One major consequence of the Sky Blues' excellent season in the EFL Championship is an increase in attendances at home games. After 16 home league games the average attendance is 19,196 which is easily the highest since the club dropped out of the division in 2012 with the best in that time being 12,500 in 2015-16. The current average is the highest since 2006-07 when the final average was 20,342. With attractive home games to come with clubs with good away followings the final average could conceivably top the 2006-07 figure. Promotion chasing Sheffield United, Blackburn, Huddersfield and Bournemouth have all got to come to the CBS Arena before the end of the season and all could be 20,000 plus gates.
The highest home attendance this season was 23,829 for the Derby game with the lowest being 15,752 for the midweek game with Blackpool. The average number of home supporters attending is just short of 17,000 and I expect this to increase with City in the hunt for a play-off place.
Average home attendances since the move to the Ricoh/CBS Arena with the final league positions:
2005-06 21,211 Champ/8th
2006-07 20,342 Champ/17th
2007-08 19,134 Champ/21st
2008-09 17,411 Champ/17th
2009-10 17,305 Champ/19th
2010-11 16,307 Champ/18th
2011-12 15,121 Champ/23rd Relegated
2012-13 10,938 L1/15th
2013-14 2,364 L1/18th (Sixfields)
2014-15 9,332 L1/17th
2015-16 12,570 L1/8th
2016-17 9,203 L1/23rd Relegated
2017-18 9,255 L2/6th Promoted
2018-19 12,362 L1/8th
2019-20 6,653 L1/Champions (St Andrews)
It's sad to report the death, at the age of 57, of former Coventry City defender Andy Spring. Andy, who hailed from Gateshead, was an apprentice at City and played in the youth teams of 1982-83 and 1983-84 alongside teammates such as Perry Suckling, Lloyd McGrath and Keith Thompson. Bobby Gould gave Andy his first team debut as an 18-year-old in May 1984 at Anfield as a substitute in a 5-0 hammering by the champions when Ian Rush scored four of the goals. He was brought back into the side early the following season after regular right-back Kirk Stephens was injured and played five games including two legs of the League Cup tie with Walsall. His seventh and final game for the first team was as a substitute in a 6-2 thrashing at Chelsea in November 1984.
The following summer he was signed on a free transfer by Bristol Rovers, then managed by Bobby Gould. Andy played 23 games for the Gas and had a brief loan at Cardiff. A move back to the North East with Hartlepool didn't work out and by 1987 he had moved to Ireland. Spells with Drogheda, Sligo Rovers and Longford Town. In 1992, Spring was reported to have won £250,000 on the Irish Lottery from a 25p ticket. He later worked for many years in the prison service and worked latterly as a lorry driver, based in Redditch.
His son Aaron, was a talented rugby player and represented Ireland under 20s.
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