Coventry City F.C. in European football
Coventry City's brief European history and ban impact.
Coventry City's involvement in European football has been limited, with their only major cup campaign occurring in the 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The club also participated in the Texaco Cup during the 1970s. Their qualification for the 1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup was prevented by the ban on English clubs.
Quick Facts
- Continent
- Europe
- Club
- Coventry City
- Seasons played
- 1
- First entry
- 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Facts from the source article.
1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
Coventry City entered the 1970–71 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup alongside fellow English clubs Newcastle United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and eventual winners Leeds United. Their first tie was against Bulgarian side Trakia Plovdiv, which they won 4–1 away thanks to a John O'Rourke hat-trick, followed by a 2–0 home victory. In the second round they faced FC Bayern Munich, losing 6–1 in the first leg at Grünwalder Stadion; a 2–1 home win was insufficient to progress.
1971–74 Texaco Cup
Coventry's first Texaco Cup entry in 1971–72 saw them beat Falkirk after extra time, then lose 5–1 at Newcastle United following a 1–1 home draw. Their second campaign ended when Motherwell won the second leg after a drawn first leg. In the third tournament, Motherwell again eliminated Coventry with home and away victories.
1985–91 ban on English clubs
The ban on English clubs from European competition, imposed after the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, prevented Coventry City from entering the 1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup, for which they had qualified by winning the 1986–87 FA Cup. The ban lasted until 1990–91, and England did not regain the full pre-1985 allocation of European places until 1995–96. The FA Cup win also led to a one-off Anglo-Scottish Challenge against 1986–87 Scottish Cup winners St Mirren; after a 1–1 draw at Highfield Road, poor attendances caused the second leg to be cancelled.
More in English Football Clubs in International Competitions
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced