A massive thank you to the estimated 6,000 Coventry City supporters (and a welcome number from other clubs) who marched defiantly but good humouredly from Gosford Green to Broadgate on Saturday.
On a glorious hot day the appropriately named superb local band Yes Sunshine entertained the crowd on Gosford Green and at 12.00 Catherine, Lady Godiva rode through the throng and, along with Daniel Lole our Sky Blue piper, led the march to Broadgate.
The march was noisy, loud, sang, cheered, jeered but above all else made their feelings known just how much they wanted their team back at the Ricoh.
In Broadgate, the huge crowd assembled in front of the iconic '87 bus to hear passionate speeches from Trust members Moz Baker and David Johnson and Sky Blue legends Ronnie Farmer, Micky Gynn and Kirk Stevens as well as some laughs with Billy Bell and more great music from Kirk Savage, Danny Ansell and The Deserts.
The message from all making the speeches and those listening and reacting to them was united - Bring our team back to the Ricoh and now!
There is a small chink of hope with the council, ACL and the club all saying they are willing to talk about rent. We urge them all to put the past behind them, remove all obstacles to talks, be prepared to listen, to compromise and above all listen to the wishes of the Sky Blue Army.
A deal can be done, a deal needs to be done a deal must be done - BRING CITY HOME.
Media coverage of the march has been superb with radio, press and TV coverage - there are some links below. If you were on the march and took your own photos and would like to share them we would love to put them on the Trust website and build up a montage of the day - please send your photos to march@skybluetrust.co.uk
Finally some thank you's: to Clive and his team at the Coventry Transport museum for the use of the '87 bus (if you have never been to the museum you must go its brilliant), to the police who really entered into the spirit of the event, to all the volunteers who helped with the stewarding of the event, to Chris, Cec and Neil for their help with Broadgate and Gosford Green but above all thank you to all who came on the day and, hopefully, galvanized some minds and helped convince those who can bring the team home to finally do so.
BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b047zxw0/midlands-today-12072014
Sky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hdOcuiSbr4&feature=youtu.be
Cov Tel: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-streets-flooded-sky-blue-7413024
Moz’s brilliant speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uaahO8K-pA