Another fixture clash for City

COVENTRY City are facing another FA Cup fixture change after their second round tie with non-league Boreham Wood clashes with Ricoh Arena owners Wasps’ big local derby with Leicester Tigers on Saturday, December 2.

The Sky Blues are due to play the non-league outfit between December 1-4, with manager Mark Robins preferring to stick with the regular routine of Saturday afternoon at 3pm.

City’s schedule was thrown out of step last weekend when the club had to play Maidenhead on Sunday, the day after Wasps entertained Newcastle Falcons, and although the Sky Blues came through with flying colours after securing a 2-0 win, the attendance was down significantly to just 3,370.

And Robins is concerned that another Sabbath schedule will affect crowd figures again.

“We have a home tie and can’t ask for much more,” he said.

“Actually, we could. We’d like a home game on a Saturday but, obviously, we can’t do that so it will be Friday or Sunday I suppose.

“I believe there’s a Wasps fixture on the Saturday so we’ll be looking at playing the day before or after.

“Personally it will be interesting to find out if we would get more numbers for the Friday. We need to look at what the supporters want. That’s important because it might have a bearing on what Boreham Wood do, although I think they would prefer the Sunday.

“We played on Sunday against Maidenhead and the crowd was down so it depends what the supporters want really.”

As for his reaction to drawing giant killers of the first round, Boreham having beaten League One Blackpool in their own back yard, Robins revealed he was slightly put out by his opposite number Luke Garrard’s response to the news of a trip to the Ricoh.

“My reaction to the draw was different to the Boreham Wood manager’s reaction,” he said. “I didn’t think he looked too impressed with it but, for me, it really doesn’t matter.

“Whoever you play it is going to be difficult. You prefer a home tie but I think they were disappointed that they didn’t get the home tie because we were the last two numbers out.

“But I think he’s a decent lad and when the game comes round I am sure they will look forward to it as much as we will.”