'My football banner got so famous, it has its own agent'

When Coventry City fan John Mullaney held up a homemade banner declaring "we'll be back" as the club slipped out of the Premier League in 2001, he unknowingly secured his own place in the club's history.

Following the 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa, ending Coventry's 34-year run in the English top flight, Mullaney was shown on Match of the Day and his image was published in newspapers.

But after the Sky Blues secured promotion and a return to the Premier League last month, the sign - fashioned from some old wallpaper - has returned to the spotlight. The local lore has taken centre stage in the club's celebrations, with the old message revised on fresh banners that now state "we are back".

"I was sick to death of people contacting me asking me when [the club] are going to get up so it's a relief," Mullaney said. "It's the monkey off the back, and I'll become chip paper finally."

Coventry City's return to the top tier after 25 years was sealed with a draw at Blackburn on 17 April before clinching the Championship title at home with a 5-1 thumping of Portsmouth four days later.

The club rounded off the campaign in style, beating Wrexham 3-1 at the CBS Arena and allowing supporters the chance to celebrate at home, with thousands holding up the reworked signs that had come to symbolise the long road back.

"It's completely mad," said Mullaney. "The banner's taken on a whole life of its own.

"I've heard that he's got an agent now, the banner, and I feel a bit like Andrew Ridgeley.

"You know he's off doing it himself now and I'm no longer part of the band."

The fan, who now lives in Brisbane, Australia, said the image had become as iconic with fans as Andy Warhol's tin of soup.

"It's bonkers," he said, "how does something like that even come about?"

He said it had been "incredible" watching the winning campaign from his home, unable to travel to the UK due to the ill-health of his wife.

"To see everybody holding [the sign] up after the last game against Wrexham was very, very touching," he added.

But watching the matches live had sometimes taken a toll.

"The Blackburn game was four in the morning for me, so I'm glad the season's finally over to be honest, because my sleeping habits are all over the place."

The original sign was "completely unpremeditated", Mullaney explained.

"I only wrote it in the ten minutes [before the match] because my friend called up to say he was going to be a bit late.

"So being an ADHD-er, I've got no patience to sit around so I had to do something," he explained.

"And now it's got a life of it's own, hasn't it?"

While Mullaney occasionally returns to the UK, he had only managed one match in the past 20 years, he said.

But it's wonderful," he added. "My son and granddaughters, they're all kitted out in all the gear, so it's all very dear and very close to our hearts.

"You never lose that."

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