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Doug King warns 'more money at risk' in matchday address to Coventry City fans
Doug King has addressed Coventry City fans for the first time since explaining his “difficult and painful” sacking of Mark Robins at a fans’ forum.
The club’s executive chairman says that it was “absolutely my goal and my dream” to see Robins get to the “promised land” of the Premier League with a “fairytale ending.” But he insists that he “cannot risk squandering the launchpad” created over the last couple of years under his ownership and amid a situation where “more money is at risk” as he strives to achieve the “hardest task” of gaining promotion.
Writing in today’s matchday programme ahead of the Sky Blues CBS Arena match with Sheffield United, King said started with a history lesson, saying: “ Coventry City Football Club, formed in 1883, were founder members of the Premier League in 1992, having been in the top division of English football since 1967.
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“Those early Premier League years were not as they are now with huge domestic and international broadcasting rights and global team ownership and interest.
“Dropping out of the top tier in 2001, before the Premier League began to take off and just as the Club were finalising their move from Highfield Road to the new purpose-built stadium, could not have been worse timing.
“The Club was not in a position in 2005 when the stadium was finally completed to purchase it and worse than that was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2007 when it was purchased at the 11th hour.
“Every owner has a plan when they take on an institution such as a Football Club. That will have been the case in 2007 too, but certainly the next ten years were a major failure by any measurement.
“A top Championship finishing spot of 17th, relegation to League One in 2012, actual bankruptcy in 2013 leading to a ground share in Northampton for the 13/14 season and the stadium that had been built for the Club being sold to a Rugby Club that has no ties with the city in the aftermath of such a blow up. Relegation to League 2 in 2017 (the fourth tier of English football) was the final blow.
“With an owner unwilling to sell but unable to deploy resources to battle out of such a dark position with the Club at its modern day low, a spark was needed from elsewhere. Cometh the hour, cometh the man and that man was Mark Robins.
“With astute coaching appointments and astute player acquisition, the Club began to bounce back and embrace the leadership of Mark Robins and his team and by hook or by crook with extremely limited resource and failing infrastructure he dragged the Club back from the abyss.
“Two promotions in three years, despite again having to move for two seasons to Birmingham and a further two seasons establishing the Club in the EFL Championship with 16th and 12th finishing positions, brought us to this month two years ago when it was announced that I had purchased a majority of the Football Club.
“I was formally approved to own this great institution on January 10th 2023, when our Club was in 14th position in the Championship. Our goal was to reach the play-offs on three out of every five seasons. To invest in and improve the infrastructure of the Football Club and to invest in the playing squad to try and remove any risk of relegation and the upheaval that comes with that. In short, to try and give the manager and the Club a real shot at reaching the Premier League.
“Having come so far, I am well aware the next chapter to try to rejoin the Premier League is our hardest task. More money is at risk. Competitors are strong and our league remains distorted by the parachute payments given to the newly relegated clubs. The last two years have given us all some incredible moments - the best moments possibly for a generation and we have come so close to reaching that goal.
“The decision taken by me two weeks ago was extremely difficult and painful. To see our manager reach the promised land with a fairytale ending was absolutely my goal and my dream.
“I also realise looking back on the 141 years since our creation that this institution, this Football Club, is bigger than all of us and that what matters most is that it thrives, it showcases our great city, it gives its fans great experiences and reasons to support and be invested in its success and it re-positions itself as one of the premier footballing cities of our land.
“The legacy of Mark Robins’ achievements will forever be etched in the Club’s history. He was that man at that time who salvaged this Club from the dying embers and rebuilt trust and belief again with the community. His award this week of an Honorary Doctorate from Coventry University was richly deserved and rightly acknowledges his huge efforts and impact there.
“I know this was a hugely unpopular decision, but I am also acutely aware that this Club cannot risk squandering the launchpad that has been created by him. I do not intend to do that.
“The saying “all good things come to an end” is in my view a positive statement. It was a great period for us, now it is time for the next one… we should look back with pleasure and look forward with optimism and hope.
“It was fantastic working with Mark over the last two years. He knows how much I wanted this to work with him and the sadness I feel that it did not.”
