Former Coventry City manager Gordon Strachan is delighted to see pride restored to the city after 25 years in the football wilderness.
Few sets of fans have suffered as much as Coventry fans in the 21st century.
The club’s 34-year stay in the top flight came to end when Strachan was in charge in 2001, and things only went from bad to worse from there for year upon year.
“The eyes of the world are now on Coventry – and they’re actually talking about football”
The club failed to challenge for promotion back to the Premier League for 11 years before eventually sliding into League Two amid constant drama around the club’s then-ownership.
Coventry fans quite rightly protested as the club dropped down the leagues, were twice exiled from the city due to wrangling over the stadium, and were given little hope of better days ahead.
But Strachan says there is a very different feeling around Coventry after the club climbed their way back from those depths and finally won the Championship last season to put themselves back in the big time.
Strachan told FourFourTwo: “There are signs up, even on the road signs, saying ‘We’re back’.
“The community, football-wise, took a battering for 25 years. It’s a different world now in Coventry.
“The eyes of the world are now on Coventry, which is great, and they’re actually talking about football.”
(Eyes don’t talk, Gordon).
He went on: “For 20 years, it was ‘Who owns the stadium? Who’s got the shares in it? Where are we playing? Are we at Northampton or Birmingham? Who’s the owner?’”
Coventry will kick off their season with perhaps the toughest game they will face all season: an away trip to champions Arsenal on Friday, August 21.
The Coventry Building Society Arena will then host its first-ever Premier League game as fellow newly-promoted side Hull City come to visit on Saturday, August 29.
Strachan was speaking as an ambassador for Coventry Building Society. To find out more, visit thecoventry.co.uk