Coventry
City hope they have been handed three points to kick off the new season by the football
authorities.
The Premier League fixtures released today reveal that on the opening the Sky Blues are
at home to Southampton Saints, who like themselves were involved in the relegation dog
fight last season.
It makes a change from Chelsea at home, who Coventry have met on the opening day of the
last two seasons.
On the other hand Coventry might reflect that they beat Chelsea in both those matches
so maybe they are no better off after all.
They will certainly see a start of Southampton (h), Leicester City (a), Wimbledon (a)
and Derby County (h) as a reasonable opening to the new campaign, but treble winners
Manchester United at Highfield Road on Wednesday 25 August will be a tough match.
The Christmas programme is not easy either. Liverpool (a) is followed by Arsenal (h) on
Boxing Day, with Middlesbrough (a) two days later and then Chelsea (h) is the first match
of the new millennium on January 3rd.
But Coventry fans will not be unhappy with the final four matches of the season in the
event of another relegation battle. They run Everton (h), Newcastle United (a), Sheffield
Wednesday (h) and end with newly promoted Watford (a).
The FA Cup Final will be on Saturday 20th May.
One man who will play no part in the new season for the first time in 20 years will be
the former Coventry favourite Brian Borrows.
Borrows, who played more than 450 matches in his 12 years with Coventry, has finally
hung up his boots at the age of 38.
He spent the last two years at Swindon Town and is now looking around for a coaching
job. Judged by many to be unlucky not to play for England, his biggest disappointment at
Coventry was missing the 1987 FA Cup Final when the Sky Blues beat Tottenham Hotspur at
Wembley.
He played virtually every match that season but injured his knee one week before the
cup final. He was lying in a hospital bed when his teammates won the cup but he was
awarded a winners’ medal nonetheless.
