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Matchday Memories: On This Day 1973 – Milne & Mercer’s Men Manage Oriental Take Away Cup Win

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On this day (13th January) in 1973 (more than half a century ago) the Sky Blues had an F.A.Cup 3rd round tie at Leyton Orient. Over 4,000 members of the Sky Blue Army travelled to Brisbane Road to form a substantial part of the 12,272 crowd and they were thoroughly rewarded with a 4-1 CCFC victory on the road in front of Match of the Day cameras!

Willie in the Sky Blue

Joe Mercer and (now CCFPA member) Gordon Milne ran the Sky Blues team and CCFC club legend Tommy Hutchison ran the show. Brian Alderson (two minutes) and Willie Carr (four minutes) scored early doors and Orient got a penalty scored by Bobby Arber on 21 minutes. 

Brian Alderson in the Sky Blue

Almost immediately, Tommy ‘Hutch’ then weighed in with his own chipped effort on 24 minutes to send the Sky Blues in to the half time break with a comfortable lead. Brian Alderson‘s late second strike three minutes from the final whistle made for a comprehensive Sky Blue win.

Hutch celebrates City’s goal

The Mercer-Milne Sky Blues team that day was:-

Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Alan Dugdale, Wilf Smith, Roy Barry, Bobby Parker, Dennis Mortimer, the late Brian Alderson, Colin Stein, Willie Carr & Tommy Hutchison.

All the team members that day are now Association members apart from Brian who, sadly, passed away at a tragically early age in the USA before he had the opportunity to join us! 

Leyton Orient‘s XI chosen by manager George Petchey comprised:-

Ray Goddard, Phil Hoadley, Bobby Arber, Peter Allen, Paul Harris, Malcolm Linton, Derrick Downing, Terry Brisley, Ian Bowyer, Gerry Queen and Ricky Heppolette    Referee:- V.James

Tommy takes on his back

Willie wheels away after scoring

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following month City beat Grimsby Town 1-0 at Highfield Road in Round Four with a late Mick Coop penalty and, in Round Five, Hull City succumbed easily enough by 3-0 at H.R, with a brace from Colin Stein and another from Brian Alderson. The Sky Blues eventually went out to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Quarter Final stage 0-2 at Molineux in March with future Sky Blue (and CCFPA member) Kenny Hibbitt doing some of the damage for Wolves.

CCFC 1972-73

In the League that season the Sky Blues finished only two positions clear of the relegation zone in nineteenth spot in Division One. Five points worse off Crystal Palace went down in 21st spot along with bottom club West Bromwich Albion. At the top of Division One Liverpool took the title three points clear of Arsenal.

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

 

January 13, 2025 · Tagged with

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Members News: Former CCFC Moroccan International Midfielder Is 48 Today. ‘Happy Birthday’, Youssef

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Youssef Safri in the Sky Blue

Back in June 2021 we announced the Association’s third signing of a Moroccan international when we welcomed Youssef Safri to CCFPA. Now it is our pleasure to celebrate with Youssef his 48th birthday! His North African compatriots are Youssef Chippo and Mustapha Hadji and all three have been well capped for their country.

Born in Casablanca, Morocco on 13th January 1977 (not the 3rd reported elsewhere) Youssef started his youth career at Rachad Bernoussi by 1995 and was promoted to the Raja Casablanca senior squad in 1996. Becoming known as a skilful passer but also a no nonsense ball winner the midfielder joined (now fellow CCFPA member) Gordon Strachan‘s Sky Blues in 2001 for a reported fee of £700k the season after CCFC had been relegated from the top flight after 34 years. He made his Division One debut off the bench in the 1-0 home defeat to Grimsby Town on the 8th September 2001 in WGS‘s last game before he was sacked and made his full debut at No.8 in the following game, with Roland Nilsson now in the ‘gaffer’s chair) a week later in a 1-0 win at Sheffield United. His only Sky Blue goal came in the 39th minute of a 2-0 home win against Sheffield Wednesday on 27th October 2001.

