Coventry City: Doug King prioritises Sky Blues future at CBS Arena

When the new Millennium dawned in 2000, Coventry were playing in the Premier League, in their own city, and owned their own stadium.

Yet two decades into the 21st century, in 2020, they had lost all that.

They lost their Premier League status in 2001, lost their own stadium when they left Highfield Road to be bulldozed for housing redevelopment in 2005 and have spent three seasons playing away from their own city – once at Sixfields, Northampton (2013-14) and then for two years at St Andrew’s in Birmingham (2019-2021).

But the long-running battle between previous owners SISU and landlords Coventry City Council is now over – and the Sky Blues supporters are understandably enthused about the arrival of a man with a plan like King.

And, whether or not the Sky Blues will ever own their own ground again, as they did at Highfield Road, it is clear at least that King wants that Premier League status back.

“There’s a million people with a CV postcode,” King said. “It’s untapped.

“The club’s not been in the Premier League since 2001 and it’s hard to get there.

“But the most exciting thing is the journey – and it’s a journey people can enjoy being a part of it.