After each matchday programme this season, we publish the regular column from the Coventry City board on our website. Read Coventry City Chief Executive Dave Boddy's column from Saturday's league game against Lincoln City below:
"Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon’s game against Lincoln City here in SkyBet League One, and our second annual Jimmy Hill Day where we celebrate the life of our former Manager and Chairman and the work of the Jimmy Hill Legacy Fund.
I would also like to welcome the players, staff, fans and officials who join us from Lincoln City this afternoon.
Christmas and the New Year period is a time for reflection, and on the field we can look back with a lot of satisfaction at 2019. At the turn of the year we were comfortably mid-table placed in League One in our first season back at the level after a season’s absence in League Two.
January saw the introduction of Bright Enobakhare, who added a spark to our season and during the second-half of the 18-19 campaign we looked like we could be genuine play-off contenders.
We didn’t quite make it to the play-offs, but the development and progression during the season was there for all to see, finishing in a credible 8th position.
Like the Summer of 2018, we saw another large turnaround in the squad during this Summer transfer window and further evolvement of the playing squad during Mark Robins’ tenure as Manager.
The season so far has seen us playing some very entertaining and exciting football, and as we go into the New Year we are in a good position to challenge for the play-offs and also have the Third Round of the FA Cup to look forward to.
Off the field, it was an eventful and challenging Summer. We had all hoped and worked very hard to try and extend our lease at the Ricoh Arena, which ran out in May. We had a rollercoaster of emotions and events during the Summer as everybody at the Club did their very best to secure a new agreement but ultimately, for well documented reasons, it did not happen, and as I’ve stated on numerous occasions previously, we are extremely grateful to everybody at Birmingham City Football Club for giving us a ‘home’ to fulfil our fixtures for the 2019-20 season.
It remains our ambition and goal to return the Club to playing in Coventry at the earliest practical opportunity.
It is also worth reflecting on the many good and positive things that have happened for the Club over the last 12 months:
- New kit partnership with Hummel
- New shirt sponsorship with Allsopp & Allsopp
- Our new home and away kits
- The 2Tone kit, which is already iconic
- Sky Blues in the Community being named EFL Midlands Community Club of the Year
- Community Day, when over 26,741 were in attendance for our game vs Gillingham
- Mark Robins and Adi Viveash signing new contracts with the Club
- Under 23s reaching the Professional Development League Semi-Finals
- PUSB being named the best League One programme for the 2018/19 season
- Excellent Race Day at Warwick Racecourse
- A sell-out Legends Day, where over 40 Former Players attended
- Superb Junior Sky Blues Parties, in January and December.
Finally, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and thank you for your continued support."
Dave Boddy
Chief Executive
Coventry City Football Club