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BBC News
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The bricks connecting Coventry City football fans to their club
When Tom Kelly was born, his great-uncle bought him a an unusual birth present but instead, a personalised brick bought by his Coventry City FC mad relative in a wall at his beloved team's home football not alone - across the UK, thousands of football fans have sponsored bricks or paving stones at their team's stadiums, including at Sunderland's Stadium of Light and Celtic Park in Glasgow, as a way of celebrating special Coventry, 4,500 fans were given that chance with their bricks engraved on the Sky Blues Wall of Fame at the CBS Arena, then named the Ricoh, in August 2005. Why do it and what do these bricks mean to families and their fans? Several shared their stories with us: The brick to remember a great-uncle Tom Kelly, 20, from Finham, Coventry, is the man whose brick on the wall was bought for his birth by his great-uncle Dave, who died when he was young.A Sky Blues fan since he was a child, Mr Kelly said the brick gave him a reason to remember his late uncle, who used to take him and his dad to games when they were younger."Loads of fans knew him, loads around the club knew him, he'd be on every away-day travel coach, he'd be in and around the ground, so he purchased the brick for me before he passed away," he Mr Kelly, football goes beyond being a sport as it also give a chance for him to go and spend time with family and "random people"."I think some things in life aren't certain but being a Coventry City fan for the rest of my life certainly is," he said. The brick to let a father live on Kate Cooper's brick remembers her father - Paul Averns died in October 2006, after he was diagnosed with terminal was a "huge" Sky Blues fan, she said, and had been diagnosed around the time when the brick scheme at the arena was first announced."My brother brought him a brick," Ms Cooper, from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, explained. "We weren't even sure if it was going to be in there in time for my dad to see it but it was, so it was put in there just before he passed away."Ms Cooper said her dad was tearful and emotional when he found out about the brick and appreciated he was going to live on through his club, his "favourite thing in the world".Mr Averns ashes were also scattered on the pitch."Towards the end of his life, he used to like going up there [the stadium], he was very proud of the fact he had a brick up there, it made him feel quite famous I think," Ms Cooper said."To me, I just feel like I'm part of a family and I'm really proud that that started with my dad and he's carrying on through the rest of us." The brick connecting a son to his dad Ian Lissaman's late dad was a carpenter who worked on some of the restoration of Coventry City's former ground, Highfield Road, in the 1960s, when the main stand was damaged in a fire.A lifelong Sky Blues fan, Mr Lissaman and his dad both have personalised bricks at the 53-year-old, from Stoke Aldermoor, said he always goes to visit the bricks every time he goes to the stadium."He died in 2003, so before the CBS was built, so I just felt it important that he was part of the journey and, you know, carried on his support of the Coventry City family," Mr Lissaman said."I wish he was here to see it for himself but knowing the bricks there is some comfort."The family's love for the the Sky Blues has surpassed generations, with Mr Lissaman's own granddaughter, Eva, 13, also "obsessed" with football.A massive Coventry fan, she has been watching the team play for the last four seasons and credits her granddad for her love of the club."He kind of just got me obsessed with football and I don't know what I'd do without my granddad at the football and everything," she said. The brick for a Canadian fan For Keith Reay, 61, his brick is all about reconnecting from far away as his love for the Sky Blues spans 40 years - and more than 4,000 from Coventry, the die-hard fan emigrated to Alberta, Canada, 22 years ago but still flies back to England to see his favourite team play a few times a year."Every year I buy a new shirt, new scarf...I had a season ticket for 25 years before I emigrated to Canada," he said."I get back whenever I can. These last few years I've been back two or three times a year and it's cost me an absolute fortune." Mr Reay has a brick after first falling in love with the Sky Blues when his father took him to see Coventry play Newcastle in said he still misses the city "incredibly" and had been back to visit his personalised brick after a fellow Coventry supporter on the internet discovered its location."He told me where it was, so the last two times I've been back, I made a point of looking out for my brick, found it, [had] my picture taken with it, and it's lovely," he added. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
09-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Coventry lacked 'little extra' in Hull stalemate
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard says his team were lacking that 'little extra' in attack in the goalless draw with Hull meant the Sky Blues were unable to turn one point into three as they failed to win their season opener for the fourth successive for Lampard, the goal was all that was lacking in a solid performance at the CBS Arena."I'm disappointed not to win the game," he told BBC CWR. "I'm happy with a clean sheet, I thought we were the better team and deserved it, we had a lot of control of the game and played in their half a lot."Maybe the first game there was a lack of 5% at the top end of the pitch."We looked like us, we played like us but we didn't have that little extra. That's probably the difference as otherwise we probably win that game."
BBC News
08-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Countdown to kick-off on BBC CWR
The countdown is on to the start of Coventry City's Championship campaign and it's expected to be a packed out CBS Arena for the opening fixture as the Sky Blues take on Hull City on Saturday (12:30 BST). After his first pre-season working with the club, head coach Frank Lampard will be looking for the side to hit the ground running after disappointing starts by the team in recent BBC CWR sports team are also all about getting off to a good start with changes to the on-air matchday City Fan Rob Gurney moves into the matchday commentary role, taking over from Clive Eakin, who ended his 24 year run of Sky Blues commentaries at the end of last season. Rob's no stranger to commentating on his team, having guided fans through the Premier League years in the Coventry City goalkeeper, Steve Ogrizovic, remains a safe pair of hands in the summariser's position alongside the starting line-up this season, after several appearances from the bench, is Lorna Bailey, who will host the build-up and post-match phone-in.
BBC News
29-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
🎧 A big test awaits the Sky Blues at the CBS
"I think Real Betis will be a really tough test for us. I think they will be maybe the best test we've had in recent pre-seasons, dare I say that."BBC Radio CWR's Lorna Bailey and William Oelrich are joined by guests Laura Hartley and CJ as they talk new signings and possible departures, away kits, and going back to the CBS Arena for a pre-season friendly against Real Betis on to the full episode of the Sky Blues Fancast and more on BBC Sounds.
BBC News
04-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sky Blues to host La Liga's Real Betis in pre-season
Coventry City will host Spanish La Liga side Real Betis at the CBS Arena on 30 July as part of their pre-season Betis lost to Premier League side Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final in May but enjoyed a successful season, beating top clubs such as Real Madrid to end the season in sixth and secure European football match will mark the first meeting between the two Sky Blues are also set to travel to League Two's Bristol Rovers the week prior for their first meeting since 2020 - the year Coventry last secured promotion to the Championship.
