Matchday Memories: On This Day 2006 – CCFPA Members Score Five As Sky Blues Scupper Shrimpers

Stephen Hughes in Sky Blue action

On this day (13th October) in 2006 the Sky Blues, for the time being managed by former player (and now CCFPA member) Micky Adams, continued their fair-to-middling Championship season in fifteenth spot having won four and lost five of their ten league games so far. This included two successive 1-0 defeats in their last two games at Crystal Palace and home to Plymouth Argyle. Today they had travelled to Essex to take on Southend United who were currently occupying one of the three relegation places and desperate to get out. However, the Sky Blues pulled a rabbit out of the hat to gain their first away win of the season by the odd goal in three to keep the Shrimpers in the mire. An interesting footnote to the game is that all four of the goalscorers later became Association members!

Leon McKenzie in the Sky Blue

Colin Cameron in the Sky Blue

Sky Blues Manager Micky had made five changes from the Argyle defeat and reverted to a 3-5-2 formation. This was City’s first visit to Roots Hall since 1963 and the Sky Blues made the most of it. However, they had to come from behind, replying before half-time to a 29th minute opener from a penalty by future Sky Blue striker (and now CCFPA member) Freddy Eastwood which was awarded for a penalised shove on Southend’s Luke Guttridge by CCFC’s Matt Heath.

Dele in the Sky Blue

The equaliser came three minutes before the half-time whistle from (now CCFPA member) Stephen Hughes, his first goal in two years!

Colin Cameron‘s penalty goal (after Leon McKenzie was fouled in the box) for City two minutes into the second half completed the turn-round as the Sky Blues went into a 2-1 lead but they couldn’t hang on to it as Freddy Eastwood completed his brace on 73 minutes to equalise.

It was left to City’s popular striker (along with Colin and Leon, yet another CCFPA member now) ‘Dele Adebola to prod home the Sky Blues’ winner ten minutes before time to send the 788 Sky Blues fans amongst the 9,832 crowd back to Coventry feeling very happy!

A contemporary report from BBC Sport including interviews with both managers can be found here.

Sky Blue Manager Micky

Micky’s men lined up as follows (CCFPA members underlined):-

 

Andy Marshall, David McNamee, Marcus Hall, Robert Page, Elliott Ward, Matt Heath, Stephen Hughes, Colin Cameron, Leon McKenzie, ‘Dele Adebola and Michael Doyle.

Unused Substitutes: Isaac Osbourne, Kevin Thornton, Kevin Kyle, Jay Tabb and Don Hutchison

As can be seen all the players bar Kevin in the Sky Blue squad today (plus their ‘gaffer’ WGS) later became Association members we are proud to say!

Steve Tilson‘s Shrimpers took the field as follows:-

Freddy in Sky Blue action

Darryl Flahavan, Simon Francis, Steven Hammell, Luke Guttridge, Spencer Prior, Adam Barrett, Lewis Hunt (sub. Jamal Campbell-Ryce -86), Kevin Maher, Freddy Eastwood,  Matt Harrold (sub. Gary Hooper -80) and Mark Gower. Unused Substitutes: Peter Clarke, Billy Paynter and Steve Collis (gk)   Referee: Darren Drysdale

Apart from (now CCFPA member) Freddy Eastwood, former Sky Blue loanee Peter Clarke was on the bench and future Sky Blue Belgian striker (and now CCFPA member) Franck Moussa was on Southend United‘s books at this time

 

As far as the Championship season was concerned there was little to write home about in the end. The Sky Blues were, at best, a mid table side. The Shrimpers came to the Ricoh at the end of December and took away a 1-1 draw. Micky was sacked in January after City were knocked out of the F.A.Cup at home by Bristol City in the Third Round. Iain Dowie took over the following month (after Adrian Heath had looked after the shop as caretaker) and seventeenth place safety was achieved.

CCFC 2006-07

Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League top of the Championship at season’s end. Runners up Birmingham City also went up to the top flight along with (via the Play-offs) third place Derby County. Todays opponents Southend United went down in 22nd spot along with Luton Town and, bottom of the pile, Leeds United. Leeds had been deducted ten points but would have still gone down without the deduction.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young (& Dean Nelson) for sourcing the images.

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1996 – Sub Dion Saves Sky Blues v. Souness’ Saints On Sunday

Dion in the Sky Blue

On this Sunday (13th October) in 1996 the Sky Blues were still managed by ‘Big Ron’ Atkinson (who is now a CCFPA member) four games before he moved upstairs to the boardroom to allow his Assistant Gordon Strachan to take up the Highfield Road managerial challenge.

