The Football League Paper

Sliding Sky Blues in need of a boost...

READERS of a certain age will remember when Coventry City were top-flight regulars. They will probably also recall that memorable FA Cup final against Tottenham in 1987 when the Sky Blues won 3-2 in a thriller and Keith Houchen scored a spectacular diving header.

How sad it is, therefore, to see Coventry rock bottom of League One, a shadow of their former selves.

It is clearly a club in turmoil, with the success-starved fans in revolt against the club’s owners, SISU. Coventry don’t own their own ground, the Ricoh Arena now in the hands of rugby club, Wasps.

The Sky Blues are in need of a lift and, perhaps, it could come from an unlikely source – the much-maligned Checkatrade Trophy.

After their midweek win against Swansea on penalties, Coventry are just 90 minutes away from Wembley. They’ve got a home tie, too, against Wycombe in the semi-finals.

Of course, it won’t be easy. The Chairboys have been one of the form teams in the country over the last few months and gave Tottenham a massive scare in the FA Cup yesterday.

But not many neutrals would deny Coventry the chance to return to Wembley 30 years after their finest hour.

It would be a chance for the club’s fans to turn out en masse, publicise their dispute against the owners if they so wished, and showcase that Coventry are a club potential buyers should be interested in.