Read the following letter to Coventry City fans from Tony Mowbray after he signed a two-year deal with the club...
Dear supporter,
I am delighted to have become Coventry City Football Club’s manager on a permanent basis.
My remit at the end of last season was to ensure survival in League One and, thankfully, we achieved that on the final day of the campaign at Crawley.
As I said at the time, that doesn’t constitute success for a club the size and stature of Coventry City, especially when I look back at the history and think of the likes of Big Killer lifting the cup, Gary McAllister pulling the strings in midfield and strikers like Cyrille Regis, Dion Dublin and Robbie Keane banging in the goals.
Now my job is to ensure we stop looking back and we can begin to look forward to a positive future.
So while, of course, League One safety wasn’t success it was the first step in the journey to seeing this club get back to where it belongs – which is at least in the Championship and, from there, the Premier League.
Football is all about hope and excitement and I want every Sky Blues supporter to look ahead to the new season with that feeling of optimism that this could be their season to enjoy a bit of success.
I saw at the end of last season that we have a passionate support that is ready to get behind their team when they see a spirit and desire to go out and win a game of football.
It is a journey which will include disappointments along the way but as long as we move forward as one, I’m sure this club can deliver a successful future, with you in it.
Maybe you’ve always had a Season Ticket and you’ll be coming back next season, no matter what. Maybe you need tempting back and I sincerely hope that my commitment to the club – after very detailed and lengthy discussions with the board and the owner where we discussed the blueprint for the club going forward – will be enough to spur you on to buy your Season Ticket for 2015/16.
I believe this is going to be a genuine team effort and you, our supporters, are going to play a big part next season.
We are beginning the process of building the structure that will help us deliver a successful team on the pitch so that you can enjoy the match-day experience at the Ricoh Arena on a Saturday afternoon or Tuesday evening, and being a Coventry City fan again.
Let’s all enjoy the journey together,
Tony Mowbray