Of bogey grounds and fruitless trips

Six defeats and two draws in eight games. The bare statistics of Coventry City’s record at Portman Road since the two sides resumed Championship hostilities following their relegations from the top-flight in successive seasons at the start of the decade.

Sean Flynn and Peter Ndlovu secured the Sky Blues’ last win in Suffolk in April 1994 on a ground that seems to meet the definition of a ‘bogey’ ground.

Known commonly as a golfing term, bogey can also mean ‘an evil or mischievous spirit’ or ‘something that worries or annoys’, the latter term describing perfectly City’s record at Portman Road over the years.

With Ipswich in fine form this season the bookmakers make them odds-on shots to leave City with another long journey home from East Anglia this Saturday night.

So can Aidy Boothroyd’s away-day tactics, both on and off the pitch make a difference this time?

The boss told the Coventry Telegraph this week of the reasoning behind his idea to have the visitors dressing room transformed into a sea of Sky Blue when his team pitch up at an away ground.

“You have got to make a statement when you arrive. You have to let people know that you have arrived.

“It`s about going to an area and knowing that you are the away team and that small part of that stadium is yours.

‘The flags go up – our identity of who we are and what we want to do – and we don`t let anyone in.

“It is not about getting the upper hand or anything, it is more just about making a statement.’