After each matchday programme this season, we publish the regular column from the Coventry City board on our website. You can read Coventry City Chief Executive Dave Boddy's column from our game against Sheffield United below:
Good afternoon and welcome to the Coventry Building Society Arena for today’s game as we face Sheffield United in the Sky Bet Championship.
I would like to also welcome the players, staff, officials and supporters who join us from the Blades for this afternoon’s match. With a good travelling contingent of over 4000 and again strong support from Sky Blues supporter, we are expecting a 20,000+ attendance today.
Today’s fixture is our Legends Day, which is always a very special occasion in the Sky Blues calendar. Legends Day, which is organised in partnership with our Former Players Association, sees us extend invitations to any former player to join us at the game, with the players celebrated at half-time on the pitch as well as dining pre-match in the Premier Lounge. The Premier Lounge for this occasion is again as in previous years sold-out, with over 600 guests dining, and will be a great afternoon with lots of speakers and memories shared. I would like to thank the Former Players Association, and in particular Sarah Morris, for all of their hard work in making this event happen.
We would particularly like to welcome today the families of Coventry City greats George Curtis and John Sillett, who we sadly lost last year. George and John played such a massive part both on and off the field in our rich history, both in the 1987 FA Cup win and our through the leagues in the 1960s. Their memories will forever live on amongst the Sky Blue family.
Our FPA are one of the largest and most proactive FPA’s in the country, with over 300 members, and they play a really active and important role in supporting the Club and keeping the connection with those that have proudly worn our Club’s colours.
Thursday marked the first anniversary of signing the agreement with Wasps to return to playing at the now Coventry Building Society Arena. It’s been an eventful and exciting 12 months, which has been incredibly well received and supported by our fans, leading to our current average attendance of over 19,000 and record Season Ticket sales since 1969 of 11,555. The football we have witnessed here at the Arena has been exciting, as has the atmosphere generated by the Sky Blue Army, and the progress we have made this season is there for all to see.
With this in mind, on Wednesday of this week, we put the 2022/23 Season Tickets and corporate Premium Memberships on sale. Whilst there has been a small rise in prices as we come out of the COVID pandemic and appear to have more certainty for the future, the prices have been generally very well received by supporters. The initial uptake in the first few days of sales suggests that we will be pushing this season’s records sales, for next season.
As always, enjoy the game – thank you for your continued support. PUSB