As I write this Coventry City are on the brink of promotion to the Premier League and it might well have been confirmed last night at Blackburn. The Sky Blues have dominated the division all season and except for seven days in February have topped the table since October 4th. It is a fantastic achievement bearing in mind the parachute payments available to the three relegated clubs as well as Sheffield United. With Ipswich losing to Portsmouth in midweek the title may not be far away either and could happen this weekend or in midweek.
Last Saturday's game with bottom club Sheffield Wednesday was a lack lustre affair and I thought the nerves of the occasion got to both players and fans in the CBS Arena. The club managed to squeeze in enough fans to break the record attendance at the stadium for the second time this season with 31,647 fans crammed in. It was the 14th time in this momentous season that the attendance has been over 30,000 and six of the all-time top ten gates have occurred this campaign.
The average home attendance for the season is now 30,214 and with the final two home games sold out the final average is certain to be greater than this figure. That will be the fourth highest seasonal average in the club's history and the best ever average outside the top flight. The highest averages are as follows:
1. 1967-68 Division 1 34,705
2. 1968-69 Division 1 33,223
1969-70 Division 1 32,405
2025-26 Championship 30,214*
1966-67 Division 2 28,269
2024-25 Championship 27,817
The Good Friday victory over Derby County was a bit of a nail-biter but the Sky Blues got the victory thanks to a brilliant performance from substitute Jack Rudoni. Jack hasn't had the best of seasons with injuries – he missed two months in the autumn then on his return he struggled for form. Finally, in March, we saw the best of him with three goals in three games before another injury blow. There were no signs of rustiness when he entered the field as a substitute against Derby and within five minutes he had conjured up a magical goal out of nothing and followed it up twelve minutes later with a striker's finish to win the game. He is only the ninth Coventry player to score two goals off the bench and he joins an impressive group started by Bobby Gould back in 1967 at Nottingham Forest – he was substitute for George Curtis after the Iron Man was carried off with a broken leg.
The full list is:
Bobby Gould Nottingham Forest (a) 1967-68 (3-3 draw)
Jay Bothroyd Rushden & D (LC) (h) 2002-03 (8-0 win)
Patrick Suffo Torquay United (LC) (h) 2004-05 (4-1 win)
Chris Maguire MK Dons (a) 2013-14 (3-2 win)
Ryan Haynes Wycombe (EFLT) (a) 2016-17 (4-2 win)
Max Biamou Yeovil (h) 2017-18 (2-6 loss)
Amadou Bakayoko Charlton (a) 2018-19 (2-1 win)
Matt Godden Oxford U (FAC) (h) 2023-24 (6-2 win)
Jack Rudoni Derby (h) 2025-26 (3-2 win)
The Derby victory was the club's 25th win of the season and sets a new club record surpassing the 24 wins of 1935-36 and 1958-59. Both those seasons were promotion campaigns and relied heavily on strong home form. In 1935-36 City won 19 out of 21 home games and only five on the road. In 1958-59 there were 18 out of 23 home wins and only six away wins. This season the away form has been better than those two seasons with 10 wins so far and the potential for two more.
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