Coventry City struggled in their first season of Southern League football, partly because their election was confirmed too late for them to sign new players suitable for the new level of football and because star-player Lewis left the club. They finished second-bottom of the league and escaped relegation only because of an expansion from twenty to twenty-two teams. In the middle of the season the club adopted a nickname for the first time, becoming the "Bantams" in a reference to their light-weight status as newcomers to the Southern League. David Cooke joined the board in mid-1909 and provided funds for City to invest in new playing staff. After another poor start to the season their fortunes changed with the signing of Patsy Hendren, a player who became better known as a cricketer, going on to play the sport for England. Coventry were challenging for the Southern League title at Christmas and went on to reach the FA Cup quarter final, beating top-flight teams Preston and Nottingham Forest before losing to Everton. They reached the third round in 1910–11 and also achieved their only title in the Birmingham Senior Cup with a 1–0 win over Stourbridge. The 1911–12 season was relatively successful, with a sixth-place finish, but City were beaten heavily in the FA Cup by Manchester United, making their first appearance at Highfield Road.