On this Sunday game the visitors to the home of the Sky Blues were Southampton and City were looking to increase their record of home wins this season to a still poor two out of five attempts!

Sadly, it was not to be, as the two teams shared a point with a 1-1 draw in a reaonably exciting dog fight between two struggling teams. Things looked dire for City after seventeen minutes when Saints’ star Matt Le Tissier, taking advantage of some sloppy play out of defence between (both now CCFPA members) Brian Borrows and ‘keeper Steve Ogrizovic, hit a magnificent thirty yard screamer past a static Oggy who was playing his 449th league game for CCFC.

Bugsy in the Sky Blue

Oggy in the Sky Blue red

The Sky Blues normally prolific striker Dion Dublin was yet to score this season and had been dropped for this game. However he became City’s saviour, after coming on as a 67th minute sub, but the Sky Blue fans in the 15,477 crowd had to wait for the final minute for DD to grab the ninetieth minute equaliser and another valuable point.

The match was also of note because ‘Big Ron’ used all three substitutes for the first time since the introduction of the rule over the summer and Paul Williams and (CCFPA’s 300th member) Peter Ndlovu were also brought into play as well as Dion!

Big Ron’s Sky Blues that day fielded the following team (CCFPA members underlined):-

Big Ron

Steve Ogrizovic, Brian Borrows (sub. Peter Ndlovu -50), Marcus Hall, Kevin Richardson, Liam Daish, David Burrows (sub. Paul Williams -36), Paul Telfer, Gary McAllister, Eoin Jess (sub. Dion Dublin -67 ), Noel Whelan and John Salako.

Graeme Souness‘ Saints lined up:-

Neil Moss, Jason Dodd, Simon Charlton, Alan Neilsen, Richard Dryden, Claus Lundekvam, Matt Le Tissier, Jim Magilton (sub. Matt Oakley-54), Neil Shipperley (sub. Eyal Berkovic -70), Gordon Watson (sub. Egil Østenstad -59) and Robbie Slater       Referee:- Paul Durkin

Nuddy in the Sky Blue

Noel in the Sky Blue

Both the Sky Blues and the Saints continued to struggle in Division One and four games before the end of the season both were both relieved and disappointed at ony getting a point in the return, a 2-2 draw at the Dell.

The Sky Blues had to come back from 2-0 down as early as the 47th minute, but managed it with goals from Peter Ndlovu and Noel Whelan.

CCFC 1996-97

Gordon Strachan -City’s ‘gaffer’

As mentioned earlier Big Ron’s Assistant, now fellow CCFPA member Gordon Strachan took over the hot seat when Ron was kicked upstairs in November and the Sky Blues memorably went on to stay up in seventeenth spot with that last day 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur!  Southampton also stayed up on the same points as City but a place above.

Sunderland (eighteenth), Middlesbrough (nineteenth after being deducted 3 points) and, long way bottom, Nottingham Forest were the relegated trio.

Manchester United took the title by seven points this season from Newcastle United.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1979 – Sky Blues End 40 Year Saints Hoodoo At Soton

Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer

On this day (13th October) in 1979 CCFC Manager (now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne took his side to Southampton for a Division One game. The Dell had been the site of many a thrashing by the Saints in the past with no win there since 1939. Additionally, the Sky Blues had already lost all their away games so far (sometimes heavily) at Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Manchester City and Bristol City so there was naturally some trepidation, especially as the south coast club were currently in the top four with the Sky Blues mid-table.

However,  it was the men from Coventry who came out on top by the odd goal in five as the Sky Blues’ battling performance ended that dreadful away run! It also dealt the Saints their first home defeat of the season to boot! However, things were looking ominous (after a goalless first half) when the home team’s forward Phil Boyer notched their first just after the break.

Ian in the Sky Blue

A brace from now CCFPA member Ian Wallace demonstrated to all, if that was needed, how lethal a finisher he had become. ‘Wally’ scored two opportunistic goals in the 56th and 62nd minute to snatch the lead for the Sky Blues. Though Charlie George equalised with twenty minutes to go City took the win with a beautifully chipped winner from CCFPA member Ray Gooding after ‘Wally’ had set him up!

