Why Coventry’s 150th anniversary celebrations proved a real disappointment for at least one supporter

Living on a dream ain't easy

But the closer the knit, the tighter the fit

(The closer the knit)

And the chills stay away

Just to take 'em in stride for family pride

You know that faith is your foundation

With a whole lotta love and a warm conversation...

...Just making it strong where you belong

And we're living in the love of the common people

Smiles from the heart of a family man

Love of the Common People - Paul Young

From the beginning, I want to make it absolutely clear that the one disappointed supporter here is me, and only me.

Disappointed and somewhat disillusioned.

I speak solely for myself, and any criticisms of the club in this post, whether overt or not, are just as likely a reflection of my own insular, introspective nature than a lack of understanding of Cov’s fan base.

But that's for others to determine.

Cov's achievements on the field in the past year have been thoroughly covered both in this blog and in the wider media. Despite the recent losses reducing slightly the advancements the club has made over the last year, most supporters remain genuinely optimistic about the club's short to mid-term future.

The fact that 2024 also marked the club's 150th anniversary should have amplified supporters' current levels of excitement, offering them an opportunity to feel a part of the club's ongoing, and hopefully inexorable, journey into the Premiership.

However, in this regard, I believe the club fell short, and by a significant margin.

'Apart from' rather than 'a part of ' in this instance.

I want to stress once more that this is just my personal view, and I'm willing to stand corrected. However, it appears that most of the events organised for the anniversary celebrations throughout the year were aimed less at the average supporter and more at corporate interests, or at least those with significantly deeper pockets than I have.

Consequently, over the course of the last 12 months or so, I've had little involvement in the club's celebrations and indeed I'm not even sure there's even been much to participate in since May. It all seemed to go very quiet, except for the all too predictable appearance of more club merchandise in time for the Christmas rush.

Consequently, rather than feeling included in those celebrations, it merely strengthens the notion that clubs like Coventry are compelled to cater to big business, sidelining the individual fans who have traditionally been the foundation of the game.

Amidst the financial crisis currently jeopardizing the game, most professional clubs must prioritise finding methods to generate extra revenue. For Coventry, its 150th anniversary provided a one-off opportunity to showcase various events to current and potential sponsors, boosting funds and drawing attention beyond its 'limited' matchday audience.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that; in fact, it is entirely logical from a business standpoint, and Coventry Rugby should be commended for taking the initiative. However, in so doing, Cov seemed to overlook the importance of recognising the significant contributions of those who have long been the club's foundation: the supporters themselves.

And that’s disappointing.

To clarify my point, it's perhaps appropriate at this point to highlight some of the different activities offered by Cov during the past 12-15 months as part of the Anniversary celebrations…

The 150th Anniversary was officially 'launched' in September 2023 at an event that was 'for invited guests only plus one'. Maybe the 'by invitation only' was to ensure that numbers attending were manageable but the cynic in me suggests that it was more about attracting the 'right' audience than it was about involving all supporters. Whatever the intention, it didn't come across well and maybe a secondary launch for supporters at a Fans' Forum might have been no bad thing...

In November there were two further events, a firework extravaganza - I'm not sure how that became part of the celebrations given its an annual even anyway but it was listed as such - and the Celebratory Launch Dinner. Fair play to Cov here, this seemed to be a genuine anniversary event and I'm sure it was well attended at just £80 (plus VAT) but for someone who isn't particularly comfortable in those situations that one wasn't for me.

The Boxing Day game, a home match against Nottingham, provided the first genuine chance for most fans to partake in Coventry Rugby's celebrations. Billed as the 150th Anniversary Game on Cov's socials, it was also the first opportunity for supporters to acquire the widely advertised anniversary shirt, initially showcased by Obinna Nkwocha as he played the piano in that impressive marketing video released in November.

On that day, 5047 people attended, but aside from the shirt, there was little to indicate it was a day of celebration. There were no pre-game or half-time activities (at the very least, a parade of past players would have been appropriate), nothing for the children, and no recognition of the occasion's significance.

As I noted in a post at the time:

'The supporters had done their bit, boosting the coffers of the club by £000s, yet in return all that was on offer appeared to be an anniversary shirt that was getting on for £60 and the prospect of waiting up to 30 minutes plus for a pint in a queue at peak times and another 20 or so for a burger'...

It was all a big anti-climax and although the players and coaches did their bit by ensuring Cov took five points from what was an exciting game in the end, the occasion itself failed to live up to the hype.

And so we move into 2024 and a range of activities designed to showcase the club...

• February - the Coventry shoot - £400 plus VAT

• March - 6 Nations Evening Dinner: A 150th Anniversary Event with Zinzan Brooke - £55

• May - Anniversary Golf Day - a team of 4 £600 plus VAT

• May - End of Year Awards Dinner (advertised as part of the anniversary celebrations) - £??

