For 25 long years, West Midlands’ Coventry City F.C. wandered through heartbreak, setbacks, and fading hope but amid all of these heartbreaking moments, one man never let the dream die.
His name is John Mullaney, the man whom the fans affectionately call the “Banner Man.”
Back in 2001 in the city of Birmingham, on that painful day at Villa Park, Coventry slipped out of the Premier League, and the away fans bowed their heads down in frustration thinking about the journey from Birmingham City Centre to Coventry but Mullaney raised a message that refused to fade:
“We’ll Be Back.”
Years passed. Relegations followed. Hope was tested again and again, a lot of the fans that made the journey to Birmingham passed on while those in their youthful days are grown adults now, probably with family as granddad and grandmas.
From the drop out of the Championship in 2011/12… To the heartbreak of falling into League Two in 2016/17…Still, he stayed. Still, he believed. Then came the rise, which appeared to be slow, painful, but real.
Promotion back to Championship in 2017/18 season and another quick leap in 2019/20 season were all that they needed to keep the hope alive. And finally, 2025/26 season came which proved to be the one where everything aligned.
At the heart of it was a team that refused to break and among them, a determined Ghanaian striker, Brandon Thomas-Asante. He didn’t just play a part but he also delivered when it all mattered.
With 12 goals and 4 assists in the Championship season, his contributions became crucial in pushing Coventry over the line, turning belief into reality. Every run, finish and every moment of impact, all added up.
And then, the moment came. After 25 years of waiting, decades of pain, loyalty, and unwavering faith, John Mullaney stood there, now nearly 69 years old, watching his words come alive.
He is not just a fan and not just a witness but a man who never stopped believing.
Now, with Wolverhampton Wanderers almost relegated to Championship, the promotion of Coventry City comes at a perfect time for people in the West Midlands.
COVENTRY ARE BACK IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE.
