Thirty years ago next May, Keith Houchen stooped to conquer. A journeyman striker with Coventry City, who had nearly missed the 1987 FA Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur because of food poisoning, Houchen scored the defining goal of the match with a diving header of acrobatic grace. It was a goal that lived on beyond that game and helped seal a glorious chapter in the history of Coventry, who lifted the Cup for the first and only time. Today fans of the beleaguered club may be forgiven for thinking it was a dream.
Twenty years ago Coventry were a Premier League side. They were managed by Gordon Strachan, had David Burrows in defence, Gary McAllister in midfield and up front the deadly duo of Dion Dublin and Darren Huckerby. Ten years ago Coventry were in the Championship, their long run in the top flight finally at an end and with the costs of a new stadium, the Ricoh Arena, hanging around their neck. At the end of 2007, the club were bought by the hedge fund Sisu Capital.
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