{"product_id":"1996-97-coventry-city-shirt","title":"Coventry City 1996-97 Home Shirt Le Coq Sportif Vintage","description":"\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.8em;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003eCoventry City 1996-97: The Le Coq Sportif shirt of the great Sky Blues resistance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:1.1em;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThe 1996-97 season, \u003cstrong\u003eCoventry City\u003c\/strong\u003e in the Premier League, \u003cstrong\u003eLe Coq Sportif\u003c\/strong\u003e on the chest and \u003cstrong\u003ePeugeot\u003c\/strong\u003e as sponsor — this is a shirt that smells of Highfield Road turf, relegation battles, and the soul of a club that never gave up. This is exactly what you're holding in your hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eShirt details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:2;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSeason:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1996-97\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eClub:\u003c\/strong\u003e Coventry City\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Home\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eManufacturer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Le Coq Sportif\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSponsor:\u003c\/strong\u003e PEUGEOT\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e 8\/10\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eState:\u003c\/strong\u003e SPOTS - authentic wear of a worn vintage shirt\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhat this shirt represents\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eIn 1996-97, \u003cstrong\u003eCoventry City\u003c\/strong\u003e experienced another season in what had become an almost mythical tradition for fans: fighting until the final match days to stay in the \u003cstrong\u003ePremier League\u003c\/strong\u003e. The club from Coventry, founded in 1883, had at the time amassed a continuous presence in the English top flight since 1967 — a survival record that few clubs of this size could boast of matching. This shirt is the symbol of this \u003cstrong\u003epermanent resistance\u003c\/strong\u003e against the big names in the league.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eAt the helm of the team were some tough characters: \u003cstrong\u003eGordon Strachan\u003c\/strong\u003e, a legendary former midfielder who played for Manchester United and Leeds, was then player-manager at the end of his career but still present in the dressing room. \u003cstrong\u003eDion Dublin\u003c\/strong\u003e carried the attack on his shoulders, a solid and feared goalscorer in the box. In defense and midfield, \u003cstrong\u003eKevin Richardson\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eGary Gillespie\u003c\/strong\u003e brought their experience as former top players. It was a team of character, not superstars — exactly what Coventry represented.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eMoments etched into this shirt\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDion Dublin, the survival scorer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nWith more than 15 goals in the 1996-97 season, \u003cstrong\u003eDion Dublin\u003c\/strong\u003e was the Sky Blues' top scorer and their main attacking asset. It was he who snatched points in matches where all seemed lost — the kind of striker you don't really find in modern football anymore.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGordon Strachan, the mastermind on the pitch\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nAt over 39 years old, \u003cstrong\u003eGordon Strachan\u003c\/strong\u003e continued to play in this shirt while also starting to take on management responsibilities. His presence alone embodied the ambition and work culture that Coventry proudly claimed against big-budget clubs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHighfield Road, a popular fortress\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe mythical stadium of \u003cstrong\u003eHighfield Road\u003c\/strong\u003e — which the club would definitively leave in 2005 for the Ricoh Arena — still vibrated fully during this 96-97 season. Every home match was an event, every point gained in front of its supporters was celebrated as a crucial victory in the fight for survival.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eAuthentic vs Replica\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003evintage authentic shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is not the same as a replica from a store. The authentic one was worn by the players — or an equivalent sold to true fans at the time, with the same materials, the same cut, the same finishes produced by \u003cstrong\u003eLe Coq Sportif\u003c\/strong\u003e in the 90s. We're talking about a fabric, a construction, and a flocking that are nothing like what is made today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eThis shirt shows an \u003cstrong\u003e8\/10 condition\u003c\/strong\u003e with some spots noted — these are the normal traces of a garment that has lived, been worn, and gone through three decades. It's not a defect, it's proof of authenticity. A perfect 10\/10 vintage shirt almost doesn't exist — and when it does, you wonder if it really ever saw a stadium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eVintage sizing guide\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVintage sizes from the 90s\u003c\/strong\u003e do not correspond to current standards. An XL from 1996 often fits like a modern L, sometimes even an M depending on the brand. \u003cstrong\u003eLe Coq Sportif\u003c\/strong\u003e from that era cut relatively close to the body compared to the loose fits we know in football today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eBefore confirming your order, take a measuring tape and measure your chest circumference and torso length. Compare with the exact measurements available on the product sheet. This is the only way to be sure — returns on vintage shirts are always a hassle we prefer to avoid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eWhy have it in your collection\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:14px;\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003evintage Coventry City 1996-97 shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e is one of those items that are gradually disappearing off the radar. This is not a club like Manchester United or Arsenal whose shirts are produced in millions of copies — Coventry is a club on a human scale, with a real history and authentic supporters. Shirts from this era, with the \u003cstrong\u003eLe Coq Sportif\u003c\/strong\u003e logo and \u003cstrong\u003ePeugeot\u003c\/strong\u003e sponsor, are becoming increasingly rare on the \u003cstrong\u003eretro football\u003c\/strong\u003e market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:20px;\"\u003eIn 8\/10 condition with a few spots, it's an honest and representative example of what vintage shirts are: not plastic-wrapped in a display case for 30 years, but not in tatters either. There aren't many in this condition still circulating — and the few that remain sell quickly once good collectors get their hands on them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2 style=\"font-size:1.4em;font-weight:bold;margin-top:28px;margin-bottom:12px;\"\u003eTo go further\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul style=\"line-height:2.2;margin-bottom:16px;\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Coventry_City\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eCoventry City - Wikipedia\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.footballkitarchive.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eFootball Kit Archive - Shirt History\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.uefa.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"\u003eUEFA - European Football\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp style=\"font-style:italic;line-height:1.8;\"\u003eIf you're a fan of 90s Premier League or looking for a \u003cstrong\u003ecollectible Coventry City shirt\u003c\/strong\u003e hard to find elsewhere, you know what you have to do — this kind of piece doesn't stay available for long.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Coventry City","offers":[{"title":"XL","offer_id":54010082132243,"sku":"325542","price":199.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0949\/4839\/3235\/files\/eng_pm_1996-97-COVENTRY-CITY-SHIRT-XL-325542_1.jpg?v=1775420830","url":"https:\/\/supporterid.com\/en\/products\/1996-97-coventry-city-shirt","provider":"SUPPORTER ID®","version":"1.0","type":"link"}