HOME!
A place that embodies the spirt of so many of us, and that provided the most incredible memories. The place that made us fall in love with the beautiful game, our club, and embodied our civic pride of being a Coventrian. With 2021 and the City of Culture upon us, I wanted to celebrate one of the lost jewels in the crown, and for many a place that was the heartbeat of our city, Highfield Road. I have come together with the incredible Fourteen Admirals to commemorate the brilliant playground we all hold so dearly in our hearts and created ‘The Highfield.’
Coventry City began playing at the Highfield Road stadium in 1899. The ground had an interesting history. It survived the Luftwaffe. In 1940, the main stand which backed onto terraced houses in Mowbray Street was bombed, heavy turnstiles from the ground and gas meters from houses in the street were discovered in Gosford Park, some 500 metres away. It even survived a catastrophic fire in 1968, when the main stand burnt down - in true Coventry spirit, its replacement was built within four months. In 1981, Highfield Road was converted into England's first ever all-seater stadium and was an innovative leader in stadia, with a capacity of around 24,500. Before its closure on 30 April 2005, it had seen so many incredible things in its history. Carrie Burton’s 50 goals in a season, Jimmy Hill’s revolution of the club on multiple levels and the rise from the Third Division to the top tier in three years. Ernie Hunt and Willie Carr’s donkey kick, the brilliance of Mick Ferguson, Big Cyrille, Dancing Dave Bennett, The Mighty Quinn, and first African in the Premier League, the mercurial Peter Ndlovu. Then my favourite era with the master Gary McAllister, the Moroccan magicians Hadji & Chippo and for me the best forward line in my lifetime of Dublin, Huckerby and Whelan. And finally the last of the true brilliance with Robbie Keane and his forward roll machine gun celebration lighting up the ground. It all culminated with the final game played at the stadium against Midlands rivals Derby County and a scintillating 6-2 scoreline. The stadium was subsequently demolished, the club crumbled, and with it started to die and the city lost something it will never be able to replace.
A FEW PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS…
September 3, 1985 - My first game, a midweek game versus Oxford United where we won 5-2. I went with some school friends and their parents for someone’s 6th birthday. I was only 5 and just remember a man with no hair called Greg Downs being sang about for having no hair, and that apparently no one cared! The roar of the crowd for the goal blew me away. I was hooked. It’s like mainlining pure adrenalin, I loved it!
December 26th, 1992 - At home versus arch rivals Villa. I was 11 and remember clearly to this day being too small to be on the Kop and it being rammed, so the adults decided to pass me and my best pal John Kelly down above peoples head to the waiting stewards at the front so we could come out of the pen. The stewards gave us two boxes that we sat on behind the goal next to the ball boy (unbelievable!) We were in touching distance of the pitch and could hear everything going on, swear words and all! Mick Quinn had a worldie game and bagged a brace as we beat the Villa 3-0 in front of a sold out crowd that made that stadium move in a way like I had never seen before. Just typing this out still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up now.
August 10, 1996 - A friendly against the mighty Benfica a week before the season started, they gave us an absolute lesson and we were bullied 7-2 despite Dion opening the scoring. Sadly it was the last game i ever went to with my Grandad before his passing. Despite the result, I have the best memory of sitting in the stand with him, sharing a bar of chocolate and listening to his stories of the Jimmy Hill era and other great games and players he had witnessed during the history of Highfield Road. Simple but beautiful times. That for me is the beauty of Highfield Road, those memories carved into our hearts and etched into our brains that are part of our DNA forever now.
I will forever carry that place in my heart and everything that came with it.
THE HIGHFIELD - Fourteen Admirals x John Dawkins
Please note, this limited edition collaboration has now SOLD OUT - contact us for further details
@beckspoke for 14A