There was one main reason for this, not the rivalry, not the potential relegation battle both could\u2019ve been involved in, but the complicated nature of their ground share.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In June 2019, the Sky Blues confirmed in a statement that they would be playing their upcoming League One home fixtures at St. Andrew\u2019s, traditionally the home of Birmingham City who were a Championship outfit at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n Coventry stated that they were \u201cincredibly disappointed and extremely frustrated that continuing differences between [their] owners SISU and Wasps, and also Coventry City Council, could not be set aside to allow for a deal to play the Club\u2019s home games at the Ricoh Arena.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Scott Harding of the CCFC Supporters Club told Prost International: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>The news of playing at St. Andrew\u2019s last year was met with a lot of anger from the whole fan base. We should be playing in Coventry there is no doubt about that! However, in saying that I was a season ticket holder last year and attended \u2018home\u2019 matches at St. Andrews, and I am so pleased that I did.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe team made the best out of a bad situation, played some excellent football and only lost one league game at St. Andrew\u2019s. To be honest I travelled away to most games and we played excellent football in the majority of them too, it was a great season to watch live. We can\u2019t wait to be going again and in the current climate as fans we want to be back supporting our team.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n However, journalist and Birmingham City fan Kane Styles told Prost:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs a fan base we reacted ok and if it was us without a ground, I\u2019m sure we would be very grateful. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe fact we [Birmingham] are sharing it and we can be technically away at our own home doesn\u2019t sit right.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It was announced by Coventry in the summer that the same complications that held up an agreement for the Sky Blues to play at the Ricoh Arena cropped up once again and that they would once again play their home fixtures at St. Andrew\u2019s, this time in the Championship alongside Birmingham.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Coventry and Birmingham did meet at St. Andrew\u2019s last season, twice in fact as the Sky Blues held Blues to a 0-0 draw in the FA Cup Fourth Round in their \u2018home\u2019 game before being knocked out on penalties following a 2-2 draw in the replay (Birmingham\u2019s home game).<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI took some stick when they somehow knocked us out of the cup, however I took some satisfaction from Coventry forcing the replay and playing them off the park in their own backyard twice. I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll take some stick for saying that.\u201d- Scott Harding.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Despite the two cities only being a mere 20 miles apart, both Coventry and Birmingham have bigger rivals than Friday night\u2019s opponents.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBeing born in \u201891, it hasn\u2019t been a massive rivalry in my lifetime; I think due to the fact that us Cov fans and Blues fans don\u2019t like the Villa. Particularly as a young lad going to Highfield Road with my Dad to watch us in the Premier League play the Villa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “Obviously, that hasn\u2019t happened for a long time now so other rivalries have grown. Another of our bigger rivals were Leicester, but again as we have declined they made the ultimate incline. Therefore, maybe due to the ground share and that we drew Blues in the cup last year we have grown a rivalry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “It hasn’t been a particularly massive rivalry in my lifetime.<\/p>\n “Historically I\u2019m not 100% sure, as I wasn\u2019t around to see it and witness the local derby games, but if you were to ask the older generation of Cov. fan then I\u2019m sure they would say there is and has always been a rivalry there. Let\u2019s face it you\u2019d rather have the bragging rights come Saturday morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Kane Styles echoed those thoughts: <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBlues and Coventry have never really been big rivals. They have, like us, had some misfortune over the years and we\u2019ve had similar issues behind the scenes. With our strong dislike for Wolves and Villa in particular, it\u2019s hard to class Coventry as a proper rival of ours.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Friday night\u2019s meeting is a league clash; the first league meeting between the two in almost nine years. It\u2019s an important one too, with the two sides separated by five points in the bottom eight of the Championship table.<\/span><\/p>\n A win for Mark Robins\u2019 side wouldn\u2019t see their league position improved, but they would temporarily create a four-point advantage over the bottom three.<\/span><\/p>\n As for Aitor Karanka\u2019s Birmingham City, they can temporarily climb into the top half if victorious, a result they could do with, after back-to-back home defeats to Wycombe Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth before the international break.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Sky Blues would\u2019ve felt aggrieved that they didn\u2019t follow up their impressive 3-2 victory over Reading with some points against Nottingham Forest and Watford, losing both games to penalties in the 97th and 83rd minute respectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Coventry did take the lead at Vicarage Road after going 1-0 down to the Hornets so Mark Robins will have to try and take some inspiration from that performance in Hertfordshire on Friday.<\/span><\/p>\n The \u2018visitors\u2019 didn\u2019t lose any of their first four league games but have since lost four of the seven following games, picking up seven points in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n Granted, losing to the likes of Norwich and Bournemouth, who find themselves near the summit of the Championship table, won\u2019t define Birmingham\u2019s season, however giving the slow-starting Wycombe Wanderers three points would\u2019ve particularly been a kick in the teeth.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s interesting though is that Aitor Karanka\u2019s side have lost just once on the road this season, losing 1-0 at Norwich.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Having picked up six points away from St. Andrew\u2019s so far this season, the fact that the game is technically an away fixture could either prove helpful in the quest for three points or damaging as Blues have lost three of their last four home games.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nThe ground share<\/b><\/h3>\n
Can this be classed as a derby?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Form<\/b><\/h3>\n