Happy Birthday (2 Viewers)

[robbiethemole]

Ricoh/CBS Arena. 20 years old today and coincidentally our first match here was QPR resulting in a 3-0win. Good omens for Saturday?
We’ve had a rough ride to get here, sometimes not even being here, but hopefully the future is more settled.

 

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[Sky Blue Wozza]

First game I went to there was against Hull, as was the last! (Not as good an omen, admittedly)

 

[GC1976]

You could argue 20 years of problems still not resolved. Great facility poorly managed and financed not sure it could have got much worse than it did. We nearly ceased to exist because of the Arena. Not much to celebrate here.

 

[Sick Boy]

Im sure I remember the capacity being reduced to something like 23,000 for that first game because it wasn’t fully finished?

 

[Joy Division]

20 years old, yet it only has really started to feel like home in the last 3 years.

 

[mmttww]

Im sure I remember the capacity being reduced to something like 23,000 for that first game because it wasn’t fully finished?

It was. I worked on one of the bars that day. Had all the benches full of pre-poured pints, still got fans fully kicking off about how long it took to get served. Thankless task in those places! Not one I repeated.

 

[PVA]

Ahh these were the days, such happy memories

 

[robbiethemole]

You could argue 20 years of problems still not resolved. Great facility poorly managed and financed not sure it could have got much worse than it did. We nearly ceased to exist because of the Arena. Not much to celebrate here.

Well we got rid of the Wasps and Sisu and reduced the influence of the scummy Council, all worth celebrating in my eyes

 

[SBT]

Ahh these were the days, such happy memories

Can you pay on the gate?

 

[Earlsdon_Skyblue1]

It's been an interesting one. A few departures to strange places like Northampton, and a Birmingham. A Wasps infestation that took over so badly some of our fans became possessed and converted to genuine cuckolds to go and watch them.

Don't even get me started on the fucking train station...

Here's to 20 more years!

 

[AOM]

Ahh these were the days, such happy memories

Season ticket options back then were "Which row do you want to yourself?"
Rock up at 2:55 for a 3 o'clock kick off. Bliss

 

[AOM]

Thought the Ricoh/CBS always had the potential to be a really good ground, but it's only since our rise back from League Two has it started to become the ground we wanted it to be imo

 

[PVA]

Season ticket options back then were "Which row do you want to yourself?"
Rock up at 2:55 for a 3 o'clock kick off. Bliss

Yeah there were some benefits of it being empty

I used to sit at the end we were attacking and then walk round to switch ends at half time

 

[SIR ERNIE]

Yeah there were some benefits of it being empty

I used to sit at the end we were attacking and then walk round to switch ends at half time

Preferred to watch the action from a distance did you?

 

[Alkhen]

Feels like home now, the vibe of the place hasn't been better. Having an owner that actually puts a bit of thought into match day experience makes so much difference.

 

[jto123]

Ricoh/CBS Arena. 20 years old today and coincidentally our first match here was QPR resulting in a 3-0win. Good omens for Saturday?
We’ve had a rough ride to get here, sometimes not even being here, but hopefully the future is more settled.

20 years today and we’ve played in it altogether for about six months of that 20 years

 

[rob9872]

I always remember Claus Jorgensen scoring the first, as it's been asked many times since. I was at the game and yet was surprised to read Dele got the other 2, completely forgotten in their importance.

The article also referred to Doyler starting a scuffle in the tunnel to get the players a bit more fired up - love it!

 

[Sky_Blue_Daz]

I always remember Claus Jorgensen scoring the first, as it's been asked many times since. I was at the game and yet was surprised to read Dele got the other 2, completely forgotten in their importance.

The article also referred to Doyler starting a scuffle in the tunnel to get the players a bit more fired up - love it!

Dele was great in that game, completely different player when he was angry

 

[TomRad85]

I don't know if any teenagers post on here but i know there are some in their early 20s and its so weird to me that they were actual babies when i was there watching this. Time has a nasty habit of punching you in the gut.

 

[robbiethemole]

My youngest is 29 and we were at the last Highfield Rd game and 1st at the Ricoh. Used to do loads of away games in those days too, good ol’ Harry Shaw from carpark C

 

[skybluecam]

I don't know if any teenagers post on here but i know there are some in their early 20s and its so weird to me that they were actual babies when i was there watching this. Time has a nasty habit of punching you in the gut.

 

[play_in_skyblue_stripes]

Prefer the bars/location of Highfield Road plus amazing memories of Highfield Road.
As for the ground itself,prefer Ricoh/CBS .

I was so proud to walk to to Highfield Road from the street I grew in and then on way back could see in the distance Ricoh Arena almost finished.

