Coventry City are one point away from a Premier League return – and ahead of their potential return Daily Star Sport looks at one bizarre chapter in their history
08:00, 17 Apr 2026Updated 09:12, 17 Apr 2026
Gianfranco Zola was part of a Chelsea team that once had to pull on Coventry City’s away shirt
Coventry City stand on the cusp of the footballing equivalent of the promised land.
The Sky Blues are one of football’s great institutions who have, over the past couple of decades, existed in a different world to the glitz and glam of the Premier League. The Sky Blues’ 34-year stay in England’s top flight was brought to a cruel end when they were relegated in 2001. But on Friday, that could all change, with Frank Lampard’s men one point away from winning the Championship and securing promotion back to the Prem.
It has been a season from their wildest dreams, and while each and every Coventry player that has pulled on the shirt this season will be immortalised – they will never be the most famous player to wear their shirt. That accolade, instead, might fall at the feet – and taken down with an impeccable touch – of the legendary Gianfranco Zola, who pulled on a Coventry shirt in one of the league’s most bizarre matches.
Chelsea once had to play in Coventry City’s away kit(Image: EMPICS Sports Photo Agency)
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It was 1997, and Chelsea and their assortment of stars had hopped on their team bus from West London and headed north up the M1.
At the time, the Blues were unaware they had, somehow, managed to forget to pack their away kit. Then manager Ruud Gullit, however, had a cunning plan, he would get the home side to change.
Former Coventry defender Richard Shaw explained they always had their dressing room door open, a trick taken from Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson: “Ruud came through the door and said: ‘We’re not changing!’, even though we were at home, the home team!
Coventry City won the match 3-1 after being down at half-time, despite Roberto Di Matteo’s best efforts to hold off Noel Whelan here
“I think Ruud thought that his name was enough so we would change. It was a bit of a standoff. In the end, they got given what was probably our worst away kit ever. It was red and black chequered and they wore their blue shorts, it just didn’t go.
“They brought the wrong kit and we got blamed for it!”
However, the strange events weren’t quite over: Gordan Strachan, who was Coventry boss, picked himself at the base of the midfield – dropping hotshot striker Darren Huckerby.
Years down the line, Huckerby has joked: “I got dropped by Strach, he picked himself, picked up Man of the Match at 40-years-old! it was the right call…”
Gianfranco Zola wearing a Coventry away shirt (Image: EMPICS Sports Photo Agency)
This was a Chelsea team that featured the likes of their future manager Roberto Di Matteo, 1998 World Cup winner Franck Leboeuf and, of course, the Italian wizard Zola – later voted Chelsea’s greatest ever player.
Paul Hughes – no relation to Mark – gave the disorganised visitors a 1-0 lead at half time, but a whirlwind second-half saw the home side score three times through Dion Dublin, Paul Williams and Noel Whelan.
Chelsea players, disgusted with the garish shirts, threw them on the ground after the full-time whistle.
“I always felt like Chelsea had got a touch of arrogance about them, and I get that,” Shaw added to the Coventry Telegraph. “They are party animals, shall we say, so I do understand that.
“A couple of years after this they beat us 6-1, we had a keeper sent off, and [Chelsea chairman] Ken Bates came into the changing room with a crate of champagne and said: ‘Unlucky lads, you kept it down to six. Well done!’
“Carlton [Palmer] picked it up threw it at him, ask him! So Chelsea have always had that arrogance.”