Tim Fisher
Tim Fisher | |
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| Add a Photo | |
| Born | October 25, 1967 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Former Chairman of Coventry City Football Club |
Timothy Donald Fisher is an English businessman who is best known for being the chairman of EFL Championship side Coventry City F.C. between 2014 and 2023.[1]
Coventry City Football Club
Fisher was appointed to the club's board of directors by Coventry City owners SISU Capital initially in the Summer of 2011 and later on in the year was made the club's managing director.[2]
Fisher inherited a football club in turmoil, The Sky Blues were languishing in the relegation zone of The Championship, the relationship between SISU and the clubs supporters had soured and the club was left with essentially no leadership at boardroom level following the resignations of previous chairman Ken Dulieu along with directors Paul Clouting and Leonard Brody.[3]
The club was ultimately relegated in the 2011–12 season and would play EFL League One for the first time in 48 years in the 2012–13 season.[4]
One of Fisher's first major decisions was to sack manager Andy Thorn (footballer) just three games into the 2012–13 Coventry City F.C. season[5] and replace him with former Manchester United F.C. striker Mark Robins.[6]
Fisher's relationship with the Coventry City fanbase began to strain as the club became locked in a dispute with the owners of the Coventry Building Society Arena and the possibility of the club playing it's home matches outside the City became a real possibility. A 10-point deduction handed to the club in March 2013 killed off any lingering hopes of a Play-Off push in 2012-13 there and then.[7]
Following a breakdown in talks to secure the club's long-term future at The Ricoh, Fisher ordered that all club staff were to leave the offices at The Arena as well as clearing all stock from the club shop on-site at The Arena.[8] There were significant doubts that the club would be able to fulfil it's final three home matches of the season at The Arena, with Walsall F.C. Bescot Stadium and Nene Park the former home of Rushden & Diamonds F.C. mooted as possible emergency venues. However the club managed to come to an arrangement to fulfil it's final three home matches of the season at The Arena.
Fisher ultimately made the deeply unpopular decision to move the football club out of the Ricoh Arena 35 miles away to Northampton Town F.C. Sixfields Stadium for the 2013–14 Coventry City F.C. season.[9] The move to Sixfields saw City's average attendance drop from over 10,000 in the previous season to just over 2000 at the club's temporary home.
Following an away match at Brentford F.C. in March 2013 with frustrations at the clubs ownership boiling over. Fisher, who regularly travelled to away matches by train was allegedly attacked following a confrontation with a City supporter.[10] However neither Fisher or the club decided to comment on the matter and no incident was reported to the police.
On the pitch manager Steven Pressley overturned a 10-point deduction that had been handed to the club by the English Football League and the club ultimately survived relegation with two matches to spare.
The club returned to The Ricoh Arena a handful of matches into the 2014–15 Coventry City F.C. season[11] however Fisher reiterated the club owners’ long-term ambition to build a stadium of their own on the outskirts of the city.[12] Fisher insisted a deal was close to being announced for the site of the new stadium however that never come to fruition and as of April 2022 there has been little to no progress on a new stadium for Coventry City Football Club.
The feel good factor following the clubs return to The Ricoh Arena was short lived, results on the pitch nosedived and culminated in Fisher (Who had now been promoted to chairman of the club) wielding the axe on manager Pressley, whom the club had gave a fresh four-year contract to just months earlier.[13]
The sale of The Arena to Wasps RFC[14] shortly after The Sky Blues returned again left fans worrying over their long term ability to play home games in the city.
Fisher again come in for criticism during the 2016–17 Coventry City F.C. season as the club endured a dismal campaign and was ultimately relegated to EFL League Two.[15] The relationship between SISU and the club was at an all-time low and a series of on pitch protests were commonplace throughout the whole season[16] two matches against Sheffield United F.C. and Northampton Town respectively were both halted for more than 15 minutes as angry City supporters spilled onto the pitch to protest SISU's ownership of the club. Fisher went live on air on Talksport and threatened to ban anybody who was found to have invaded the pitch during the Sheffield United and Northampton games.[17]
One silver living from the 2016–17 season was the clubs ultimately triumphant run in the EFL Trophy, culminating in a 2–1 win against Oxford United F.C.[18] in the clubs first return to Wembley Stadium since the 1987 FA Cup Final.
Fisher had made the decision to reappoint Mark Robins following the sacking of Russell Slade[19] in March 2017 and was vindicated in doing so as Robins guided the club back to Wembley and out of League Two at the first attempt with a victory in the 2018 EFL League Two play-off Final.[20]
By this point Fisher was starting to be seen less by supporters and had handed over many responsibilities for the day-to-day running of the club to David Boddy, who was appointed Chief Executive of the club in the Summer of 2017.[21]
Following a positive first season back in League One in 2018–19 Coventry City F.C. season the club was uprooted from The Ricoh Arena for the second time under Fisher's watch.[22] The club's short-term lease at the stadium had expired and due to the owner's decision to pursue legal action against Wasps and Coventry City Council an agreement could not be agreed to extend it further and the club signed terms to play at Birmingham City F.C. St Andrew's (stadium) for the foreseeable future.
