A NEW plaque will be unveiled to commemorate Coventry City’s 106-year tenure at Highfield Road.
A group of loyal Sky Blues supporters, backed by the leader of Coventry City Council, have come together to install a new plaque to commemorate City’s history at Highfield Road between 1899 and 2005.
The new plaque is being unveiled at Signet Square in Coventry on Monday, September 9 at 11am. This also marks the 125th anniversary of the first game at the old stadium.
It will replace the original one installed on the site in 2014, which was subsequently vandalised and stolen.
Coventry City diehards, club historian Jim Brown, supported by author Lionel Bird and Pete Witherow of Auto Japanese Spares, CCFC officials and a number of other CCFC supporters and City Council employees worked together with Coventry City Council leader George Duggins to create a new plaque at the historic site.
The new plaque, made of black granite, will bear the club’s official badge and also wording on the original plinth.
Brown said: “Special thanks go to Steve Mitchell and Stevie Murphy (Planet Granite), Andrew Walster (City Council), Tom Fitzpatrick (City Council), Chris Caines (Cornerstone Construction), Chand Patel (Central Press) and Pete Witherow (Auto Japanese Spares).
“Without their help this project could not have been delivered. We also acknowledge the support given by CCFC’s John Taylor (Chief Operating Officer) and Mark Hornby (Head of Marketing and Communications).”
The first Coventry City player to score a goal at Highfield Road was centre-forward Mark Rideout on September 9, 1899.
City beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0 in front of approximately 3,000 spectators.
The first Coventry player to score a league goal at the stadium was inside-right Alec Mercer on September 20, 1919.
Coventry lost 3-1 to local rivals Birmingham in front of a crowd estimated at 16,000.
