It's simple.
With two out of the three relegation places already decided, in the battle to avoid the other spot Sunderland were one point above both Coventry and Bristol cities, with an inferior goal difference, prior to the final game of the season being played. Sunderland were away at a strong Everton side and the other two were playing each other.
It was in the days of two points for a win so the maths were simple. If Sunderland drew or won they were safe. If they lost, but there was a positive result one way or the other in the other game, they were safe. If they lost, though, and the other two sides drew, Sunderland would go down.
The final games were arranged for the Thursday before the FA Cup Final, both with a 7.30pm kick-off, to avoid the possibility of sides having the advantage of knowing exactly what they had to do before their game finished.
Despite the crowd at Highfield Road being slightly lower than Goodison Park, with similar away followings at both venues, and clubs knowing what a high profile finale the evening was prior to it, Coventry delayed their kick-off, citing 'crowd congestion'.
Sunderland went behind early on, but Coventry had also taken the lead in their game too. As time went on, though, Sunderland went forward looking for an equaliser, and were caught on the break in injury time as well.
Things had changed at Highfield Road, too. Coventry, having looked comfortable earlier, had been pegged back to 2-2, with the visitors looking as if they could well get a winner in the time they had left.
These were in the days way before Sky, or even live club football on tv. Even football on the radio was resticted to a Saturday afternoon and midweek European or cup games. Getting information from one ground to another was difficult.
Jimmy Hill, however, ensured the information was at hand to him at all times, and with Bristol City piling forward for the winner, ordered that the Sunderland result be shown on the scoreboard.
The result was farcical, with both sides now knowing they were safe if the score remained the same. Estimates of the time play vary between 7 and 15 minutes but the inescapable truth is that a blood-and-thunder match had been turned into a training session warm-down, by a mixture of the delayed kick off and scoreboard. Bristol City defenders kicked the ball back and forth between them and their keeper without a single Coventry player going anywhere near them.
The result was Sunderland going down on the back of someone deliberately ensuring a match was concluded without it being finished competitively.
Coventry City were subsequently charged with influencing the outcome of a game by erroneous or foul means, for which they were found guilty. They were punished with a warning as to their future conduct. No points deduction, no match replaying, just a warning. Sitting on the committee that decided the punishment was a certain Mr. J. Hill.
That's with the "coventry/bristol hatred". It's more a Jimmy Hill hatred. Coventry going down to what is the Third Division in old man's terms hurts Jimmy Hill, putting them back where they were before his corrupt involvement with the club began.
