I wanna talk about Coventry City FC

http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/i-wanna-talk-about/coventry-city-football-team


The British Council, 2010 Page 1 of 3

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Introduction
This support pack accompanies I wanna talk about: Coventry City football team.
To read or listen to the article online, go to:
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/i-wanna-talk-about/coventry-city-football-team
This support pack contains the following materials:
a pre-watching vocabulary activity;
the tape script;
a comprehension activity;
a glossary

Before you read
Match the words and phrases in the table to their definitions.

1. relegate 2. semi-final 3. nil 4. division
5. score 6. goal 7. promotion 8. playoff


Definitions:

a. in sports, it means a group of teams which play against each other:
b. to put someone or something in a lower position:
c. one of the two games that are played to decide who will enter the final round of a competition:
d. to win a point or goal in a sport or game:
e. zero:
f. being raised to a higher position or rank:
g. an extra game in a match played between teams who have the same number of points:
h. a point score in a football match:







I wanna talk about Coventry City FC


http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/i-wanna-talk-about/coventry-city-football-team


The British Council, 2010 Page 2 of 3

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Tape script: I wanna talk about
I wanna talk about supporting Coventry City, the
team Ive supported since I was a young boy at
school. Coventry City are a team from the West
Midlands near Birmingham where I grew up and
just to give a bit of background on the club, it
was founded back in 1883 and we were
founding members of the Premier League. But
in 2001, after thirty-four consecutive years in the
top division, we were finally relegated and since
that year, weve been in the Championship or
the second tier of the English
FootballLeagues.
Our only real honour was winning the FA Cup
back in 1987. People often ask me why I
support Coventry City. Well, in my school,
everyone either supported Aston Villa, the local
team or Liverpool, the team that won everything
at the time. I didnt really want to support the
same as everybody else, so I wanted to choose
a different team, so after a school trip to
Coventry one day, I felt, well, Ill support
Coventry City then. It was the FA Cup win that
cemented my support for them. I remember
listening to the radio commentary, listening to
them beat, I think Sheffield Wednesday in the
semi-final and that was it. I was a city fan then.
Empeople ask why I dont support one of the
big teams. Well, in England, people either
support the team that always wins, and we call
them glory hunters or a team near from where
they were born. And there is a lot of joy in not
supporting one of the big teams especially when
we get to play the big teams. I always
remember beating Manchester United one cold
Boxing Day when we score two goals in the last
minute to beat them 3-2 and even last season
we went to Old Trafford and beat Manchester
United 2-nil. Also playing in the Championship
is surprisingly a better league I think than
playing in the Premier League. Every team can
beat each other, its much more exciting, every
team has got a chance to getting promoted or
there is always the threat of relegation. Every
season, theres new teams to visit and its much
more interesting than the Premier League which
is pretty much the same every year.
Supporting a teams like being part of family,
you cant just choose to leave the family if
theres some disappointments. And being part
of that family means that you share the same
dreams and the same desires and the same
disappointments. This season I think weve got
a good chance of promotion - weve got a good
manager, Chris Coleman who used to be in
charge of Fulham, and weve got an outside
chance I think of making the playoffs. Last
season we were very nearly relegated but this
season I think we'll have a much better season.






I wanna talk about Coventry City FC


http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/i-wanna-talk-about/coventry-city-football-team


The British Council, 2010 Page 3 of 3

The United Kingdoms international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Comprehension Task
Read the sentences and decide if they are true or false.
1. In 2001, Coventry City fans had something to celebrate.
2. In 1987, Coventry City fans had something to celebrate.
3. The writer started supporting Coventry after watching them beat Sheffield Wednesday.
4. Coventry City is one of the top clubs in the English Premier League.
5. The writer is happy that Coventry City isnt in the Premier League.
6. The writer is confident that Coventry Citys will have a successful season.

Glossary:
found (v.) - to establish or to begin something
Premier League - it is an English professional league or organisation for football clubs.
consecutive (adj.) - something that follows one after another in order
division (n.) - in sports, it means a group of teams which play again each other
relegate (v.) - to put someone or something in a lower position. If a football team is relegated, it is moved down
to a lower division
tier (n.) - one of several levels
The FA Cup - short for 'The Football Association Challenge Cup'. This is a knockout cup competition in English
football.
trip (n.) - a journey that takes a short time only
cement (v.) - to make something stronger
radio commentary (n.) - a spoken description of a match or an event on the radio that is broadcast as the
match or event happens
semi-final (n.) - it is one of the two games that are played to decide who will enter the final round of a
competition
score (v.) - to win a point or goal in a sport or game
goal (n.) - a point scored in a football match
nil (n.) - zero
threat (n.) - the danger that something unpleasant may happen if a particular action is not followed
promotion (n.) - when one is being raised to a higher position or rank
sb be in charge of sth - someone who has control of or the responsibility for something
playoff (n.) - an extra game in a match played between teams who have both got the same number of points. It
is only after the match that a final winner is decided.

Answers