Both Sky Blues and Bristol City needed a result to stay up in the final fixture of the 1976/77 campaign with Sunderland the other side battling to avoid the drop

A draw would suit Bristol and Sunderland but Coventry had to win to ensure safety.

The game at Highfield Road was delayed by 15 minutes due to traffic congestion with chairman Jimmy Hill apparently keen to ensure the game was put back.

City raced into a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Tommy Hutchison, but the Robins hit back through Gerry Gow and Don Gillies with only 11 minutes to play.
Coventry looked set for the drop before news reached that the final whistle had gone at Sunderland who had lost 2-0. Jimmy ensured the result was announced over the tannoy so the players could hear it.

Provided there was no change in the score, both teams would be safe and unsurprisingly they stopped playing.

Relegated Sunderland were rightly aggrieved at the farce. Coventry and Jimmy were reprimanded for their part in the events before being exonerated of all wrong doing at a hearing.

This has now reared its head again and caused friction between the two sets of fans.