Two of the events (and apologies if I've missed others) - the golf and shooting - are annual events anyway but tagged anniversary activities, as is the End of year Awards Dinner, so there's nothing unique to the celebrations there and both the shooting and golf aren't going to be within the financial reach of most Cov supporters; tenpin bowling and a round of pitch 'n putt might have been more realistic options for most of us.

There was, of course, the very successful England U20s game in May but it would be somewhat disingenuous for anyone to cite that as a game arranged specifically as part of the 150 Anniversary celebrations. On the Saturday the game was played, we should have been playing Jersey, but the very sad demise of the club meant that Cov were a home game short and Mark Mapletoft's young guns needed a couple of games in the build--up to the World Cup. No mention was made of the game being part of the 150th celebrations was made in the build-up to it or indeed in the e-programme on the day, although it was announced over the Tannoy as such.

However, as an avid fan of rugby and especially Coventry Rugby, it's this type of event that would have truly enhanced the 2024 anniversary; rather than participating in shooting or golf with the players, or engaging in polite conversation with strangers at a formal dinner.

In April 2024 Cov did advertise a game against a 'National League All-Stars' side set for May 17. This would have been a perfect sign-off to the season, a real chance for all supporters to celebrate the history of the club whilst also watching some of the stars of the leagues below.

Within 4 weeks it had been cancelled with the explanation that after 'listening to players and coaches about their schedules' the game would be moved to a new date next season'. 8 months on and if there has been an announcement regarding a new date, I've missed it. I'm guessing it won't be going ahead now and the hope is that any mention of it being rearranged will have been long forgotten.

Sadly not.

How the game could have been announced in April without first ensuring player schedules allowed for the game in May beggars belief, but whatever the reason it was a big disappointment.

Particularly so as inn January 2024, many supporters were optimistic due to Nick Johnston's statement that 'ongoing discussions will result in the Barbarians, the Penguins, and the Combined Services facing the blue-and-whites' as part of the anniversary events.

The absence of any representative team visiting the BPA is a significant disappointment, especially since we were led to expect this and there has been no explanation as to why it hasn't occurred, making it even more frustrating. That's where my real disappointment lies.

For someone who has little or no interest in guns or golf clubs or indeed social dining, that's where I wanted to celebrate the club's history. Out on the pitch.

But even that pales into insignificance when it comes to feeling disillusioned about the way the last year unfolded outside of the success the team enjoyed on the pitch at the BPA. What rankled most and still does is that the club feels that the real way supporters can prove their loyalty to the club is not through attending games or supporting the players, it's through becoming a member of Coventry Rugby's 150 Club.

'Show your devotion to the club as a True Blue by joining Coventry Rugby's 150 Club' - in bold type was the standout sentence in the blurb advertising the 'elite' package.

And what does devotion to the club come in at...a mere £1500? Or the club is generously offering the chance to pay the amount off at £150 over 10 monthly instalments.

I would tentatively suggest that devotion to the club can be measured in other ways, just ask those supporters who attend all the home games come rain or shine, or the supporters who regularly follow the club away from home via the Supporters' Club or independently, or those who are maybe too ill or old or struggling financially to go to the games whether home or away but follow the club every weekend via the radio or through X.

Is that not devotion, too?

At best it's very poorly worded. But why should it be such an 'elite' package anyway? If there had been options to buy-in to this at a much-reduced rate, then I'm sure there would have been a lot of interest amongst those who just can't afford that kind of money. The principle behind the 150 Club is a worthy one as funds generated from it are to be 'invested in the squad, our community foundation, facilities and in making improvements to the matchday experience', all of which are laudable.

If there had been a choice that did not include the 150th Anniversary shirt, limited edition Sekonda watch, commemorative badge, two tickets to the Gala Dinner, a bottle of Anniversary Coventry Rugby gin, or an Anniversary Plaque (none of which I find particularly appealing), and if it had been more affordably priced, I might have been more inclined to consider it.

As it turned out, I ended up spending £120ish just before Christmas on club merchandise, including a blanket I won't use, another shirt I'll perhaps wear a few times, and another set of gloves, scarf, and hat. That money would have been better spent going directly to the club through something akin to the Club 150 but less elite.

And I doubt I'm the only one who feels this way. Cov fans are naturally generous, but the 150 Club's £1500 price tag pushes that generosity to its limits.

Indeed, I do wonder how many of these packages have been sold -150 would bring in an impressive £225,000, which would significantly support the club during these tough times. It's unfortunate though there wasn't another option available—the 'buy-a-brick' campaign always seemed like a great initiative, as did the shirt featuring the names of all donors. Neither required particularly large donations, yet both generated interest and a desire to participate—perhaps this is an alternative approach that could be equally beneficial for the club?

Maybe for most Cov fans, the 150th anniversary celebrations lived up to expectations and it's just a case of me being a bit of a killjoy.

More than likely, I imagine.

Happy New Year...

Up the Cov!

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