Matchday Memories: On This Day 2003 – Sky Blue Stan Salvages Late Stalemate At Watford

Gary McAllister- Sky Blue ‘gaffer’

On this day (21st October) in 2003 Gary McAllister took his Sky Blues team down to Watford for a Division One game.

CCFC were having a patchy season in sixteenth place and this away fixture followed two successive home games, a single goal victory over Wimbledon the previous Saturday (only our fourth so far) and a 3-1 reverse to Cardiff City midweek.

Ray Lewington‘s side were struggling even more just above the relegation spots and the Sky Blues should have done better than the 1-1 draw which was less than both sides needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve in the Sky Blue

In fact the Sky Blues did deserve to get more from the generally poor quality game and it was a bit of a surprise to the Hornets’ fans in the 12,487 crowd (and against the run of play) when their Scott Fitzgerald pounced on a parry from City’s ‘keeper Peguy Arpexhad to net with only seven minutes left to play and hold prospects of a home victory.

However, the Sky Blues were very relieved to salvage a deserved point with a ninetieth minute hooked equaliser from CCFC’s  Steve Staunton, one of three goals scored by the defender this season. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A contemporary match report from BBC Sport can be found here. The referee was Mr. A Kaye (West Yorkshire). The graphic below provides all the key match details:-

The following dozen members of the Sky Blues matchday squad that day later went on to become CCFPA members:-

Mo Konjic, Steve Staunton, Richard Shaw, Youssef Safri, Andy Whing, Michael Doyle, Andy Morrell, Pat Suffo, Scott Shearer, Craig Pead, ‘Dele Adebola and Calum Davenport

The 2003-04 season saw the Sky Blues’ hot seat vacated successively by Gary Mac (who left to look after his sick wife at the end of the year), then by Gary’s Assistant Eric Black and finally Peter Reid (both now CCFPA members). It was Peter who saw out the season in which the Sky Blues’s campaign petered out to finish twelfth! The Hornets finished sixteenth and another drab draw, this time goalless, between the two sides ensued in Coventry in the return early in the New Year!

CCFC 2003-04

Norwich City (Champs), runners up West Bromwich Albion and sixth placed Crystal Palace (winners of the playoffs) were all promoted. At the other end of the table Walsall, Bradford City and bottom club AFC Wimbledon all went down.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1980 – Sky Blues Sunderland Success: Steve, ‘Thommo’ & ‘Stan’ Score

Gordon Milne-CCFC gaffer

On this Tuesday evening (21st October) in 1980 (now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne was seeking a response from his Sky Blues to the 1-0 defeat at Highfield Road to Norwich City the previous Saturday (with the Canaries’ goal scored by future Sky Blue hero -and now CCFPA member and quite recent ‘special guest’ at a Sky Blue game at the CBS – Greg Downs)!

Milne’s men now had an early chance today to remedy matters against Sunderland, again at home, in front of 13,112 supporters. The Black Cats had been newly promoted and had a strong record on their travels having only lost once in their last fifteen away games so a City win today would be good going.

Steve Hunt in the Sky Blue

Garry in the Sky Blue 1981

In truth the ‘Mackems’ outplayed the Sky Blues for long periods and the result was always in the balance. City were heartened by scoring first in only the first minute through fairly recent CCFPA recruit Steve Hunt.  The Sky Blues maintained the lead, under pressure, through half-time until Les Sealey was beaten by Stan Cummins five minutes into the second period.  Relief was eventually provided by a Sky Blue winner scored by Garry Thompson after 69 minutes with a header from a Peter Bodak cross. City were able to hold on to full time to beat Ken Knighton‘s Black Cats.

The graphic below, courtesy of former CCFPA committee member, Dean Nelson depicts the main match details, including both teams.  The only change from the Highfield Road match three days earlier was that Peter Bodak had come into the reshuffled attack in place of  Tom English. Defender Bobby McDonald and iconic forward Tommy Hutchinson (all four now CCFPA members) were not available being on their way to a double transfer to Maine Road to sigb for John Bond‘s Manchester City. 

 

Apart from our ‘keeper, Les Sealey (who passed away before he had a chance to join CCFPA) the whole City team tonight later went on to  join the Association. Two season’s later the Black Cats’ defender Sam Allardyce joined the Sky Blues (and later still CCFPA)!

 

The Referee was Mr. K. McNally.

Sunderland got full revenge in the return at Roker Park in March as they won comfortably by three clear goals against a struggling Sky Blues towards season’s end.

CCFC 1980-81

The Sky Blues eventually finished the season in sixteenth spot four places and three points into safety as, on the last day Norwich City lost at home to Leicester City and both were relegated with the Canaries in twentieth spot and the Foxes in 21st. A long way bottom with only nineteen points were fellow relegation fodder Crystal Palace! 

At the other end of the table (whisper it quietly) Aston Villa were declared Division One Champions four points ahead of Ipswich Town.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1972 – Sky Blue Willie Wins Elland Road Draw For M-Men!

