Coventry City FC / Sky Blues - The Stuart Linnell Column

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The Stuart Linnell Column

[28 FEB 02] STUART LINNELL : GOOD TO BE LUCKY

Now, remember, the idea was that Coventry City was the club that was going to take First Division by storm. MORE

[21 FEB 02] STUART LINNELL : SAY IT WITH FLOWERS

Dreams do come true, as the saying goes, and at the ripe old age of 35, Sky Blues fan Tim Flowers is living proof of that. MORE

[14 FEB 02] STUART LINNELL : HALL SHOWS THE WAY

As Coventry's new Chairman contemplates the future, amid talk of reducing the number of players on the books, there’s one young player who is giving a clear indication of how the club must go forward. MORE

[07 FEB 02] STUART LINNELL : BIG MO'S PLAY-OFF PROMISE

Big Mo Konjic grinned from ear to ear as he made a pledge in front of a crowded hospitality lounge at Highfield Road when I asked him what he would do if he scored the winner in the Play-Off Final. MORE

[30 JAN 02] STUART LINNELL : THE AMBUSH

If there is one thing that all parties involved in Bryan Richardson’s dramatic departure from the Coventry City boardroom are agreed on it is that the departing Chairman was ambushed by his fellow directors. MORE

[24 JAN 02] STUART LINNELL : A WELCOME BREAK

After the disappointment of the Sky Blues’ last three matches, this weekend’s break is more than welcome for one City player. MORE

[18 JAN 02] STUART LINNELL : WORDS OF COMFORT

They are two men of football for whom I have the greatest respect and they both had sensible words of comfort to offer about Coventry City’s current loss of form. MORE

[11 JAN 02] STUART LINNELL : GOLD RESERVES

It was cold, it was wet and Highfield Road was almost empty, but it turned out to be a cracking game of football. MORE

[03 JAN 02] STUART LINNELL : MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS

Fifteen years ago, Coventry City Football Club was about to set out on its greatest adventure. MORE

[21 DEC 01] STUART LINNELL : MERRY XMAS TO YOU MINISTER!

The Secretary of State for Culture, who embraces sport in her portfolio, has proclaimed that the new national stadium will be at Wembley – probably! MORE

[14 DEC 01] STUART LINNELL : OPINIONS & GOALS

My last column, focusing on the recently published annual report and accounts of Coventry City Holdings, the Sky Blues' parent company, prompted some interesting responses from CWN readers. MORE

[05 DEC 01] STUART LINNELL : CAN'T BUY ME LOVE

When is a debt not a debt? When it is owed by a football club, apparently. MORE

[30 NOV 01] STUART LINNELL : THE TWO LEE'S

When Lee Hughes signed for Coventry City he was labelled as the man who would score the goals to take us back to the Premiership. MORE

[14 NOV 01] STUART LINNELL : NEW STADIUM WAIT NEARLY OVER

The city of Coventry will have a new football stadium - the long wait is nearly over. MORE

[08 NOV 01] STUART LINNELL : OLD BOYS - NEW JOBS

In the space of just a few days, Coventry City football club have said goodbye to three players. MORE

[02 NOV 01] STUART LINNELL : DON'T PANIC

Coventry City are “riding their luck” according to some wise men of the media, as their unbeaten run under Roland Nilsson goes on. MORE

[26 OCT 01] STUART LINNELL : LITTLE AND LARGE

Two men, with significantly contrasting physical attributes, have already put themselves in the line for the title of Coventry City’s 'Player of the Year' award. MORE

[19 OCT 01] STUART LINNELL : LEGENDS

You may have thought that the confirmation of Roland Nilsson’s appointment as manager of Coventry City would result in the media being present at the club’s training ground as usual. MORE

[11 OCT 01] STUART LINNELL : A NIGHT OF SURPRISES

Where would you find, a former captain of England, the England team’s chief scout, a former favourite who did his best to stop City winning the Cup in ’87 and a teenage debutant who could easily be studying for a degree? MORE

[03 OCT 01] STUART LINNELL : AS OTHERS SEE US

The Man City fan on the radio, bemoaning his side’s 4-0 home defeat by Wimbledon was adamant that “we should be walking this League and there’s only one side that could stop us – Coventry City.” MORE

[27 SEP 01] STUART LINNELL : ANOTHER WEEK ON

The last column I wrote for CWN was only a week ago, yet since then the Sky Blues have played three times and they are still unbeaten under Roland Nilsson. MORE

[18 SEP 01] STUART LINNELL : A FRESH APPROACH

It has happened countless times before and it will happen countless times more – a manager leaves a club, someone else takes the helm and the team’s fortunes change overnight. MORE

