Inevitably, with the FA Cup coming around again, the tie that received a disproportionate amount of coverage was Tottenham Hotspur v Coventry City. It seems amazing now – it was fairly incredible then – that Coventry won the FA Cup in 1987, beating Tottenham in one of the best finals ever seen at the old Wembley. In those days, Coventry had a comparable status to that enjoyed today by Newcastle, Everton and other teams outside that elite group that chases Champions League places.

Today, Coventry are in a sorry state. They were in decline when they fell out of the Premier in 2001. I was there to see their final game of that season at Highfield Road, a ground the mention of which brings tears to the eyes of Sky Blue regulars. Coventry were magnificent escape-artists, but they fell through the trap-door and it hasn’t shut yet.

The Ricoh Stadium…