Coundon Road, Coventry Rugby, 1921-2004

Several non-descript, red-brick apartment blocks now occupy the site where this famous former ground once stood, only the streets named after George Cole and David Duckham give a hint to its former glories. 

Although glories is perhaps a stretch, at least visually. It would be unkind to say that if the Luftwaffe had flattened the ground during one of its many air raids on Coventry, it would have done everyone a favour, but even after £100,000 was spent on a redevelopment project in 1982, Coundon Road was one of those grounds revered and loved in spite of its facilities not because of them. The most-vocal fans congregated in the ‘Cowshed’ and were showered with rust whenever the ball landed on the dilapidated corrugated roof. As for the toilet facilities.... 

With its close proximity to the city centre, stray bombs regularly pockmarked the pitch during World War Two. However, it was a naturally created crater that accounted for one of the most-joked-about incidents in the ground’s history. Sir Clive Woodward, then of Leicester and England, lost his footing – ‘as if shot by a sniper’ – when he was clean through in a cup tie and Cov’ went on to win the game.

The ground saw big crowds too. It was packed to the rafters with 18,000 people inside the ground for an England v Wales Schoolboys international in 1939 but the match that is most talked about in terms of atmosphere came much later, 25 years ago, at the start of professionalism. Coventry had once fielded a team with 13 internationals during its heyday in the 1970s but when Newcastle came to town, on 2 November, 1996, all the stars were in the opposition line-up. Excited at the prospect of seeing the likes of Rob Andrew and Tony Underwood, Coventry fans turned up in their droves and were rewarded with a classic 19-18 victory, inspired by a towering performance in the second-row by a young Danny Grewcock.

It was one of the final hurrahs, with Coventry eventually saying goodbye to the ground with a 34-20 National One win over Manchester on 17th April, 2004.