SKY BLUES FANS MAKE THEIR POINT

Hundreds of Sky Blues fans turned out to protest against owners Sisu for the way they have run the club over the last four years and I think all those involved deserve a huge pat on the back.

There has been talk of a protest for months between supporters but with the club sitting bottom of the Championship, all talk was turned into action and it proved to be a big success.

I personally wasn’t expecting a big turnout and when I walked past the statue on my way into the Ricoh Arena at around 2.15 things weren’t looking good.

But after I had set up inside I popped back out around 2.40 and there were hundreds of Coventry fans with flags, banners and a megaphone shouting their views and making their voices heard.

Word about the protest had spread far and wide, with both local and national media outlets covering the event, and I was more than happy to give the supporters a few column inches in the Coventry Observer last week.

I’m not in full support of their reasons for protesting but I understand why they want to do it and putting a plan into action was never going to be easy.

But the Save Our City campaign did what looked like a fantastic job.

There was no trouble, it looked very well organised and those who wanted to watch the match simply left the protest and supported Andy Thorn’s side at 3.15 (although I do think they will be annoyed for missing Gary McSheffrey’s goal).

I am glad to hear their next plan of action is to sell out the club’s away allocation for the trip to Reading next month to show their support to Thorn’s side, and I think I may well join them at the Madjeski Stadium.

PROTEST COULD OVERSHADOW THE MAGIC OF THE FA CUP

You can’t argue with supporters for protesting against current owners Sisu, but let’s not forget that without them we could well already be playing in the third tier of English football.

Hundreds of disgruntled supporters are expected to gather by the Jimmy Hill statue before Saturday’s FA clash with Southampton to vent their fury.

I’m not for or against the owners, in fact my privileged position as a sports writer for the Observer allows me to stay fairly neutral despite being a life-long fan, but let’s look at how things could have panned out had they not stepped in to save the Sky Blues.

Had Sisu not stepped in to save the Sky Blues from administration then we would have finished the 2007/08 campaign on 43 points (with a ten-point deduction), which would seen us drop a division instead of local rivals Leicester City.

Without Sisu we may not have been able to exist, but there is no doubting the fact that their mis-management over the past four years has severely damaged the club.

My one problem with them has been their lack of ambition. Not once have they thrown the dice and taken a gamble.

Former chairman Ray Ranson famously came out and revealed he could have signed Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson for cut-price deals, and both players are now worth a combined total of over £50million (not that we should take Ranson’s word for that of course).

Supporters have a right to protest (in fact I can’t believe it has taken them so long), but let’s make it a peaceful protest and one that doesn’t harm team morale on the pitch.

This weekend marks the third round of the most famous cup competition in the world. A landmark weekend for football fans across the country.

So credit to those who want to protest and boycott the game, but don’t interfere with those who want to experience the glamour of the FA Cup during the 25th anniversary since our famous victory over Tottenham Hostpur.

Read more: Protest could overshadow the magic of the FA Cup | Coventry Observer

A YEAR TO FORGET FOR SKY BLUES

HAS this been one of the worst years in Coventry City’s 138 year history?, writes Observer sports reporter Steve Carpenter.

Over the past 12 months we have won just seven competitive matches out of 47, drawing 16 and more worryingly losing 24. That’s 37 points out of a possible 141.

And what makes that statistic more sickening is the fact that at this stage last year the Sky Blues were sitting comfortably in the play-offs, four points off seventh-placed Reading.

So where did it all go wrong? It all started in January when the club were placed under a transfer embargo, which didn’t allow former manager Aidy Boothroyd to improve his injury-hit side and he was predictably sacked.

Some clubs may have mastered how to beat his one-dimensional system, but had he stayed, it is likely Marlon King would have had a reason to remain too. That would have given us one of the best striker in the league and more importantly goals.

Former chief scout Andy Thorn became the club’s 10th manager in as many years and he could not have got off to a better start towards the end of last season, but much has changed since then.

The core of his squad was dismantled in the summer, the club’s finances were described as a “grave concern” and the new-look board assembled last March has seemingly fallen apart.

We now find ourselves rock bottom of the Championship, we don’t have a chairman or a chief executive and the manager is being asked to perform miracles without any sort of financial backing.

A possible takeover involving the club’s former vice-chairman Gary Hoffman looks likely to be the only possible silver lining next year following the departure of Ken Dulieu, although it is not certain a bid is currently on the table.

One thing that is for certain is the Sky Blues look set to return to the third tier of English football in 2012 during the season in which we celebrate 50 years since Jimmy Hill guided us from the same depths to the top flight.

For more sports news in Coventry visit www.observer.co.uk