Premier League dream is five years in the making for Coventry City boss Mark Robins

After toppling Exeter City at Wembley almost five years ago to the day, Mark Robins privately outlined his intention to restore Coventry City’s Premier League status which they’d gone without since 2001.

Robins returned to the club in 2017 and in that time he’s led the Sky Blues to the EFL Trophy, promotion via the play-offs from League Two and then the League One title – all the while with various off-field issues cope with and hurdles to clear, not least of all playing in different stadiums.

Now, they’re a game away from returning to the top flight, which they’ve haven’t experienced for over 20 years. It’s been turbulent, but Premier League football being brought back to the city has been on Robins’ agenda ever since that first achievement of lifting City out of the fourth tier in 2018.

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On that day, captain Michael Doyle – out celebrating with the other players and staff – discussed what the future might look like for the club with his manager. Years later, he’s been able to reveal that it has since been in Robins’ mind to help the club back to English football’s top table.

“The night we got promoted from League Two we were chatting away at the bar, something came up and he said: ‘we’re going to take this club back to the Premier League where it belongs’,” Doyle told the PA. “You don’t say things like that lightly and it’s not arrogance because he’s not an arrogant man. He wouldn’t say that openly to a lot of people.

“I’ve reminded him of that this week because we were a million miles away from it that night and now we’re on the verge of it. I hope he can do it. I do think eventually the club will get there, even if it’s not Saturday. The club is in good hands with four more years of him there. He is a god to the people of Coventry.

“Like any manager, pressure does come with the job and when he’s p****d off at you, you’re going to know about it. He’s not rolling into the training ground jovial, but at the same time, when you win a game, he’s not jumping to the ceiling like Larry the Lunatic.

“He’s always had a great calmness and it shows in his teams, the way they play. Look at that performance at Middlesbrough (the 1-0 play-off semi-final second-leg win) when no-one gave them a chance. That was a reflection of the coaching staff, Adi (Viveash, assistant) as well.”

Irrespective of how the Sky Blues fare on Saturday afternoon against Luton Town, this period is as good a time as any to reflect and take stock of the scale of the job that Robins has carried out during this, his second spell at the CBS Arena. Doyle in particular recalls the lowlights which make the overall journey, with plenty of hard work and perseverance, worthwhile.

“Coventry were one of the longest-serving clubs in the top division and when they lost that status a lot of people around the city were devastated,” Doyle continued. “There was a lot of negativity around the football club for long periods. In my first spell, we were always just a middle-of-the-table Championship club.

“The tough times of getting relegated has brought some success and some great days to the club. It’s just great to see the club now in the biggest game in football. I remember playing Forest Green at home and getting beaten and having to drag a fan off the pitch. We were losing 1-0 and he ran on with five minutes to go.

“The fans weren’t happy Coventry were playing Forest Green in League Two at home on a Tuesday night and losing 1-0.We had a lot of young players who were in shock and I ran over because he had the ball. I grabbed him and said: ‘what are you doing? Get off’. It was instinct, I ran over and confronted him.

“He was saying it was embarrassing and I said ‘listen, you’re not going to be here at the end of the season when we get promoted. Just get yourself in the stand’. Forest Green did the double on us, no disrespect to them, and it showed what hard times the club had fallen on. It was hard for the fanbase to fathom. These moments live with you a little because you end up getting success.”

If you were making a speech to the players before kick-off what would you say? Tell us in the comments section.

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