Matchday Memories: On This Day 2014 – See Réda & Simeon Sort Sky Blues Glovers’ Success!

‘Elvis’- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’

On this day (13th September) in 2014 goalsthe Sky Blues, under former defender Steven Pressley were facing Yeovil Town at the Ricoh. ‘Elvis’ had made just the one change to the side that had beaten Gillingham 1-0 in CCFC’s Ricoh Arena homecoming the previous Friday by bringing in Josh McQuoid to replace (now CCFPA member) Marcus Tudgay. There was a modest 11,085 fans in the stadium including just 485 away fans!

Our imposing central defender Réda Johnson gave the Sky Blues a perfect start by netting his third of the season with a powerful header after only six minutes.

Simeon Jackson in the Sky Blue

Then Jamaican-born Canadian international (and now CCFPA member) Simeon Jackson came off the bench to grab the Sky Blues’ second half winner after 68 minutes after the Sam Foley had levelled for the visitors five minutes after the restart. The back to back home win lifted City into the playoff spots (though the season was to deteriorate and the Sky Blues were not to win again in the League until 25th October)!

A full match report from the Coventry City club website can be found here. Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch some match highlights by clicking on the link or image below:-                                              

https://youtube.com/watch?v=T1SzjgYvt5U

Reda Johnson celebrates his goal

The two teams lined up as follows (substitutes in brackets. CCFPA members are underlined)

 

Sky Blues (subs in brackets – CCFPA members underlined):

Ryan Allsop, Jordan Clarke, Reda Johnson (c), Jordan Willis (Seb. Hines -73), Andy Webster, Ryan Haynes, Jim O’Brien, Conor Thomas, John Fleck, Josh McQuoid (Simeon Jackson -46), Frank Nouble (Aaron Phillips -90+1)

Unused Subs: Danny Pugh, Danny Swanson, Marcus Tudgay and Lee Burge (gk)

Aaron in the Sky Blue

Yeovil Town (managed by Gary Johnson):

Chris Weale, Nathan Smith, Joe Edwards (c) (Ralph 73), Aaron Martin, Jakub Sokolik, Kevin Dawson, James Hayter (Grant -49),  AJay Leitch-Smith,, Sam Foley (Moore 73), Jack Price and Ben Nugent  Unused Subs: Seth Nana Ofuri-Twumasi and Artur Krysiak (gk).  Referee: Dean Whitestone

 

At the end of this October Aaron Martin (who later joined this Association) moved to the Sky Blues in a loan swap with another CCFPA member now Jordan Clarke. He had also had a loan spell with us in February 2013 when a Southampton player. Aaron signed for us full-time the following January (2015) and ended up making 72 Sky Blue appearances netting twice before departing to Oxford United in June 2016.

Gary Madine in the Sky Blue

The following January lowly Sky Blues helped the struggling Glovers off the bottom of League One by missing a second half penalty (culprit Gary Madine whose shot was saved by Eric Steer) thus allowing Yeovil Town to take a point in a goalless draw!

‘Elvis’ was to make way on the 22nd February 2015 for Tony Mowbray (appointed  from 1st March 2015). Neil McFarlane and Dave Hockaday acted as caretakers in the gap.  The Sky Blues final League One position was seventeenth.

At the top Bristol City (Champs). runners up MK Dons and third placed (via the play offs) Preston North End got themselves promoted. At the bottom Notts County, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient and bottom club, today’s opponents, Yeovil Town fell through the trap door. The Glovers were a dozen points adrift of safety!

CCFC 2014-15

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 2003 – Potters Punished in First Win Of Season For McAllister’s Men

New signing Andy Morrell on programme front

On this day (13th September) in 2003 the Sky Blues, managed by Gary McAllister, were yet to chalk up their first win after four Division One games!  This was the Sky Blues third season in the second tier, following relegation from the Premier League in 2001. City’s current bad patch had continued from last season and was a dozen home games (and sixteen in total) winless. In 2003-04 they had drawn their first two matches, goalless in their Highfield Road opener against Walsall and sharing the points in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town. This was followed by a 3-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest and a 2-1 reverse at Sheffield United.  Sky Blues fans were getting extremely anxious as 13,982 fans gathered at the home of the Sky Blues to see what their team would accomplish against Stoke City! Ominously there were three returning former Sky Blues (all now CCFPA members) in the ranks of the visitors!

Paul D. Williams in the Sky Blue

Marcus in the Sky Blue 1999

John Eustace in Sky Blue action

 

 

 

 

 

 

They need not have worried as McAllister’s men eventually ran out fairly comfortable 4-2 winners over the Potters and their trio of CCFC former players, Paul Williams, John Eustace and Marcus Hall! ‘Willo’ had to depart injured at half-time disrupting the Potters’ defence. In general the ex Sky Blues couldn’t do much to mitigatet an excellent Sky Blue display.

Pat Suffo in the Sky Blue

After only five minutes the Sky Blues tricky forward (and CCFPA member) Pat Suffo sent the Potter’s somewhat dodgy ‘keeper Ed De Gooey the wrong way to notch our first with a twent yarder.

