'Feel good factor' as Sky Blues smell promotion

Coventry City have a long-awaited return to the Premier League in their sights on Friday night - with a palpable buzz in the air as life-long fans anticipate glory.

The Sky Blues head to Ewood Park to face Blackburn, just one point away from confirming a place back in the top flight of English football for the first time since 2001.

Across the city, there is fervour as fans predict the return of a "feel good factor" in the city - and note people are being brought together.

"After everything that we've been through, there's no other club that deserves this more," said 23-year-old supporter Alex Craig.

He has been a supporter along with his father, from the age of three, and for the first time in his life he may get the chance to see his team stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United.

"I've seen us right at the bottom in League One and League Two, struggling. The Premier League has always been the be all and end all of English football," he said.

"I was at Blackburn last season, where we only saw 900 fans and now we're taking 7,000. For me, it's just a day I'm really, really excited about."

And he is not the only one. That buzz extends around the city, with flags being flown, blue smoke being released into the air, and even blue snacks being created.

"I'll walk around my local area and I'll see flags and banners, it's a really positive time in the city," Craig said.

"Coventry is a very multicultural city, when Sky Blues do well, it brings us all together."

The team goes into the game on the back of successive draws after a stalemate against Sheffield Wednesday last time out.

Colin Ayitey, owner of the CV1 store interacts with fans every day and commented on the lighter atmosphere around the city centre.

He said: "Hopefully we will be in the big league again.

"I'm very excited, it's a long time coming, hopefully this is our time."

Social media content creator Lee Worrall said Friday's match would be watched around the globe.

"So many people that support Coventry City live in different parts of the world," he said.

"There's a big contingency in the Australasian countries, and there's actually a guy who's reached out from Norway who I believe is coming over.

"It's such an amazing feeling to know that Coventry City is loved worldwide, not just in Coventry."

Mark Barrett described himself as an honorary fan who is "happy to see them doing really well at the moment".

He added: "There is a hell of a lot of excitement, people have been waiting for it for a long time.

"The feel-good factor will return to Coventry."

Fan Craig Wyatt said a return to the Premiership "has been nailed on for me since Christmas".

"I'm more than excited I can't believe where we are and we've been waiting 25 years for this."

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