Coventry City fans have expressed their displeasure after the club decided to make membership to the popular Junior Sky Blues (JSB) exclusive to season ticket holders only.

The JSB membership program, which offers birthday and Christmas cards, gifts, ticket vouchers, and club shop discounts to young Sky Blues fans, was established in 1970. Fans are now urging club owner Doug King to reconsider this decision.

The club announced on its website:

“Junior Sky Blues memberships will be available EXCLUSIVELY for Season Ticket holders in the 2024/25 campaign! Purchasing a Season Ticket for the eagerly anticipated new campaign will be the only way for young Sky Blues supporters aged under 14 to become a member of the fantastic Junior Sky Blues membership for the 24/25 season. The Junior Sky Blues (JSBs) is our young supporters club for Coventry City fans aged 3 to 13. The JSBs were founded in 1970, making it one of the oldest junior supporters clubs in the country.

Members receive a range of brilliant benefits to help them support Coventry City and show their backing of the Sky Blues, including a membership certificate, membership card, lanyard, and more, plus exclusive access to purchase JSB mascot places for home games and an invite to our very popular open training event. JSBs also have the chance to be a mascot at an away game too!”

CoventryLive has sought a comment and explanation from the club. Here’s how fans have reacted:

• Mark Harris: “I wonder if Doug King realized that he’s destroying a legacy originally put in place by the great Jimmy Hill?”
• Moz Baker: “Need to hear the rationale behind this but on the surface, it seems a poor decision.”
• Jodie Turner: “Jeez, Doug not doing much to prove he doesn’t hate kids (laughing emoji).”
• Simon Lillibury: “There’s no way my family could have afforded season tickets/travel when I was younger, yet I was a JSB and loved getting something as small as a birthday card every year. This feels like a completely unnecessary and harmful move for future fans.”
• Callum Moseley: “Yeah, this ain’t great lads….”
• Dan Harvey: “Another decision that will probably have a rethink later this week.”
• Phil Manock: “Isn’t there an option here for JSB memberships with or without ST’s? One of course may well have more exclusive benefits than the other, but membership should be open to all of our next generation of fans.”
• Dawn Franklin: “Don’t think this has been seriously thought out, not encouraging young people to the club.”
• Ross MacLeod: “We live too far away for season tickets. My 6-year-old got fully on board with Cov after the Wembley experience. Was telling me ‘Man City are my 1st team’ before that. He was so excited about becoming a JSB after me going on about it! Thanks for this.”
• BanManBadly: “Yeah, I think this is a very poor move. Alienating young kids who perhaps don’t have the luxury of their parents being able to afford season tickets. At least this was a way to feel connected to the club for a lot less outlay. I think you’re going to need to reverse this one!”
• Marc Ryan: “This is poor! I didn’t get a season ticket due to the restrictions put in place on the JSB zone because my 3-year-old wouldn’t be able to attend a lot of the games and now she’s no longer able to be a member of the JSBs.”
• Paul Reader: “I don’t get the logic of this. I can’t see how there is any upside for the club – surely if a kid wants to be a JSB and feel connected to the club they should be able to irrespective if they even go or not, let alone a STH. This needs to be explained.”
• Lucy McDonald: “TERRIBLE decision!”
• Wrighty: “JSB membership should be free for all or available for a small cost for those without an ST, with incentives on match day ticket prices. We need to get those kids whose parents can’t afford a ST or live further away where it makes no sense to have an ST into the stadium.”
• Lee Roberts: “Appalling decision for those of us who live away from Coventry. Stunned by this. My kids have been JSBs since they were babies.”
• Ian Adams: “What a shame – we have two season tickets – my second son isn’t ready to go to games but has felt involved with his JSB in previous seasons. I agree with others – this is a detrimental move that will affect young supporters becoming committed season ticket holders.”