Graham in the Sky Blue

Five minutes later Graham Barrett slammed in City’s second. Though the Potters’ Carl Asaba netted on the stroke of half time to suggest the possibility of a Stoke fight back it was not to be as City went in at the break 2-1 up.

City’s popular gentle giant of a striker ‘Dele Adebola (a CCFPA member now) was outstanding today and coolly made it 3-1 after 58 minutes.

Dele celebrates

Then another Association member now substitute Andy Morrell made the game extra safe with his first Sky Blue goal, a header, with fifteen minutes to go. Though the poor Stoke side made the scoreline a little more respectable through a Wayne Thomas strike from a John Eustace corner three minutes later the Sky Blues were worthy 4-2 victors!

A contempoary match report from BBC Sport can be found here. Thanks to Dean Nelson you can watch (albeit not the best quality) match highlights of City’s defeat of Stoke by clicking on the link or image below:-

https://youtu.be/14eznm2kKl8

The opposing teamd lined up as follows (substitutes in brackets; CCFPA members underlined):-

Gary McAllister- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’

Sky Blues:

Scott Shearer, Andy Whing, Mo Konjic, Steve Staunton, Steven Warnock (Richard Shaw -84), Graham Barrett, Youssef Safri, Gary McAllister (c), Michael Doyle, Patrick Suffo (Yazid Mansouri -89) and ‘Dele Adebola (Andy Morrell -61)  

Unused Subs: Claus Bech Jorgensen and Peguy Arphexad (gk)

Stoke City (managed by Tony Pulis):

Ed De Goey, Wayne Thomas, Paul D.Williams (Lewis Neal -46), Marcus Hall, Darel Russell, Keith Andrews, Chris Greenacre (Chris Iwelumo -69), John Eustace, Clive Clarke, Carl Asaba and Gifton Noel-Williams. Unused Subs: Neil Cutler, Marc Goodfellow, Karl Commons.      Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)

Eric Black – CCFC Manager

The 2003-04 season saw the Sky Blues’ hot seat vacated successively by Gary Mac, then by (both now CCFPA members) Eric Black and finally Peter Reid who saw out the season in which the Sky Blues’s campaign petered out to finish twelfth! The Potters ended up a point and a place better off in eleventh.

Eric, Gary’s assistant, took over from him temporarily from December and permanently in the new year as Macca resigned to look after his ailing wife. Despite a decent set of results (including an incredible 6-1 win at Fellows Park against Walsall) Eric was surprisingly and dramatically relieved of his duties before City’s last match of the season in May. Peter was appointed and oversaw Eric’s team grab a final day 2-1 win at Highfield Road against Crystal Palace.

CCFC 2003-04 (Gary Mac in charge)

That Division One season saw Norwich City (Champions) and second place West Bromwich Albion promoted to the Premier League alongside sixth place Crystal Palace (via the play-offs). Walsall went down in 22nd place with only Bradford City and bottom club Wimbledon beneath them, all suffering relegation that season.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1997 – See Sky Blue Soltvedt Sort The Saints

Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’

On this day (13th September) in 1997 (now CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan pitched his Sky Blues team against Southampton in a Premier League fixture at Highfield Road in front of a crowd of 18,666. Former Sky Blue defender (and now Association member) Dave Jones was in charge at the Dell. The League’s fixture computers had been kind to CCFC giving them four out of the first six games at the home of the Sky Blues. CCFC had seen off Chelsea 3-2 in the season’s opener at Highfield Road followed up a couple of days later by a 2-0 reverse at Highbury, the home of Arsenal. The previous Saturday the Sky Blues had another home fixture against Bolton Wanderers and managed a 2-2 draw.

Sky Blue Kevin Richardson

Next, in mid week, West Ham United forced a 1-1 draw at Highfield Road before the Sky Blues went down 0-3 at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Kevin Richardson who had played three times for the Sky Blues thus far this season had moved across to the south coast club in mid week and had gone straight into their side today – but had a quiet debut! Profiting from bit of a break in the fixtures, Sky Blues captain Gary McAllister had recovered from injury to play today and he certainly made a difference with a sparkling performance in the first half! 

Gary in the Sky Blue

In the end City deserved the single goal victory and the win was a good fortieth birthday birthday present for the Sky Blues’ already legendary ‘keeper (and now CCFPA member) Steve Ogrizovic! 

Our central defender (another ex Sky Blue who joined CCFPA) Paul Williams was uncompromising at the heart of keeping the Saints at bay but did pick up his fifth booking of the season so far.

Trond in the Sky Blue

Sky Blue Scandinavians had a good day! City’s Swedish full back (and future ‘gaffer’) Roland Nilsson was immaculate (as usual) and City’s Norwegian midfielder Trond-Egil Soltvedt (both fairly recent CCFPA members) made the break through five minutes after the hour mark with a fine shimmy and finish in the box after a dinked pass from (now CCFPA member) Dion Dublin.

