'It's time to celebrate!' That's the message from Coventry City fans' group, Keep Cov in Cov (kcic), ahead of the Sky Blues return to the Ricoh Arena tomorrow (5 September).
kcic has thanked what it calls City's "unsung heroes' - the thousands of Coventry fans who refused to support the move to Northampton and held on-going protests including at the London offices of sisu and the Football League, the much publicised event at the FA Cup tie at Arsenal in January where fans held up signs asking 'Why' the fiasco had been allowed to happen, and even taking 'Keep Cov in Cov' flags to this summer's World Cup in Brazil.
kcic was the only fans' group that supported the boycott of Sky Blues games at Northampton which has proved to be such a key factor: as Coventry Manager Steven Pressley said this week "if the supporters had turned out in their numbers at Sixfields...there would not have been such a great pressure to return".
Michael Orton from kcic said "getting back to the Ricoh is a massive result for fans who never gave up protesting against the move to Northampton. Supporters have conducted themselves with tremendous dignity and should feel immensely proud on Friday".
Despite the return to the Ricoh, the long-term future of Coventry City remains uncertain with owners sisu still saying they are going to build a new ground outside Coventry.
Many fans have also been angered by problems with tickets for Friday's game. But as Michael Orton explained "Major questions remain about what happens next both in terms of our club but also ensuring no other fans ever have to suffer as we have. But Friday is all about City fans, celebrating our homecoming and making it a night to remember!"