Coventry City chairman says anti-owner protests affecting the players
Friday 16 December 2016 17:55, UK
Coventry City chairman Tim Fisher is urging the club’s supporters to ‘get behind the team’ after unhappy fans invaded the pitch twice in Thursday night’s 2-1 loss to Sheffield United.
Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink turned down the opportunity to take charge at the Sky Blues earlier this week, with Coventry languishing in the relegation zone after registering just four league wins all season.
A section of the club's supporters are unhappy with the Coventry's owners - hedge fund group Sisu - who they accuse of mismanagement.
Fisher said: "Supporters need to get behind the football team because we are down the bottom of the league, we need to get up the league and we are not going to do that by people jumping up and down chanting 'Sisu out'.
"If you saw last night with the 'Sisu out' banners and the singing, the shoulders of the footballers slump forward. It does affect the psychology of the footballers.
"I'm not saying this is easy, it is challenging, but what we have got to do is get away from mixing the ownership of the football club with the football club.
"With regard to the supporters, I have had two sets of messages this morning. One saying, 'I'm ashamed, I'm embarrassed to be a Coventry City supporter from what I saw last night'. Then there are those who are saying: 'I'm impassioned, I'm so fired up, we should do more of these things'.
"Maybe the second lot didn't see the little ball boys and ball girls who were frightened, who were crying.
"There are supporters who just want to come and watch football and we should be minded to think of them.
"We are trying our best to get up the league," he added. "We are going to bring in a manager. We are going to make some changes to the squad.
"Where there is hope, there is a chance, and we are looking forward and can I please ask you, get behind the team. We have a very young team - they need your support."
