Coventry entered the Texaco Cup for the first time in 1971–72 and faced Falkirk in the first round, and needed extra time to beat them, to set up a tie with Newcastle United. After a 1–1 draw at home, Coventry were roundly beaten 5–1 at St James' Park and exited the competition.
Coventry's second Texaco Cup campaign was even more brief than the first as Motherwell beat Coventry in the second leg after a drawn first leg to send the West Midlands club out.
Motherwell were again the first round opposition as Coventry embarked upon their third Texaco Cup tournament, and again the Lanarkshire club would frustrate them as wins home and away saw 'Well progress.
English clubs were banned from taking part in European competition in the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985.[2] This affected the Sky Blues when they won the FA Cup in 1986–87. This achievement would normally be rewarded with a place in the 1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup, however the ban meant they did not compete. The ban was in place until 1990–91, and England did not reacquire the full (pre-1985) number of places to award in European club competition until 1995–96. The FA Cup win coincided with an attempt to resurrect the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1987–88 as the Anglo Scottish Challenge Cup. It saw Coventry pitted with 1986–87 Scottish Cup winners St Mirren, however poor attendances at the first leg (a 1–1 draw at Highfield Road) meant that the revival was halted, and the second leg was never played.[3][4][5]
