riled the City support within two minutes of the restart when Brown escaped punishment for shoving Richard Duffy off the pitch at the South Stand end.
At the other end, Adebola ran through only for Marcus Bignot to pull him down and joined the list of cautions.
Coventry City christened The Ricoh Arena with a three-nil win over Queens Park Rangers.
It was a case of in with the new as Coventry City took up their tenancy at the still not finished Ricoh Arena, thankfully frantic scenes over the last forty eight hours ensured that the game could go ahead.
Micky Adams has said at the weekly press conference that it had felt like an away game and he was right. I had the same feeling. To me, it was like City were borrowing the stadium just to play Queens Park Rangers and it took a while for the fact that I'd be spending the rest of my life watching home games here to sink in.
This was a day of getting to know you and many supporters in a 23,000 sell-out crowd were spotted looking round familiarising themselves with the new surroundings.
It was a new ground syndrome for the players as well and thanks to Stephen Hughes contratonde with an assistant referee at Burnley and Stern John who was jet lagged from international duty ,Micky Adams named a side which saw loanee Wilo Flood given his debut.
The repercussions from Ibiza were evident as Danny Shittu who had had a row with City supporters during the Copa Ibiza Final had to be restrained by the referee Mr Leake.
The game started at a frantic pace. City had Matt Heath booked for a foul and then much to the delight of the noisy City support,James Scowcroft got down the left and Claus Jorgensen dived to head in to the net from twelve yards.
Tackles were flying in with Dele Adebola cautioned for a body charge on Shittu.
This error was soon forgotten as the ball was cleared up to Dele Adebola who got to the right byline,cut back inside and sent a low drive into the net in the 23rd minute.
A booking followed shortly after, with Marcus Hall rightly carded for a late lunge on Gareth Ainsworth.
The niggly tactics employed by Ian Holloway saw Richard Duffy spoken to and comments from the City supporters that this was not the best game Mr Leake had ever had
Two minutes before the break, City went three goals ahead when a Rangers defender deflected a cross on to his own post and Dele Adebola lashed in the loose ball into the net.
On the stroke of half-time,Mr Leake produced his fifth card of the game when he carded debutant Wilo Flood.
The failings of the referee riled the City support within two minutes of the restart when Brown escaped punishment for shoving Richard Duffy off the pitch at the South Stand end.
At the other end, Adebola ran through only for Marcus Bignot to pull him down and joined the list of cautions.
In the 53rd minute, Adebola got clear again and this time,Danny Shittu brought him down and was sent off.
Now the QPR support of around 1500 were not happy and the police and stewards were kept busy trying to prevent scenes similar to that in Ibiza from the hooligan element which have latched onto the West London club in recent years.
In the 72nd minute, Wilo Flood who had looked reasonably useful,playing some good balls was replaced by Andy Morrell.
Four minutes later ,Adams made another switch as Gary McSheffrey who have shrugged off a groin injury to play made way for Neil Wood.
The predicted trouble finally kicked off but thankfully it was outside of the stadium and drew the attention of those in Block 178 who raced to the windows at the back of the stand for a better view of the action.
Man Of The Match Dele Adebola became the third change when he left to a standing ovation with three minutes left.
Now the QPR support of around 1500 were not happy and the police and stewards were kept busy trying to prevent scenes similar to that in Ibiza from the hooligan element which have latched onto the West London club in recent years.
In the 72nd minute, Wilo Flood who had looked reasonably useful,playing some good balls was replaced by Andy Morrell.
Four minutes later ,Adams made another switch as Gary McSheffrey who have shrugged off a groin injury to play made way for Neil Wood.
The predicted trouble finally kicked off but thankfully it was outside of the stadium and drew the attention of those in Block 178 who raced to the windows at the back of the stand for a better view of the action.
Man Of The Match Dele Adebola became the third change when he left to a standing ovation with three minutes left.
It was a day where things needed to go right both on and off the pitch and today it all came together.
HT CCFC 3-0 QPR
FT CCFC 3-0 QPR
ATT 23,000
GOALS Claus Jorgensen (10),Dele Adebola (23,43)
Booked
HT CCFC 3-0 QPR
FT CCFC 3-0 QPR
ATT 23,000
GOALS Claus Jorgensen (10),Dele Adebola (23,43)
Booked
Heath, Shimmin, Adebola, Hall, Duffy, Flood, Bignot, Milanese
Sent off Shittu (53).
KM MOM - Dele Adebola
KM MOM - Dele Adebola
TEAM
Bywater, Hall, Duffy, Page, Heath, Doyle, Jorgensen, Flood (Morrell 72), McSheffrey (Wood 76), Scowcroft, Adebola (Osbourne 86) Subs Ince, Williams
QPR
Royce, Bignot (Bean 64),Shittu (sent off 53), Rose, Bircham (Ukah 64), Moore,Brown (Milanese 54), Shimmin, Furlong. SNU Miller, Baidoo