To see the highlights of the game, courtesy of Dean Nelson just click on the image below:-

For the record the Sky Blues’ team that day comprised (CCFPA members underlined):-

Steve Ogrizovic, Roland Nilsson, David Burrows, Trond Egil Soltvedt, Paul D.Williams, Richard Shaw, Paul Telfer, Gary McAllister, Dion Dublin, Darren Huckerby and John Salako. 

Unused subs: Kyle Lightbourne, Willie Boland, Marcus Hall, Martin Johansen and Magnus Hedman (gk)

David Jones in the Sky Blue

Dave Jones Saints XI lined up as follows:-

Paul Jones, Jason Dodd, Lee Todd, Kevin Richardson, Ken Monkou, Claus Lundekvam, Jason Bowen (sub. Stig Johanssen -69), Matt Oakley, Egil Østenstad (sub. Kevin Davies -46), Mickey Evans, David Hughes (sub. Alan Neilsen -69) Unused subs: Neil Maddison and Maik Taylor (gk)    Referee:- Uriah Rennie (Sheffield)

The return game at the Dell took place in mid February and the Sky Blues were pleased to complete the double over the Saints beating them 2-1 with goals from Sky Blue forward terrors (both now CCFPA members) Noel Whelan and Darren Huckerby.  

CCFC 1997-98

Both teams had a reasonable season with similar records but the Sky Blues, once more ahead! Gordon’s Sky Blues got themselves up to a respectable eleventh place finish in the Premier League in 1997-98. The Saints finished twefth on 48 points with Bolton Wanderers (40), Barnsley (35) and Crystal Palace (33) the relegated sides.

It was Arsenal‘s year for the title as they pipped Manchester United by a point.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1992 – See ‘Spurs Succumb To Sky Blues Speed & Spirit!

On this Monday evening (14th September) in 1992 the Sky Blues were well into their 1992-93 season in the newly titled Premier League under ‘Cov Kid’ former player turned manager Bobby Gould (now a CCFPA member). The unusual timing of the match was down to TV as Sky brought its ‘Monday Night Football‘ package to Highfield Road for the first time and their cameras joined 15,293 fans to watch the spectacle, aided by a fireworks extravaganza. Nevertheless the gate was probably depressed by the presence of the cameras (not by the result) as City’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur was watched by many in pubs, clubs and living rooms across the City. In fact we had already played ‘Spurs at White Hart Lane, in our second game of the season, and managed to beat them 2-0 with a brace from ‘The Flying Postman’ (now CCFPA member) John Williams.

Richard Keys with Sky Blue Ian Wallace

Peter Shreeves had been replaced in the ‘Spurs hot seat for this season by joint ‘gaffers’ Doug Livermore and Ray Clemence, their former England international goalkeeper. Sky presenter and Sky Blue ‘celebrity supporter’ (now a CCFPA Hon. Member) Richard Keys compered the programme but the first half probably didn’t fully live up to the hype. The away team’s new young signing Darren Anderton failed to sparkle in front of the cameras. The same Sky Blue forward as in the first game between the sides did the damage to the visitors but from an unlikely method! Oggy was City’s captain for the night!

FTP in the Sky Blue

The only goal of the game, just after the hour mark, came from a looping header from John Williams who embarrassed ‘Spurs goalie Ian Walker who was well off his line. With TFP in their side the Sky Blues probably had the edge on both speed and spirit over Tottenham though their Teddy Sheringham almost scored twice, once with a deft chip and once with a diving header and the ‘Spurs had a goal disallowed. City thus chalked up another of their regular wins in the ’80s and ’90s over the London side and were happy to have done the double over them so early in the season!

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch the whole game and TFP’s unlikely header (from several angles) by clicking on the link or image below.

https://youtu.be/Ue5nNFw-Eaks

The Sky Blues’ team this day (all are now CCFPA members we are pleased to say) was:-

Steve Ogrizovic (c), Brian Borrows, Kenny Sansom, Peter Atherton, Andy Pearce, Peter Ndlovu, Lloyd McGrath, Lee Hurst, Robert Rosario, Kevin Gallacher and John Williams.

Steve in the Sky Blue

Tottenham Hotspur lined up:-

Ian Walker, Dean Austin, Pat van den Hauwe, Andy Gray, Jason Cundy, Neil Ruddock, Darren Anderton (sub. Andy Turner -71), Gordon Durie, Vinnie Samways (sub. Steve Sedgley -63), Teddy Sheringham and Paul Allen   Referee: Martin Bodenham (Looe)

Now CCFPA member Steve Sedgley was previously a Sky Blue who was part of our 1987 F.A.Cup winning squad (though he didn’t play in the Wembley Final five year’s earlier against the ‘Spurs)!

Phil Neal, the Gouldfather’s Assistant (who would go on to take over the gaffer’s chair from Bobby the following season) became part of the England set up this season.

CCFC 1992-93

The Sky Blues finished the Premier League season in fifteenth spot three points clear of the drop zone which contained the relegated Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and bottom club Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United took the title fully ten points clear of runners up, Aston Villa.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.