Continuing the Stadiums I Love series, ITV.com’s Mark Segal reflects on a ground that may be no more but still holds happy memories. And, unusually for a West Ham fan, it’s not even anywhere near East London.
As a fan of a London club travelling to away matches fall into two categories. The first is a London derby which usually means drinking somewhere close to home, getting on the tube and then blending in with the home fans once you reached your destination.
Being a West Ham fan, matches against the bigger London sides always crackle with atmosphere - in the away end at least, but it never feels as if you aren’t putting in that extra mile for your team.
For me, the trip north is always far more exciting and with the exception of matches in Manchester and Liverpool, our odds of coming away with some kind of result are also greatly enhanced.
Having been a semi-regular away fan during most of my twenties, I concluded that the best days out needed the following elements – a drive which was under two hours, somewhere decent to drink before the game, a good view once inside the ground and a West Ham win.
And more often than not Highfield Road Coventry came up trumps in all four categories.
Travelling from Essex, Coventry is just the right side of Birmingham to guarantee a good journey and the side streets and local car parks around the ground always ensured a good safe place to leave the car.
This may come across as a slightly dull, even grown-up but having returned to cars which have lost wing mirrors or been ticketed during matches at other grounds it’s an important factor to me.
More interestingly, and uniquely in my experience, Highfield Road also offered a dedicated away fans pub right next to the ground. It may have cost a couple of quid to get in, but the chance to enjoy a drink with your mates in relative safety should not be underestimated.
The proximity of the Sky Blue Tavern to Highfield Road always struck me as odd. It’s like the Boleyn pub at Upton Park being reserved for away fans only.
Most grounds will have a dedicated away pub, but they are usually at the top of a hill (Hillsborough) or miles back into town (Barnsley). This was different and West Ham fans made full use of the facilities creating a great atmosphere which they then took with them into the ground.
Coventry’s generosity to away fans also extended to the seating arrangements for games. West Ham were often allocated around 5,000 tickets for matches at Highfield Road and the travelling supporters were housed along the side of the pitch opposite the main stand.
Much like Upton Park used to be, the stands at Highfield Road were very close to the pitch which meant the noise generated by the away fans could really make a difference. One year it also meant that from just three rows up we could watch Paolo Di Canio torment Coventry’s left-back for an entire half.
That match in 2000 resulted in a 3-1 win for the visitors and was the fifth time in six years that the Hammers had gone home with at least a point – the other win in that series, a 3-1 victory in 1997, saw Rio Ferdinand playing at right midfield and scoring one of only two goals for the club.
My last trip to Highfield Road came in 2004 and as we walked to the game we could see a half-built Ricoh Arena in the distance, a sign that the old ground was living on borrowed times.
West Ham lost 2-1 that day but were promoted via the play-offs at the end of the season which meant fans were denied a final couple of visits to the ground before it was closed down for good.
While there are certainly bigger, more atmospheric and more historical grounds in the country, for West Ham fans of a certain vintage Highfield Road will always be remembered fondly.