IT’S FRY-WAY ROBBERY
Robins: My Coventry lads deserve to be League One champs
MARK ROBINS admits it was a long wait for promotion, but insists it is fully deserved after Coventry were crowned champions of League One.
The March lockdown left the Sky Blues top, but sweating on a place back in the Championship.
However, Robins’ men finally had their promotion rubberstamped yesterday after clubs voted to settle promotion and relegation issues on a pointsper-game basis.
It is a second promotion in three seasons for Robins after he returned for a second spell in charge in 2017.
And it has all been achieved playing “away” at St Andrew’s, using a ground-share with Birmingham.
Ex-Manchester 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 might have had to have waited had we continued the season.
“But I haven’t heard anyone say anything other than that we deserve to be the champions of
FROM BACK PAGE and decide the final positions on an unweighted points per game basis.
That meant Coventry were crowned champions, and Rotherham followed them into the division. We thoroughly deserve it. We haven’t been able to enjoy it on the pitch, but we’ll certainly enjoy it and look forward to when we can resume. “When you hear people saying nice things about you, that’s what it’s all about – especially your own supporters.
“For everybody involved in this club, it’s been through a bit of turmoil in the last 10 years or so, so it’s a brilliant result for us.
“From when I walked in three years ago to now, if you had said alongside Southend and Bolton.
Posh were in the play-off places when football was called to a halt because of the coronavirus – but as Wycombe had a game in hand, their overall points per 2001: Relegated from Premier League after 34 years in top tier 2005: Quit Highfield Road for the new 32,000 Ricoh Arena 2012: Relegated to League One 2013: Failure to agree a new lease at the Ricoh Arena ends in ground-share with Northampton 2017: Won the Checkatrade Trophy but relegated to the fourth tier of English football 2018: Promoted to League One after play-off success
2019: Opt to ground-share with Birmingham after again failing to agree new lease at the Ricoh. Yesterday: Promoted back to the Championship as League One champions to me this would be the scenario, I’d have snapped your hands off.”
With a promising young side, Coventry will not be daunted about life back in the second tier.
They twice held Championship landlords Birmingham in the FA Cup this term before going out on penalties.
Promotion will also increase the pressure to agree a new lease at the Ricoh Arena – owned by rugby club Wasps – back in Coventry.
It gives them a chance of keeping some of their young talent after becoming a selling club.
Coventry now plan offer a deal to Callum O’Hare, but they face competition.
Attacking starlet O’Hare impressed at City this term with three goals and three assists while on loan from Aston Villa.
The 22-year-old has played 38 games for Robins’ side and is out of contract with Villa this summer.
MICHAEL GRAY has branded Sunderland spending a third season in League One as “unacceptable” after the Wearsiders finished in their worst league position following yesterday’s curtailment.
The Black Cats slipped to eighth as the EFL ended the season using points per game
– the first time in their 141-year history they failed to be promoted or make the play-offs in the third tier.
Former Sunderland star Gray (right) tweeted: “One season in League One is unacceptable for a club with a fan base the size of Sunderland but three... keep making mistakes and you get what you deserve.
“Supporters, I feel for
PROMOTED: Coventry (champions), Rotherham PLAY-OFFS: Wycombe v Fleetwood, Portsmouth v Oxford (dates TBC)
RELEGATED: Tranmere, Southend, Bolton
PROMOTED: Swindon (champions), Crewe, Plymouth PLAY-OFFS: Northampton, Cheltenham, Exeter, Colchester RELEGATED: Stevenage every one of you. Where or when will this all end?”
The club had wanted a chance to continue games and reach the play-offs and new chief executive Jim Rodwell and manager Phil Parkinson (top) now face a battle to rebuild, as owner Stewart Donald tries to sell up. Donald is facing criticism from fans for the way he bought the club using parachute payments from the Premier League and recognises a new investor is needed.
Three years and three weeks ago Sunderland were in the Premier League.
But their descent has been rapid, failing last year to win promotion in a Wembley play-off final.
LEAGUE TWO PLAY-OFFS: Thursday, June 18 Semi-final first legs Colchester United v Exeter City (5.15pm) Northampton Town v Cheltenham Town (7.45pm) Monday, June 22 Semi-final second legs Exeter City v Colchester United (5.15pm) Cheltenham Town v Northampton Town (8pm) FINAL: Monday, June 29