The Phoenix

21/09/2026

Given we've got three weeks of nothing with the international break, I'm ramping up the interview output on ThePhoenix.news, starting with a huge interview with Aled Williams.

The full interview is at the link below but a few highlights:
Mark Robins' brief when Aled arrived: ‘I asked Mark what he wanted and he said, “I want a goalkeeper who's like Pirlo in midfield, has shot stopping like Schmeichel and eats crosses. Oh, and by the way, we haven’t got any money to spend.” ‘I thought, “OK, brilliant.”’

I was surprised at how involved Aled was with recruitment - He speaks of Ben Wilson being very much his signing, him recommending several others (interestingly Brad Collins was the one that he was possibly the least involved with in terms of recruitment)

He tells the story of how he convinced Mark Robins to send Wilson forward for that corner at Ewood Park - and the celebrations afterwards.

He reveals that Carl Rushworth was a long-time target. He had been watching him for several years and he was on a list of three potential signings when he bought Dovin.

There's loads more besides all of this - it's an absolutely massive interview.

It's part of a goalkeeper week on the site. There will also be an interview with Marko Marosi amongst several other features in the coming days.

Thanks all, please do take a look if you can: Aled Williams on Coventry's goalkeepers: Wilson's rise, the truth about Collins and why Dovin can still make the top

https://thephoenix.counterpress.media/features/aled-williams-on-coventrys-goalkeepers-wilsons-rise-the-truth-about-collins-and-why-dovin-can-reach-the-top-131366

When Aled Williams arrived at Coventry City in the summer of 2019, Mark Robins presented his new goalkeeping coach with a fairly straightforward recruitment brief.

17/09/2026

Live now on The Phoenix - Our preview to Saturday's match with Nottingham Forest, featuring the opposition view, the big danger they pose and the big calls ahead for Frank Lampard

https://thephoenix.counterpress.media/news/opposition-view-coventry-city-vs-nottingham-forest-forests-threat-and-lampards-big-calls-140101

14/09/2026

“We weren’t afraid of anybody.”

Darren Huckerby looks back on one of the most exciting eras in Coventry City history.

In an exclusive interview with The Phoenix, he talks wonder goals, Gordon Strachan, that famous partnership with Dion Dublin and life as a Sky Blue.

The Phoenix is independent Coventry City journalism for supporters who want more than the headlines. No ads. No clickbait.

Exclusive interviews. In-depth features. Analysis. Coventry City past and present.

Join for £5 a month or £50 a year over at

Darren Huckerby - goalscorer of some of the greatest goals to ever grace Highfield Road - looks back on a career of stunning strikes, mazy runs and how he found his perfect strike partner.

12/09/2026

Coventry City coverage with a difference.

I've supported the Sky Blues since 1992, written four books about the club and spent almost 20 years working as a writer. You might have seen me on Sky Sports recently talking about our club.

This summer, I launched The Phoenix – an independent Coventry City website built around the kind of coverage I want to read as a supporter.

🔵 Exclusive interviews
🔵 In-depth analysis
🔵 Transfer insight
🔵 Stories from Coventry City's past
🔵 No adverts. No clickbait.

Hundreds of supporters have already become paying members.

If you're a Coventry fan who wants something a little deeper than the usual match reports and headlines, give The Phoenix a try.

Membership costs £5 a month and you can cancel at any time.

👉 thephoenix.news

The Phoenix – Sky Blue Storytelling.

There was little about Leo Østigård's season at Coventry City that should have made it particularly easy to fall in love with the club.

22/08/2026

Stephen Mfuni to Coventry, you say? Well, The Phoenix members already knew he was on Cov's radar as we reported in last Monday!

Full analysis on the 18-year-old defender is on the site right now. It's fair to say, he comes very highly rated.

The Phoenix reported early last week that defender Stephen Mfuni was on the club's radar and now it has emerged that a deal is close.

11/08/2026

I'll be honest, a week ago I knew very little of Caleb Yirenkyi other than seeing him at the World Cup. That's why I spoke to a pair of European football experts to get the lowdown on him last week.

Now, longtime Yirenkyi fan Vicenc Clos Balcells has put together a full scouting report on the £26m man.

Everyone I have spoken to speaks incredibly highly of Yirenkyi and thinks he's the real deal.

You can read both pieces over on ThePhoenix.news

10/08/2026

There's so much great Sky Blues content on The Phoenix that they've made the homepage bigger! Take a little look around to see what you can find.

09/08/2026

Right now on http://Thephoenix.news, you can find:

First reaction to the 3-1 win over Espanyol
A huge tribute feature to the late Cedric Roussel
How Jahnoah Markelo's transfer shows how much the Sky Blues have progressed
The lowdown on new signing Caleb Yirenkyi
Oggy on Rushworth stepping up to the Premier League
And loads more.

The Phoenix - the home of the most in-depth, ad-free Coventry City coverage.

Join the hundreds of Sky Blues fans who have already become members.

The Sky Blues continued their pre-season preparations for the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Espanyol earlier this evening.

02/08/2026

The Phoenix launched less than two weeks ago and we already have 99 fully paid-up subscribers. Thank you so much for the support. Who will help us hit 100?! thephoenix.news

02/08/2026

Great news - you can now get all of the most in-depth Coventry City analysis, interviews and features in your pocket as The Phoenix is available on the CounterPress app! The app is available for Apple and Android devices.

Full details here:

The CounterPress app has now officially launched, giving you an easy way to access The Phoenix content from your mobile.