Coventry broke club record moments before reaching play-offs under Frank Lampard
Coventry City continued their remarkable comeback under Frank Lampard to seal a Championship play-off spot on the final day of the season – and broke club records in the process. The Sky Blues’ monumental 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough saw the club break an attendance record at the CBS Arena. Coventry’s rise under Lampard continues – with the job not done yet as they now enter the promotion play-offsGetty A total of 31,452 fans celebrated their side’s rise from the ashes of a relegation battle to continue their push for Premier League promotion on Saturday. A double from 23-year-old midfielder Jack Rudoni earned a crucial three points that saw Coventry finish fifth and book a place in the post-season play-offs, while consigning Boro to tenth and four points off the top-six. The huge attendance at the formerly-named Ricoh Arena is a reflection of the club’s resurgence under English football legend Lampard. The Chelsea icon took charge in mid-November when Coventry were sitting 17th and just two points above the bottom-three. He also took over from the third longest-serving manager in English football, Mark Robins, who was beloved by supporters and had taken the club from League Two to the Championship. He was one game away from taking the club to the top flight, too, when they were beaten in the 2023 play-off final by Luton. Coventry fans were outraged by his sacking, but their rise since Lampard’s appointment has made that a distant memory. That’s football. Saturday’s final day triumph was not the first time Coventry fans have set new attendance records at the CBS Arena this season. On April 6 the Sky Blues beat Leeds United – crowned champions on the final day on goal difference over Burnley, who both finished on 100 points – in front of 30,232 supporters. Rudoni scored twice to seal a vital three points that took Coventry into the top-six on the final dayGetty Coventry fans have broken the club’s home attendance record three times since Lampard took over as managerX Coventry were 17th when Lampard took charge in November That marked, at the time, the biggest ever crowd for a Coventry match in the league at the stadium. That record was then broken again less than two weeks later on April 18 as they beat West Brom 2-0 with a home crowd of 31,167. That was still less than the overall record Coventry attendance at the Arena, which stood at 31,407 from their FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea in 2009. But Saturday’s final day play-off celebration eclipsed even that to set their new home attendance record at 31,452. Coventry will now face Sunderland across two legs in the play-off semi-finals to earn a shot at the big time at Wembley Stadium. But Lampard is not getting carried away with more work to be done, as he joined talkSPORT after the game for his reaction. Lampard has turned things around in stunning fashion at Coventry in just a few monthsGetty Asked if the manner of this play-off place feels different from when he got there with Derby, Lampard said: “No, respectfully no, but in practice, we came in at a pre-season at Derby and worked through the season, stayed in and around the playoffs. “So this is different. We came in at 17th in November, so firstly I thank my staff because when you come in you want to make quick impact. Every day they work, support, they’re good at things that I’m not so good at and all those things. “And then existing staff and players, to do the uplift from 17th to come fifth and get to the playoffs, it’s a big achievement. “But it’s only a start, we’re not over-celebrating here, we’re saying thanks to the fans because they support us all season. To make those strides as a club, I think everyone should be happy tonight. Lampard even paid tribute to Robins for his work over seven and a half years as Coventry manager, as well as the club’s fans and chairman Doug King for giving him the opportunity and backing him all the way. “The fans have been brilliant from the beginning,” added the boss. “Whether I was universally wanted, you never will be in football. Because of social media you know that there are people who question you, but to be a manager you have to have a tough skin and be ready for that. “Credit to Doug. Doug gave me the opportunity, he’s got a real passion for this football club and he’s involved to the point where I’m like, ‘Relax Doug, I’ve got it at the training ground’. He’s good. He’s really engaging with me and that makes it easy to work with. “Credit to Mike Robbins because what he’s done here is build the club up and do things that I can never do here from League Two up here and play a final and FA Cup semi-final. Full respect to that. “But we came in when the club was 17th. So you’re right in terms of how the fans have gone, because in the beginning, the first games, because of where we’re at everyo
Coventry City continued their remarkable comeback under Frank Lampard to seal a Championship play-off spot on the final day of the season – and broke club records in the process.
The Sky Blues’ monumental 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough saw the club break an attendance record at the CBS Arena.
A total of 31,452 fans celebrated their side’s rise from the ashes of a relegation battle to continue their push for Premier League promotion on Saturday.
A double from 23-year-old midfielder Jack Rudoni earned a crucial three points that saw Coventry finish fifth and book a place in the post-season play-offs, while consigning Boro to tenth and four points off the top-six.
The huge attendance at the formerly-named Ricoh Arena is a reflection of the club’s resurgence under English football legend Lampard.
The Chelsea icon took charge in mid-November when Coventry were sitting 17th and just two points above the bottom-three.
He also took over from the third longest-serving manager in English football, Mark Robins, who was beloved by supporters and had taken the club from League Two to the Championship.
He was one game away from taking the club to the top flight, too, when they were beaten in the 2023 play-off final by Luton.
Coventry fans were outraged by his sacking, but their rise since Lampard’s appointment has made that a distant memory.
That’s football.
Saturday’s final day triumph was not the first time Coventry fans have set new attendance records at the CBS Arena this season.
On April 6 the Sky Blues beat Leeds United – crowned champions on the final day on goal difference over Burnley, who both finished on 100 points – in front of 30,232 supporters.
That marked, at the time, the biggest ever crowd for a Coventry match in the league at the stadium.
That record was then broken again less than two weeks later on April 18 as they beat West Brom 2-0 with a home crowd of 31,167.
That was still less than the overall record Coventry attendance at the Arena, which stood at 31,407 from their FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea in 2009.
But Saturday’s final day play-off celebration eclipsed even that to set their new home attendance record at 31,452.
Coventry will now face Sunderland across two legs in the play-off semi-finals to earn a shot at the big time at Wembley Stadium.
But Lampard is not getting carried away with more work to be done, as he joined talkSPORT after the game for his reaction.
Asked if the manner of this play-off place feels different from when he got there with Derby, Lampard said: “No, respectfully no, but in practice, we came in at a pre-season at Derby and worked through the season, stayed in and around the playoffs.
“So this is different. We came in at 17th in November, so firstly I thank my staff because when you come in you want to make quick impact. Every day they work, support, they’re good at things that I’m not so good at and all those things.
“And then existing staff and players, to do the uplift from 17th to come fifth and get to the playoffs, it’s a big achievement.
“But it’s only a start, we’re not over-celebrating here, we’re saying thanks to the fans because they support us all season. To make those strides as a club, I think everyone should be happy tonight.
Lampard even paid tribute to Robins for his work over seven and a half years as Coventry manager, as well as the club’s fans and chairman Doug King for giving him the opportunity and backing him all the way.
“The fans have been brilliant from the beginning,” added the boss.
“Whether I was universally wanted, you never will be in football. Because of social media you know that there are people who question you, but to be a manager you have to have a tough skin and be ready for that.
“Credit to Doug. Doug gave me the opportunity, he’s got a real passion for this football club and he’s involved to the point where I’m like, ‘Relax Doug, I’ve got it at the training ground’. He’s good. He’s really engaging with me and that makes it easy to work with.
“Credit to Mike Robbins because what he’s done here is build the club up and do things that I can never do here from League Two up here and play a final and FA Cup semi-final. Full respect to that.
“But we came in when the club was 17th. So you’re right in terms of how the fans have gone, because in the beginning, the first games, because of where we’re at everyone’s a bit, ‘Where’s this going to go?’
“But then we’ve got on a roll and everyone’s brought into it together. So if we stick together, we’ve got a chance.”
