Nine years ago when Coventry City were sliding into League Two with barely a whimper and if you had told me then that by 2026 we would be back in the top division I would have laughed in your face. A Checkatrade EFL Trophy victory at Wembley gave the fans a taste of success but didn't disguise the fact that their opponents in the old Division Four would include Accrington Stanley, Forest Green Rovers, Morecambe and Cheltenham Town. Even then Mark Robins' team made hard work of getting out of the basement division, trailing champions Accrington by 18 points and only sealing a play-off spot in the final game, a 0-0 draw with Morecambe. Massive performances over Notts County and at Wembley against Exeter sealed promotion and a second promotion, this time as champions, arrived two years later in the Covid affected 2019-20 season. Since then Robins and then Frank Lampard have overseen a gradual evolving squad getting closer and closer to the promised land with the Luton play-off heartbreak at Wembley in 2023, a magnificent semi-final defeat to Manchester United a year later before more play-off grief at Sunderland last season. The club is on the verge of emulating the achievements of the 1960s by going from the fourth tier to the top tier in eight seasons. City won promotion from Division Four in 1959 under Billy Frith before Jimmy Hill took over to win Division Three in 1964 and Division Two in 1967.
City have got there by playing an exciting brand of football all season which their 84 goals, 15 more than their closest rivals, attests to. The defence hasn't been shabby either with 42 goals conceded only bettered by two clubs. They took the division by the throat in the autumn winning 11 games out of 12 allowing them to have their dip in December and January. Then, with Middlesbrough wowing the pundits and nudging into the top spot, City produced a master-class performance to beat 'Boro at home and regain the top spot. City were back on the rails and it turned out to be the first of six straight wins that left their opponents stunned and the Boro-praising pundits eating humble pie.
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