David Thompson celebrayes Safri’s only Sky Blue goal with Youssef

Youssef in
Moroccan colours

He was already an established Morocco international when he joined the Sky Blues and between 2000-09 won 77 caps for his country and contributed nine goals. He was particularly a key player with his national team during the 2004 African Cup of Nations when Morocco grabbed runners up spot. Earlier he was also a member of the national squad competing at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championships and the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games.

Several Sky Blue managers later (Gary McAllister, Eric Black and at the time Peter Reid) Youssef was sold to Norwich City for £750k in summer 2004 after the Canaries’ promotion to the Premier League. At Carrow Road he was a popular and regular member of the side until Peter Grant became manager when, after their relationship soured, Youssef left East Anglia for the Canaries’ Championship rivals Southampton in August 2007. With the Canaries he scored four goals in 92 appearances and for the Saints failed to find the net in 39 games.

Youseff in Sky Blue action

In July 2008 Youssef joined the Qatar Sports Club for a £300k fee and stayed with the middle east club until the end of the 2012-2013 season hanging up his boots to go into coaching with eight goals in his ninety appearances. Returning home he started out by becoming assistant manager at the home town club where he started out Raja Casablanca for 2014-15 and resumed there in 2018-19 after spending 2015-16 as assistant ‘gaffer’ at Jamal Sellami (at Difaa Hassani El Jadidi) and 2017 as coach of Islam U17s. With Casablanca, he stepped up briefly to caretaker in January 2019 when their manager was sacked but left the club again in June only to return yet again in November 2019 as assistant. In October 2021 Youssef joined previous club Qatar SC as their new manager (below) but left the club in October 2023.

Youssef signs for Qatar Sports Club as ‘gaffer’ Oct.2021

If it is at all possible in the future for him to make it over here, we would love to entertain Youssef in Coventry at a Sky Blues home match or Association event at the CBS Arena this coming season. In the meantime we wish him ‘Many Happy Returns of the Day’!

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

 

January 13, 2025 · Tagged with

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Matchday Memories: On This Day 2019 – Luke’s Strike Saves Sky Blue Wombles Point!

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CCFC Manager Mark Robins

On this day (12th January) relatively recently in 2019 the top half Sky Blues, under Mark Robins, were doing reasonably well in League One but were hoping to improve on their last performance a 2-1 defeat at Scunthorpe United. Today they were playing at the Ricoh (now owned by Joy Sepalla‘s SISU and Wasps Rugby club as the prime tenants). A modest crowd of 10,420 (including 667 from south London) had turned up to see the game against AFC Wimbledon and they saw the Sky Blues eventually salvage a point. The two sides had also drawn (goal-less) in south London in their first game back in early August.

Luke in the Sky Blue away strip

We got off to a bad start conceding a 2nd minute goal to the Womble’s Jake Jervis after a scramble in the box. Sky Blue fans had to wait until two minutes after the hour mark for the equaliser courtesy of a deflected strike from Luke Thomas (CCFC’s loanee from Derby County). There were chances for both sides squandered in a frustrating afternoon for all concerned but no more goals or points were won by either side, just the one!

The two sides lined up:-

Liam Kelly in Sky Blue action

Sky Blues:  (CCFPA members underlined) Formation: 4-2-3-1

Lee Burge, Dujon Sterling, Jordan Willis, Dom Hyam, Sam McCallum (sub. Jack Grimmer -89), Liam Kelly (c), Tom Bayliss, Luke Thomas, Bright Enobakhare (sub. Jonson Clarke-Harris -62), Conor Chaplin and Jordy Hiwula.

