COV RIVALRY EXPLAINED

Older fans probably don't want reminding about this, but some younger supporters might not actually know how this hatred of Coventry City came about. Sobs recalls the final day of the 76/77 season...

Picture the scene – May 19th, 1977, last game of the season and, as usual, Sunderland went into it needing to achieve something. It’s been promotion or escape from relegation so many times over the years, and this one was no different. We’d had a stinker of a season up to the end of January, when a couple of goalless draws steadied things before Elliott, Arnott, and Rowell went mad and we had 6-0 , 6-1, and 4-1 wins in consecutive games. For some reason, it was Thursday at Everton, and with us level on points with Bristol City and Coventry, but a better goal difference, the only way we could go down was if there wasn't a winner in the evening’s other game – at Highfield Road, with Bristol City the visitors.

These days, mobile phones and the internet keep everybody everywhere up to date with events, but in 1977 – nowt but crackly radios. At Goodison, Bob Latchford scored his 25th of the season early on to put us behind. Dreadful radio reception meant that we didn’t know what was happening at Coventry, and when Bruce Rioch added the Toffees’ second at the death, we were beaten but as far as we knew we were still up, as we’d heard that Coventry were also two up. What we didn’t know was that their start had been delayed because of Bristolians being stuck in traffic. As if. Anyhow, the Robins got it to 2-2 on 79 minutes, and a certain Mr James Hill announced our score over the PA system. An acquaintance was at that game, and confirmed that the ball didn’t leave the centre circle after that, meaning that both teams were safe and we were down. We complained, the FA investigated, and the culprits were exonerated.

Rod Stewart’s was number one by the weekend, a double A side The First Cut Is The Deepest and I Don’t Want To Talk About It. Aye, right.

Let’s just say that Jimmy Hill has been public enemy on Wearside ever since, and although he was no longer at Coventry twenty years later, we had an almost identical scenario. Last game (against Wimbledon at Palace), with all fixtures to kick off simultaneously. Except Coventry, at Spurs. This time there was a genuine traffic problem, in the form of an accident on the motorway (ironically, involving a Sunderland fan) so that game was delayed. Strangely, we’d come down the same motorway, then a further dozen miles across London, but managed to be there on time. We lost anyway, and finished a point behind Coventry, who stayed up. We didn’t.

So if you’re ever asked why we don’t like Jimmy Hill and we don’t like Coventry, there’s your answer.