Home sweet home in the cup at St Andrew’s – but for which side?
IF Coventry City beat Bristol Rovers in tonight’s FA Cup replay at St Andrew’s then a strange, historic feat will happen – they will play their landlords, Birmingham City, at the venue where, for the first time, the hosts will be the away team at their own ground!
I feel a quiz question coming up. You could not make it up – the Sky Blues drawn at home to the Royal Blues of Birmingham and the tenants will have the home dressing room, while the other “perks” are still being sorted out with the police and safety authorities.
Coventry are hopeful their 5,000plus supporters will be in the main stand and that the Bluesnoses will be housed in the away supporters’ Railway End.
The two clubs get on well. It’s the powers-that-be who need convincing.
First, of course, the Sky Blues have to win tonight’s replay. They will have to play better than they did in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at St Andrew’s against League One strugglers MK Dons. I watched this game.
The Sky Blues have drawn 11 of their League One matches – more than the other teams in the division.
They have won 10 and lost just three and are now in fourth place, three points behind the top two with a game in hand.
On Saturday, Coventry go to Doncaster, who won at 2-0 Bristol Rovers on Saturday.
When it was announced Coventry would play their “home” games at St Andrew’s this season, Kevin Grealish (father of Jack) asked me the question: “What happens if Coventry draw Birmingham City at home in the FA Cup?’’
The game is full of twists, turns and freaky stories. The FA soon gave their answer after the fourth-round draw eight days ago. Coventry will be the home side.
Kevin then reacted: “What did I tell you? Coventry v Blues! The questions are endless. Which club songs
WARWICKSHIRE County Cricket Club are on the hunt for a new chief executive with the news that, after four years in the role, Neil Snowball is leaving later this year to take up a new job.
Snowball has been appointed as the new managing director of County Cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
He was previously with the London Olympics and Rugby World Cup.
He has done a fine job at Edgbaston, which continues to make great progress.
Mark McCafferty, Warwickshire’s new
will be sung? Which pubs will they use? Who will have the executive boxes? If Coventry do play Birmingham, what happens again if the tie is drawn?”
I think this Villa man had his tongue in his cheek!
Jack’s dad was 55 on Sunday and told me his son always scores on his birthday.
Well, Grealish junior hardly got a sniff in their 6-1 home drubbing by chairman, needs to make the right appointment to continue the success at the club. They are about to unveil a new fiveyear strategic plan to make sure Edgbaston continues to be one of the world’s best cricket venues.
For sure, the Test and Major Match fixture list looks very good for us to continue to enjoy.
Meanwhile, let’s hope Warwickshire and England opener Dom Sibley continues to score a century with Thursday’s Third Test versus South Africa in Port Elizabeth.
Manchester City. On most of his breaks, he was fouled and finished up with a yellow card for dissent. No birthday goal this time!
Villa are not going to be playing Manchester City every week, thank goodness. The next three league matches are the ones they must win – Brighton away, Watford at home and Bournemouth away.
Manchester City, now a distant second to Liverpool, are a great team and, under Pep Guardiola, have won 300 of their last 390 games.
That tells the story. But it was the way Villa lost that was worrying.
The match at Brighton on Saturday should be far different. Brighton are only three points above Villa and Bournemouth are on a terrible run at the moment.
Unluckily for Villa, Watford look so different with their winning form since new manager Nigel Pearson took over. They are out of the drop zone for the first time this season – one point and one goal better difference than Villa.
It’s so important now for Villa to sign the best they can during this month’s transfer window. It will not be easy.
I sat with England manager Gareth Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland for dinner in the Leicester City boardroom before the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at the King Power Stadium.
They must have been fascinated with the James Maddison-Jack Grealish midfield duel.
Villa did well. The 1-1 draw was a great result for them but I still believe Leicester will go through to Wembley on February 28.
They are missing influential midfielder Wilfred Ndidi until next month but they have a very good squad.
And there is always lightning-fast, 17-goal striker Jamie Vardy, even if he did miss two good chances in that first leg.
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