Unused Subs: Tom Davies, Michael Doyle, Jordan Shipley, Zain Westbrooke and Corey Addai (gk)

AFC Wimbledon (managed by Wally Downes) Formation: 4-1-4-1

Aaron Ramsdale, Tennai Watson, Adedeji Oshilaja (c), Will Nightingale, Anthony Hartigan, Jake Jervis (sub. Liam Trotter -68), Mitchell Pinnock, Tyler Garratt (sub. Joe Pigott -68), Andy Barcham, Paul Kalambayi and Anthony Wordsworth  Unused Subs: Dylan Connolly, Toby Sibbick, Tommy Wood, Alfie Egan and Joe McDonnell (gk)   Referee: Robert Lewis

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can watch some match highlights by clicking on the link or image below:-

https://youtu.be/tDgBQlEnBGM

ImageThe Sky Blues season steadily but slowly improved but, in the event, the desired play off push faltered with four defeats in their last dozen games  and two in their last three) and they never got above seventh. They had to settle for eighth spot in League One (eight points off the playoffs) at the end of the season, though this was more than the target of consolidation it has to be said in their first season back up from the bottom tier.

CCFC 2018-19

Champions Luton Town, runners up Barnsley and (after the play-offs) third place Charlton Athletic all got promoted from League One to the Championship.
 
At the other end Wimbledon (just) stayed up on goal difference in 20th spot. The clubs that went down were (in descending order) Plymouth Argyle, Walsall, Scunthorpe United and Bradford City (at the very bottom)!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
 

January 12, 2025 · Tagged with

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Matchday Memories: On This Day 2016 – See Sky Blue Stokes Score In Saddlers Stalemate

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Chris Stokes in the Sky Blue

On this day (12th January) in 2016 the Sky Blues under ‘gaffer’ Tony Mowbray were doing fine in League One with only one league defeat in the last sixteen games and in the play-off spots. Today they faced Walsall FC at the Ricoh looking for revenge after going down to them 2-1 at the Bescot in August.  City kept the unbeaten run going (but would go one to win only once in the next nine games)!

A glancing header from (now CCFPA member) Chris Stokes, taking advantage of a Joe Cole free kick, gave the Sky Blues the lead after 34 minutes and the Saddlers had quite a few close calls subsequently. However,  the visitors fought their way back level nine minutes from time from Tom Bradshaw glancing shot to snatch a point in front of 15,671 at the Ricoh (including nearly 1,400 fans from Walsall).

Manager Mowbray

Reice Charles-Cook, Aaron Phillips, Ryan Haynes, Sam Ricketts (c), Chris Stokes, Romain Vincelot, John Fleck, Joe Cole (sub. James Maddison -65), Adam Armstrong, Jacob Murphy and Jim O’Brien (sub. Marc-Antoine Fortune -82).    

Unused subs:-   Marcus Tudgay, Gael Bigirimana, Reuben Lameiras, Peter Ramage and Lee Burge (gk)
 
Sean O’Driscoll put out the following Saddlers’ players onto the Ricoh pitch:-
Neil Etheridge, Rico Hentry, Milan Lalkovic (sub. Anthony Forde -60), James O’Connor, Liam Kinsella (sub. Jason Denetriou -60), Paul Downing, Adam Chambers (c), Sam Mantom, Tom Bradshaw, Romaine Sawyers and George Evans (sub. Jordan Cook -78)  Unused subs:- Matt Preston, Keiron Morris, Andy Taylor and Craig MacGillivray (gk)      
Referee:- Tony Harrington
 

CCFC 2015-16

 
The Sky Blues had climbed to top spot in League One by the end of November but a New Year slump (and a bit of a purple patch right at the end of the season) saw them drift down to an eighth place finish,outside the playoffs. The Saddlers however finished third, only a point behind the automatic promotion spots taken by Burton Albion and champions Wigan Athletic. The Saddlers also lost out in the play-offs as Barnsley took the remaining promotion spot. 
 
Doncaster Rovers, Blackpool, Colchester United and Crewe Alexandra were the relegated quartet.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.

 

January 12, 2025 · Tagged with

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