For Coventry City fans, the top of English football has felt impossibly distant for a quarter of a century. But this weekend, the exile may finally end.
Coventry supporters have already begun booking open-top buses for celebrations, according to sources familiar with fan planning, as the Sky Blues sit 12 points clear at the Championship summit with promotion to the Premier League tantalizingly close. If results go their way, Coventry could clinch the return they have ached for since 2001 as early as Saturday.
The journey back has been remarkable. After a 12-game unbeaten streak to open the season lifted them to the top of the table in October, Frank Lampard's side endured a wobble around Christmas that briefly opened the door for Middlesbrough to draw level on points in February. Then came the statement moment: a 3-1 victory over Boro sparked eight wins in nine games, rebuilding a commanding cushion that now has fans counting down the days.
The atmosphere among supporters has shifted from cautious optimism to genuine belief. Open-top bus companies across Coventry are reportedly fielding booking inquiries as supporters plan celebrations that once seemed like fantasy. For a fanbase that has endured two decades of second-tier football, play-off heartbreaks, and even a ground share with Northampton Town, the prospect of Premier League matches at the CBS next season feels almost surreal.
Coventry are not alone in celebrating breakthrough moments this season. Lincoln City ended a 65-year absence from the Championship on Monday, becoming the first side to secure promotion when their 24-game unbeaten run - 19 of them victories - carried them back to the second tier. The Imps, who slipped out of the automatic places in November before launching their extraordinary streak, now have their sights on the League One title.
In League Two, Bromley are on the brink of a historic double promotion in three seasons. The Ravens' 21-game unbeaten run - 14 of them wins - has left them seven points clear with four games remaining, closing in on their first-ever promotion to League One. Should they clinch the title, it would mark a remarkable ascent for a club that has spent much of its history in non-league obscurity.
Further down the M1 corridor, Southampton have staged their own remarkable turnaround. Twelve points from their first 13 Championship games left them 20th in October. Then came Tonda Eckert's appointment, and 53 points from 27 games. Saints have now won 16 consecutive matches across all competitions, reached an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley, and sit firmly in the play-off picture.
For Coventry, the finish line has never looked clearer. With the destination finally in sight after 25 years, the buses are ready, the songs are warming up, and a city is daring to believe.