Walking around the stadium in the rain after that 2-0 West Brom win in penultimate home game I felt even more proud .I moved away from Coventry a long time ago but that day showed what I truly am , someone from Coventry who supports a very special club.

CBS is not without its faults but I love going there and always have done.

Happy Birthday Ricoh/ CBS!!

 

[rob9872]

I used to drive up occasionally and sit outside to take a look at it in various states of build from when they first started. Really wish I'd taken some photos to have a diary of it evolving.

 

[torchomatic]

Im sure I remember the capacity being reduced to something like 23,000 for that first game because it wasn’t fully finished?

Remember we had that "dummy run" too where we turned up to sit in our seats to take in the view.

 

[rob9872]

I can also tell you that first game very nearly didn't go ahead and was then almost going ahead with a capacity of only one stand open. Mum & Dad's next door neighbour was the chief planning officer and the safety certificate hadn't been generated in time. Seems like we've always had some sort if idiocy involved.

 

[torchomatic]

I don't know if any teenagers post on here but i know there are some in their early 20s and its so weird to me that they were actual babies when i was there watching this. Time has a nasty habit of punching you in the gut.

Remember at school I was pissing about with a few of my mates at the back of the class. Our physics teacher came up to us and said something like "You lads need to knuckle down. You'll soon learn that life is like a Lamborghini with no brakes". We all thought, "yeah, whatever old man". I'm sixty in two months. He was right about life being a Lamborghini. That conversation has always stuck with me. This was in 1981 or something like that. Blimey.

 

[play_in_skyblue_stripes]

I used to drive up occasionally and sit outside to take a look at it in various states of build from when they first started. Really wish I'd taken some photos to have a diary of it evolving.

I did the same everytime I was back in Coventry and thankfully did take some photos.

 

[alexccfc99]

St Ands. draws the line in the sand for me

Hated The Ricoh

Love The CBS

 

[play_in_skyblue_stripes]

Remember at school I was pissing about with a few of my mates at the back of the class. Our physics teacher came up to us and said something like "You lads need to knuckle down. You'll soon learn that life is like a Lamborghini with no brakes". We all thought, "yeah, whatever old man". I'm sixty in two months. He was right about life being a Lamborghini. That conversation has always stuck with me. This was in 1981 or something like that. Blimey.

Yes you and that teacher particularly are/was totally right. It goes so quick and particularly from 40 to 60.
Thankfully people in there 60's are much, more active I imagine than previous generations. I feel for the 16-25s people now because things are so expensive. Basically I could go to any football game or see any group. These days it's super expensive and actually hard to get tickets for as well.

 

[Skyblue Bangkok]

Yes you and that teacher particularly are/was totally right. It goes so quick and particularly from 40 to 60.
Thankfully people in there 60's are much, more active I imagine than previous generations. I feel for the 16-25s people now because things are so expensive. Basically I could go to any football game or see any group. These days it's super expensive and actually hard to get tickets for as well.

As an oldie I agree .

 

[Para1140]

Ahh these were the days, such happy memories

NOPM in full swing. Amazing really how things have changed

 

[wingy]

I always remember Claus Jorgensen scoring the first, as it's been asked many times since. I was at the game and yet was surprised to read Dele got the other 2, completely forgotten in their importance.

The article also referred to Doyler starting a scuffle in the tunnel to get the players a bit more fired up - love it!

A Houchen style header, wonderful moment,iconic in it's own right.

 

[SwanLane]

Great day. I grew up near Highfield Rd and the very idea of us not playing there felt wrong. But hey-ho, I’d relocated away from Cov and when we kicked off with a 3-0 win at the Ricoh, there was the idea that it could become a fortress. I remember being there for the Hull game a few weeks later where that idea got well and truly punctured.

Paul Furlong played for QPR that day in 2005 which was a nice link back to my early days on the kop at HR. We got him from non league and he scored 3 or 4 in his first few games for us in the top flight. Can you imagine that now?

But QPR were in ugly mood on Ricoh day, no doubt due to Doyler kicking it off In the tunnel. By the end, Furlong just came across as a shithouse old CF. Like the club and fans meant nothing to him.

 

[Kneeza]

Memories of driving along Roland Avenue and Hen Lane every weekday, watching the progress on the skyline.
It all seemed so positive and full of promise...

 

[Bad Boy]

Memories of driving along Roland Avenue and Hen Lane every weekday, watching the progress on the skyline.
It all seemed so positive and full of promise...

Indeed it did.

But not dismissing/ignoring the shitty experiences we've endured for a chunk of the last 20 years, the good times are back and hopefully we can build on it.

I didn't particularly like HR after it became an all seater stadium and I don't care much for the CBS either but it's our home ground and it is what it is and maybe one day it will belong to the club.

Most of us would drink to that I'm sure.