Peter Hopes to See the Vale Vanquished

Peter Billing (1987)

The Association are pleased to announce that Peter Billing will be our special guest at the upcoming home game at the Ricoh next Saturday (07/02/2015) for the Sky Blues game against Port Vale.

Fans will remember Peter as an uncompromising and forceful defender who was with the  Sky Blues from 1989-1993 and made 77 first team appearances for the club (scoring a solitary goal) before moving to Saturday’s opponents Port Vale in February 1993- initially on loan. Peter has also represented the Sky Blues in Masters football in the past as well as being a supporter of our Golf Day reunions each June.

A Liverpudlian, Peter was initially discovered by Everton when playing for South Liverpool in the mid eighties. After a short time at Goodison he moved to Crewe Alexandra (initially on loan) in 1984. At Gresty Road he made just over a hundred appearances in all competitions before John Sillett brought him to Highfield Road for £120k in the summer of 1989. After Port Vale Peter spent season 1995-96 at Hartlepool United (under now fellow CCFPA member Keith Houchen) moving back to Crewe for the following season then dropped down to non league with Northwich Victoria, Bamber Bridge and Witton Albion before retiring in 2000.

Peter will be hoping the Sky Blues can produce a second successive home win to build on the welcome victory last Saturday over high flying MK Dons, especially since the game will be the first where new gaffer Tony Mowbray can begin to impose his own ideas on the shape and style of the team (with current caretakers Neil McFarlane and Dave Hockaday providing continuity). A good performance and three points will do much to raise hopes after the disappointing 1-0 defeat against Barnsley at Oakwell on Tuesday night.

Peter will be touring the various corporate lounges at the Ricoh before the game and will provide analytical support on the airwaves for our friends at BBC CWR during the game. We also expect he will be available for question and answers from fans in the company of CCFPA’s Billy Bell on the stage of Lady Gs in the arena’s G-Casino immediately after the game.

Welcome Peter!

Noel Craves an Away Day Winning Display for Mowbray

CCFPA provides a special guest for all Sky Blues home games at the Ricoh.  Their duties usually include assisting BBC CWR with their live matchday commentary by providing analysis and insight about the team’s performance on the day. From time to time our media friends also ask us to supply a former player pundit for a Sky Blue away fixture.

Back in September, popular former striker (and CCFPA member) Kevin Gallacher did the honours for us at Spotland, commentating on Rochdale’s narrow 1-0 victory over the Sky Blues who were then, of course, managed by fellow CCFPA member Steven Pressley. Tonight (Tuesday 3rd March 2015) it is the turn of our exciting Sky Blues striker from the nineties Noel Whelan to share the microphone with the boys from the BBC* at Barnsley. Brought to Highfield Road from Leeds United Noel clocked up 31 goals in his 131 league appearances for CCFC between 1995-2000 before moving on to Middlesbrough.

Noel guested for us at the Ricoh in October earlier this season witnessing the Sky Blues 3-1 demolition of  Exeter City in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy 2nd round -  and a repeat score at Oakwell would be handy!  Noel and all Sky Blues fans will obviously be hoping that the team can register another three points this time against against Barnsley following their unexpected, hard fought and nailbiting defeat of second place MK Dons at the Ricoh last Saturday.

That welcome home win (the first in the league since October) was, of course, achieved under the caretaker managership of Neil McFarlane and Dave Hockaday. Noel will be in prime position to make an early assessment of the Sky Blues performance under Steven Pressley’s replacement, Tony Mowbray. Whether or not the new gaffer takes a watching brief at Barnsley, with the MacFarlane/Hockaday duo in charge or takes a more active role, there will be great interest to see whether his influence leads to any changes the formation, personnel, tactics and style of the Sky Blues’ play during the game!

Whelan’s comments should be especially interesting since it has been reported that Noel was one of many who threw their hat into the ring when the managerial vacancy was first announced! A Sky Blues win would help confirm that the Club’s brief slip into the relegation zone was an aberration and that our future trajectory will be upwards.

Thanks Noel for your contribution later today. Let’s hope you and the travelling Sky Blue Army see a Sky Blues victory!

(l to r) Clive Eakin, Noel Whelan & Stuart Linnell compose their thoughts at a previous Sky Blues game (at the Ricoh)

*The BBC CWR commentary team of Clive Eakin and Stuart Linnell will be missing the voice of Geoff Foster who has been indisposed. CCFPA wishes Geoff well in making a quick recovery!

CCFPA sends Best Wishes to Trevor

Trevor Lewis and legends Day 2010

CCFPA’s Bob Eales presents Trevor with his Association tie

We understand that the Association’s oldest active member Trevor Lewis has been under the weather for a while now.  The Association wishes him a speedy return to full health and hopes he can make it to Legends Day 2015 in three weeks time as he makes the effort to come to Association reunions when he is able and was at the Ricoh for the last Legends Day 2013.

Just past his 94th birthday, winger Trevor played 11 games for the ‘Bantams’ (as CCFC were then known) from 1948-53 having come as a youngster from Redditch Town where he started out. He moved to Gillingham in December 1953 where he made 26 appearances (2 goals) before winding down his career with the likes of Kidderminster Harriers, Banbury United and Rugby Town.

Get well soon Trevor!

Coventry City Confirm Legends Day Hospitality

CCFC has now confirmed that the price of a place in the EON lounge for supporters to join a galaxy of CCFPA’s members representing many decades of the Club’s former players celebrating Legends Day 2015.

Legends Day is being held on the day of our home game against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday March 21st 2015.

Fans have the chance to dine and mingle with former City players with a hospitality package that includes