[12 SEP 01] STUART LINNELL : A WEEK WE'LL NEVER FORGET

It’s a week we’ll never forget. Thousands dead in events too awful to have been foreseen, with consequences for peace on our planet that could be more frightening than anyone dare consider. MORE

[10 SEP 01] STUART LINNELL : NILSSON AND MONEY IN CHARGE

Player-coach Roland Nilsson has taken over as acting-manager of Coventry City, following the departure of Gordon Strachan. MORE

[10 SEP 01] STUART LINNELL: STRACHAN LEAVES COVENTRY CITY

Gordon Strachan has left Coventry City by "mutual consent". MORE

[05 SEP 01] STUART LINNELL: I SAW KIRKLAND EXIT

Regardless of what happens on the pitch between now and the end of May, an event I witnessed at Highfield Road could turn out to be one of the most significant actions ever taken by Coventry City FC. MORE

[29 AUG 01] STUART LINNELL: ELEVEN INTO NINE DOESN'T GO!

The long-suffering supporters of Coventry City no doubt thought they had seen it all, until the Bank Holiday Monday home match against Nottingham Forest was reduced to a footballing farce. MORE

[21 AUG 01] STUART LINNELL: LES SEALEY REMEMBERED

The sad news of the sudden death of former Sky Blues goalkeeper Les Sealey came as a huge shock to those of us that knew him. MORE

[20 AUG 01] STUART LINNELL: KIRKY ABSENCE ADDS TO WOE

Coventry City’s dreadful performance against Wolves in their first home match of the season was not the only black cloud to hover above Highfield Road. MORE

[18 AUG 01] STUART LINNELL: LEE-MANIA RULES OK?

There is one name on the lips of football fans in Coventry right now – Lee Hughes. MORE

[09 AUG 01] STUART LINNELL: SKY BLUES WILL GO UP AS CHAMPS

Coventry City will not only win promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt, they will do so as First Division Champions, according to new £5-million striker Lee Hughes. MORE

[07 AUG 01] STUART LINNELL: NEW TRIO FOR SKY BLUES

Striker Lee Hughes will be announced as a Coventry City player on Thursday, together with two other new players. MORE

[04 AUG 01] STUART LINNELL: RUMOURS AND LIES

Saturday morning, 4 August, 2001. One week to go to the start of the new season, Coventry City’s first in Nationwide League, Division One – and hopefully their last! MORE

[25 JUL 01] STUART LINNELL: READY FOR THE RIDE?

Interviewed on the radio immediately after Coventry City’s relegation from the Premiership was confirmed, Sky Blues Chairman Bryan Richardson said “next season could be fun”. MORE

[29 JUN 01] STUART LINNELL: SKYBLUES TAKEOVER UPDATE

Plans by nightclub owner George Hendry to take control of Coventry City Football Club now rest on meetings between Mr Hendry and his financial advisors. MORE

[25 JUN 01] STUART LINNELL: THERE'S MORE TO A TRANSFER...

There may be more to Craig Bellamy’s transfer to Newcastle United than Coventry City cutting their losses with a player who has, frankly, been a huge disappointment. MORE

[18 JUN 01] STUART LINNELL: STAND BY FOR THE SUMMER SALES

As I write this, the Holyhead Road is flooded with more downpours forecast, the England cricketers are being written off and Coventry City’s captain is linked with a move to Aston Villa. It’s summer! MORE

[23 MAY 01] STUART LINNELL: A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Anyone reading this is a committed Coventry City supporter or, possibly, just a football fan who likes to take on board what’s going on in the game generally. MORE

[09 MAY 01] STUART LINNELL: DOWN WITH DIGNITY

Saturday 5 May 2001, ten past three in the afternoon, I am sitting at home in Coventry having failed to buy a ticket for Aston Villa v Coventry City. MORE

[02 MAY 01] STUART LINNELL: IT'S TOUGH AT THE BOTTOM

"It must be tough being a Coventry City supporter," said the businessman I was visiting in London the other day. MORE

[25 APR 01] STUART LINNELL: TIME FOR POSITIVE THOUGHT

Listen to Gordon Strachan talk about what it takes to survive, let alone achieve anything, in the Premiership and sooner or later you will hear the words "mental strength". MORE

[18 APR 01] STUART LINNELL: NOT JUST A ONE-MAN BAND

Quite properly, the football world is buzzing about John Hartson. Quite properly, John Hartson is talking about the team he is now part of. MORE

[11 APR 01] STUART LINNELL: GORDON IN THE SPOTLIGH

Whatever happens with yet another Coventry City battle to survive in the top division of English football, no-one will be able to say that the club or its manager kept a low profile through this tough time. MORE

[04 APR 01] STUART LINNELL: WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES