No more gimmicks: Coventry’s perilous journey back to the Premier League is finally over

Supporters and club insiders look back at the Sky Blues’ journey, from the depths of text-a-sub ridicule and fan mutinies to promotion

To understand the extraordinarily wild ride that Coventry have been on, culminating in the promotion https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/17/frank-lampard-delight-as-nervy-draw-at-blackburn-seals-promotion-for-coventry">achieved at Blackburn on Friday night, you need only look at the text-a-substitute idea that has become part of football folklore.

In less than a decade, the club were relegated from the top flight for the first time after 34 years, lost their stadium and came within half an hour of extinction before being bought by a Mayfair-based hedge fund in 2007.

The story goes that, as a way to generate extra revenue, fans would be able to text substitution suggestions to a premium-rate number during a match.

It is frequently recalled in local and national newspapers.

Fans are still asked about it today.