Frank Lampard a god to STEVE OGRIZOVIC as Coventry target Premier

By MATT BARLOW, FOOTBALL WRITER, 17 August 2026, STEVE OGRIZOVIC reflects on Coventry’s long‑awaited Premier League return, praising Frank Lampard’s impact while recalling the unforgettable 1987 FA Cup final and even a cricket clash that saw Viv Richards at the crease.

Steve Ogrizovic’s bond with Coventry City spans four decades. He made a record 601 appearances over 16 years as a goalkeeper, then served on the coaching staff for 19 years and has analysed the Sky Blues for CWR and BBC Radio for the past seven years.

Administration and exile

Coventry entered administration in March 2013 and spent a year in exile at Northampton before the relegation season of 2016‑17 saw the club drop to League Two. The low point was followed by Mark Robins’s return as manager and a Wembley victory that lifted spirits. Two years later the Sky Blues were back on an upward trajectory.

Stadium move and financial woes

The 2005 relocation from Highfield Road to the CBS Arena proved costly; Ogrizovic says the project “wasn’t thought out or financed properly” and required a council bail‑out. One of the biggest challenges was the stadium debt, and a takeover by hedge‑fund SISU deepened the crisis, straining relations with fans. Doug King’s later acquisition brought fresh hope, and the club reclaimed ownership of its stadium the following Year.

In April 2017, 43,000 supporters travelled to Wembley for the Checkatrade Trophy final, a triumph that surprised many outside the city. Ogrizovic also cherishes the 1987 FA Cup final, a 3‑2 win over Tottenham, which he still talks about daily. He recalls playing cricket against Viv Richards’s Somerset side, a memory he keeps in a picture of the great man’s leg‑peg cartwheeling out of the ground.

Return under Lampard

Promotion via the 2018 play‑offs, a League One title in 2020 and a near‑miss at Wembley in 2023 set the stage for Frank Lampard’s appointment after Robins was dismissed. Ogrizovic says, “If you ask me, Frank Lampard has done incredible things – he’s a god in Coventry at the moment.” He adds, “That momentum has carried us back to the Premier League.” Steve notes that the club’s resilience is evident.

The Sky Blues’ top‑flight return will be showcased at the Emirates on Friday, where they face Arsenal. The occasion marks a full circle for a club that endured a low in Two and now celebrates a new chapter. FOOTBALL WRITER MATT BARLOW captured the excitement in August, noting that Football fans will flock to the Emirates and that the fans’ spirit is the intangible factor that no data can quantify.