Leeds (a) match action

Gordon Joe & Eddie Plumley signing Tommy Hutchison 1972

On this day (October 21st) in 1972 the Sky Blues, under the joint managerial guidance of Joe Mercer and (now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne were 13 games into their Division One campaign and had travelled to Elland Road to meet top club Leeds United. Hopes were high given that following the impressive signing of exciting Scottish duo of Colin Stein and Tommy Hutchison (both now CCFPA members) the Sky Blues had won two on the bounce, 1-0 at Crystal Palace and 3-2 at Highfield Road against Manchester City.

Willie Carr in the Sky Blue 1972

They missed out on this day on a win treble but did get a well deserved draw against the star studded Yorkshiremen, City’s first points at Elland Road for five seasons! The M-Men’s men twice hit the bar before (now CCFPA member) Willie Carr scored a 56th minute opener following a cross from Colin early in the second half!  ‘The Hutch’ has a sparkling second game for CCFC and both Trevor Cherry and the crude ‘bite your legs’ Leeds defender Norman Hunter are booked for chopping Tommy down! 

Sadly the home crowd of 36,240 had only four minutes to wait after Willie’s goal to see an equaliser from the Leeds’ central defender Jack Charlton who scored against the Sky Blues for the fourth year running! Still a point was a good haul from the Sky Blues who remained 12th against the 4th placed United.

                                         

For the record the teams lined up as follows:-

Sky Blues

Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Chris Cattlin, Wilf Smith, Roy Barry, Bobby Parker, Dennis Mortimer, (the late) Brian Alderson, Colin Stein, Willie Carr and Tommy Hutchison

We are pleased to say that all of them bar Brian (who died prior to the formation of CCFPA) went on to join the Association.

 

Leeds United (managed by Don Revie)

David Harvey, Paul Madeley, Trevor Cherry, Billy Bremner, Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter, Peter Lorimer, Alan Clarke, Mick Jones (sub. Joe Jordan), Johnny Giles and Eddie Gray    Referee: H.Davey

 

Early the following April title chasing  Leeds United went one better at Highfield Road and a 40th minute goal from Paul Reaney was enough to give the visitors the win. However they had to be content with a third place finish in 1972-73 behind runners up Arsenal and Champions (by three points) Liverpool.   The Sky Blues early promise dissipated as they slid down the Division One table to finish in 19th two places and five points above the relegated bottom duo Crystal Palace (21st) and our neighbours West Bromwich Albion (22nd).

CCFC 1972-73

 

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

 

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1953 – City Throw Floodlight On Southern Queens!

1953 Highfield Rd pre Floodlight

On this day (21st October) in 1953 floodlights made their debut at Highfield Road when Coventry City’s visitors from Scotland in a friendly game were Queen of the South. An intrigued and excited crowd of nearly 17,000 fans were there to see the innovation.

These were the club and ground’s first efforts i.e. lights on poles. Better floodlights on large pylons in each corner of the ground were installed later in October 1957. Thanks to CCFPA Chairman (and CCFC official club historian) Jim Brown for the following discussion of this inaugural occasion and its context:-

Grainy Telegraph photo of the game

“The club unveiled their first floodlight system in October 1953. It consisted of wooden poles, each topped with a pair of large bulbs, and pairs of similar bulbs attached to the roof of the two stands parallel with the touchlines. In total, approximately 48 lights illuminated the pitch and, according to the club’s accounts published in April 1954, the system cost £3,967. Floodlights were all the craze, and City were one of the first clubs outside London to install them. In the same month several other clubs inaugurated their lights, among them Manchester City, Luton Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bury.

For their first floodlit game, City invited Scottish club Queen of the South to Highfield Road and the programme makes quaint reading… ‘Opinions differ regarding the permanency of floodlight football, but we believe there is a great future in this type of entertainment. And why not?  Does it not give us the opportunity of allowing our supporters to see the best teams, not only in Great Britain, but also Continental teams of repute. We realise that only the best will continue to attract, and it will be our endeavour to bring teams that under normal circumstances would not be seen in Coventry. What a start we have made! Queen of the South, Wolverhampton Wanderers and East Fife.’

Don Dorman

Such opponents would not inspire quite the same awe today, but back then all three were attractive teams. Wolves led the First Division at the time; Queen of the South had been a permanent fixture in the Scottish First Division for almost twenty years and were then Scottish League ‘A’ leaders; East Fife had finished third in the Scottish League two years running and recently lifted the Scottish League Cup. For both teams it was their first experience of playing under artificial lights. The match was watched by ex City player Jock Lauderdale apparently.

The teams were as per programme (above right) except Brown replaced Douglas McBain in the QoS side. In his match report in the Coventry Evening Telegraph, ‘Nemo’ wrote:

“The players had no difficulty in following the flight of the ball under the artificial lighting, and the spectators found it equally easy to follow the play.” 

Queens’ manager, however, said his goalkeeper had occasional difficulty with high crosses. A crowd of 16,923 paid to watch, several hundred more than had attended the previous league game at the ground. The game ended 1-1, with a fourth-minute Don Dorman header being the first goal under the lights, and a Scottish equaliser from their centre forward Jim Patterson three minutes later. A week later 18,680 attended the second floodlit match, against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Full floodlights v Southampton later in 1955-56

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