Proud Robins basks in Coventry’s title glory

MARK ROBINS admits it was a long wait but says promotion is fully deserved after Coventry were crowned champions of League One.

The coronavirus shutdown in March left the Sky Blues top but sweating on a place back in the Championship.

Now Robins’ men have had their promotion rubber-stamped after clubs voted yesterday to settle promotion and relegation on a points-per-game basis.

Coventry plan to toast the title with a live online promotion party instead of an open-top bus parade.

There could be no official celebration in the city, but the 1987 FA Cup winners, who have been ground-sharing with Birmingham, organised an online bash for fans and players.The club said: “We all celebrate our League One victory together while staying apart. Together we have all overcome many challenges this season on and off the field and enjoyed fantastic football and great moments. Our fans deserve this, our players deserve this, our staff deserve this, our football club deserves this.”

It is a view echoed by Robins, who has now secured a second promotion in three seasons since he returned for a second spell in charge in 2017.

Ex-United striker Robins, 50, whose side lost just three games in 34, said: “We would have preferred to finish it on the pitch and it has been difficult.

“It’s the hardest way of getting promoted, isn’t it? Against the backdrop of this horrendous coronavirus it has been a slog and a long wait. It has been unprecedented.

“We just had to wait six or seven weeks longer than we may have waited if we had continued the season.

“But I haven’t heard anyone say anything other than we deserve to be the champions.”