Coventry are almost there — nearly back in the Premier League after 25 years away. As Frank Lampard’s side near Championship promotion, here is the fall and rise of the Sky Blues.
2001: The relegation
After 34 years in the top flight, Coventry City were relegated from the Premier League in 2001 under Gordon Strachan. The club had escaped relegation on the final day on ten previous occasions, but this time they dropped into the second tier for the first time since 1967. Their fate was sealed on the penultimate day after surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Aston Villa. Goalkeeper Chris Kirkland later reflected: “It still hurts… the club was never the same again.”
2001–2012: A decade in the second tier
Roland Nilsson replaced Strachan early in the first season and a late collapse cost them a top-six finish; they ultimately spent 11 years at second-tier level, finishing in the top half only three times. Financial pressures and stadium issues grew during this period.
2005–12: Move to the Ricoh, financial strife and Sisu
In 2005 Coventry left Highfield Road after 106 years to move to the new Ricoh Arena. The move was fraught with problems and mounting debts. The club sold its 50% stake in the council-owned stadium and narrowly avoided administration in 2007 when hedge fund Sisu Capital completed a takeover. On the field the decline continued and Coventry were relegated to League One in 2012 — the club’s first season at third-tier level in 48 years.
2013/14: Groundshare at Northampton
After a difficult start in League One — three managers in a season and a 15th-place finish — a dispute with the Ricoh’s owners in 2013/14 forced Coventry to groundshare at Northampton Town’s Sixfields, some 70 miles round-trip from the city. Fans protested, but the club returned to the Ricoh the following season before slipping to League Two in 2018.
2016/17: Robins returns, Wembley joy amid relegation
Mark Robins returned as manager in 2016/17. He could not prevent relegation to League Two but led the team to the Football League Trophy (EFL Trophy) final, beating Oxford United 2-1 at Wembley in front of over 40,000 Coventry supporters. Robins vowed to restore the club’s former status.
2017–20: Two promotions and more groundshare
Coventry bounced straight back from League Two, winning promotion via the 2018 play-offs at Wembley — the club’s first top-six finish in 48 years. After stabilising in League One with an eighth-place finish, Robins guided them to promotion again. Off the field, the club were forced to groundshare at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s when the Ricoh’s ownership complications persisted. With the 2019–20 season halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Coventry were top when the campaign was curtailed and were awarded automatic promotion back to the Championship.
2020–22: Championship stabilisation and return home
Coventry spent 2020–21 groundsharing again at St Andrew’s but finished 16th. The 2021/22 season marked their return to the renamed Coventry Building Society Arena, where Robins led them to 12th. Problems remained: in 2022/23 the pitch was unusable after hosting Commonwealth Games rugby sevens and they were even served an eviction notice by new stadium owners before agreeing to play there until season’s end.
2022/23: New owners and a Wembley heartache
Local businessman and fan Doug King completed a takeover, ending Sisu’s 16-year tenure. On the pitch, Robins engineered a late surge into the Championship play-offs and a trip to Wembley, where Coventry lost the 2023 play-off final to Luton Town on penalties — a single kick away from the Premier League. Robins called the effort “magnificent.”
2023/24: FA Cup semi and near-misses
Expectations grew but losses of standouts Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer in the summer were big blows. Coventry missed the play-offs but produced a notable FA Cup run, reaching the semi-finals at Wembley. They rallied from 3-0 down to beat Manchester United in extra time only for Victor Torp’s late goal to be ruled out for a tight VAR offside on Haji Wright; United then won the shoot-out.
2024/25: Robins leaves; Lampard arrives
A slow start in 2024/25 led to the controversial dismissal of Mark Robins in November. Frank Lampard was appointed and revitalised the team, guiding Coventry from 17th in December into the play-offs. They reached the semi-finals but were eliminated by Sunderland after a dramatic late goal in the second leg. Lampard acknowledged the progress, praising the players’ second-half-of-season form.
2025/26: Ownership secured and promotion achieved
In 2025/26 Coventry completed the acquisition of the CBS Arena, finally bringing stadium ownership back into the club’s hands for the first time since leaving Highfield Road two decades earlier. Chairman Doug King described the purchase as “a defining day” and a statement of ambition. Under Lampard, Coventry began the season strongly — 12 games unbeaten early on and top of the Championship for almost the whole campaign. Despite a mid-season dip, they ultimately pulled away and secured promotion — returning to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years, completing a remarkable fall-and-rise saga for the Sky Blues.