 The club made a solid start to life back in the second division, with an eighth-place finish in 1936–37.This was accompanied by off-field improvements such as the construction of a new main stand and the purchase of the freehold to Highfield Road, made possible by a loan of £20,000 from local motor-industry entrepreneur John Siddeley.The season marked the first time Coventry met with local-rivals Aston Villa in league football, and supporters were rewarded with a win and a draw as well as a higher-placed finish than the Birmingham club.