Today I'm going back 11 years to 7th August 2010 and the start of a new league season for Coventry City and Portsmouth in the Championship at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.
Both clubs had had an unhappy 2009/10 season. Portsmouth had finished bottom of the Premier League and had been relegated into the Championship after having been docked nine points for entering administration. They would still have been relegated even if they had been allowed to keep the points. Coventry had finished 19th in the Championship, only seven points above the relegation positions. But a new season brings fresh hope and the 7th August brought a bright new season for both clubs to enjoy, What could possibly go wrong?
Coventry, managed by Aidy Boothroyd, had the better of the opening day winning the game 2-0 with both goals coming from Freddy Eastwood in front of a healthy crowd of 18,814. Steve Cotterill's Portsmouth side struggled throughout and looked like a side that was in trouble from the off. In fact, come the end of the season it was Portsmouth who finished the higher of the two clubs albeit only just with 58 points in 16th place compared to Coventry City's 55 points in 18th.
Freddy Eastwood is an interesting character in that, unusually for a footballer, he is of Romany gypsy origins. Living up to the steroetype, apparently Eastwood could often be seen exercising his horse near Southend when he played for Southend United. He was also fined by magistrates for fly tipping in 2009! Eastwood enjoyed a fine football career however which included 118 goals in 378 league appearances and 11 appearances for Wales (4 goals).
CRB Match No. 1755
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