More supporters did decide this time to follow the club outside the city with the average attendance at St Andrew's being just under 7,000 compared to just over 2,000 at Sixfields six years previous.
Despite the setback of having to play in another City again the 2019–20 Coventry City F.C. season was an extremely positive one for the club. The club had assembled a young and exciting team who thrived on the pitch and were eventually crowned Champions of League One. However the club was promoted through a controversial ‘Points Per Game’ mechanism following a vote by League One and Two clubs to curtail the 2019–20 season due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[23] Nonetheless, the club was back in The Championship, 8 years after dropping out at the start of Fisher's time of the club.
The club failed to agree a deal to return to the Ricoh Arena in the Summer of 2020 and had to stay at St Andrew's for another season.[24] After spending most of the season fighting against relegation the club eventually pulled away from the drop zone and sealed survival in its first season back in the division.
The club did eventually return to The Ricoh Arena (Albeit now called The Coventry Building Society Arena) in the Summer of 2021[25] agreeing a 10-year lease with Wasps.
2021–22 Coventry City F.C. season was the clubs first season back in The Arena and first season back in The Championship in front of fans (Who hadn't been allowed to attend any matches the previous season due to COVID restrictions) was an extremely successful one with the club launching an unlikely Play-Off push which unfortunately petered out in the final matches of the season.
In 2022 Fisher launched and spearheaded a scheme in collaboration with Loughborough University called The Vector Programme to launch in September 2022 which would offer ‘full time elite football at Coventry City Under 23 International Academy, alongside education of excellence with a degree in BSc Sport and Exercise Science with Management’.[26] The programme is thought to be the first of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Despite the club's recent positive development on the pitch after the relegation to League Two in 2017 and ultimately it's rise back to The Championship and the end to the Arena Row for at least the next 10 years in 2021. Fisher's popularity amongst the Coventry City fanbase remained generally quite low with many unable to forgive him or ever trust him again due to the club having to move out of the City of Coventry twice on his watch.
In January 2023, Fisher resigned as chairman and director of Coventry City following the takeover of the club by Doug King.[27]
References
- ↑ "Who's Who - Coventry City". www.ccfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ LTDX, Digital Sports Group. "New managing director Tim Fisher interview". Coventry MAD. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Ex-chairman leaves football club". BBC News. 2011-12-20. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry are relegated to League One after defeat by Doncaster | Championship 2011-12 | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Thorn sacked as Coventry manager". BBC Sport. 2012-08-26. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Robins appointed Coventry manager". BBC Sport. 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry City deducted 10 points". BBC Sport. 2013-03-28. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry move staff out of Ricoh". BBC Sport. 2013-03-23. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry set to play in Northampton". BBC Sport. 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ Prenderville, By Liam (2014-03-24). "Coventry chief executive Tim Fisher allegedly attacked by his OWN fans after defeat to Brentford". mirror. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry City set for Ricoh Arena return after Northampton groundshare | Coventry City | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "New stadium plans but no land deal". BBC News. 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Manager Pressley sacked by Coventry". BBC Sport. 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Wasps Confirm 100% Shareholding In The Ricoh Arena | Ricoh Arena | Wasps". www.coventrybuildingsocietyarena.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ Association, By Press (2017-04-14). "Coventry City relegated to League Two amid fan protests". mirror. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Pigs fly at the Valley as Charlton and Coventry fans stage joint protest | Charlton Athletic | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ Mann, Mantej (2016-12-22). "Tim Fisher tells TalkSPORT what will happen to pitch invaders". CoventryLive. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "EFL Trophy final: Coventry 2-1 Oxford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "CONFIRMED: Coventry City FC have appointed Mark Robins as Manager beyond the end of season". www.ccfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry promoted to League One after 3-1 play-off win over Exeter – as it happened | League Two | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "NEWS: Coventry City are pleased to announce the appointment of Dave Boddy as the Club's new Chief Executive". www.ccfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "STATEMENT: Coventry City confirm groundshare at St Andrew's Trillion Trophy Stadium for 2020/21 season". www.ccfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "NEWS: Coventry City confirmed as League One Champions and promoted to the Championship!". www.ccfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry to stay at St Andrew's in 2020-21". BBC Sport. 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Coventry City to return to Ricoh Arena next season after 10-year deal finalised with Wasps". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "Vector Education Programme - Coventry City". www.ccfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
- ↑ "NEWS: Tim Fisher resigns as Chairman and Director of Coventry City". www.ccfc.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
External links
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