The Long Way Back Home - New Book

Dani is a photographer. She's a City fan. She's a City fan who takes photos from the stands and what a season to do it. Dani has documented 25/26 in a premium hardcover 168 page book.

It looks beautiful and is sure to bring back a lot of memories. Nothing I can say could do this justice so I'll leave it to Dani:

"Inside you'll find photography from across the season, capturing everything from packed away ends and pre-match anticipation to last-minute celebrations, heartbreak, relief and the moments between the football that often mean the most.

More than a collection of photographs, The Long Way Back Home is a visual record of a season that Coventry supporters waited a generation to experience. It celebrates the shared journeys, the friendships, the rituals and the unwavering belief that carried thousands of fans back to the Premier League."

The book is available for order HERE.

Dani's Instagram is HERE.

LAST caught up with Dani to talk about her book, what made her make the book, the effort behind it, whether she likes Terry and June and what is the biggest animal she thinks she could singlehandedly clingfilm to a lamp post.

Hi Dani. So what's your book about?

The Long Way Back Home is a photo book documenting Coventry City's Championship winning season from the stands. It's not really a book about football in the traditional sense. It's about the experience of following your club week in, week out - the journeys, the rituals, the people, the anticipation, the nerves, the celebrations and everything in between. The photos follow the season as it unfolded, capturing what it felt like to be there as Coventry finally made it back to the Premier League after 25 years away.

What inspired you to put it together?

I've always loved both photography and Coventry City, but for years those two things mostly existed separately. Over the years I've taken my camera to games on and off and documented moments from the stands, but it wasn't until 2023 that I started doing it consistently for every game and sharing the photos on Instagram.

It became a bit like my own personal diary of the matches I'd been to, capturing not just what happened on the pitch but the whole experience of following the club. I always had it in the back of my mind that if we ever had a season that ended with some sort of success, I'd love to turn those memories into a book and document the journey.

I considered doing something after the FA Cup run a couple of years ago, but ultimately that ended in disappointment. As last season went on, though, it started to feel different. The atmosphere, the connection between the team and the supporters, and the feeling that something special was happening made it feel like the right time to bring the idea to life.

How long has it taken you to put together?

In one sense, it's taken the whole season. I was documenting each game as it happened without really knowing where the story would end. The book has grown alongside the team's journey, so it wasn't something I could really start pulling together until the final few weeks. In another sense, the actual process of editing, sequencing images, designing pages and trying to work out what on earth I was doing has taken several months. It's definitely been a bigger project than I imagined.

What do you hope Cov fans take away from it?

I hope it takes people straight back to last season. Everyone will have their own favourite memories, but hopefully they'll recognise a few of them in the book. If it makes people smile and remember what it felt like to be there, then I'll be happy.

Where can people buy it?

You can pre-order the book via this link until 20th July. Once pre-orders close, I'll send the first print run off for production. It's currently planned as a limited print run, although if there's enough interest afterwards, I'd definitely consider opening another pre-order for a second run.

Any thoughts of a sequel when we qualify for Europe this season?

Imagine that! I'd absolutely love to. Although if we're fitting a European tour around winning the Premier League, I think the sequel might end up being a bit of a bumper edition.

Prediction for this season?

I don't think I have too many expectations. It's taken us so long to get back to the Premier League that I think we should just enjoy it and see where we end up. I do think we're in a much better position, and much better prepared, than if we'd have gone up through the play-offs a couple of years ago.

That being said, once we've beaten Arsenal on the opening day, I'll be completely convinced we're winning the league and I won't be hearing anything to the contrary.

Who's your favourite all time player?

My all time favourite is probably Darren Huckerby. He's the only player I ever remember having on the back of my shirt as a kid. In fact, I don't think I've had a name on the back of a City shirt since then until this season, when Sakamoto has become the chosen one for our Premier League return. 

What's your favourite City match?

Oh God, there's so many! I started going to games when I was about five or six, but I don't have loads of memories of some of the Premier League classics from the 90s. The ones that really stand out are Manchester United away in the League Cup in 2007 and Mifsud's masterclass.

Then there's Notts County away in the League Two play-off semi-final, the second leg at Middlesbrough, the FA Cup quarter-final against Wolves and, maybe a bit controversially, the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

I know we lost, and we all know how it ended, but I went into that game expecting we probably didn’t stand a chance, especially when it was 3-0. To fight back the way we did against one of the biggest clubs in world football was incredible. When that fourth goal went in, I've never experienced anything quite like it.

I think that's why I love football so much. Those moments of pure euphoria when a 90th minute winner goes in, or when thousands of people you've never met all celebrate together as if you've known each other for years. If someone could bottle that feeling and sell it, they'd be a millionaire.

Villa or Leicester?

In recent years it would have to be Leicester and I can’t lie, I’ve very much enjoyed us going up as champions and them going the opposite way, as I’m sure Leicester fans would if the tables were turned. 

However I think Villa pips it, growing up it was always Villa, my Dad instilled that into me. We obviously haven’t played them in 25 years and we all know what happened then. I think it would mean so much more to beat them. 

Terry and June or The Good Life?

Confession time... I had to Google both of them. (LAST considered terminating the interview at this stage) 

What's the biggest animal you could singlehandedly clingfilm to a lamp post?

Realistically? Probably a moderately cooperative small goat. Anything larger starts becoming less a question of strength and more a question of logistics. (LAST considers this one of the all time great answers to this eternal question).

Thanks, Dani! Here's a couple of sneek peaks inside the book.