Norman Binns
Well-Known Member
It’s not often that I chip in with my tuppence worth on this forum and quite frankly, the subject I’m going to discuss has been regurgitated so many times it’s getting a little tiresome. Nevertheless, I thought I’d share something very poignant on one of the consequences of the ludicrous and ill-judged move to Northampton.
No longer living in Coventry having moved to Staffordshire in 1971, nevertheless I continued – and still continue - to get to as many city games as I possibly can (Sixfields excepted).
So, let the tale begin. Before setting out from home on the evening of 16 September 2004 to watch city play Gillingham at Highfield Road (Stern John’s debut), my son - who was only 6 years old at the time and had shown little interest in football up to that point - asked if he could come with me. After talking his mother round because of her concerns about his safety and returning home late with his school the next day, I was delighted that he was coming with me for his first city match.
Despite us letting a 2 goal lead slip to gift Gillingham a draw, my son enjoyed the experience so much that he was hooked and couldn’t wait for the next game.
For the next 8 years we went to games together until last season he started going to quite a lot games without me on the train with 3 or 4 school mates who had switched from supporting Man U and Liverpool in favour of watching Coventry. You may think that’s an odd thing to do, but 14 year olds making the transition from boys to men want to get out into the wide world, enjoy the feeling of independence and freedom and above all to feel grown up. This is what the rail journey from Stafford to Nuneaton followed by the bus from Nuneaton to the Ricoh gave those boys.
They couldn’t do that at Anfield or Old Trafford because apart from the prohibitive cost, it’s almost impossible to get hold of tickets for those games. So, what we have here is boys from outside of Coventry that followed other teams, converting and becoming part of the next generation of Coventry fans….all until this season that is.
It’s difficult and a lot more expensive to get suitable train journeys from Stafford to Northampton on Sundays, even if they wanted to….so one of the consequences of Sisu’s unfathomable decision to up sticks to Northampton is that they’ve lost forever, some of the next generation of city fans. Are these idiots running our club actually aware of the permanent damage they are doing to the fan base?
What do these lads do every fortnight on a Saturday afternoon now? They all take the train to Wolverhampton to get their freedom and football fix at Molineux and that includes my son because he doesn’t want to feel left out.
How do you think I felt last Saturday then, standing in J11 of the lower tier of the Steve Bull stand looking into my son’s eyes sitting in the Southbank watching Wolves? It was quite upsetting as one might imagine but I’ll tell you something, I’d have felt far worse if he was making the trip to Sixfields every other Sunday to watch Coventry. You see, even at the tender age of 15 he has some moral perspective and realises how wrong this move is and I applaud that. He still supports Coventry deep in his heart and still goes to some away games with me, notably Shrewsbury and Port Vale this season but like me he will not, on principle, set foot in Sixfields for a home fixture. I think that says it all really and puts things into perspective, something for those misguided few that go to Northampton to ponder on.
The bottom line is, by going to Sixfields you are endorsing this move; you are giving SISU your implicit approval and saying you’re ok with it. The more that weaken and end up going to Sixfields the more credence and strength that gives to SISU. Do these people not realise that we as supporters been shat on from a great height?
To make an analogy - not the best admittedly but the principle has similarities - if your boss had ****ed your teenage daughter would you still play a round of golf with him and buy him a drink in the bar afterwards, just so you can continue your entertainment on a Sunday morning? Because that’s what they’ve done, they’ve ****ed us over and some people just don’t understand that. If ever there was any reason to doubt it, I think last weeks events have made things clear.
Everyone to their own, but I personally can’t begin to fathom out how anyone can have their self respect intact after having gone inside Sixfields. I’d feel ashamed personally but then that’s me, it takes all sorts to make up this world, some have principles and values, some don’t.
To all those who boycott and continue to boycott, stay strong, stay out of Northampton…but then again I didn’t really need to say that did I?
No longer living in Coventry having moved to Staffordshire in 1971, nevertheless I continued – and still continue - to get to as many city games as I possibly can (Sixfields excepted).
So, let the tale begin. Before setting out from home on the evening of 16 September 2004 to watch city play Gillingham at Highfield Road (Stern John’s debut), my son - who was only 6 years old at the time and had shown little interest in football up to that point - asked if he could come with me. After talking his mother round because of her concerns about his safety and returning home late with his school the next day, I was delighted that he was coming with me for his first city match.
Despite us letting a 2 goal lead slip to gift Gillingham a draw, my son enjoyed the experience so much that he was hooked and couldn’t wait for the next game.
For the next 8 years we went to games together until last season he started going to quite a lot games without me on the train with 3 or 4 school mates who had switched from supporting Man U and Liverpool in favour of watching Coventry. You may think that’s an odd thing to do, but 14 year olds making the transition from boys to men want to get out into the wide world, enjoy the feeling of independence and freedom and above all to feel grown up. This is what the rail journey from Stafford to Nuneaton followed by the bus from Nuneaton to the Ricoh gave those boys.
They couldn’t do that at Anfield or Old Trafford because apart from the prohibitive cost, it’s almost impossible to get hold of tickets for those games. So, what we have here is boys from outside of Coventry that followed other teams, converting and becoming part of the next generation of Coventry fans….all until this season that is.
It’s difficult and a lot more expensive to get suitable train journeys from Stafford to Northampton on Sundays, even if they wanted to….so one of the consequences of Sisu’s unfathomable decision to up sticks to Northampton is that they’ve lost forever, some of the next generation of city fans. Are these idiots running our club actually aware of the permanent damage they are doing to the fan base?
What do these lads do every fortnight on a Saturday afternoon now? They all take the train to Wolverhampton to get their freedom and football fix at Molineux and that includes my son because he doesn’t want to feel left out.
How do you think I felt last Saturday then, standing in J11 of the lower tier of the Steve Bull stand looking into my son’s eyes sitting in the Southbank watching Wolves? It was quite upsetting as one might imagine but I’ll tell you something, I’d have felt far worse if he was making the trip to Sixfields every other Sunday to watch Coventry. You see, even at the tender age of 15 he has some moral perspective and realises how wrong this move is and I applaud that. He still supports Coventry deep in his heart and still goes to some away games with me, notably Shrewsbury and Port Vale this season but like me he will not, on principle, set foot in Sixfields for a home fixture. I think that says it all really and puts things into perspective, something for those misguided few that go to Northampton to ponder on.
The bottom line is, by going to Sixfields you are endorsing this move; you are giving SISU your implicit approval and saying you’re ok with it. The more that weaken and end up going to Sixfields the more credence and strength that gives to SISU. Do these people not realise that we as supporters been shat on from a great height?
To make an analogy - not the best admittedly but the principle has similarities - if your boss had ****ed your teenage daughter would you still play a round of golf with him and buy him a drink in the bar afterwards, just so you can continue your entertainment on a Sunday morning? Because that’s what they’ve done, they’ve ****ed us over and some people just don’t understand that. If ever there was any reason to doubt it, I think last weeks events have made things clear.
Everyone to their own, but I personally can’t begin to fathom out how anyone can have their self respect intact after having gone inside Sixfields. I’d feel ashamed personally but then that’s me, it takes all sorts to make up this world, some have principles and values, some don’t.
To all those who boycott and continue to boycott, stay strong, stay out of Northampton…but then again I didn’t really need to say that did I?