Ray in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues put out the following team that day in October (CCFPA members underlined):-

Les Sealey*, Mick Coop, Bobby McDonald, Ray Gooding, Jim Holton*, Gary Gillespie, Tommy Hutchison, Ian Wallace, Donato Nardiello, Andy Blair and Steve Hunt.

*Sadly, Les and ‘Big Jim’ sadly passed away a good few years ago. Andy was last back as the CCFPA’s ‘special guest’ at City’s Championship game in October 2022 against Middlesbrough!

The Saints team was as follows:-

Terry Gennoe, Trevor Hebberd, David Peach, Steve Williams, Manny Andruszewski, Malcolm Waldron, Alan Ball, Phil Boyer, Mike Channon, Charlie George and Nicky Holmes             Referee:- W.Bombroff

The Saints obviously didn’t like playing the Sky Blues this particular season as we completed the double over them at Highfield Road towards the end of February winning by three clear goals, with a Garry Thompson brace and another from Tom English (both now CCFPA members).

CCFC 1979-80

By the end of the 1979-80 season Milne’s men had fought their way to a relatively comfortable fifteenth spot in Division One a full eight points clear of trouble. Southampton finished in eighth position with Liverpool champions and Manchester United runners up a couple of points behind.

Bristol City, Derby County and bottom club Bolton Wanderers suffered the indignity of relegation.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1956 – ‘Kalamazoo’ Makes His Debut Mark v. Millwall!

On this day (October 13th) in 1956 a footballing and cultural trailblazer throughout his life, Steve ‘Kalamazoo’ Mokone  became CCFC’s first ever black player (and the first black South African to play professionally in the UK). He made his debut on the right wing in the ‘Bantams’ Division Three South fixture at Highfield Road against Millwall. Sadly the City lost the match 2-1 in front of 20,227 with Ray Sambrook getting the City’s goal which gave them the lead before the Lions came back to win.

Steve with George Raynor in 1956

Though Steve only played four first team league games in season 1956-57 (scoring once) for the ‘Bantams’ (as the Sky Blues were known then) he, nevertheless, caused something of a sensation when he arrived in Britain for a trial with CCFC as a raw 24 year old, from his home in South Africa. Coming to post austerity Coventry was clearly something of a culture shock for Steve but he quickly became a crowd-pleaser at CCFC.

Steve stayed only one season during a somewhat ‘experimental’ period for the Club under coaches Jesse Carver and George Raynor and Highfield Road’s muddy pitch was certainly not conducive to Kala’s mercurial skills.

Instead Steve built an impressive and eventful life both playing football on the continent for a number of top European Clubs like Barcelona, Marseilles and Torino (eventually becoming known as the ‘Black Meteor’) and then later as an academic in the USA. 

A Legend of South African football he received numerous awards from the both governments of his homeland and adopted home as well as the United Nations for his pioneering role in popularising football, especially for youngsters, in post-apartheid South Africa.

Steve wearing his CCFPA tie

He has had  books and films made of his life and at least one street and stadium in Europe and Africa named after him. Much more of this can be seen in previous news items about Steve on this site  (just type ‘Kalamazoo’ in the search panel on the right). 

The most recent short film which traces some of these highlights of Steve’s life and career and includes an interview with ‘Kalamazoo’  made by South African online broadcasters KaliTV can be seen direct on their website www.kalitv.com or by following the following link on YouTube or clicking on the image below.

(reference www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa3umkOFqk8).

For the record CCFC (managed by Harry Warren) put out the following team for Kalamazoo’s debut against Millwall that October 1956:-

Reg. Matthews, Charlie Timmins, George Curtis, Iain Jamieson, Roy Kirk, Noel Simpson, Steve Mokone, Dennis Uphill, Ken McPherson, Ray Sambrook and David Ferguson

Steve, Charlie, Iain (later CCFC Chairman & MD) and Ken all later became Association members before their deaths along with, until his more recent death, CCFC Life President and CCFC Legend George ‘Iron Man’ Curtis.

Ron Gray‘s Lions team was (their goals came from Gordon Pulley and Joe Tyrell):-

W Lloyd, Alex Jardine, Stan Anslow, George Vietch, Ray Brand, Colin Rawson, George Hazlett, John Shepherd, Dennis Pacey, Joe Tyrell and Gordon Pulley

Steve was in fairly regular contact with CCFPA’s Mike Young after he joined the the Association a few years back until, sadly, he died in the USA in March 2015 aged 82.

Thanks to Mike for sourcing the images.