Matchday Memories: On This Day 2020 – See Sky Blue ‘Matty’ Punish Pompey At St Andrews

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Sky Blue gaffer Mark Robins

On this day (11th February) just four years ago in 2020 the Sky Blues were storming home in their League One campaign well into the play-off positions and unbeaten in the league in eight games since the 14th December. Today Mark Robins‘ Men were looking for a third successive league win having pipped Bristol Rovers 2-1 in a League One game just three days ago at St Andrews, their Birmingham ‘home’ in exile for the second and last season before returning to the Ricoh/ CBS Arena. 

Today’s visitors to St Andrews in front of a modest crowd of just under 7,000 (including over 1,500 from the south coast) were Portsmouth. Themselves promotion rivals, bringing a club record nine successive wins under their belt, Kenny Jackett‘s team were looking for an upset. The two teams had fought out an exciting 3-3 draw back in August at their place with nine man City coming back from 3-1 down and having a goal disallowed!

Matty in the Sky Blue

Pompey looked like they might get some kind of revenge until up popped our reliable goal-getter (and CCFPA sponsored player for 2021-22) Matty Godden who came off the bench to score the only and winning goal just four minutes from the final whistle. Matty slotted home from close range after being set up by a lobbed ball from perennial livewire Callum O’Hare.

Callum O’Hare in the Sky Blue

The strike put the Sky Blues up to third and saw them continue their unbeaten run which would extend a further five matches (four wins) right to the end of the COVID 19 truncated season when the Sky Blues claimed the League One title on a points per game formula! However, they headed the table with ten games to go five points clear with a game in hand on most of their challengers so they thoroughly deserved their promotion as League champions!! 

A contemporary match report from BBC Sport can be found by clicking here. Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson you can see some match highlights (with Pompey commentary) by clicking on the link or image below:-

https://youtu.be/cmzf40dV2qw

Marko 2020-21

Mark’s men that day included the following players (CCFPA members underlined):-

 

Marko Marosi, Fankaty Dabo, Sam McCallum, Dom Hyam, Kyle McFadzean, Liam Kelly (c), Jamie Allen (sub. Max Biamou -70), Michael Rose, Amadou Bakayoko (sub. Matty Godden -82), Liam Walsh and Jordan Shipley

Unused subs:-  Callum O’Hare, Zain Westbrooke, Josh Pask, Ryan Giles and Ben Wilson (gk)

 

Kenny Jackett‘s Pompey side lined up:-

Alex Bass, James Bolton, Sean Raggett, Tom Naylor (c), Steve Seddon, Christian Burgess, Ryan Williams (sub. Marcus Harness -63), Ben Close, Cameron McGeehan, John Marquis (sub. Ellis Harrison -63) and Ronan Curtis   Unused subs:-  Lee Brown, Ross McCrorie, Jack Whatmough, Gareth Evans and Craig MacGillivray   (gk)    Referee:- Scott Oldham

CCFC 2019-20 League One Champs

Runners up to the Sky Blues, Rotherham United (captained by former Sky Blue, and CCFPA member, Richard Wood) were also automatically promoted. Wycombe Wanderers joined them via the playoffs after making it into the top six via a goals per game adjustment. Pompey, who were fifth failed to make it out of the playoffs. 

Tranmere Rovers, Southend United and Bolton Wanderers took the drop.

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

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1995 – See Phil’s Sky Blue Swansong Success At The Palace!

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Phil Neal, CCFC’s gaffer

On this day (February 11th) in 1995 CCFC gaffer Phil Neal managed his last Sky Blues game and ended his reign with a win in south London. City’s first win in twelve, achieved against Crystal Palace, was not enough to save him and Big Ron Atkinson (now a CCFPA member) was in charge the following Saturday (another 2-0 victory at Highfield Road over another London outfit, West Ham United). Neal’s last game, though it provided both a victory and a clean sheet for his team, was not one to remember and was played in driving rain soaking many of the 11,871 spectators.

Cobi in the Sky Blue

The Sky Blues were forced to soak up a lot of pressure in the first half and only won it with late goals in the last quarter of the game from our U.S. import Cobi Jones (75 minutes) and then CCFPA member Dion Dublin who netted ten minutes later.

Dion in Sky Blue action

Palace were only a shadow of the side that destroyed us 4-1 at Highfield Road the previous November (John Salako, later a Sky Blue, and a CCFPA member) was a scorer in the first game and also played in this one on his birthday!

City captain Dion Dublin also scored City’s consolation in the November game. There were plenty of Sky Blue connections in this game:-

Future Sky Blue gaffers Ian Dowie (playing up front) and Chris Coleman (in the defence) played for Palace as the Sky Blues got their revenge. Popular future Sky Blue defender (and caretaker manager) Richard Shaw was also in the side. Richard is now a CCFPA member. Crystal Palace also featured future Sky Blue Dean Gordon!

Thanks to former CCFPA committee member Dean Nelson for supplying a video of the match highlights below

The team that played in Phil’s swansong was (CCFPA members underlined):-

SP in the Sky Blue 1994

Steve Ogrizovic, Ally Pickering, Steve Morgan, Mike Marsh, Brian Borrows, Steven Pressley, Sean Flynn (sub. Julian Darby), David Rennie, Dion Dublin, Cobi Jones and Peter Ndlovu.

