Matchday Memories: On This Day 2015 – See Sky Blue Blair Punish Posh In P’boro

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Manager Mowbray

On this day (28th March) in 2015 the Sky Blues had early in the new season been very pleased to make their first ‘Ricoh Return’ after their season and a bit’s exile at Northampton Town‘s Sixfields Stadium.

Now, also under new management Tony Mowbray having taken the Ricoh ‘hot seat’ on the first of this month, the Sky Blues travelled to Peterborough United to take on the Posh and came away with a narrow 1-0 win.

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Ryan Haynes in the Sky Blue

Former Sky Blue player Steven Pressley had been City ‘gaffer’ when, at the end of October  at Sixfields, the Sky Blues had beaten the Posh (then in second place in League One) by the odd goal in five. City’s scorers in a stirring second half comeback that day, CCFC having been down 2-0 at half-time, were Ryan Haynes (48 mins), Jim O’Brien (61) and Frank Nouble two minutes later. The trio are all now Association members!

Today’s win gave the Sky Blues a welcome ‘double’ and was thanks to a piece of opportunism from substitute Blair Turgott who latched on to a looped defensive rebound after a shot from another sub. Sanmi Odelusi, to firmly net from a difficult angle.

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The goal goes in

Blair Turgott in Sky Blue action

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blair Turgott in Sky Blue yellow

The goal came with 21 minutes to go and the Sky Blues held on for the points to send home their 857 travelling fans (in a crowd of 7,325) very happy. Blair was a short term signing from West Ham United and this was his only goal in the three Sky Blue appearances he made. Sanmi was a loanee from Bolton Wanderers and scored three in fourteen games for City.

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch brief highlights from the game by clicking on the image below:-

For the record, the Sky Blues team that day (CCFPA members underlined) was:-

Lee Burge, Jordan Willis, Chris Stokes, Matthew Pennington, Aaron Martin, Grant Ward, John Fleck (sub. Andy Webster90), Dominic Samuels, Marcus Tudgay (sub. Sanmi Odelusi -40), Frank Nouble (sub. Blair Turgott -58) and Jim O’Brien (c)      

Unused Subs. Conor Thomas, Adam Barton, Aaron Phillips and Reice Charles-Cook (gk)

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Sky Blue Congrats all round

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Chris Stokes & excited Blair Turgott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Posh (managed by caretaker boss Dave Robertson) put out the following team:-

Ben Alnwick, Michael Smith, Kgosi Ntlhe, Shaun Brisley, Christian Burgess, Michael Bostwick, Jon Taylor, Jack Payne (c), Luke James, Joe Newell (sub. Marcus Maddison -67 ) and Conor Washington (sub. Luke Williams -45)  Unused Subs. Alan Sheehan, James Pearson, Harry Beautyman, Harry Anderson and Dion-Curtis Henry (gk)    Referee: Ian Williamson

CCFC 2014-15 (under Steven Pressley)

In a fairly nondescript season with plenty of ups and downs Mowbray’s men survived in seventeenth spot in League One with the Posh well out of the play-off positions in ninth. Bristol City went up as champions with runners up MK Dons and Preston North End who won the playoffs from third place.

Notts County, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient and bottom club Yeovil Town took the drop to League Two.

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

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1998 – See Strachan’s Sky Blues Sort Derby (Darren Delivers)!

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ImageOn this day (March 28th) in 1998 Sky Blue manager Gordon Strachan picked a team for a Premier League fixture against East Midland rivals Derby County. They had lost 3-1 to the Rams at the Baseball ground back in November so revenge would be sweet. The game, played at Highfield Road, attracted a crowd of 18,700  and they saw the away side lucky to escape with only a 1-0 defeat as City deserved a bigger win.

The Rams were managed by Jim Smith later (2002) to become assistant ‘gaffer’ at Highfield Road to CCFC’s Roland Nilsson who was playing for the Sky Blues today. Derby County also had another future Sky Blue player (and caretaker manager) in their ranks today, Lee Carsley (who later also became a CCFPA member).

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Hucks bursts his way through the Rams’ defence

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Match action

Darren in 1997-98

Unpredictable, but sometimes unplayable Sky Blues striker Darren Huckerby, proved the difference between the two sides scoring the only goal of the game a minute before half-time and generally led the Rams a merry dance. He obviously knew how to score against the Rams as he had also been the Sky Blue scorer at their brand new Pride Park stadium.

The Sky Blues did well to bounce back from their disappointing defeat (but only on penalties) in an exciting F.A.Cup Quarter Final replay against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane eleven days previously. Hucks had just penned a new four year Sky Blue deal.

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can see the goal highlights from the game by clicking on the image below:-

Gordon the Gaffer

Strachan’s Sky Blues lined up as follows (current CCFPA members underlined):-

Steve Ogrizovic, Roland Nilsson, David Burrows, George Boateng, Gary Breen, Richard Shaw, Paul Telfer, Trond-Egil Soltvedt, Dion Dublin, Darren Huckerby and Noel Whelan

Unused subs:- Paul Williams, Viorel Moldovan, Gavin Strachan, Sam Shilton and Magnus Hedman (gk)

Roland, of course, later went on to manage the Sky Blues (and has quite recently become a CCFPA recruit attending Legends Day 2022 as our ‘special guest’ in recent times..

Hucks & Noel together at half time

Tough they couldn’t make it last year it was good to see ‘Hucks’ and ‘Snowy’ Whelan back together again in Coventry for our Legends Day 2019 reunion the previous time we were able to hold the reunion (left).

