Frank Lampard and Premier League newcomers Coventry City have turned 25 years of turmoil into triumph

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Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterIf the best remedy for a hangover is hair of the dog, winning promotion to the Premier League on a Friday night after a quarter of a century away calls for a Saturday morning mouthful of the coat of Cerberus.The day after Coventry Citys night before, FourFourTwo ambled through the suburban streets, bobbing and weaving between the delirious living dead, a spill for every thrill and sandwich shop queues tumbling out onto pavements.Even a long-awaited promotion can spin the brain and turn the stomach but for Frank Lampard, Coventry and the Sky Blues faithful, more was the cure. They were promoted to the Premier League in Blackburn but they wanted to win the Championship in the still partying atmosphere of home. You may like Coventry City haven't bottled it: Why the Sky Blues are STILL favourites for the title Three EFL fairy tales set to be written this month - and none of them involve Wrexham Blackburn Rovers vs Coventry City: How to watch Friday night Championship clash Coventry complete the job on home soil and the Premier League beckonsTuesdays early evening feels different. The chill is imminent but the sun shines over the Coventry Building Society Arena and the weekend cobwebs have been brushed away by a cheerful but businesslike focus on the last job thats left.There is still more to do, says Lampard in his programme notes for Coventrys penultimate home fixture of the season against Portsmouth. Our focus now turns to our remaining three games and the opportunity to win the Championship title.A post shared by Coventry City Football Club (@coventrycityfcofficial)A photo posted by on The nature of automatic promotion means that theres often an interregnum. As the first club to drop from the Premier League to League Two and bounce back and that barely begins to tell the story its even more pronounced in Coventrys case.That moment was about more than just one season, says Lampard of the goal that secured promotion, ruthlessly headed in by central defender Bobby Thomas. It reflects years of loyalty, resilience and belief. This football club and its supporters have been through so much.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.When the Sky Blues were relegated into the fourth tier in 2017, nobody knew how much unrolling was left in their bungee cord.The visit of Portsmouth was a landmark night in Lampards first season in charge and it has the potential to be defining again in 2025-26.Nine years into their extraordinary recoil, the difference between first and second on the Championship doesnt make a whole lot of difference on paper but Coventry City live in the real, cruel, hard, wonderful world. They want the trophy. They want the title. What to read next The crazy potential League One fixture that highlights Leicester's dramatic decline Leicester could mark 10-year anniversary of Premier League title in the worst possible way 'We were top at Christmas, but beating Liverpool and Man City was when we truly believed we could win the title' Danny Simpson reveals turning point in Leicester City Premier League triumph Before the match, every name on the teamsheet is cheered to the rafters and saluted by an individual belch of boxed fire.Striker Haji Wright puts Coventry ahead early in a comfortable first half but Portsmouth are competitive until goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid donates the easiest goal of Ephron Mason-Clarks career and Regan Poole beats Schmid without the need for a Coventry player to get involved at all.Pompey get a goal back but the atmosphere is crackling and the Sky Blues have started their victory lap with two and a half games to go.First Mason-Clark and then Kaine Kesler-Hayden, praised by Lampard along with fellow substitute Jake Bidwell for his professionalism in a season of few minutes, add the gloss.A night that began with supporters greeting one another at their seats in acknowledgement of what was achieved at Ewood Park ends with fireworks fizzing from the top of a stadium that was a millstone but is now a home.Theres a reason why manager Lampard and chairman Doug King paid tribute to previous boss Mark Robins. Theres a reason why Coventrys promotion seems to have permeated every avenue and alleyway.Raising this football club took a city. 25 years is a long time when you pour every Saturday afternoon and Tuesday night into something that doesnt love you back.As the Sky Blues reach the conclusion of one tale and set about the writing of another, there is an acute sense not only of the work that went into reviving the club and the people whose commitment prevailed.TOPICSFrank LampardChampionshipPremier LeagueChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.