Two minute guide to: Coventry City
We take a look ahead to Port Vale’s match against Coventry City with another of our brief guides to the opposition…
Team news
The injured Dan Jones (above) again misses out through injury so Vale’s back four is likely to remain unchanged. Chris Shuker, Gavlin Tomlin and Chris Birchall all impressed for the reserves but whether Micky Adams will be tempted to make changes after an impressive showing at Leyton Orient is another matter.
Possible Vale XI:
Neal
Duffy – Robertson – Chilvers – Dickinson
Myrie-Williams – Griffith – Loft – Mohamed
Dodds – Pope
Adam Barton and Billy Daniels are the visitors’ only injury doubts and they are likely to be unchanged.
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Quotes
– Steven Pressley
“It’s always great to see so many at Vale Park. I haven’t seen it since the mid-1990’s. Certainly the away followings we have had here have added to the atmosphere.”
– Tom Pope
“It’s the supporters that you have got to feel sorry for. They support their football club but the majority of them have decided they don’t want to go to Northampton to support their football club and I can fully understand that.”
– Micky Adams
“I would love to see them do well – apart from Saturday, of course.”
– Norman Smurthwaite
“From when I was there they were in the Championship and financially sound as far as I knew and to see what’s happening now is pretty sad.”
– Richard Duffy
History
Last meeting:
It was way back in 1963 that the two sides last met in a Division Three match at Highfield Road. It ended 1-1 with winger Ron Smith (right) scoring for Vale.
Overall record:
- Vale wins: 9
- Coventry wins: 7
- Draws: 8
Last time we…
beat Coventry at home was in 1962 when Vale triumphed 2-1. Vale’s goals came via an own-goal and a striker from Colin Grainger.
Connections
Meeting their former employers
There’s a total of six Vale connections with the visitors
Carl Dickinson was on loan with the Sky Blues earlier this year.
Chris Birchall spent a spell with Coventry in 2006. He scored twice in 33 games.
Lee Hughes spent a year with the Sky Blues scoring 15 goals in 44 games.
City will be familiar to Vale defender Richard Duffy who spent four spells on loan there between 2005 and 2008. Duffy was loaned out by parent club Portsmouth and during his time at Coventry, he was managed by Micky Adams, who was clearly upset when Duffy agreed a new contract. “He got a new and exclusive deal about a month ago. I am sure it will be nice playing in their reserves,” he quipped.
And talking of Micky Adams, he was in charge of Coventry for two years, a spell during which he paid the Vale £350,000 for Chris Birchall. Adams managed 33 wins in 99 games.
Finally, Port Vale owner Norman Smurthwaite grew up in Coventry and still supports the side (although naturally he’ll be hoping for a Vale win today)
Appeared for both clubs
Other players who appeared for both clubs include:
- Peter Taylor
- Peter Billing (right)
- Steve McPhee
- Ian Brightwell
- Keith Houchen
- Albert Pynegar
- Peter Clarke
- Claus Bech Jørgensen
- Ted Shore
- Lee Mills
- Andy Williams
- Archie Dyke
Trivia
On their bikes
The club was originally formed in 1883 by employees of Singers, a bicycle firm and known as Singers FC. In 1898 they changed it to Coventry City.
An elephant, a castle and two birds…
The origins of the club crest are shrouded in mystery but the various symbols appear to be as follows:
- The elephant: there is no clear answer why the elephant features. It has been suggested it is a symbol of St George who reputedly came from Coventry or there could an ecclesiastical angle. Equally, it could be seen in conjunction with the castle as a symbol of strength.
- The phoenix (right) symbolises Coventry rise from the destruction wrought in World War Two
- The castle comes from the Coventry city coat of arms
- The “eagle of Leofric” (left), is the symbol of a Mercian Lord who founded a monastery in Coventry.
Having been through several traumatic years supporting groups who wanted to save Port Vale, we are fully in support of the “Keep Coventry in Coventry” campaign.