Jim Smith‘s Derby’s team line up:-

Russell Hoult, Rory Delap, Chris Powell, Christian Dailly, Jacob Laursen, Igor Stimac, Lee Carsley (sub. Gary Rowett -73), Lars Bohinen, Paulo Wanchope, Francesco Baiano (sub. Mauricio Solis -88) and Darren Powell (sub. Deon Burton -55)  Unused subs:- Jonathan Hunt and Richard Knight    Referee:- Keith Burge (Mid Glamorgan)

CCFC 1997-98

Both Derby County and the Sky Blues finished the 1997-98 Premier League season in comfortable mid table, the Rams squeezing into the top ten in ninth and the Sky Blues two spots and two points behind them in eleventh.

Arsenal took the title by a point from Manchester United whilst Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley and bottom club Crystal Palace dropped into the First Division.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1978 – Wolves Wilt To Wonderful Sky Blues Win!

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Tommy in the Sky Blue

On this day (28th March) in 1978 long term Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Gordon Milne, now the Association’s oldest member from management, watched alond with 25,673 fans, his team steamroller their Midland rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers with Tommy Hutchison dazzling in a sizzling display of general attacking prowess. The 4-0 win came off the back of a 2-1 success at Norwich City.

Garry Thompson in the Sky Blue

Hutch helped himself to a brace each side of half-time and younger forwards Garry Thompson (before he limped off) and Ian Wallace get the other goals. Wolves would have hated the sight of the Sky Blues this season as they now had completed ‘the double’ over the side in the Old Gold having won 3-1 at Molineux at the end of the previous October thanks to a Mick Ferguson hat-trick!

Ian in Sky Blue action

Garry grabbed his debut goal for the club after 37 minutes to give the Sky Blues a lead and Hutch’s first which followed a minute before the break gave the Sky Blues a comfortable 2-0 half-time cushion. The scoring continued in the second 45 with Tommy’s second after 67 minutes.

Then the ‘Man of the Match’ created one of the goals of this season with a trademark mazy dribble from the City’s left winger beating five Wolves men before finding Ian Wallace with a pinpoint cross to deliver the coup-de-grace! Former Sky Blue (and CCFPA member) Willie Carr was in the Wolves team that day suffering the humiliation.

Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer

Milne’s men that day (CCFPA members underlined) were:-

Jim Blyth, Brian Roberts, Bobby McDonald, Terry Yorath, the late Jim Holton, Keith Osgood, John Beck, Ian Wallace, Garry Thompson (sub. Donal Murphy), Barry Powell and Tom Hutchison

Cyril ‘Sammy’ Chung‘s defeated Wolves team was:-

Paul Bradshaw, Geoff Palmer, Derek Parkin, Maurice Daly, Bob Hazell, John McAlle, Martin Patching, Willie Carr, Mel Eves, Colin Brazier and Steve Daley     Referee:- Derek Nippard

As well as Willie, former Sky Blue striker (and fellow CCFPA member) Billy Rafferty was on the Wolves books at this time.

CCFC 1977-78

The Sky Blues had a great season in 1977-78 finishing in seventh spot in Division One whilst Wolverhampton Wanderers languished well down in fifteenth place.

Nottingham Forest took the title comfortably (seven points clear of Liverpool) and West Ham United, Newcastle United and bottom club Leicester City were the relegated trio.

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

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1973 – Highfield Rd Hosts World Cup (With Clem & Eusebio)

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On this day (March 28th) in 1973 Highfield Road hosted a World Cup qualifier between two European International teams,  Northern Ireland and Portugal. There were 11,408 present at the original home of the Sky Blues. Former Sky Blue wide-man (and CCFPA member) Dave Clements was in the Northern Irish side.

Irish teenager Martin O’Neill scored his first international goal for the Irish team after eighteen minutes only for Eusebio to level for the Portuguese from the penalty spot six minutes from time. It proved to be the world superstar’s last international goal.  Irish international goalkeeping star Pat Jennings was on the front of CCFC’s colourful matchday magazine (left) that season.

Martin O’Neill scores

Eusebio at HR

O’Neill, of course later went on to captain his country and play for the likes of both Nottingham teams (Forest and County), Manchester City and Norwich City. He went into a largely successful management career (notably with Leicester City, Celtic, Norwich City, Aston Villa and Sunderland) and from 2013-18 was the gaffer of the ‘other’ team on the island of Ireland, the RoI. Most recently he was back in Nottingham managing the Forest until he departed in June 2019.

Eusebio had a glittering career largely in Europe and the States and ‘the Black Panther’ was feted as one of the best footballers of all time. He died aged 71 in 2014.

For the record the two teams were as follows:-

Northern Ireland (managed by Terry Neill):-

Pat Jennings, Liam O’Kane, Sammy Nelson, Terry Neill (c), Allan Hunter, Dave Clements, Bryan Hamilton, Roy Coyle, Sammy Morgan, Des Dickson and Martin O’Neill

Eusebio slots home past Jennings

Dave in the Sky Blue

Portugal (managed by Jose Augusto de Almeide):-

Jose Henrique, Artur Correia, Carlos Alhinho, Fernando Freitas, Adolfo Calisto, Pavao (sub. Dinis -67), Augusto Matine, Antonio Simoes, Nene, Abel and Eusebio (c).     Referee: Paul Schiller (Vienna)

Like England, neither team qualified for the 1974 World Cup Finals in West Germany. From this Group (Six) Bulgaria finished top of the table with Portugal runners up, Northern Ireland third and bottom Cyprus.

From 1965-76 Dave Clements amassed 48 caps (netting twice). At the age of 29, between March 1975 and May 1976, Clem also managed the international team for a total of eleven games.

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