Steven (aka ‘Elvis’) later, of course, went on to become Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ under difficult times for the club.

The Palace (manage by Alan Smith) put out the following side:-

Nigel Martyn, Darren Patterson, Dean Gordon, Gareth Southgate, Chris Coleman, Richard Shaw, Bobby Bowry (sub. Andy Preece), Darren Pitcher, Iain Dowie, George Ndah and John Salako                     Referee:- Martin Bodenham

CCFC 1994-95

Big Ron did enough to keep the Sky Blues up in sixteenth place five points and two places ahead of trouble. In descending order City’s opponents this day, Crystal Palace succumbed to relegation as well as Norwich City, Leicester City and bottom club Ipswich Town.

At the top end of the Division Blackburn Rovers pipped Manchester United to the Premier League title by just a point!

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

 

Members News: Conor Is Tonight’s ‘Special Guest’ v QPR!

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Conor in the Sky Blue 2015

We are delighted to confirm that tonight’s ‘Special Guest’ for the Sky Blues’ Championship game at the CBS Arena against Queens Park Rangers is former CCFC midfielder Conor Thomas.

Conor is bound to get a wonderful Sky Blue welcome on his debut as our ‘special guest’. Now 31, he is closing in on a century of appearances for Crewe Alexandra since May 2022. Conor started out as a promising Sky Blue youngster (prompting a loan spell with Premier League Liverpool in 2011). Between 2010-16 the midfielder made 117 Sky Blue appearances (just one goal) before moving to successively Swindon, Cheltenham (2018) and the Alex (2022). 

Conor at Crewe

Before kick-off look out for Carl ‘around the lounges’ in the Arena’s main stand accompanied by club host Brian‘Harry’ Roberts having some interesting chats about his Sky Blues days and subsequent career.  

Conor will, no doubt, have a chance to meet with other FP members we expect to be at the game. We expect these to include:-

Dave Bennett, William Edjenguele, Stuart Giddings, Ian Goodwin and Avun Jephcott

Our ‘special’ may well be introduced to the crowd on the pitch at half-time and post-match will accompany CCFPA’s chairman Billy Bell on stage before hopefully happy fans in Lady Gs down in the G-Casino!

CCFPA’s former chairman Jim Brown (the club’s official historian) and current long-time committee member Mike Young will have their usual contribution in CCFC’s excellent matchday magazine PUSB.

Conor like all Sky Blue fans will be looking for a Sky Blue bounce back from the recent home defeats in both league and cup. Look out for coverage of Conor’s visit to the CBS tonight on this site in the next day or so.

Matchday Memories: On This Day 1970 – Neil Nails Noel’s 1st Top Flight Win At Hammers

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Noel Cantwell- CCFC Manager

On this Wednesday evening (11th February) back in 1970 the Sky Blues, managed by Noel Cantwell, were in London to take on West Ham United in a Division One clash both hoping for a better outcome after the 2-2 draw between the clubs at Highfield Road in October thanks to City goals from Brian Joicey and Dave Clements (both now CCFPA members).

The home team still featured their England 1966 World Cup winning heroes, Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst. The match had been postponed from the the previous Saturday (7th February) and the programme from that date was reused making the small number of programmes actually produced for the 11th, one of the Hammers’ rarest publications!

A crowd of 22,723 were in the Boleyn ground to see the contest and they saw the Sky Blues get their first top level win at Upton Park. This was in spite of going 1-0 down after only ten minutes when Geoff Hurst converted a penalty for a push on England colleague Martin Peters by Sky Blues central defender (and now CCFPA member) Roy Barry. This was Geoff’s 154th goal for the Hammers, establishing a post war club record.

Neil in the Sky Blue 1970

Then tall Sky Blues’ Scottish No.9 Neil Martin took a hand, scoring a brace, one in each half.

The CCFPA member grabbed his first on 23 minutes to send the two clubs on equal terms at the break. His second, a typical firm header after 52 minutes, proved the winner and was enough to take the points home to Coventry as the home team were slow hand-clapped by their fans. The Hammers might have salvaged a draw but Peter Eustace‘s late ‘goal’ was thankfully adjudged as offside by the officials.

The Sky Blues team that day lined up as follows:-

Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Chris Cattlin, Ernie Hunt*, Roy Barry, Dave Clements (sub. Brian Hill*), Ernie Hannigan*, Willie Carr, Neil Martin, John O’Rourke* and Dennis Mortimer.

All of these players later went on to join CCFPA. Sadly, the four players asterisked have since passed away.

West Ham put out the following side:-

Peter Grotier, Billy Bonds, Bobby Howe, Martin Peters, Alan Stephenson, Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking, Jimmy Lindsay, Peter Eustace, Geoff Hurst and Clyde Best               Referee:- G.Hartley

CCFC 1969-70

The Sky Blues put in their best ever top level finish in 1969-70 finishing sixth whilst West Ham United languished in seventeenth spot. The excellent finish also lined them up for the Sky Blues’ first ever cup campaign in Europe the following season.

Everton took the Division One title fully nine points clear of Leeds United. At the other end of the table Sunderland and bottom club Sheffield Wednesday were the two sides that dropped down to Division Two.

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